- Table View
- List View
Dependency Injection in .NET Core 2.0
by Tadit Dash Marino PosadasInject dependencies and write highly maintainable and flexible code using the new .NET Core DI Engine About This Book • Identify when to use the constructors, parameters, setters, or Interface Injection, for best results • Build dependencies not only for MVC within .NET but also for other frontend tools such as Angular • Create specific components or services to cover discrete and separate pieces of functionality and call them when needed. Who This Book Is For C# and .NET developers who have no idea what DI is and would like to understand how to implement it in their applications. What You Will Learn • Understand the concept of DI and its implications in modern software construction • Learn how DI is already implemented in today's frameworks. • Analyze how DI can be used with current software to improve maintainability and scalability. • Learn the use of DI in .NET Core • Get used to the possibilities that DI offers the ASP.NET Core developer in different scenarios. • Learn about good practices and refactoring legacy code. In Detail .NET Core provides more control than ever over web application architectures. A key point of this software architecture is that it's based on the use of Dependency Injection as a way to properly implement the Dependency Inversion principle proposed in the SOLID principles established by Robert C. Martin. With the advent of .NET Core, things have become much simpler with Dependency Injection built into the system. This book aims to give you a profound insight into writing loosely-coupled code using the latest features available in .NET Core. It talks about constructors, parameter, setters, and interface injection, explaining in detail, with the help of examples, which type of injection to use in which situation. It will show you how to implement a class that creates other classes with associated dependencies, also called IoC containers, and then create dependencies for each MVC component of ASP.NET Core. You'll learn to distinguish between IoC containers, the use of Inversion of Control, and DI itself, since DI is just a way of implementing IoC via these containers. You'll also learn how to build dependencies for other frontend tool such as Angular. You will get to use the in-built services offered by .NET Core to create your own custom dependencies. Towards the end, we'll talk about some patterns and anti-patterns for Dependency Injection along with some techniques to refactor legacy applications and inject dependencies. Style and Approach Filled with examples, this book will take you through various techniques for injecting dependencies into your applications with or without the use of frameworks.
The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine #1)
by James DashnerFrom James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, comes an all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure. The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares. Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it's addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he's holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific--the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer's motives are a mystery.The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.And they've been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can't even fathom--and there's the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.From the Hardcover edition.
The Game of Lives (The Mortality Doctrine #3)
by James DashnerFrom James Dashner, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, comes The Game of Lives, the final book in the Mortality Doctrine series, an edge-of-your-seat cyber-adventure trilogy that includes The Eye of Minds and The Rule of Thoughts. Michael used to live to game, but the games he was playing have become all too real. Only weeks ago, sinking into the Sleep was fun. The VirtNet combined the most cutting-edge technology and the most sophisticated gaming for a full mind-body experience. And it was Michael's passion. But now every time Michael sinks, he risks his life. The games are over. The VirtNet has become a world of deadly consequences, and Kaine grows stronger by the day. The Mortality Doctrine--Kaine's master plan--has nearly been realized, and little by little the line separating the virtual from the real is blurring. If Kaine succeeds, it will mean worldwide cyber domination. And it looks like Michael and his friends are the only ones who can put the monster back in the box--if Michael can figure out who his friends really are. And look for The Maze Runner movie and its sequel, Maze Runner:The Scorch Trials, from Twentieth Century Fox! Praise for the Mortality Doctrine Series: "An exhilarating adventure story with touches of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game."--Booklist"A breathless, action-packed read that will have readers on the edges of their seats...Dashner has stuck the landing."--Kirkus Reviews"An adrenaline rush."--School Library Journal"A gripping page-turner, Dashner's latest is sure to please."--BookPage"Full of action [and] a rather surprising twist that will leave you flipping pages." --FanBoyNation.comFrom the Hardcover edition.
