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AI Frameworks Enabled by Blockchain: Creating Trustworthy and Responsible AI Using Distributed Ledger Technology
by Vikram Dhillon David Metcalf Max HooperBlockchain technology offers a powerful foundation for building trust, privacy and verifiability into AI frameworks. This book will focus on how a blockchain can enable AI frameworks and applications to scale in a responsible fashion, reshaping the future of numerous industries from financial markets to healthcare and education. You&’ll see that in the next wave of AI products, blockchain can provide a &“Trust Layer,&” a fundamental feature previously only implemented for parties within a blockchain network. The provable consensus algorithms and oracles previously implemented in blockchains can be extended to autonomous agents that are integrated with large language models (LLMs) and future applications. Finally, you&’ll learn that safety is a major concern for practical applications of AI and blockchain can help mitigate threats due to the decentralized nature. As such, there will be significant discourse on how blockchain can provide enhanced security against prompt injections, LLM-hijacking for dangerous information and privacy. These ideas were studied rigorously when large financial institutions were releasing their own blockchains and distributed ledger protocols with a heavy focus privacy. AI is undergoing a Cambrian explosion this year with foundational models emerging for all major domains of study, however, most such models lack the capacity to externally validate for the &“correctness&” of a fact, or reply made by the LLM. Similarly, there are no definitive methods to distinguish between meaningful insights and hallucination. These challenges remain at the forefront of AI research, and AI Frameworks Enabled by Blockchain aims to translate technical literature into actionable and practical tips for the AI domain. What You Will Learn · Bring a layer of accuracy to generative AI where a non-generative component behaves as guardrails · <span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN;
Applied Artificial Intelligence 4: The Third Serbian International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence (SICAAI) (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #1446)
by Nenad FilipovićThe book covers the state-of-the-art research knowledge and results on the innovative theories, methodology and applications of artificial intelligence and its sub-domain like deep learning in different areas such as medicine, economy, education, law, smart city, government, industry etc. Moreover, the book aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners for both academia and industry to share the information about cutting-edge developments in the field of artificial intelligence. The chapters in this book integrated approach toward global exchange of information on technological advances, scientific innovations and the effectiveness of various regulatory programs toward AI application in medicine, biology, chemistry, financial, games, law and engineering. Real examples from academia and industry give beyond state of the art for application of AI in different areas. These chapters are extended papers from the Third Serbian International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence (SICAAI), which was held in Kragujevac, Serbia, on May 23–24, 2024.
Industry 5.0: Key Technologies and Drivers
by Abhishek Hazra Indranil Sarkar Poonam MauryaThis edited book aims to comprehensively examine the current research trend, state-of-the-art IoT applications, deployment issues, potential challenges, and future research scopes related to Industry 5.0 and Industry 5.0-enabled technologies such as Blockchain, edge computing, 5G, and cloud computing. The book aims to provide a thorough understanding of the application specifications and related issues of IoT in the fields of healthcare 5.0, predictive maintenance, sustainable cities, and transportation systems. Readers of the book will gain valuable insights into applying the concepts to real-world applications and will be introduced to the latest tools, software, and simulations available for experimenting with Industry 5.0 and ideas about diverse IIoT data analysis. The book will also provide valuable insights into the use of AI tools and algorithms for designing intelligent systems to tackle Industry 5.0 issues. It is of great value to readers interested in understanding the integration of Blockchain, edge computing, 5G, and its sister technologies with IIoT and the research scope to solve Industry 5.0 issues.
