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The Almighty Machine: How Digitalization Is Destroying Everything That Is Dear to Us
by Pekka VahvanenThe hymn of Digitalization is nothing new: We must encourage the creation of new apps. We must develop AI in order to prevail among international competition. Technology's advance will halt climate change and let robots do the dumb stuff for us. Our faith in technology is powerful because it has saved us in the past. The Almighty Machine shows us technology&’s flip side. The things that once powered us toward a brighter tomorrow are already undermining our quality of life. The data stream has shattered our concentration, human relationships have been reduced to a menu of emojis, constant surveillance has nullified much of our privacy, and the development of AI could be the beginning of the end for us. We are becoming the casualties of our own success. Pekka Vahvanen's bristling and timely critique, deftly translated by Mark Jones, throws doubt on the necessity of technological development in a world saturated in tech. The Almighty Machine presents an important question: Does progress no longer make us happier?
The Oak Tree and the Branch: Poems 2016-2024
by Nicholas HaggerNicholas Hagger&’s Collected Poems contained 30 volumes of his poems, and Life Cycle and Other New Poems contained volumes 31-34. Together they reflect his quest along the Mystic Way, and the vision of unity and harmony to which it led. The Oak Tree and the Branch contains volumes 35-41 and continues his presentation of apparent conflicts (Brexit, coronavirus, war and extreme suffering) and the underlying unity of the universe within his Arcadia. The Oak Tree and the Branch sees the UK&’s departure from Europe as a lopped branch from the Tree of Tradition of European civilisation. The Tapestry dwells on his rootedness in the past, especially in the Tudor time. A Plague in Arcadia: Oneness with Nature and the Universe presents a host of Nature poems in his local Fairmead&’s Arcadian paradise during the spread of coronavirus, the Covid plague. An Oval Cloud presents a sequence of encounters with an oval cloud seen behind his closed eyes, which he tries to understand. Court Poems: More Royal Classical Odes includes Royal events: a wedding, two funerals and a coronation, and another lopped branch. In Arcady: A Gong and Padded Stick surveys his Providential life. And the harrowing Agony in Arcady: Stroke wrings from him the whole range of emotions as he comes to terms with his daughter&’s severe stroke (another lopped branch) and heroic endurance. Hagger&’s mystical vision of the unity of Nature, the universe and humankind shines through all these new poems. Hagger derives his inspiration from the 16th- and 17th-century Metaphysical poets and seeks to unite the later Augustan and Romantic traditions. These poems reconcile the soul&’s harmony with the universe and the conflicts in public life, and add significantly to the themes of Collected Poems, Classical Odes, Life Cycle and Hagger&’s two poetic epics, Overlord and Armageddon, all published by O-Books. They carry forward his Universalist approach to poetry which unveils an ordered universe behind the apparent chaos of world events
Fools' Paradise: The Voyage of a Ship of Fools From Europe, A Mock-Heroic Poem on Brexit
by Nicholas HaggerIn Fools' Paradise, a mock-heroic poem on Brexit which complements his masque King Charles the Wise, Nicholas Hagger presents the most important British event since the Second World War: the Brexiteers' struggle to wrest control of the UK's laws, borders, money and trade from the EU and turn the UK into a more prosperous paradise.In 16 cantos and an epilogue of heroic couplets with an epic tone, he narrates the 2018 Chequers compromise and its aftermath: the EU's opposition, lack of internal support, looming &‘no deal' and requests for extensions that keep the UK in the EU. He shows the UK Ship of State as manned by a squabbling crew sailing for an illusory paradise and too riven by division to reach agreement. The dream all were promised seems undeliverable. In the tradition of the social satire of Dryden and Pope, the elevated style is undermined by a recurring image of the Ship of Fools in Sebastian Brant's 1494 Swiss poem Ship of Fools (Das Narrenschiff), which makes a chaotic voyage from Europe to an illusory paradise across the waves. It becomes apparent that all on the UK Ship of State are to some extent living in a fools' paradise. Focusing on the historic decision to leave Europe that if carried through would have immense repercussions for coming generations, Nicholas Hagger presents the warring factions on the UK Ship of State and in true Universalist manner foresees a resolution of the conflict in the reconciliation of a coming united world. This is an astonishing poem that approaches the most important national event of our time in the spirit of Tennyson and gets to the heart of the UK's national predicament.
