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An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain
by Diane AckermanThe most ambitious and enlightening work to date from the bestselling author of A Natural History of the Senses, An Alchemy of Mind combines an artist's eye with a scientist's erudition to illuminate, as never before, the magic and mysteries of the human mind.Long treasured by literary readers for her uncommon ability to bridge the gap between art and science, celebrated scholar-artist Diane Ackerman returns with the book she was born to write. Her dazzling new work, An Alchemy of Mind, offers an unprecedented exploration and celebration of the mental fantasia in which we spend our days -- and does for the human mind what the bestselling A Natural History of the Senses did for the physical senses.Bringing a valuable female perspective to the topic, Diane Ackerman discusses the science of the brain as only she can: with gorgeous, immediate language and imagery that paint an unusually lucid and vibrant picture for the reader. And in addition to explaining memory, thought, emotion, dreams, and language acquisition, she reports on the latest discoveries in neuroscience and addresses controversial subjects like the effects of trauma and male versus female brains. In prose that is not simply accessible but also beautiful and electric, Ackerman distills the hard, objective truths of science in order to yield vivid, heavily anecdotal explanations about a range of existential questions regarding consciousness, human thought, memory, and the nature of identity.
An Ale of Two Cities (A Literary Pub Mystery #2)
by Sarah FoxIn this intoxicating mystery by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, a winter carnival becomes a recipe for disaster when a Shady Creek celebrity gets iced. The Winter Carnival always brings holiday cheer, Christmas joy—and tourists with cash—to picturesque Shady Creek, Vermont. At the center of the glittering decorations and twinkling lights is booklover and pub owner Sadie Coleman, creating original cocktails, hosting a literary trivia evening, and cheering on her loyal employee Melanie “Mel” Costas as she competes in the ice carving competition. But holiday cheer can’t compete with former resident and renowned chef Freddy Mancini, who arrives with his nose in the air, showing off his ice-sculpting skills like a modern-day Michelangelo. During the artists’ break in the night-long contest, Mel’s tools disappear . . . and Freddy is found dead with her missing pick in his chest. Although the police turn their attention to Mel, it seems everyone in town had a grudge against Freddy, including his assistant, his mentor, his former flame, and even his half-brother. Faster than she can fling a Huckleberry Gin, Sadie finds herself racing to make sure the police don’t arrest the wrong suspect—all while sharing a flirtation with local brewery owner Grayson Blake. Their chemistry leads to a heated rivalry at the hockey rink—and to the hot pursuit of a killer.
An Alex Cross Omnibus: Cat And Mouse and Pop Goes The Weasel
by James PattersonTwo classic Alex Cross novels in one fantastic package. In CAT AND MOUSE, Alex Cross is called to Union Station train terminal a man is on the loose, firing at random into the swarming crowds of travellers. Psychopath Gary Soneji seems determined to go down in a blaze of glory, and he wants Alex Cross to be there. Will this be the final showdown? In POP GOES THE WEASEL, the mounting numbers of bodies threatens to spiral out of control with the murder of yet another Jane Doe. Alex Cross must work alone to find a dangerous and clever killer with the perfect cover, someone beyond suspicion and almost impossible to track down...
An Alex Cross Omnibus: Roses Are Red and Violets Are Blue
by James PattersonA great value omnibus edition comprising two Alex Cross novels - the bestselling US detective series of the last decade. ROSES ARE RED: A series of bank robberies ends in murder and Alex Cross must pit his wits against the bizarre and sadistic mastermind behind the crime. Torn between dedication to his job and commitment to his family, Cross cannot ignore the case, despite the risks he know will come with hunting down a killer - and the heartbreaking cost. In Roses Are Red James Patterson takes us deep inside the crazy world of the psychopath - where mind games lead to violence and the slightest mistake will be punished with death. VIOLETS ARE BLUE: The Mastermind is back - and he's hot on Alex Cross's trail. His threats make Alex angry - and deeply concerned about his family's safety. Meanwhile, Alex Cross is involved in his most bizarre investigation yet. Two San Francisco joggers are found dead - bitten and hung by their feet to drain the blood. Is this the work of a cult or modern-day vampires? Alex teams up with Jamilla Hughes, a savvy female detective, and the FBI's Kyle Craig. But Alex Cross has never been closer to defeat, or in greater danger. In a shocking conclusion, he must survive a deadly confrontation - and will learn at last the terrible secret of the Mastermind.