Artificial Intelligence in Education: 26th International Conference, AIED 2025, Palermo, Italy, July 22–26, 2025, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15878)
by Olga C. Santos Alexandra I. Cristea Seiji Isotani Yu Lu Erin WalkerThis six-volume set LNAI 15877-15882 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, AIED 2025, held in Palermo, Italy, during July 22–26, 2025. The 130 full papers and 129 short papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 711 submissions. The conference program comprises seven thematic tracks:Track 1: AIED Architectures and Tools Track 2: Machine Learning and Generative AI: Emphasising datadrivenTrack 3: Learning, Teaching, and Pedagogy Track 4: Human-Centred Design and Design-Based Research Track 5: Teaching AI Track 6: Ethics, Equity, and AIED in Society Track 7: Theoretical Aspects of AIED and AI-Based Modelling forEducation
Climate Change and Environmental Degradation in the MENA Region (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry #136)
by Abdelazim Negm Ayad Al-Quraishi Brahim BenzougaghThis book reviews the factors contributing to the degradation of natural resources in the MENA region caused by climate change and contamination. It examines how these issues affect humans, their health, resources, and the planet's future. The impact of climate change is evident in the diminishing quality of land, water, and air, which leads to several environmental problems such as drought, land degradation, vegetation decline, reduced water bodies, soil damage, and other ecological concerns. Divided into 21 chapters, the book comprehensively analyses the risks brought about by climate change and environmental pollution. The chapters are contributed by a diverse team of authors from various countries in the MENA region, who offer a comprehensive overview of recent technologies, future developments, and several case studies analyses. In this book, readers will find topics such as: Impact of climate change, saline irrigation water, and other factors on soil degradation and carbon and nitrogen cycling in the MENA region Desertification, flood-storms, contamination, and their effects on natural resources and sustainability in the region Impact of recycled scrap steel on soil contamination, agriculture wastewater on lakes degradation and water pollution, and the effects of wastewater on agriculture Consequences of mismanaging natural resources and their influence on the environment interrelation between Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Climate Change, and the deterioration of natural resources Application of non-conventional methods to address natural resource issues. This book calls for action to protect natural resources and the environment. These measures may include enacting legislation and regulations to restrict human activities, developing public understanding of the necessity of environmental protection against climate change and environmental contamination, and supporting sustainable behaviours to preserve natural resources. Given its breadth, the book appeals to scholars, researchers, and policymakers alike.
Human Rights, the Family, and Internationalism Since the Nineteenth Century
by Julia MosesThis book examines one of the key issues shaping global considerations of human rights today: the idea of the family as a protected category. Bringing together historians, political scientists, legal scholars, and historical sociologists, the book investigates how ideas about the family and sexuality intersected with thinking about human rights, for example, through new international law and international institutions; social movements targeting issues related to religion, gender, and sexuality; historical developments such as war and the collapse of empires; and, developments in the social sciences. It features case studies on regions around the globe, as well as on relevant international organisations and individuals who have been influential in this area. In doing so, the contributors to this collection interrogate the relationship between human rights related to the family, and broader debates about rights related to gender and sexuality.
Rethinking Abortion Rights After Dobbs: Privacy, Equality, and Reproductive Freedom
by Sharon StanleyThis book offers a novel account of the normative foundations of abortion rights informed by political theory and feminist theory. Stanley revisits the debate between privacy and equality as rationales for abortion rights that erupted after Roe v. Wade. First, Stanley argues that we can reconceptualize privacy along feminist lines, contra its feminist critics. Second, this reconceptualization allows us to see privacy and equality as essential allies and supplements to each other. When operating in tandem, privacy and equality provide a powerful theoretical and practical foundation not only for abortion rights but also for an expansive vision of reproductive justice informed by an intersectional understanding of the reproductive burdens endured by those multiply marginalized by gender, race, and class. This reproductive justice framework is the most promising basis for a powerful post-Dobbs political coalition seeking to restore and greatly expand the promise of reproductive freedom symbolically represented by Roe.