Selling Our Death Masks: Cash-For-Gold in the Age of Austerity
by Yesenia BarraganA radical historical ethnography on the meaning of a fundamentally new physical landscape of our age of austerity: cash-for-gold shops that numerically exploded in the wake of the worst economic crisis of our times.
It's Not All In Your Head: Unearthing the Deep Roots of Depression
by Tony GiordanoThe story of one man's search for the roots of a puzzling depression that struck suddenly in midlife reaches back decades to a dysfunctional alcholic household. It is not unlike the story of millions of sufferers. This humanistic portrayal dispels myths about depression to eradicate its stigma.
How to Dismantle the NHS in 10 Easy Steps
by Youssef El-GingihyDr Youssef El-Gingihy – a GP – tells the story of how the NHS has been gradually converted into a market-based healthcare system over the past 25 years. This process is accelerating under the Coalition government and the very existence of a National Health Service is in danger. He fears that there will not be an NHS as our generation grows old and certainly not for our children. Yet the British public remains largely unawares of this and the media, with few exceptions, have failed in their duty to inform them. The NHS is being broken up into an universal insurance system based on the American model. This book matters to all who use the NHS or are concerned by the privatisation of public services and the dismantling of equitable healthcare and welfare. If you want to understand the real story behind the headlines and find out how you can preserve the NHS for the future then this book is essential reading.
Neoliberal Undead: Essays on Contemporary Art and Politics
by Marc James LégerThe Neoliberal Undead describes the frightening world of class restoration, neoliberal austerity, ecological meltdown, and neo-imperialism a disaster capitalism that breeds mutant ideological justifications for itself and the inevitability of disorder, poverty and suffering. What role does culture play in this world of markets and how do new contestatory forms enable a leftist solidarity that can move cultural radicalism beyond the postmodern obsession with new subjectivities? Rather than become the symptoms of democratic materialism, signing up for endless culture wars, The Neoliberal Undead argues for a rethinking of radical cultural leftism against the terms of the dominant global situation. The relentless reduction of art criticism and art production under capitalist relations requires that the living separate themselves from the abstractions of globalization and reconnect with revolutionary theory.
A Diet of Austerity: Class, Food and Climate Change
by Elaine Graham-LeighReceived wisdom is increasingly that we all have to eat less to save the planet, but received wisdom is wrong. A Diet of Austerity argues that, just as the poor are blamed for the economic crisis, Malthusian conceptions about food and ecology are being used to hold the working class responsible for climate change and global hunger. Challenging existing dogmas about overconsumption and personal responsibility, it shows that what we need to stop climate change is system change.
The Gallic Cooking-Pot: Why Can't The Rest Of The World Get On With The French?
by Marie-José Astre-DémoulinHave you ever imagined that fabulous qualities could be hidden behind the moody exterior of the French? No? Then you have not discovered their full beauty. It will be revealed to you in this highly entertaining yet informative book. The author, a French national, gives you the vital tools and tips on how to interact with her compatriots, should some situations turn a little... tense - as they well might. The only risk is that, after reading this book, you will not only appreciate culture, food, wines, and landscapes of France, but you will never again mutter shame about the French. Instead, you will be proclaiming: Vive la Différence!
Revolutionary Keywords for a New Left
by Ian ParkerRevolutionary Keywords for a New Left comprises short essays on fifty revolutionary keywords, each word being put to work on a contemporary political issue. With keywords ranging from academicisation to neoliberalism, from postcolonial to Zionism and with subjects including, Badiou, North Korea, sexual violence and Žižek, the book concludes with an essay mapping the development of progressive keywords before our century of revolution, which began in 1917, keywords that emerged in the fifty years of struggle between 1917 and 1967, and revolutionary keywords for the new left today.