An Alfred Russel Wallace Companion
by Charles H. SmithAlthough Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was one of the most famous scientists in the world at the time of his death at the age of ninety, today he is known to many as a kind of “almost-Darwin,” a secondary figure relegated to the footnotes of Darwin’s prodigious insights. But this diminution could hardly be less justified. Research into the life of this brilliant naturalist and social critic continues to produce new insights into his significance to history and his role in helping to shape modern thought. Wallace declared his eight years of exploration in southeast Asia to be “the central and controlling incident” of his life. As 2019 marks one hundred and fifty years since the publication of The Malay Archipelago, Wallace’s canonical work chronicling his epic voyage, this collaborative book gathers an interdisciplinary array of writers to celebrate Wallace’s remarkable life and diverse scholarly accomplishments. Wallace left school at the age of fourteen and was largely self-taught, a voracious curiosity and appetite for learning sustaining him throughout his long life. After years as a surveyor and builder, in 1848 he left Britain to become a professional natural history collector in the Amazon, where he spent four years. Then, in 1854, he departed for the Malay Archipelago. It was on this voyage that he constructed a theory of natural selection similar to the one Charles Darwin was developing, and the two copublished papers on the subject in 1858, some sixteen months before the release of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. But as the contributors to the Companion show, this much-discussed parallel evolution in thought was only one epoch in an extraordinary intellectual life. When Wallace returned to Britain in 1862, he commenced a career of writing on a huge range of subjects extending from evolutionary studies and biogeography to spiritualism and socialism. An Alfred Russel Wallace Companion provides something of a necessary reexamination of the full breadth of Wallace’s thought—an attempt to describe not only the history and present state of our understanding of his work, but also its implications for the future.
An Algebraic Approach to Geometry: Geometric Trilogy II
by Francis BorceuxThis is a unified treatment of the various algebraic approaches to geometric spaces. The study of algebraic curves in the complex projective plane is the natural link between linear geometry at an undergraduate level and algebraic geometry at a graduate level, and it is also an important topic in geometric applications, such as cryptography. 380 years ago, the work of Fermat and Descartes led us to study geometric problems using coordinates and equations. Today, this is the most popular way of handling geometrical problems. Linear algebra provides an efficient tool for studying all the first degree (lines, planes) and second degree (ellipses, hyperboloids) geometric figures, in the affine, the Euclidean, the Hermitian and the projective contexts. But recent applications of mathematics, like cryptography, need these notions not only in real or complex cases, but also in more general settings, like in spaces constructed on finite fields. And of course, why not also turn our attention to geometric figures of higher degrees? Besides all the linear aspects of geometry in their most general setting, this book also describes useful algebraic tools for studying curves of arbitrary degree and investigates results as advanced as the Bezout theorem, the Cramer paradox, topological group of a cubic, rational curves etc. Hence the book is of interest for all those who have to teach or study linear geometry: affine, Euclidean, Hermitian, projective; it is also of great interest to those who do not want to restrict themselves to the undergraduate level of geometric figures of degree one or two.
An Algebraic Approach to the Many-Electron Problem (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Jaroslav Zamastil Tereza UhlířováThis book presents an algebraic approach to the coupled cluster method for many-electron systems, pioneered by Josef Paldus. Using field methods along with an algebraic, rather than diagrammatic, approach facilitates a way of deriving the coupled cluster method which is readily understandable at the graduate level. The book begins with the notion of the quantized electron field and shows how the N-electron Hamiltonian can be expressed in its language. This is followed by introduction of the Fermi vacuum and derivation of the Hartree-Fock equations along with conditions for stability of their solutions. Following this groundwork, the book discusses a method of configuration interaction to account for dynamical correlations between electrons, pointing out the size-extensivity problem, and showing how this problem is solved with the coupled cluster approach. This is followed by derivation of the coupled cluster equations in spin-orbital form. Finally, the book explores practical aspects, showing how one may take advantage of permutational and spin symmetries, and how to solve coupled-cluster equations, illustrated by the Hubbard model of benzene, the simplest quasi-realistic model of electron correlation.
