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Air Transportation Industry: History and Developments
by Edward Majewski Konrad Stasiczak Sonia Huderek-Glapska Łukasz Olipra Wojciech AugustyniakAir Transportation Industry considers the influence of political, legal, economic, social, and technological factors on the developments in the industry. It provides a brief historical background of the air transport industry, the determinants of the changes in the airline business, and adaptation processes that resulted in the evolution of business models and structural changes in the industry.Utilizing a unique database containing the characteristics of more than 16,000 air carriers worldwide, the book discusses key findings related to changes in the transport capacity of airlines operating at different points in time, including the length of the lifecycle and reasons for termination of activity, types, and geographical scope of operations. It also explores the impacts of global and regional-scale legal regulations.The book will interest air transportation and airport operations researchers. It can also serve as a reference for management and operations transportation students in logistics, air transportation, and economics courses.
Air Travel Partnerships: How to Create Greater Value through Collaboration
by Nawal K. TanejaWhile change in the aviation sector is hardly a new phenomenon, going forward the rate of change will accelerate due to the emergence, convergence, and intersection of powerful internal and external forces. To deal with the accelerating change in the marketplace, stakeholders in the travel ecosystem need to deepen collaboration that is productive to (1) building adaptable, resilient, and lean businesses, (2) achieving growth and innovation, (3) elevating traveler experience to a much higher level, and, at the same time, (4) reducing the impact on the environment.Undoubtedly, while some innovations implemented by different aviation business sectors—to become more adaptable, more resilient, and leaner as well as to improve customer experience—have been adding some value, the innovations being introduced have been transactional, fragmented, and incremental. What is needed is a step change in proactive collaboration among different stakeholders in the air travel ecosystem at the holistic level, to cocreate value for travelers in terms of experience (relating to simplicity, convenience, and speed) and for businesses to adapt in order to reduce costs and increase profit margins.This book focuses on four types of organizations within the air travel sector: airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, and travel intermediaries. It provides a framework, tools, and insights to enhance collaborations by design in an age of increasing uncertainty.Air Travel Partnerships is essential reading for all executives and senior managers within airlines, airports, and air transport supporting industries.
Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe
by Carl ZimmerThe fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside downEvery day we draw in two thousand gallons of air—and thousands of living things. From the ground to the stratosphere, the air teems with invisible life. This last great biological frontier remains so mysterious that it took over two years for scientists to finally agree that the Covid pandemic was caused by an airborne virus.In Air-Borne, award-winning New York Times columnist and author Carl Zimmer leads us on an odyssey through the living atmosphere and through the history of its discovery. We travel to the tops of mountain glaciers, where Louis Pasteur caught germs from the air, and follow Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh above the clouds, where they conducted groundbreaking experiments. We meet the long-forgotten pioneers of aerobiology including William and Mildred Wells, who tried for decades to warn the world about airborne infections, only to die in obscurity.Air-Borne chronicles the dark side of aerobiology with gripping accounts of how the United States and the Soviet Union clandestinely built arsenals of airborne biological weapons designed to spread anthrax, smallpox, and an array of other pathogens. Air-Borne also leaves readers looking at the world with new eyes—as a place where the oceans and forests loft trillions of cells into the air, where microbes eat clouds, and where life soars thousands of miles on the wind.Weaving together gripping history with the latest reporting on Covid and other threats to global health, Air-Borne surprises us on every page as it reveals the hidden world of the air.
Airborne Particulate Matter: Impact on Human Health and Environment
by Markus Hecker Pratap Kumar Padhy Soumya Niyogi Pulak Kumar PatraParticulate matter (PM) in the ambient air is a key indicator of air pollution. It can be suspended over long time and travel over a long distance in the atmosphere. It can cause a wide range of diseases that lead to a significant reduction of human life. Because of the potent role of PM and its associated pollutants, detailed knowledge of their effects on the environment in general, and human health in particular, is of primary importance. This book provides an in-depth overview of monitoring of airborne particulates and their sources and transport. The dynamics of nutrients, intake pathways of particulates by human body and other components of environment, and their possible health hazards and effects at different levels and at various organs are discussed. With contributions from well-known experts from diverse research fields, including medical and public health science professions, this book provides an exhaustive information on the health risks of air pollution and explores its control and mitigation strategies. In addition to providing a scientific basis for particulate air pollution, this book will also help readers, researchers and public health professionals to appreciate the environmental determinants of public health and apply research evidence for improving the quality of life. This will also delineate future research initiatives and policy actions needed with more stringent strategies for protecting the environment in general and human health in particular from PM at local, regional, and global levels.