Vitamin D: A Comprehensive Guide for Medical Professionals
by Vishal Kumar Sandeep PatelThis book is a comprehensive, concise collection but a complete overview of a critical topic i.e. Vitamin D. There is no book available as yet exclusively on Vitamin D. For patients, the importance of Vitamin D holds across all age groups, both sexes, and for medical professionals, across all medical specialties existing today. Vitamin D is significantly and intricately related to all the human body's organ systems. This topic is of interest, significance, and relevance to every medical professional of all subjects and specialties, including postgraduate students of super specialty subjects across the globe. It is the talk and topic of today's research worldwide. This book encompasses Vitamin D in terms of its need and role, deficiency, excessive states, and its consequences and presentations. The chapters include information about vitamin D across pediatrics to geriatrics. This book is a crisp, easy-to-carry guide on Vitamin D, written by academicians and researchers. The authors are from relevant specialties concerned with Vitamin D, e.g., Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Medical Oncology, Dermatology, Neurology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Preventive and Social Medicine, Pediatrics, to name a few. The chapters include the problem statement of its deficiency, laboratory estimation, clinical manifestations, interactions, and role in the well-being of various organ systems of the body. Additionally, it includes tables, figures, pictures, scans, and pictorial representations for lucid reading and easy understanding.
Robert Hart and Sino-Foreign Disputes in Qing China, 1863-1908: Negotiating Sovereignty
by Yorgos MoraitisThis book investigates the role of Sir Robert Hart in China&’s early engagement with Western international law, covering the period from Hart&’s earliest days as Inspector General of the foreign-dominated Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs (CIMC) to his final years in China (1863-1908). Drawing on Hart&’s personal records, particularly his diaries and correspondence with CIMC officials and various political figures, as well as Customs Service official publications, records of the British Foreign Office, Chinese official papers, newspapers, and other contemporary publications, the book focuses on Sino-foreign jurisdictional disputes in which Hart was involved. They are used as case studies to examine his role – and more broadly, that of the CIMC – in influencing contemporary perceptions in the West about China&’s status vis-à-vis Western nation-states. Going beyond portraying Hart as a mere broker, the book delves into his complex and multi-faceted character. It examines his idiosyncratic approach to Qing engagement with the West, particularly focusing on his proposals for dealing with international institutions. While these proposals had the potential to strengthen China, they sought to do so largely on Western terms, ultimately undermining China's ability to function as an independent state. By analysing Hart's character and his engagement with Western international law, the author aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding Qing China's interaction with the West. It highlights the ambivalence exhibited by both Qing and Western officials, emphasising the challenges and opportunities in negotiations based on Western legal principles. Contributing to discussion on whether international structures could be utilised to bolster Qing sovereignty, this book will provide insights for those researching Chinese history, diplomatic history and international relations, and international law.
Academic Integrity in Vocational and Polytechnic Education (Ethics and Integrity in Educational Contexts #8)
by Brenda M. Stoesz Lisa VogtAcademic Integrity in Vocational and Polytechnic Education addresses educative approaches to support academic integrity in hands-on and applied learning environments with a focus on practitioner experiences. Building on systems theory, the book documents multi-stakeholder perspectives of institutional leaders, department specialists, and individual champions of academic integrity. Readers will be introduced to the 4M framework, which views academic integrity as a responsibility at all levels of the institution and connects to the broader community and professional industries. Each chapter is set in an applied context and lends to the philosophy of a shared responsibility in growing the institutional culture of academic integrity. This book offers insights from the perspectives of leaders, faculty, and support staff, as authors describe challenges and solutions to upholding academic integrity in short term programming geared toward employment readiness. Although the work is about vocational and polytechnic education written by members of this community, it has a wider appeal across higher education due to shifting pedagogical methods that are becoming more applied and personalized. In an age of information ubiquity, where traditional learning activities such as rote memorization and essay writing do not sufficiently assess learning or prepare the learner for the workplace, educators will find unique insights from the vocational and polytechnic sector to supporting academic integrity in a changing academic landscape.
Didactics of Physical Education and Sport: Foundations and Models
by Nils NeuberThe volume provides an overview of subject didactic foundations and models in sports. Starting with socio-cultural contexts and educational foundations of movement, play, and sports offerings for children and adolescents, sport didactic models and concepts are introduced. This is followed by considerations on methods in physical education as well as individualized support in sports as an integrative concept. Overall, the textbook focuses on the general prerequisites for physical education.