An Algebraic Introduction to K-Theory
by Bruce A. MagurnThis is an introduction to algebraic K-theory with no prerequisite beyond a first semester of algebra (including Galois theory and modules over a principal ideal domain). The presentation is almost entirely self-contained, and is divided into short sections with exercises to reinforce the ideas and suggest further lines of inquiry. No experience with analysis, geometry, number theory or topology is assumed. Within the context of linear algebra, K-theory organises and clarifies the relations among ideal class groups, group representations, quadratic forms, dimensions of a ring, determinants, quadratic reciprocity and Brauer groups of fields. By including introductions to standard algebra topics (tensor products, localisation, Jacobson radical, chain conditions, Dedekind domains, semi-simple rings, exterior algebras), the author makes algebraic K-theory accessible to first-year graduate students and other mathematically sophisticated readers. Even if your algebra is rusty, you can read this book; the necessary background is here, with proofs.
An Algonquin Maiden: A Romance of the Early Days of Upper Canada
by G. Mercer Adam A. Ethelwyn WetheraldShort excerpt: Man versus nature-the successive assaults of perishing humanity upon the almost impregnable fortresses of the eternal forests-this was the struggle of Canadian civilization, and its hard-won triumphs were bodied forth in the scattered roofs of these cheap habitations.
An Alien Affair (Mission Earth #4)
by L. Ron HubbardOnce it's it got you, it won't let you go. Fast, fiery, and nonstop fun, from the crash and roar of a demolition derby to the dark doings of the wicked Miss Pinch. In these continuing misadventures of aliens on Earth, Soltan Gris tells his sad tale of attempts to thwart his sworn enemy, Jettero Heller, who is on mission to salvage Earth. But Gris has to contend with a belly dancer who's spending him into bankruptcy, a mad PR man out to make Heller a legend, an unhinged Mafia hired gun sent to hit the Director of the CIA, and the sadistic Pinch with some ruinous recipes of her own. Throw in a perverse nurse, an intergalactic drug ring, a crazed cellologist, and the arrival of Heller's Voltarian girlfriend, and you have the ingredients for intrigue, satire, and romance that you won't be able to put down. Volume 4 of the biggest Science Fiction dekology ever written -- Mission Earth. "...action-packed, intricately plotted... a cross between Flash Gordon and 007." --Buffalo News
An Alien Dies (Animorphs Companion: The Andalite Chronicles, #3)
by K. A. ApplegateElfangor believed his mission was simple, but no one expected what he, Alloran, and Arbron were about to discover.
An Alien From Cyberspace
by Anne Schraff17-year-old Joshua must rescue an alien who is being held captive by a man Joshua met on the internet.
An Alien Hand: Supplementary Reader class 7 - NCERT - 23
by National Council of Educational Research and Training"An Alien Hand," an NCERT supplementary reader for Class 7, takes readers on a captivating journey through a collection of imaginative and thought-provoking stories. Each tale offers a unique perspective on human experiences, challenging conventional notions and igniting a sense of wonder. From a diminutive teacher nurturing the minds of giants to a bear imparting valuable life lessons, the narratives delve into diverse themes such as identity, compassion, environmentalism, and the essence of freedom. The book introduces characters like a girl raised by monkeys and a man expressing his yearning for freedom through a caged bird, while a talking alien hand prompts self-reflection. Infused with humor, warmth, and unexpected twists, "An Alien Hand" entertains, surprises, and leaves readers pondering their own place in the world.
An Alien Heat: Lyrics For An Alien Heat (Gateway Essentials #404)
by Michael MoorcockThe universe is dying; at the End of Time the last remnants of Humanity live amoral lives of decadence, constantly seeking new diversions and sensations. So when Mrs Amelia Underwood is mysteriously transported to the End of Time Jharek Carnelian decides to fall in love with her, but when Amelia returns to her own period of history, Jherek follows her and finds himself plunged into the strange world of Victorian London.