The Mortality Doctrine Series: The Complete Trilogy (The Mortality Doctrine)
by James DashnerFrom James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series, comes the complete collection of all three books in the bestselling Mortality Doctrine series— The Eye of Minds, The Rule of Thoughts, and The Game of Lives. This edge-of-your-seat cyber-adventure trilogy is the perfect gift for fans of Marie Lu and Brandon Sanderson. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun it is. Why bother following the rules when it’s so easy to break them? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And one gamer has been doing exactly that, with murderous results. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid, to the back alleys and corners of the system human eyes have never seen—and it’s possible that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever. Also look for James Dashner's Maze Runner series— The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, The Kill Order, and The Fever Code. The first and second books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster!
The Rule of Thoughts (The Mortality Doctrine #2)
by James DashnerFrom James Dashner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series comes The Rule of Thoughts, the exciting sequel to The Eye of Minds. Michael completed the Path. What he found at the end turned everything he'd ever known about his life--and the world--completely upside down. He barely survived. But it was the only way VirtNet Security knew to find the cyber-terrorist Kaine--and to make the Sleep safe for gamers once again. And, the truth Michael discovered about Kaine is more complex than they anticipated, and more terrifying than even the worst of their fears. Kaine is a tangent, a computer program that has become sentient. And Michael's completing the Path was the first stage in turning Kaine's master plan, the Mortality Doctrine, into a reality. The Mortality Doctrine will populate Earth entirely with human bodies harboring tangent minds. Any gamer who sinks into the VirtNet risks coming out with a tangent intelligence in control of their body. And the takeover has already begun.
Elegant SciPy: The Art of Scientific Python
by Harriet Dashnow Juan Nunez-Iglesias Stéfan van der WaltWelcome to Scientific Python and its community. If you’re a scientist who programs with Python, this practical guide not only teaches you the fundamental parts of SciPy and libraries related to it, but also gives you a taste for beautiful, easy-to-read code that you can use in practice. You’ll learn how to write elegant code that’s clear, concise, and efficient at executing the task at hand.Throughout the book, you’ll work with examples from the wider scientific Python ecosystem, using code that illustrates principles outlined in the book. Using actual scientific data, you’ll work on real-world problems with SciPy, NumPy, Pandas, scikit-image, and other Python libraries.Explore the NumPy array, the data structure that underlies numerical scientific computationUse quantile normalization to ensure that measurements fit a specific distributionRepresent separate regions in an image with a Region Adjacency GraphConvert temporal or spatial data into frequency domain data with the Fast Fourier TransformSolve sparse matrix problems, including image segmentations, with SciPy’s sparse modulePerform linear algebra by using SciPy packagesExplore image alignment (registration) with SciPy’s optimize moduleProcess large datasets with Python data streaming primitives and the Toolz library
haXe 2 Beginner's Guide
by Benjamin DasnoisThis book is part of the Packt Beginner's Guide series. Written in an engaging style, it offers step-by-step examples with screenshots at key steps and clear explanation of what is happening in each task.This book is written for both Beginners and Developers who want to learn this multi-platform programming language to build web applications from scratch.
Logic and Argumentation: Third International Conference, CLAR 2020, Hangzhou, China, April 6–9, 2020, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #12061)
by Mehdi Dastani Huimin Dong Leon van der TorreThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference on Logic and Argumentation, CLAR 2020, held in Hangzhou, China, in April 2020. The 14 full and 7 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 31 submissions. The papers cover the focus of the CLAR series, including formal models of argumentation, logics for decision making and uncertainreasoning, formal models of evidence, con rmation, and justi cation, logics forgroup cognition and social network, reasoning about norms, formal representationsof natural language and legal texts, as well as applications of argumentationon climate engineering.
Fundamentals of Software Engineering
by Mehdi Dastani Marjan SirjaniThis book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 6th IPM International Conference on Fundamentals of Software Engineering, FSEN 2015, held in Tehran, Iran, in April 2015. The 21 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 64 submissions. The topics of interest in FSEN span over all aspects of formal methods, especially those related to advancing the application of formal methods in software industry and promoting their integration with practical engineering techniques.