Legendary Lover (St. John-Duras)
by Susan JohnsonDear Readers,I had heard the gossip. Who in London hadn't? But whether or not the elusive Venus Duras would favor one of her numerous suitors didn't concern me. After all, I had a surfeit of obliging lovers. And then I bumped into her. Literally.She was utterly enchanting, the most dazzling creature I had ever seen. I knew she had to be mine. But she was aware of my reputation and thought me a libertine. When I invited her to a dinner party, she gave me the cut direct.Within hours our heated encounter became the talk of the town. Who could resist a wager or two on the delicious possibilities? Could I conquer the unconquerable Miss Duras? Would she resist or succumb to my legendary powers of seduction?It became a luscious game and tantalizing spectacle--wildly provocative, uncertain in outcome, a delight and fascination to all society. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet my match. But then, I never dreamed I would meet a real-life Venus.Yours,The Marquis of Redvers
The Magic Kingdom of Landover Volume 2 (Magic Kingdom of Landover)
by Terry BrooksNow in one thrilling volume–experience the magic, the intrigue, and the exciting escapades of the final two novels in Terry Brooks&’s spellbinding Magic Kingdom of Landover series All appears well with Ben Holiday. He&’s finally secured for himself the throne of Landover, and he and his wife, the exquisite sylph Willow, are expecting their first child. But their peaceful days are numbered. The conjurer Horris Kews returns to Landover and inadvertently releases an evil sorcerer from the Tangle Box, a magic chest used by the fairy folk to imprison wayward spirits. Now free, the sorcerer traps Ben inside the box&’s labyrinthine passages and plots to wreak havoc in Landover using Horris as his pawn. But Ben&’s greatest challenge comes when Rydall, a foreign king, issues Ben an ultimatum: defeat seven deadly champions, or Rydall&’s armies invade Landover. Complicating matters is the devastating fact that Ben and Willow&’ s young daughter has been kidnapped–and her fate lies in Rydall&’s dangerous hands. Relying on his loyal friends, his steadfast wife, and no small amount of endurance and enchantment, Ben risks his life to save everything he loves. But this time, black magic may prove too powerful for even the most devoted heart.
Anatomy of a Cover-Up: The Truth about the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Massacres
by Paul PalangoNATIONAL BESTSELLERFOLLOW-UP TO THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER 22 MURDERS The truth about the deadliest criminal incident in Canadian history has remained untold—until now.Investigative journalist Paul Palango&’s 22 Murders examined the April 2020 shooting spree committed by Gabriel Wortman that began in Portapique, Nova Scotia, and ended thirteen and a half hours later when Wortman was shot dead by RCMP officers. The episode left numerous serious questions in its wake—most especially why was the killer able to evade police in such limited geography for so long?Since then, the government called a public inquiry into the massacres—the Mass Casualty Commission. Though Palango unearthed a treasure trove of evidence pointing to the possibility that Wortman or someone close to him was acting as a police agent, the commission evaded all the big questions and let the RCMP off with a slap on the wrist. To this day, no one has been held accountable.In this new book, Palango continues to crack the case, delving deeper into the evidence and testimonies of the witnesses who have been ignored. Drawing on his vast experience as an investigative reporter, he has mined the thousands of pages of commission documents to reveal the wall of secrecy and deceptions constructed by the RCMP and the criminal justice system, exposing new facts that may alter the public&’s perception of what really happened.A tour-de-force of reportage, Anatomy of a Cover-Up accomplishes what the commission set out to do—uncover the truth about the Nova Scotia massacres and bring long overdue justice to its victims.