An Alien Light
by Nancy KressIn this epic science fiction tale by an award-winning author, two warring tribes are the subjects of a strange alien experiment. Epic in scope, peopled by characters from every strata of profoundly different societies, An Alien Light is an unflinching look at the strengths and weaknesses of the genetic, evolutionary, and historical inheritance that all of us share. Arys, a glassblower and outcast. Jehane, a skilled female warrior. Dahar, with a deeply inquisitive mind. Grax, an alien with profound doubts. These four and hundreds of others are thrown together in an experiment to determine the fate of humanity, both on Earth and in her galactic colonies. For the Ged, the stakes are nothing less than the outcome of a war. For the humans, ignorant of the larger situation, the rewards for participating are incredible riches. But no one except the alien Ged understands the criteria for being chosen. When that knowledge comes, there is no agreement about if, how, or when to use it. Some will betray others. Some will sacrifice. Some will die. And some must succeed, no matter the price. Praise for An Alien Light&“This heady mix of fantasy and sf explores humanity&’s infinite capacity for change. Highly recommended.&” —Library Journal
An Alien Sky: The Story of One Man's Remarkable Adventure in Bomber Command During the Second World War
by Sean Feast Andy WisemanThe legendary RAF bomber who survived the infamous Stalag 3 POW camp recounts his WWII experiences in this military memoir. Growing up in Berlin just as Adolf Hitler was coming to power, Andrew Wiseman escaped to Poland with is family when he was thirteen. He later made his way to England where he joined the Royal Air Force, training first as a pilot and then as an air bomber in South Africa. Joining No. 466 squadron, he flew Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers in a handful of operations before being shot down in Occupied France. Wiseman spent the next year as a prisoner of war in Nazi prison camp Stalag Luft III, where he used his knowledge of Russian, Polish and German to act as a camp interpreter. Taking part in the prison break known as the Great Escape, Wiseman acted as a scrounger for the X committee who dug the tunnel. Moved from camp to camp, he was one of those forced into the Long March when the Germans attempting to escape the Russian advance. He later played a key role in avoiding bloodshed when the Russians refused to allow British and Norwegian prisoners to return home—a role for which he was later recognized by the King of Norway. Co-written with the acclaimed aviation historian Sean Feast, Andrew Wiseman&’s wartime memoir is a vivid chronicle of courage, service and survival through the Second World War.
An Alien Spring
by Anne SchraffHysteria builds in a small town when a teenage boy is labeled as a disease-spreading alien.
An Alien Stole My Movie (Into Reading, Level O #53)
by Connah Brecon Quentin FlynnNIMAC-sourced textbook <p><p> The special effects for this class's science-fiction movie project are so cool that you'd think they were real! And those aliens look like they've just arrived from space! This is going to be one movie the cast and crew will never forget.
An All-Consuming Century: Why Commercialism Won in Modern America
by Gary CrossThe unqualified victory of consumerism in America was not a foregone conclusion. The United States has traditionally been the home of the most aggressive and often thoughtful criticism of consumption, including Puritanism, Prohibition, the simplicity movement, the '60s hippies, and the consumer rights movement. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, not only has American consumerism triumphed, there isn't even an "ism" left to challenge it. An All-Consuming Century is a rich history of how market goods came to dominate American life over that remarkable hundred years between 1900 and 2000 and why for the first time in history there are no practical limits to consumerism.By 1930 a distinct consumer society had emerged in the United States in which the taste, speed, control, and comfort of goods offered new meanings of freedom, thus laying the groundwork for a full-scale ideology of consumer's democracy after World War II. <P><P>From the introduction of Henry Ford's Model T ("so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one") and the innovations in selling that arrived with the department store (window displays, self service, the installment plan) to the development of new arenas for spending (amusement parks, penny arcades, baseball parks, and dance halls), Americans embraced the new culture of commercialism—with reservations. However, Gary Cross shows that even the Depression, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the inflation of the 1970s made Americans more materialistic, opening new channels of desire and offering opportunities for more innovative and aggressive marketing. The conservative upsurge of the 1980s and '90s indulged in its own brand of self-aggrandizement by promoting unrestricted markets. The consumerism of today, thriving and largely unchecked, no longer brings families and communities together; instead, it increasingly divides and isolates Americans.Consumer culture has provided affluent societies with peaceful alternatives to tribalism and class war, Cross writes, and it has fueled extraordinary economic growth. The challenge for the future is to find ways to revive the still valid portion of the culture of constraint and control the overpowering success of the all-consuming twentieth century.