Big Breaches: Cybersecurity Lessons for Everyone
by Neil Daswani Moudy ElbayadiThe cybersecurity industry has seen an investment of over $45 billion in the past 15 years. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the field remain unfilled amid breach after breach, and the problem has come to a head. It is time for everyone—not just techies—to become informed and empowered on the subject of cybersecurity.In engaging and exciting fashion, Big Breaches covers some of the largest security breaches and the technical topics behind them such as phishing, malware, third-party compromise, software vulnerabilities, unencrypted data, and more. Cybersecurity affects daily life for all of us, and the area has never been more accessible than with this book.You will obtain a confident grasp on industry insider knowledge such as effective prevention and detection countermeasures, the meta-level causes of breaches, the seven crucial habits for optimal security in your organization, and much more. These valuable lessons are applied to real-world cases, helping you deduce just how high-profile mega-breaches at Target, JPMorgan Chase, Equifax, Marriott, and more were able to occur.Whether you are seeking to implement a stronger foundation of cybersecurity within your organization or you are an individual who wants to learn the basics, Big Breaches ensures that everybody comes away with essential knowledge to move forward successfully. Arm yourself with this book’s expert insights and be prepared for the future of cybersecurity. Who This Book Is For Those interested in understanding what cybersecurity is all about, the failures have taken place in the field to date, and how they could have been avoided. For existing leadership and management in enterprises and government organizations, existing professionals in the field, and for those who are considering entering the field, this book covers everything from how to create a culture of security to the technologies and processes you can employ to achieve security based on lessons that can be learned from past breaches.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Guide: Build your cloud computing knowledge and build your skills as an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01)
by Rajesh DaswaniDevelop proficiency in AWS technologies and validate your skills by becoming an AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerKey FeaturesDevelop the skills to design highly available and fault-tolerant solutions in the cloudLearn how to adopt best-practice security measures in your cloud applicationsAchieve credibility through industry-recognized AWS Cloud Practitioner certificationBook DescriptionAmazon Web Services is the largest cloud computing service provider in the world. Its foundational certification, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01), is the first step to fast-tracking your career in cloud computing. This certification will add value even to those in non-IT roles, including professionals from sales, legal, and finance who may be working with cloud computing or AWS projects. If you are a seasoned IT professional, this certification will make it easier for you to prepare for more technical certifications to progress up the AWS ladder and improve your career prospects.The book is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on the fundamentals of cloud computing and the AWS global infrastructure. The second part examines key AWS technology services, including compute, network, storage, and database services. The third part covers AWS security, the shared responsibility model, and several security tools. In the final part, you'll study the fundamentals of cloud economics and AWS pricing models and billing practices.Complete with exercises that highlight best practices for designing solutions, detailed use cases for each of the AWS services, quizzes, and two complete practice tests, this CLF-C01 exam study guide will help you gain the knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to ace the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.What you will learnCreate an AWS account to access AWS cloud services in a secure and isolated environmentUnderstand identity and access management (IAM), encryption, and multifactor authentication (MFA) protectionConfigure multifactor authentication for your IAM accountsConfigure AWS services such as EC2, ECS, Lambda, VPCs, and Route53Explore various storage and database services such as S3, EBS, and Amazon RDSStudy the fundamentals of modern application design to shift from a monolithic to microservices architectureDesign highly available solutions with decoupling ingrained in your design architectureWho this book is forIf you're looking to advance your career and gain expertise in cloud computing, with particular focus on the AWS platform, this book is for you. This guide will help you ace the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam, enabling you to embark on a rewarding career in cloud computing. No previous IT experience is essential to get started with this book, since it covers core IT fundamentals from the ground up.