Hadrian's Trader
by Richard YeoLucius is a young Centurion in the time of Hadrian, serving at Trimontium, modern-day Melrose in southern Scotland. Trista is a Roman patrician girl, living in Gaul. She is orphaned and becomes a vagrant when her parents are killed by traitors plotting to overthrow the emperor. Following the death of his wife, Lucius becomes an imperial agent, operating beyond the borders of the Empire as a trader, seeking signs of invasion. He meets Trista who is under threat of assassination. The story follows their flight across Gaul, pursued by evil forces, to the German forests in a race to avert invasion and the death of the emperor.
Don't Get MAD Get Wise: Why No One Ever Makes You Angry, Ever!
by Mike GeorgeAnalyzes the illusions we have created for ourselves that justify our anger. We can draw on our own inner resources to heal its scars and focus on forgiveness for ourselves and others.
The Fall of the West: The Story behind Covid, the Levelling-Down of the West and the Shift of Power to the East with the Rise of China
by Nicholas HaggerIn The Syndicate (2004) Nicholas Hagger described how in the 20th century a Syndicate of élitist mega-rich families levelled down the leading Western countries by promoting revolutions, wars and independence movements against their empires, and planned a New World Order and world government that would control the earth's resources for their own benefit. In The Secret History of the West (2005) he traced the Syndicate's roots back to secret Freemasonic organisations and revolutions that undermined the West from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. In The Fall of the West (2022), the third book in his trilogy on the West, Hagger updates the story to include the pandemic and describes how Syndicate-driven 21st-century events from the War on Terror to Covid have brought the Western financial system to the brink of collapse and shifted power from the West to the East, and China. In this first impartial attempt to assemble all the evidence to date for the origin of Covid (like fitting together available pieces of a jigsaw to reveal the main picture) Hagger, the first to discover the Cultural Revolution in China in March 1966, finds that the three main features of Covid-19 were man-made by American NIAID-funded medics in 2002 and patented 73 times since 2008, and seem to have been surreptitiously used as a bio-weapon in a Syndicate plan to limit the rise of China and its expanding trade. A dangerous new Biological Age has been born, and the West faces being levelled down and a sudden fall. Hagger sees the post-Covid West's dream of creating a good New World Order - a vaccine-protected democratic, presidential, part-federal world government and World State with sufficient authority to abolish war and solve the world's post-Covid problems - as being challenged by the self-interested Syndicate's levelling-down; and to survive, it first has to go along with the Syndicate's plan for West and East to draw together into an authoritarian world government involving China, and democratise later. This is a thought-provoking work with a prophetic vision of the future.
The World of Failing Machines: Speculative Realism and Literature
by Grant HamiltonThe World of Failing Machines offers the first full-length discussion of the relationship between speculative realism and literary criticism. In identifying some of the most significant coordinates of speculative-realist thought, this book asks what the implications might be for the study of literature. It is argued that the first casualty might well be the form of the traditional essay.
2 Ennerdale Drive: An Unauthorised Biography
by Rosa Ainley2 Ennerdale Drive is a memoir of a house and the family that lived there; a work of text and image encompassing architecture, social and personal history, town planning, photography and representation, carving a space within and between new forms of memoir, cultural studies and creative non-fiction.