An All-Consuming Desire to Succeed
by John Paul CarinciAn inspirational self-help book for those seeking personal fulfillment and professional success from the author of The Power of Being Different. We are all searching for a better life, more inspiration, and a way to be more productive and fulfilled—without the constant competition in our personal lives and workplaces wearing us down. With An All-Consuming Desire to Succeed, you can learn to stand out from the crowd by discovering: how to maintain a competitive edge through positive affirmations; how to control negative influences; the secrets of the highly successful; how to plan out and achieve newfound goals; and lessons on how to motivate yourself to stay true to your unique vision. &“In the spirit of such inspirational authors as Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, and W. Clement Stone, John Paul Carinci has written a classic self-help book centered around achieving success . . . Any reader seeking a healthy dose of positive motivation to achieve the loftiest goals or even to meet the daily challenges of life is sure to find much of value in John Paul Carinci&’s inspirational work.&” —Foreword Reviews
An All-Too-Human Virus
by Jean-Luc NancyIn the past, pandemics were considered divine punishment, but we now understand the biological characteristics of viruses and we know they are spread through social interaction. What used to be divine has become human – all too human, as Nietzsche would say. But while the virus dispels the divine, we are discovering that living beings are more complex and harder to define than we had previously imagined, and also that political power is more complex than we may have thought. And this, argues Nancy, helps us to see why the term ‘biopolitics’ fails to grasp the conditions in which we now find ourselves. Life and politics challenge us together. Our scientific knowledge tells us that we are dependent only on our own technical power, but can we rely on technologies when knowledge itself includes uncertainties? If this is the case for technical power, it is much more so for political power, even when it presents itself as guided by objective data. The virus is a magnifying glass that reveals the contradictions, limitations and frailties of the human condition, calling into question as never before our stubborn belief in progress and our hubristic sense of our own indestructibility as a species.
An All-of-Government Approach to Increase Resilience for International Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Events
by Sherrie ForrestChemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) events have the potential to destabilize governments, create conditions that exacerbate violence or promote terrorism. This can trigger global repercussions. These events can quickly overwhelm the infrastructure and capability of the responders, especially in countries that do not have the specialized resources for response like those available in the United States. When a CBRNE incident occurs in a partner nation or other foreign country, the U. S. is often called upon to provide assistance. Interoperability - the ability to work together - among U. S. agencies, foreign governments, and responders involved in the effort is key to an efficient response. The effectiveness of the U. S. response and approach to CBRNE events in partner nations depends on the capability of the U. S. government to provide timely and appropriate assistance and the resilience of the partner nation to a CBRNE event. "An All-of-Government Approach to Increase Resilience for International Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Events" is the summary of a workshop convened in June 2013 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Research Council to discuss ways to strengthen the U. S. ability to prepare for and respond to CBRNE events that occur in U. S. partner nations. The workshop brought together diverse experts and stakeholders to identify capabilities that are necessary for responding to an international CBRNE event; discuss best practices and resources needed for improved interoperability of the U. S. and partner nation during response to a CBRNE event; and identify key questions that need to be addressed in follow up activities focused on improving U. S. CBRNE response in partner nations.
An Allegheny Homecoming
by T. R. McclureWhat happens when you do go home again? One mistake cost Josh Hunter almost everything. Burning his bridges was easier than coming home. Yet here he is, eight years-and one family crisis-later, back in his Pennsylvania town playing unlikely rescuer to a blizzard-stranded stranger. Local newscaster Wendy Valentine is looking for the story that will make her name as a serious journalist. The tragic secret Josh is concealing could be her stepping-stone. Funny then that Wendy seems more interested in the sizzling personal dynamics playing out between them!
An Alliance with His Enemy Princess
by Lissa MorganA high-stakes, Medieval enemies to lovers story.A royal decreeThat will change their lives… Norman knight Rolant Guyarde has come to conquer a Welsh fort, but when he meets its mistress, he realizes she&’s the sword-wielding &“soldier&” he fought en route! Despite their being enemies, he finds himself intrigued by the brave, beautiful Princess Gwennan. When they&’re forced into an uneasy alliance, Rolant helps her petition the king for her parents&’ release from prison. But in exchange for their freedom, the king demands a price neither Rolant nor Gwennan expects!From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.