Database Design and Relational Theory
by C. J. Date<p>What makes this book different from others on database design? Many resources on design practice do little to explain the underlying theory, and books on design theory are aimed primarily at theoreticians. In this book, renowned expert Chris Date bridges the gap by introducing design theory in ways practitioners can understand—drawing on lessons learned over four decades of experience to demonstrate why proper database design is so critical in the first place.</p>
Database Design and Relational Theory: Normal Forms and All That Jazz
by C. J. DateCreate database designs that scale, meet business requirements, and inherently work toward keeping your data structured and usable in the face of changing business models and software systems.This book is about database design theory. Design theory is the scientific foundation for database design, just as the relational model is the scientific foundation for database technology in general. Databases lie at the heart of so much of what we do in the computing world that negative impacts of poor design can be extraordinarily widespread. This second edition includes greatly expanded coverage of exotic and little understood normal forms such as: essential tuple normal form (ETNF), redundancy free normal form (RFNF), superkey normal form (SKNF), sixth normal form (6NF), and domain key normal form (DKNF). Also included are new appendixes, including one that provides an in-depth look into the crucial notion of data consistency. Sequencing of topics has been improved, and many explanations and examples have been rewritten and clarified based upon the author’s teaching of the content in instructor-led courses. This book aims to be different from other books on design by bridging the gap between the theory of design and the practice of design. The book explains theory in a way that practitioners should be able to understand, and it explains why that theory is of considerable practical importance. Reading this book provides you with an important theoretical grounding on which to do the practical work of database design. Reading the book also helps you in going to and understanding the more academic texts as you build your base of knowledge and expertise. Anyone with a professional interest in database design can benefit from using this book as a stepping-stone toward a more rigorous design approach and more lasting database models.What You Will LearnUnderstand what design theory is and is notBe aware of the two different goals of normalizationKnow which normal forms are truly significant Apply design theory in practice Be familiar with techniques for dealing with redundancy Understand what consistency is and why it is crucially important Who This Book Is ForThose having a professional interest in database design, including data and database administrators; educators and students specializing in database matters; information modelers and database designers; DBMS designers, implementers, and other database vendor personnel; and database consultants. The book is product independent.
Database in Depth
by C. J. Date<p>This concise guide sheds light on the principles behind the relational model, which underlies all database products in wide use today. It goes beyond the hype to give you a clear view of the technology--a view that's not influenced by any vendor or product. Ideal for experienced database developers and designers. </p>
Database in Depth: Relational Theory for Practitioners
by C. J. DateThis book sheds light on the principles behind the relational model, which is fundamental to all database-backed applications--and, consequently, most of the work that goes on in the computing world today. Database in Depth: The Relational Model for Practitioners goes beyond the hype and gets to the heart of how relational databases actually work. Ideal for experienced database developers and designers, this concise guide gives you a clear view of the technology--a view that's not influenced by any vendor or product. Featuring an extensive set of exercises, it will help you: understand why and how the relational model is still directly relevant to modern database technology (and will remain so for the foreseeable future) see why and how the SQL standard is seriously deficient use the best current theoretical knowledge in the design of their databases and database applications make informed decisions in their daily database professional activities Database in Depth will appeal not only to database developers and designers, but also to a diverse field of professionals and academics, including database administrators (DBAs), information modelers, database consultants, and more. Virtually everyone who deals with relational databases should have at least a passing understanding of the fundamentals of working with relational models. Author C.J. Date has been involved with the relational model from its earliest days. An exceptionally clear-thinking writer, Date lays out principle and theory in a manner that is easily understood. Few others can speak as authoritatively the topic of relational databases as Date can.
The New Relational Database Dictionary
by C. J. DateNo matter what DBMS you are using--Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL--misunderstandings can always arise over the precise meanings of terms, misunderstandings that can have a serious effect on the success of your database projects. For example, here are some common database terms: attribute, BCNF, consistency, denormalization, predicate, repeating group, join dependency. Do you know what they all mean? Are you sure?The New Relational Database Dictionary defines all of these terms and many, many more. Carefully reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and completeness, this book is an authoritative and comprehensive resource for database professionals, with over 1700 entries (many with examples) dealing with issues and concepts arising from the relational model of data. DBAs, database designers, DBMS implementers, application developers, and database professors and students can find the information they need on a daily basis, information that isn't readily available anywhere else.