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke: A Martin Beck Police Mystery (2) (Martin Beck Police Mystery Series #2)
by Per Wahloo Maj SjowallThe masterful second novel in the Martin Beck series of mysteries by the internationally renowned crime writing duo, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, finds Beck searching Budapest for a well-known Swedish journalist who has disappeared without a trace. With an introduction by Val McDermid: "So many of the elements that have become integral...in the police procedural subgenre started life in these ten novels....Their plots are second to none."Inspector Martin Beck of the Stockholm Homicide Squad has his summer vacation abruptly terminated when the top brass at the foreign office pack him off to Budapest to search for Alf Matsson, a well-known Swedish journalist who has vanished. Beck investigates viperous Eastern European underworld figures and--at the risk of his life--stumbles upon the international racket in which Matsson was involved. With the coolly efficient local police on his side and a predatory nymphet on his tail, Beck pursues a case whose international implications grow with each new clue.
22 Murders: Investigating the Massacres, Cover-up and Obstacles to Justice in Nova Scotia
by Paul Palango#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLERA shocking exposé of the deadliest killing spree in Canadian history, and how police tragically failed its victims and survivors.As news broke of a killer rampaging across the tiny community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, late on April 18, 2020, details were oddly hard to come by. Who was the killer? Why was he not apprehended? What were police doing? How many were dead? And why was the gunman still on the loose the next morning and killing again? The RCMP was largely silent then, and continued to obscure the actions of denturist Gabriel Wortman after an officer shot and killed him at a gas station during a chance encounter.Though retired as an investigative journalist and author, Paul Palango spent much of his career reporting on Canada&’s troubled national police force. Watching the RCMP stumble through the Portapique massacre, only a few hours from his Nova Scotia home, Palango knew the story behind the headlines was more complicated and damning than anyone was willing to admit. With the COVID-19 lockdown sealing off the Maritimes, no journalist in the province knew the RCMP better than Palango did. Within a month, he was back in print and on the radio, peeling away the layers of this murderous episode as only he could, and unearthing the collision of failure and malfeasance that cost a quiet community 22 innocent lives.
Pop It in the Toaster Oven: From Entrees to Desserts, More Than 250 Delectable, Healthy, and Convenient Recipes: A Cookbook
by Lois DewittAre you pressed for time, too tired to cook just for yourself, or simply looking for something beyond a microwaved frozen meal or take-out food loaded with fat, salt, and preservatives? Busy people want a real oven-baked dinner without all the fuss (not to mention the leftovers!).The solution? The trusty toaster oven—which is designed to bake, roast, toast, and broil small portions of food both efficiently and economically. This amazing cookbook will show time-pressed cooks how to prepare delicious, healthy meals quickly and easily, while opening their eyes to the wide range of dishes that are possible with this often underutilized appliance. Pop It in the Toaster Oven will inspire any bored eater to break out of the toast function with recipes such as Buttermilk Pancakes, Minted Lamb Chops, Ginger Miso Calamari, Spicy Beef Fajitas, and Pear Praline Pie. With special tips on choosing the best toaster oven and the proper cookware to use, Pop It in the Toaster Oven will help readers to rediscover this wonderfully convenient appliance.
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
by Mike MichalowiczAuthor of cult classics The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur offers a simple, counterintuitive cash management solution that will help small businesses break out of the doom spiral and achieve instant profitability.Conventional accounting uses the logical (albeit, flawed) formula: Sales - Expenses = Profit. The problem is, businesses are run by humans, and humans aren't always logical. Serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz has developed a behavioral approach to accounting to flip the formula: Sales - Profit = Expenses. Just as the most effective weight loss strategy is to limit portions by using smaller plates, Michalowicz shows that by taking profit first and apportioning only what remains for expenses, entrepreneurs will transform their businesses from cash-eating monsters to profitable cash cows. Using Michalowicz's Profit First system, readers will learn that:· Following 4 simple principles can simplify accounting and make it easier to manage a profitable business by looking at bank account balances.· A small, profitable business can be worth much more than a large business surviving on its top line.· Businesses that attain early and sustained profitability have a better shot at achieving long-term growth.With dozens of case studies, practical, step-by-step advice, and his signature sense of humor, Michalowicz has the game-changing roadmap for any entrepreneur to make money they always dreamed of.