Aircraft Design: A Systems Engineering Approach (Aerospace Series)
by Mohammad H. SadraeyLearn the aircraft design process from a systems-engineering perspective, designed for both aspiring and practicing aerospace engineers Aircraft design incorporates a range of technological areas, including aerodynamics, flight dynamics, propulsion, and structure. Aircraft engineering design therefore requires techniques from systems engineering to integrate the requirements from these disparate areas into a coherent whole. There has never been a greater need for successful aerospace engineers to have a grasp of systems engineering and its applications in the field. Aircraft Design: A Systems Engineering Approach meets this need with a volume which takes the reader from conceptual design to detail design. Offering a systems engineering approach that weighs the needs of different aircraft components holistically, it provides readers with a practical look into the process of aircraft design. Now fully updated to reflect the latest industry developments, it promises to continue as an indispensable tool for modern students in the field. Readers of the second edition of Aircraft Design will also find: Brand new material on structural design, spoiler design, winglets, aircraft modification and modernization, and more Detailed discussion of emerging topics including all-electric aircraft design, VTOL aircraft design, and many others Guidance on the latest FAA requirements with a design impact Aircraft Design is ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students interested in aircraft design, advanced aircraft design, and air vehicle design. The book may also be of interest to mechanical, industrial, and systems engineers working in the aerospace sector.
Aircraft Propulsion: Toward Net-Zero Aviation
by Saeed FarokhiUpdated edition of the successful textbook exploring cutting-edge developments in the field and Net-Zero aviation goals of 2050 Maintaining the successful foundation of previous editions, the fourth edition of Aircraft Propulsion is a forward-looking textbook on propulsion, from the basic principles to more advanced treatments in engine components and system integration, that focuses on the Net-Zero Aviation goals of 2050. This book explores the alphabet of the emerging technology in propulsion by emphasizing electrification and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen. This book also covers advanced topics like flow control, adaptive cycle engines (ACE), hybrid-electric propulsion, pulse detonation engines (PDE), propulsion integration, and engine performance testing and instrumentation. Along with content updates, this new edition devotes a new chapter to supersonic and hypersonic propulsion. End-of-chapter problem sets are included as a learning aid with solutions available on a companion website. A quiz appendix with 45 10-minute quizzes helps readers test their knowledge at every stage of learning. Aircraft Propulsion includes information on: Engine thrust and performance parameters, gas turbine engine cycle analysis, and aircraft engine inlets and nozzles Combustion chambers and afterburners, axial-flow compressor and fan aerodynamics, centrifugal compressor aerodynamics and gas turbine aerodynamics, and heat transfer and cooling technologies Aircraft engine component matching and off-design analysis Available on a companion website: Compressible flow with friction and heat, general aviation and uninhabited aerial vehicle propulsion systems, propeller theory, and chemical rocket propulsion Aircraft Propulsion is an essential reference on the subject for aerospace and mechanical engineering students in their upper undergraduate or first-year graduate studies, practicing engineers in industry and research centers working on sustainability, and aviation industry engineers.
Airless Spaces, new edition (Semiotext(e) / Native Agents)
by Shulamith FirestoneShort stories set among the disappeared and darkened sectors of New York City, about characters who fall prey to an increasingly bureaucratized poverty.After they raised her dose to 42 mg. of Trilafon, Lucy very nearly fainted. She felt a rush of bad sensation comparable to her mental telepathy when her grandmother died ... But there was a good aspect to fainting too. As she was about to lose consciousness, she felt an overwhelming relief. The black velvety edges of the swoon. If only she could faint all the way, black out, and never wake up again ...Shulamith Firestone was twenty-five years old when she published The Dialectic of Sex, her classic and groundbreaking manifesto of radical feminism, in 1970. Disillusioned and burned out by the fragmented infighting within the New York City radical feminist groups she&’d helped to found, when her book hit the bestseller lists, Firestone decided against pursuing a career as a &“professional feminist.&” Instead, she returned to making visual art, the profession that she&’d trained for. She wouldn&’t publish anything again until Airless Spaces, in 1998.Long before her first hospitalization for paranoid schizophrenia in 1987, Firestone had fallen off the grid and into precarity and poverty. For the next decade, she would move in and out of public psychiatric wards and institutions. Conceived as a series of vignettes about institutions and identity, Airless Spaces is a subtle and deeply literary work. Embedded as a participant-observer, Firestone moves beyond the spectacular and frightening surfaces of institutional life to record individual lives and acts of cruelty and kindness. The existence that she depicts is a microcosm of the world beyond.