The Relational Database Dictionary
by C. J. Date<p>Avoid misunderstandings that can affect the design, programming, and use of database systems. Whether you're using Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, MySQL, or PostgreSQL, <i>The Relational Database Dictionary</i> will prevent confusion about the precise meaning of database-related terms (e.g., attribute, 3NF, one-to-many correspondence, predicate, repeating group, join dependency), helping to ensure the success of your database projects. Carefully reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and completeness, this authoritative and comprehensive quick-reference contains more than 600 terms, many with examples, covering issues and concepts arising from the relational model of data.</p>
Relational Theory for Computer Professionals: What Relational Databases Are Really All About
by C. J. DateAll of today's mainstream database products support the SQL language, and relational theory is what SQL is supposed to be based on. But are those products truly relational? Sadly, the answer is no. This book shows you what a real relational product would be like, and how and why it would be so much better than what's currently available. With this unique book, you will: Learn how to see database systems as programming systems Get a careful, precise, and detailed definition of the relational model Explore a detailed analysis of SQL from a relational point of view There are literally hundreds of books on relational theory or the SQL language or both. But this one is different. First, nobody is more qualified than Chris Date to write such a book. He and Ted Codd, inventor of the relational model, were colleagues for many years, and Chris's involvement with the technology goes back to the time of Codd's first papers in 1969 and 1970. Second, most books try to use SQL as a vehicle for teaching relational theory, but this book deliberately takes the opposite approach. Its primary aim is to teach relational theory as such. Then it uses that theory as a vehicle for teaching SQL, showing in particular how that theory can help with the practical problem of using SQL correctly and productively. Any computer professional who wants to understand what relational systems are all about can benefit from this book. No prior knowledge of databases is assumed.
SQL and Relational Theory
by C. J. DateUnderstanding SQL's underlying theory is the best way to guarantee that your SQL code is correct and your database schema is robust and maintainable. On the other hand, if you're not well versed in the theory, you can fall into several traps. In SQL and Relational Theory, author C.J. Date demonstrates how you can apply relational theory directly to your use of SQL. With numerous examples and clear explanations of the reasoning behind them, you'll learn how to deal with common SQL dilemmas, such as: Should database access granted be through views instead of base tables? Nulls in your database are causing you to get wrong answers. Why? What can you do about it? Could you write an SQL query to find employees who have never been in the same department for more than six months at a time? SQL supports "quantified comparisons," but they're better avoided. Why? How do you avoid them? Constraints are crucially important, but most SQL products don't support them properly. What can you do to resolve this situation? Database theory and practice have evolved since Edgar Codd originally defined the relational model back in 1969. Independent of any SQL products, SQL and Relational Theory draws on decades of research to present the most up-to-date treatment of the material available anywhere. Anyone with a modest to advanced background in SQL will benefit from the many insights in this book.
SQL and Relational Theory: How to Write Accurate SQL Code
by C. J. DateSQL is full of difficulties and traps for the unwary. You can avoid them if you understand relational theory, but only if you know how to put that theory into practice. In this book, Chris Date explains relational theory in depth, and demonstrates through numerous examples and exercises how you can apply it to your use of SQL.This third edition has been revised, extended, and improved throughout. Topics whose treatment has been expanded include data types and domains, table comparisons, image relations, aggregate operators and summarization, view updating, and subqueries. A special feature of this edition is a new appendix on NoSQL and relational theory.Could you write an SQL query to find employees who have worked at least once in every programming department in the company? And be sure it’s correct?Why is proper column naming so important?Nulls in the database cause wrong answers. Why? What you can do about it?How can image relations help you formulate complex SQL queries?SQL supports "quantified comparisons," but they’re better avoided. Why? And how?Database theory and practice have evolved considerably since Codd first defined the relational model, back in 1969. This book draws on decades of experience to present the most up to date treatment of the material available anywhere. Anyone with a modest to advanced background in SQL can benefit from the insights it contains. The book is product independent.