Autodesk Civil 3D 2026 from Start to Finish: Learn dynamic, automation-led workflows and intelligent tools for modern civil infrastructure designs
by Stephen Walz Tony SabatDesign civil infrastructure faster and boost collaboration with Autodesk Civil 3D 2026's new autonomous workflows that optimize delivery as an individual, team, or organization. Bonus 1: Access chapter-by-chapter video tutorials on YouTube—follow along visually with every topic covered in the book. Bonus 2: Download exercise files to practice each concept with real-world projects and reinforce your hands-on learning.Key FeaturesMaster the latest features and interface updates in Civil 3D 2026 to streamline modern infrastructure workflowsScale your workflows to larger teams and bigger projects while maximizing efficiencyLearn how to work with enhanced modeling, corridor targeting, and pressure toolsPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionWith engineering projects getting bigger, deadlines getting tighter, and greater demands for precision, you need tools that do more and work smarter. Autodesk Civil 3D 2026 rises to the challenge, delivering powerful new capabilities for high-precision design modeling and streamlined collaboration. In this second edition, Stephen Walz and Tony Sabat, leaders in digital design and innovation in civil infrastructure, walk you through Civil 3D’s cutting-edge features, such as pressure layout improvements, dynamic corridor targeting, and performance enhancements for surface modeling and grading. It’s not just about learning new features; you’ll be able to integrate these new toolsets into real-world workflows, develop standards, and collaborate effectively within distributed teams. From surface development and intelligent utility design to smart document creation, this book explores practical and automated applications of tools and modeling techniques that you’ll use every day. Whether you work independently or are part of a large design team, you’ll walk away knowing how to configure, manage, and deliver projects with Civil 3D 2026 while improving your entire project pipeline.What you will learnCreate and manage surfaces, alignments, and profilesImport and organize survey data for accurate base mapsDesign roadways, parcels, and utility networksStreamline design with Model Viewer, Dynamo, and Targeted Data ReferencesEliminate redundancy using intelligent, dynamic Civil 3D objectsOptimize 3D modeling to improve design decisions and outcomesAutomate sheet creation for profiles and sectionsModel advanced corridor features such as intersections and railsWho this book is forThis book is for civil engineers, environmental engineers, civil designers, civil technicians, and professionals working with Civil 3D or InfraWorks who want to maximize Civil 3D’s potential in their everyday design work. To get the most out of this guide, you'll need a basic understanding of civil engineering and surveying workflows, along with foundational knowledge of Autodesk AutoCAD. General familiarity with surveying practices, civil/environmental engineering practices, and AutoCAD drafting is assumed.
Dark Orchid
by Michael J. ShanksEveryone wants to do the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing can lead you down a path from which there is no return. Follow Galston McGee and James Bisset as they journey through 1970s Glasgow, white-collar fraud and organised crime. As their lives intersect, the consequences are deadly and catastrophic. Dark Orchid is a fast-paced story of love, greed, resurrection and revenge.
Occupation of Joe
by Bill BaynesTokyo, 1945. A Japanese boy too old for his years, a survivor of the American firebombing, dares to cross the wasteland where he saw thousands burn to death, and approach the occupying forces to get food for his family. A young Navy lieutenant, proud of the Allied victory but appalled by the devastation he sees across the city, cares enough to help. As post-war pressures mount between the two cultures, he becomes entangled in the lives of the boy, his infant sister and his beautiful mother. The Occupation of Joe is an emotionally powerful, gripping post-war tragedy from Top Hat Books, publisher of quality historical fiction.
Open Book Theater Management: Ethical Theater Production
by Rafe BeckleyIn the world of Fringe (or Off-Off Broadway) theatre, a strong debate has been raging for years - when you're producing a low/no-budget production, how on earth can you make it happen and still treat everyone involved in an open, honest and ethical manner? Where do you stand with profit-share productions when you can't afford to pay Union minimums? Open Book Theatre Management, along with its free online resources of instructional budget spreadsheets, is the first book ever to show you exactly how to mount a theatre production without losing either your integrity or your shirt. It is aimed at actors, directors and producers in the early stages of their careers; drama schools; and further and higher education establishments. The methodologies outlined in the book are transferable across all countries in which arts funding is difficult to secure. The time for going to the Establishment with the begging bowl is over. There need be no more excuses. The author will even show you how to start your own theatre company for only a tenner…
Blackjack: A Champion's Guide
by Dario De Toffoli Margherita BonaldiIf you believe that winning at casino games depends entirely on chance or luck, then this is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you think that it's crucial to have an effective strategy in order to win, then you simply can't do without it. The green table is the most democratic place to play, where the inequalities between you and the dealer are at a minimum and players can significantly increase their chances of victory. You just need to know how. Simply told and with a touch of irony, 'games king' Dario De Toffoli guides us through rules, secrets, tactics and advice, in a book that is as much for beginners as experts. So prepare yourselves to explore the world of Blackjack, which is 'deconstructed' and analysed in all its mathematical glory for the first time, making readers more conscious and successful when they play. Whether you are in front of a croupier in the flesh and blood or in front of your computer screen playing an online game, now is the time to abandon all those good luck charms and understand that your success depends on you. Because it's fun to play, but it's even more fun to win. So, what are you waiting for? Play the game, but don't let the game play you...