Airport Ground Video Surveillance: Algorithms and Applications
by Xiang Zhang Jian Cheng Honggang Wu Guoqiang WangThis book is the first overview book on video surveillance issues within airport grounds. It delves into the distinctive design principles underpinning computer vision algorithms tailored specifically for airport ground video surveillance, while also documenting the latest advancements within this domain. The initial section of this book introduces a comprehensive array of airport ground video surveillance datasets, encompassing the AGVS series alongside other pertinent datasets. Subsequently, the second section delves into the ongoing research endeavors on airport-ground-oriented computer vision algorithms, examining segmentation, recognition, and tracking methodologies. Lastly, the book’s third segment elucidates the design methodologies and exemplary use cases of airport ground video surveillance applications. Written by the authors intimately involved in creating the datasets, algorithms, and applications outlined within, this book stands as an indispensable reference for researchers and graduate students operating within the realm of intelligent transportation.
Airport Parking Reservation Systems and Techniques
by Transportation Research Board National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Adrian Leung Airport Cooperative Research Program Stephen D. Van BeekAirport parking is an important customer amenity and a principal source of revenue that helps fund the operation and development of airports. In recent years, growing volumes of passenger traffic and increasing competition from a variety of airport access providers have encouraged airports to seek new ways to attract airport parkers and enhance revenues, which may include implementing an online booking system. ACRP Synthesis 140: Airport Parking Reservation Systems and Techniques, from TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program, documents the use of online booking systems at U.S. airports, including their benefits, costs, and implementation challenges.
Airstream Country: A Geologic Journey Across the American West
by Neil MathisonA herd of bison standing in the snow. Layered bluffs of multicolored sandstone. A silver Airstream trailer on a mountain highway. These are familiar sights for Neil Mathison and his wife, Susan. Newly retired, their son in college, they embark upon a great American road trip &“uncoupled from the tyranny of calendars or a specific journey.&” Airstream Country recounts their travels across the western United States as they move from Montana to Malibu and Seattle to Silverton, winding their way through millions of years of geological history with their Airstream in tow. Along the way they encounter upheavals and depositions, ancient seas and young mountains, and stone towers and striated canyons, which are all illuminated by Mathison&’s knowledgeable commentary. Even after thousands of miles and eons of geology, their adventures are never finished, for, as Mathison writes, &“We learn by travel where we ought to travel more.&”
Airy and Other Analytical Waves for Beginners (Synthesis Lectures on Mechanical Engineering)
by Juan J. Muñoz-Perez Antonio Contreras-de-Villar Pilar Diaz-CarrascoThe aim of this book is to become something practical, providing a description of the essential theory (explained simply) and many solved exercises. The basic concepts necessary to understand the rudiments of the Airy wave and other analytical waves (and their application to Coastal Engineering) are clarified. Moreover, the appropriate mathematical tools are given in certain cases because some science courses do not require a minimum background in mathematics or physics. Despite not going into depth into the theoretical developments, experience has demonstrated that students are ensured to acquire the bare minimum of knowledge necessary to pursue any subsequent improvement course.
Aisha Learns to Woof
by Glen GoddardAisha the puppy dreams of woofing like her parents, but all her efforts seem to go wrong. With gentle encouragement from her Mum and Dad, Aisha learns that with patience and practice, she can find her voice. This sweet story about learning and growth will inspire children to keep trying and embrace the process of learning new things.