SQL and Relational Theory: How to Write Accurate SQL Code (Morgan Kaufmann Series In Data Management System)
by C. J. DateUnderstanding SQL's underlying theory is the best way to guarantee that your SQL code is correct and your database schema is robust and maintainable. On the other hand, if you're not well versed in the theory, you can fall into several traps. In SQL and Relational Theory, author C.J. Date demonstrates how you can apply relational theory directly to your use of SQL. With numerous examples and clear explanations of the reasoning behind them, you'll learn how to deal with common SQL dilemmas, such as:Should database access granted be through views instead of base tables?Nulls in your database are causing you to get wrong answers. Why? What can you do about it?Could you write an SQL query to find employees who have never been in the same department for more than six months at a time?SQL supports "quantified comparisons," but they're better avoided. Why? How do you avoid them?Constraints are crucially important, but most SQL products don't support them properly. What can you do to resolve this situation?Database theory and practice have evolved since Edgar Codd originally defined the relational model back in 1969. Independent of any SQL products, SQL and Relational Theory draws on decades of research to present the most up-to-date treatment of the material available anywhere. Anyone with a modest to advanced background in SQL will benefit from the many insights in this book.
Type Inheritance and Relational Theory: Subtypes, Supertypes, and Substitutability
by C. J. DateType inheritance is that phenomenon according to which we can say, for example, that every square is also a rectangle, and so properties that apply to rectangles in general apply to squares in particular. In other words, squares are a subtype of rectangles, and rectangles are a supertype of squares. Recognizing and acting upon such subtype / supertype relationships provides numerous benefits: Certainly it can help in data modeling, and it can also provide for code reuse in applications. For these reasons, many languages, including the standard database language SQL, have long supported such relationships. However, there doesn't seem to be any consensus in the community at large on a formal, rigorous, and abstract model of inheritance. This book proposes such a model, one that enjoys several advantages over other approaches, not the least of which it is that it's fully compatible with the well known relational model of data.Topics the model covers include:Both single and multiple inheritanceScalar, tuple, and relation inheritanceType lattices and union and intersection typesPolymorphism and substitutabilityCompile time and run time bindingAll of these topics are described in detail in the book, with numerous illustrative examples, exercises, and answers. The book also discusses several alternative approaches. In particular, it includes a detailed discussion and analysis of inheritance as supported in the SQL standard.
View Updating and Relational Theory: Solving the View Update Problem
by C. J. Date<p>Views are a key part of database technology, but they're often considered read-only. In this book, Chris Date—a leading expert in relational databases—offers practical techniques that allow you to update the views that a database presents to you.</p>
BeagleBone for Secret Agents
by Josh DatkoIf you have some experience with the BeagleBone or similar embedded systems and want to learn more about security and privacy, this book is for you. Alternatively, if you have a security and privacy background and want to learn more about embedded development, this book is for you. You should have some familiarity with Linux systems and with the C and Python programming languages.
Mutative Media
by James A. Dator John A. Sweeney Aubrey M. YeeMutative Media is a sweeping examination of how communication technologies have contributed to changes in people's thoughts and actions, and thus in the power structures of societies, in the past, at present, and in four alternative futures. We start by surveying what is generally known about the emergence of human language and speech that has enabled humans to extend their organizing abilities beyond that of other hominids. We then review research on the emergence of signs, symbols, and eventually writing, which led to new ways of thinking, acting, and organizing in scribal societies and vastly extended human influence globally. We consider the impact of the printing press in Europe, the Middle East, China, and Korea that led to various ways of thinking and organizing in modern societies, and conclude our historical survey with a discussion of the emergence and impact of electric and electronic communication technologies from the nineteenth century to the present. After a brief overview of what "futures studies" is and is not, based on our extensive experience in the field, we present four generic alternative futures, and discuss a prototype of a hybrid, mixed-reality game designed to enable players to experience the power and potential of new communication technologies within four very different environments and conditions. We think you will be intrigued by our surprising findings and what they may mean for future generations!