Welcome to the Rebellion: A New Hope In Radical Politics
by Michael HarrisWhat does it mean that our most popular modern myth is a radical left story about fighting corporate authoritarianism? From its roots in the 1960s new left, Star Wars still speaks to millions of people today. By design, the saga mirrors our own time and politics. A real empire of corporate domination has arisen within weakened and corrupted republics. Now it threatens our existence on a planetary scale. But the popularity of Star Wars also suggests that if we tell the right stories, we can welcome many more people to the rebellion and the fight for a better world...
Infinite Fictions: Essays on Literature and Theory
by David WintersDavid Winters has quickly become a leading voice in the new landscape of online literary criticism. His widely-published work maps the furthest frontiers of contemporary fiction and theory. The essays in this book range from the American satirist Sam Lipsyte to the reclusive Australian genius Gerald Murnane; from the "distant reading" of Franco Moretti to the legacy of Gordon Lish. Meditations on style, form and fictional worlds sit side-by-side with overviews of the cult status of Oulipo, the aftermath of modernism, and the history of continental philosophy. Infinite Fictions is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the forefront of literary thought.
Everything Makes Sense: A Close-Notice of Life and Consciousness
by Tim Garvin'This book is a gift that will allow ready seekers to forego years of preoccupation with trifling intellectual distractions and get on with close-notice of life and consciousness.' Peter Nordeen, historian of the life and work of Avatar Meher Baba, writer and producer of God in Human Form and other films for Meher FilmworksScience and religion study the same phenomenon - the cosmos itself - but an impenetrable barrier seems to separate them. Author Tim Garvin removes that barrier and offers a resonant handshake. Instead of sitting across from each other in opposition, scientists and seekers can sit at a table made round by wonder. As Everything Makes Sense dives into the nature of knowing and existence, it reveals a mutuality in humankind unimagined by theology or biology, a mutuality in the nature of being itself. From there, Everything Makes Sense develops an explanation of existence by employing the thought and insight of the inner world's two most penetrating cartographers, Aurobindo Ghose and Meher Baba, whose work and a close-notice of life itself reveal the deep purpose of creation.
Pagan Portals - The Hedge Druid's Craft: An Introduction to Walking Between the Worlds of Wicca, Witchcraft and Druidry
by Joanna van HoevenThe Hedge Druid's Craft blends the traditions of Wicca, Witchcraft and Druidry into a spiritual path that uses the techniques of "hedge riding" to travel between the worlds, bringing back wisdom and enchantment into our everyday lives. It is about working with boundaries, with a foot in either world, living around the edges and working with liminal times and places. For those whose paths meander and often overlap, and those who would not be constrained nor confined by labels, yet who seek some definition, this book is for you. If you are interested in Witchcraft, Wicca or Druidry, this book will sing to your soul.
Emerald City: How Capital Transformed New York
by Joseph GrossoFresh, lively, accessible, Grosso brings the issues of gentrification, deindustrialization, homelessness, and militarized policing, so easily ignored, to the fore.Joseph Grosso traces the history of New York's transformation back into a gilded city, and asks what can be done about it. He examines New York's deindustrialization and the elite planning and design that followed; New York's financial crisis of the mid-1970s and the policy decisions made in its wake; New York's housing crisis; and the history of public housing across the United States. Making the history of gentrification and deindustrialization widely available and understood is a crucial tool in combating housing crises which continue to spread in cities around the world as more and more houses are left empty, to be used for global investments instead of for living.