Aisthetische Erfahrungen inszenieren: Eine responsive Videostudie zu ästhetischer-kultureller Bildung und Erziehung in Kindertagesstätten (Phänomenologische Erziehungswissenschaft #16)
by Martina JanßenDieses Buch präsentiert eine phänomenologisch orientierte Untersuchung von aisthetischen Erfahrungen von Kindern aus dem Geist der Bildungs- und Erziehungstheorie. Auf der Grundlage einer groß angelegten Videoanalyse von Bildungsangeboten in Kindertagesstätten werden Zeigepraxen der Fachkräfte mit aisthetischen Erfahrungen von Kindern in Verbindung gesetzt und diese als bildende Erfahrungen ausgewiesen. Zudem werden in detaillierten Beschreibungen und Interpretationen die komplexen Wechselwirkungen im leiblichen, sozialen, dinglich-materialen, räumlichen und temporalen Erfahrungsfeld empirisch und theoretisch eingeholt. Auf dieser Grundlage wird ein Beitrag für eine phänomenologische und praxeologische Pädagogik der frühen Bildung und Erziehung geleistet, die für Forscher*innen, Studierende und Praktiker*innen von Interesse sein kann. Die Autorin Martina Janßen ist promovierte Erziehungswissenschaftlerin, bildende Künstlerin und Diplom-Sozialpädagogin. Als Vertretungsprofessorin an der Fakultät für Angewandte Sozialwissenschaften, Fachhochschule Erfurt (09/21 bis 09/24) lehrte sie in den Studiengängen der Sozialen Arbeit und der Kindheitspädagogik. Ihre Arbeits- und Forschungsschwerpunkte sind Theorien und Philosophien der Bildung und Erziehung, Pädagogik der frühen Kindheit, ästhetisch-kulturelle Bildungsprozesse und künstlerisch-ästhetische Forschung, Leiblichkeit und Bewegung sowie Videoanalyse.
Aktives Folienlager mit nachgiebigem Lagerträger und piezokeramischen Patchaktuatoren (Mechanics and Adaptronics)
by Hannes SchmiedekeFolienlager sind Gleitlager mit einer nachgiebigen Innenkontur. Dies erlaubt die Kompensation der fliehkraft- und temperaturbedingten Wellenexpansion bei hohen Drehzahlen. Die vielen Reibkontakte zwischen den Folien erhöhen zudem die Lagerdämpfung. Mit aerodynamisch wirkenden Folienlagern ausgestattete Turbomaschinen können somit je nach Baugröße mit mehr als 100.000 U/min betrieben werden. Ein wesentlicher Faktor, der die Lebensdauer begrenzt, ist der Verschleiß bei jedem Start-Stop-Zyklus. Unglücklicherweise können Folienlager geometrisch entweder auf einen geringeren Verschleiß beim Anfahren oder eine größere Stabilität bei hohen Drehzahlen optimiert werden. In dem hier vorliegenden Buch wird daher der Ansatz eines aktiv schaltbaren Folienlagers vorgestellt, bei welchem das Lagerspiel und die geometrische Vorspannung (Preload) je nach Betriebszustand eingestellt werden können. Anhand theoretischer Überlegungen und experimenteller Beobachtungen zeigt sich eine grundsätzliche Eignung der im aktiven Lager angestrebten Schaltformen. So ist trotz signifikanter Einflüsse von Fertigungs- und Montageabweichungen eine Verbesserung des Anfahrverhaltens bzw. ein stabiler Betrieb bei hohen Drehzahlen sichtbar. Die Integration der aktiven Komponente, bestehend aus den piezokeramischen Patchaktuatoren und einem geometrisch an eine dreiflächige Lagerbuchse angelehnten Lagerträger, verändern das Betriebsverhalten gegenüber der passiven Prototypen dabei aber erheblich. So verringert sich neben der Lagersteifigkeit auch die Lagerdämpfung. Zudem genügen moderate Lasten und fertigungsbedingte Eigenspannungen, um die aktive Verformung des Lagerträgers zu blockieren. Theoretische Modelle zeigen, dass eine Versteifung der aktiven Komponente durchaus zielführend ist. Eine praktische Umsetzung ist hingegen aufgrund fehlender Aktuatorwerkstoffe aktuell noch nicht möglich.
Aktoren und Sensoren für mechatronische Systeme: Grundlagen, Konzepte und Beispiele
by Alexander CzechowiczAktoren und Sensoren sind Kernbestandteile moderner mechatronischer Systeme. Eingebettet zwischen einer mechanischen Grundstruktur und einer Informationsverarbeitung bilden Aktoren und Sensoren die Brücke zwischen einer modernen digitalisierten Anwendung in der Industrie 4.0 und der realen Maschinenmechanik. Dieses Lehrbuch stellt die Grundlagen mechatronischer Systeme zusammen und gibt einen detaillierten Überblick über industriegebräuchliche sowie neuartige Aktoren, Sensortechnologien, Informationsverarbeitungssysteme und Anwendungskonzepte der Industrie 4.0. Zusätzlich fasst das Buch Methoden der numerischen Modellbildung von ausgewählten Aktoren und Sensoren zusammen und zeigt diese in Beispielszenarien einiger mechatronischer Anwendungen.