The Poison Garden: A Novel
by Alex MarwoodA new novel of insidious secrets and chilling revelations surrounding a mysterious cult--the latest gripping psychological thriller from Alex MarwoodWhen nearly one hundred members of The Ark, a sinister apocalypse cult are found dead by poison at their isolated community in North Wales, those left alive are scattered to the winds with few coping skills and fewer answers. For twenty-three-year-old Romy, who has never known life outside the compound, learning how to live in a world she has been taught to fear is terrifying.Now Romy must start a new life for herself--and the child growing inside her. She is determined to find the rest of her family and keep her baby safe, no matter the cost. But as the horrors of her past start to resurface, she realizes that leaving her old life behind won't be easy. Outside the walls of The Ark, the real evil has only just begun.A brilliantly plotted, page-turning novel from "one of psychological suspense's best writers" (The Boston Globe), The Poison Garden will leave you stunned.
The World After Gaza: A History
by Pankaj Mishra"Courageous and bracing, learned and ethical, rigorous and mind-expanding.&” —Naomi Klein&“This profoundly important and urgent book finds Mishra, one of our most intellectually astute and courageous writers, at the peak of his powers.&” —Hisham Matar&“A triumphant work of empathy in a polarizing conflict.&” —Anand GiridharadasNamed a Best Book of the Month by TIME • Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The Guardian, Bustle, Foreign Policy, and Literary Hub From one of our foremost public intellectuals, an essential reckoning with the war in Gaza that reframes our understanding of the ongoing conflict, its historical roots, and the fractured global responseThe postwar global order was in many ways shaped in response to the Holocaust. That event became the benchmark for atrocity, and, in the Western imagination, the paradigmatic genocide. Its memory orients so much of our thinking, and crucially, forms the basic justification for Israel&’s right first to establish itself and then to defend itself. But in many parts of the world, ravaged by other conflicts and experiences of mass slaughter, the Holocaust&’s singularity is not always taken for granted, even when its hideous atrocity is. Outside of the West, Pankaj Mishra argues, the dominant story of the twentieth century is that of decolonization. The World After Gaza takes the current war, and the polarized reaction to it, as the starting point for a broad reevaluation of two competing narratives of the last century: the Global North&’s triumphant account of victory over totalitarianism and the spread of liberal capitalism, and the Global South&’s hopeful vision of racial equality and freedom from colonial rule. At a moment when the world&’s balance of power is shifting, and the Global North no longer commands ultimate authority, it is critically important that we understand how and why the two halves of the world are failing to talk to each other. As old touchstones and landmarks crumble, only a new history with a sharply different emphasis can reorient us to the world and worldviews now emerging into the light. In this concise, powerful, and pointed treatise, Mishra reckons with the fundamental questions posed by our present crisis — about whether some lives matter more than others, how identity is constructed, and what the role of the nation-state ought to be. The World After Gaza is an indispensable moral guide to our past, present, and future.
The Emperor of Gladness: A Novel
by Ocean VuongThe instant New York Times bestseller • Oprah&’s Book Club Pick • Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive&“Stunning . . . A heartfelt and powerful examination of those living on the fringes of society, and the unique challenges they face to survive and thrive.&” —Oprah Winfrey&“Magnificent . . . In writing this book, Vuong may have joined the ranks of an elite few great novelists.&” —Leigh Haber, Los Angeles TimesThe hardest thing in the world is to live only once…One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai&’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong&’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life&’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
Supermassive: Black Holes at the Beginning and End of the Universe
by James Trefil Shobita SatyapalBlack holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding phenomenaLed by physicist James Trefil and astrophysicist Shobita Satyapal, this book traverses the incredible history of black holes and introduces contemporary developments and theories on still unanswered questions about the enigmatic objects. From the early work of Albert Einstein and Karl Schwarzschild to an insider look at black hole-galaxy connection research led by co-author Satyapa, the comprehensive book surveys an exciting and evolving branch of space science, with topics that include:Visibility of black holesQuasars, the brightest objects in the universeThe black hole at the center of the Milky WayPopular theories on the origin of black holesCosmic X raysDeath of supermassivesBlack hole collisionsBlack holes in science fictionInvisible to the naked eye and telescopes, black holes have mystified and entranced astronomers, scientists, and humanity for more than a century. The first image of a supermassive black hole was only unveiled in 2019, and new black holes are continually discovered. Supermassive illuminates what we know about black holes so far and what we have yet to uncover.