Aktuelle Führungsthemen der Polizeiforschung
by Joachim AlbrechtDieser Sammelband präsentiert herausragende Abschlussarbeiten der Hochschule für Polizei in Baden-Württemberg zu Führungsthemen im Polizeikontext und gibt damit einen Überblick über neue, anwendungsnahe Forschung auf diesem Gebiet. Das Werk richtet sich zum einen an WissenschaftlerInnen, die sich über aktuelle und relevante Themen der Polizeiarbeit und -forschung informieren möchten. Zum Zweiten sollen die hier veröffentlichten Erkenntnisse aber auch interessierten PraktikerInnen, die täglich Führungsarbeit bei der Polizei leisten, dienen. Und nicht zuletzt unterstützt dieser Band Bachelor- oder Masterstudierende, die frisch das Studium aufgenommen haben, bei der Suche nach interessanten Fragestellungen für die eigene Abschlussarbeit.
Akustische Interfaces: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Schnittstellen von Technologien, Sounds und Menschen (ars digitalis)
by Sabine Wirth Robert Stock Timo Kaerlein Christoph BorbachIn der aktuellen Medienkultur gewinnen akustische Interfaces zunehmend an Bedeutung, wie es sich in vielen Alltagsbereichen wie der Arbeit, Mobilität, aber auch Freizeit zeigt. Der Band nimmt diese Entwicklung zum Anlass, neue Perspektiven auf die Mediengeschichte und -praxis analoger und digitaler Interfaces zu eröffnen, um die Bedeutung des Akustischen für die Ausdifferenzierung gegenwärtiger Interfacekulturen herauszuarbeiten. Die rezente Ubiquität von Smart Speakern, Natural Language Processing und Voice User Interfaces deutet einen Paradigmenwechsel in der Human-Computer Interaction an, dessen medienkulturelle Bedeutung nur durch eine vergleichende Betrachtung aus Sicht der Media und Sound Studies, der Ludomusicology und der Dis/Ability Studies angemessen behandelt werden kann. Erst digitale Infrastrukturen und Machine Learning-Algorithmen machen Voice Assistant-Technologien zur gesellschaftlichen Realität. Dies lädt dazu ein, ihre Kultur- und Technikgeschichte, ihre Medienpraxis, Affordanzen und Plattformisierung einer genaueren Untersuchung zu unterziehen und dabei ästhetische mit technischen sowie historische mit informatischen Analyseansätzen zu kombinieren. Dadurch werden die vielfältigen und widersprüchlichen Politiken akustischer Interfaces in ihrer Tiefendimension und Entfaltung im 20. und 21. Jahrhundert exemplarisch erschlossen. Die Analyse geht damit über eine rein gegenwartsbezogene Diagnose hinaus und formuliert zugleich kritische Positionen für die Kontextualisierung zukünftiger akustischer Interface-Technologien.
Akzeptanz multimodaler Mobilität: Eine Studie in drei städtischen Quartieren (Studien zur Mobilitäts- und Verkehrsforschung)
by Anne GrafDieses Open-Access-Buch knüpft an aktuelle Themen zur Transformation der Alltagsmobilität an. Es leistet einen Beitrag zur Frage, wie und wann Menschen ihre Mobilität multimodal gestalten, also verschiedene Verkehrsmittel nutzen, die unter Umständen eine umweltverträglichere Alternative zum Auto darstellen. Hierzu wird erstens untersucht, welche für multimodales Mobilitätsverhalten förderlichen oder hinderlichen Fähigkeiten und Restriktionen es gibt. Zweitens wird mithilfe von Vignettenstudien die Rangordnung bestimmter Verkehrsmittelaspekte in potenziellen Entscheidungssituationen zwischen dem Auto und den umweltverträglicheren Alternativen ÖV oder Fahrrad geprüft. Drittens widmet sich diese Arbeit auch der Frage, wie multimodales Mobilitätsverhalten in Quartierskontexte eingebettet ist. Dazu werden qualitative und quantitative Daten der Befragung „Mobilität in Bochum 2020“ ausgewertet. Den theoretischen Hintergrund bilden die Grundlagen soziologischer Handlungstheorien und das Motility Konzept.
Al-Junayd: The Sufi Master of Baghdad
by Arin Salamah-QudsiThis book presents a full and updated portrait of al-Junayd al-Baghdādī, a towering figure in the history of Islamic piety and thought. Examining the character of Junayd as both an architect of the Sufi mainstream as well as a charismatic and pragmatic personality, the book explores Junayd’s sophisticated relationships within Sufi circles as well as the broader circle of Islamic piety. Besides constructing a balanced portrait of Junayd, this monograph also examines Junayd’s legacy in order to flesh out some of the socio-religious and historical settings of that period. This book is an important read for scholars of religion, Islamic studies, mediaeval Muslim culture, as well as historians and researchers in the field of Islamic studies.
Alan, King of the Universe: Book 1 (Alan, King of the Universe #1)
by Tom McLaughlinALAN IS KING OF THE UNIVERSE. Well, not yet. But he WILL be. An orange cat blessed with opposable thumbs, Alan is convinced he was born to rule and spends his days scheming up brilliant plans to fulfil his destiny - from creating a brand-new country, Alanland, to cloning himself in an attempt raise an entire army of Alans. And his slobbery dog sidekick Fido is just happy to be along for the ride!Join these two accident-prone characters on their hilarious adventures as they try to take over the universe - as long as they're home in time for tea, of course.This two-colour graphic novel series for 7+ readers will have kids and their grown-ups rolling around the floor with laughter. Suitable for newly independent readers.
Alaska Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and More
by Kirk Johnson Ray TrollExplore the world of fascinating prehistoric creatures that once roamed ancient Alaska. Packed with vibrant illustrations of dinosaurs by artist Ray Troll and lively text by paleontologist Kirk Johnson, this dynamic picture book is perfect for curious kids ages 8-12 and dinophiles of all ages.This engaging richly illustrated picture book is the perfect introduction to Alaska&’s dinosaurs. It opens with an irresistible, jam-packed map of Alaska fossils, and then proceeds through a timeline of prehistoric creatures that inhabited ancient Alaska&’s oceans and forests.Discover thalattosaurs, giant sea lizards who lived over 200 million years ago, and the mysterious &“desmos,&” a prehistoric marine mammal that looked like a hippo but might be related to horses and rhinos and roamed the region 20 million years ago, and many more!
Alaskan Police Protector
by Megan ShortTo save a child, he has to risk his own life. When a minivan slides off the road into an icy lake, Officer Samuel Miller narrowly rescues a woman and child from certain death. Only, Rachel Harding insists the crash is no accident—it&’s eerily similar to how her sister and brother-in-law recently died. As the unexplained attacks escalate, Samuel is determined to protect Rachel and her orphaned niece at all costs. But when they make a shocking discovery, their investigation becomes even more dangerous, and survival may be impossible.From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Albania: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Albania
by International Monetary Fund. European Dept.A report from the International Monetary Fund.
Albania: Selected Issues
by International Monetary Fund. European Dept.A report from the International Monetary Fund.
Albert Einstein – His Life and Science: A Dramatized Biography
by Ken K. ChinThis book is part biographical account, part novel, and part popular science. The basic facts are historically true, but many episodes have additionally been dramatized with plausible content that brings the personal story to life in the style of a novel or movie script. This genre of a “dramatized biography" of scientists was first created by the author 45 years ago and became a great success selling over half a million copies in China, where it has been in particular demand for teaching. But this is not the whole story: In addition, the book explains, in a serious yet accessible manner, the basics of Einstein’s scientific work, especially its impact on contemporary cosmology, astronomy, and physics. As an experienced teacher of relativity and astronomy for high-school and university students, the author knows how to make profound scientific subjects accessible, and his presentation is as fascinating as a detective story. Readers will learn not only about the historical setting but also about the challenges and frustrations faced by Einstein, about his breakthroughs and triumphs, as well as the far-reaching significance of his theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and other scientific achievements. The reader will come to understand why, of all the billions of people living in the twentieth century, Albert Einstein was singled out as the “Person of the Century.”