Tao Te Ching: A New Translation
by Lao TzuRenowned translator William Scott Wilson has rendered Lao Tzu's classic in the most authentic way possible, using both the ancient text and the even older Great Seal script used during Lao Tzu's time. The result is a new and nuanced translation, accompanied by Chinese ink paintings and ancillary material. Wilson includes an introduction that tells the story of Lao Tzu, the "old man" and the "keeper of the archives," and notes to illuminate the text. He also includes two short essays—one explains the relationship between Taoism and Zen, and the other explores the roots that link the spiritual aspects of the Tao with the practice of Chinese and Japanese martial arts. Wilson's version of this ancient classic is wonderfully fresh and readable.
Functional Assessment-Based Intervention: Effective Individualized Support for Students
by Kathleen Lynne Lane John Umbreit Jolenea B. Ferro Carl J. LiaupsinFrom noted authorities, this book presents a comprehensive approach to designing and implementing evidence-based Tier 3 behavior interventions for K–12 students. The authors' functional assessment-based intervention (FABI) process has been supported by multiple peer-reviewed studies conducted in authentic educational environments. Step by step, chapters spell out proven methods to define target behaviors, determine the function of the undesirable behavior, identify appropriate replacement behaviors, and deliver and monitor intensive interventions. Illustrated with real-world case examples, the book shows how to embed FABI within a school's integrated tiered system of supports. Guidance for scaling FABI district- and statewide is also provided. Ethical issues, professional standards, equity concerns, and cultural and linguistic considerations are addressed throughout. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes reproducible checklists and forms that can also be downloaded for ease of use.
The Slip: A Novel
by Lucas SchaeferNATIONAL BESTSELLER Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, People, LitHub, Debutiful, and CrimeReads For readers of Jonathan Franzen and Nathan Hill comes a haymaker of an American novel about a missing teenage boy, cases of fluid and mistaken identity, and the transformative power of boxing.Austin, Texas: It&’s the summer of 1998, and there&’s a new face on the scene at Terry Tucker&’s Boxing Gym. Sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein has never felt comfortable in his own skin, but under the tutelage of a swaggering, Haitian-born ex-fighter named David Dalice, he begins to come into his own. Even the boy&’s slightly stoned uncle, Bob Alexander, who is supposed to be watching him for the summer, notices the change. Nathaniel is happier, more confident—tanner, even. Then one night he vanishes, leaving little trace behind. Across the city, Charles Rex, now going simply by &“X,&” has been undergoing a teenage transformation of his own, trolling the phone sex hotline that his mother works, seeking an outlet for everything that feels wrong about his body, looking for intimacy and acceptance in a culture that denies him both. As a surprising and unlikely romance blooms, X feels, for a moment, like he might have found the safety he&’s been searching for. But it's never that simple. More than a decade later, Nathaniel&’s uncle Bob receives a shocking tip, propelling him to open his own investigation into his nephew&’s disappearance. The resulting search involves gymgoers past and present, including a down-on-his-luck twin and his opportunistic brother; a rookie cop determined to prove herself; and Alexis Cepeda, a promising lightweight, who crossed the US-Mexico border when he was only fourteen, carrying with him a license bearing the wrong name and face. Bobbing and weaving across the ever-shifting canvas of a changing country, The Slip is an audacious, daring look at sex and race in America that builds to an unforgettable collision in the center of the ring.