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Books > History > History of specific subjects > General
The computer is the great technological and scientific innovation
of the last half of the twentieth century. It has revolutionized
how we organize information, how we communicate with each other,
and even the way that we think about the human mind. Computers have
eased the drudgery of such tasks as calculating sums and clerical
work, making them both more bearable and more efficient. The
computer has become ubiquitous in many aspects of business,
recreation, and everyday life, and the trend is that they are
becoming both more powerful and easier to use. Computers: The Life
Story of a Technology provides an accessible overview of this ever
changing technology history, giving students and lay readers an
understanding of the complete scope of its history from ancient
times to the present day. In addition to providing a concise
biography of how this technology developed, this book provides
insights into how the computer has changed our lives: *
Demonstrates how, just as the invention of the steam engine in the
1700s stimulated scientists to think of the laws of nature in terms
of machines, the success of the computer in the late 1900s prompted
scientists to think of the basic laws of the universe as being
similar to the operation of a computer. * Provides a worldwide
examination of computing, and how such needs as security and
defense during the Cold War drove the development of computing
technology. * Shows how the computer has entered almost every
aspect of daily life in the 21st century The volume includes a
glossary of terms, a timeline of important events, and a selected
bibliography of useful resources for further information.
Starting with the creation of the early technical schools before
the First Wold War and finishing with John Patten's policies as
Secretary of State for Education in 1993, Sanderson examines the
development of the technical school sector and the factors which
weakened it and led to its demise. The book argues that the neglect
of technical schools has resulted in poor levels of skill formation
and industrial performance in Britain, especially since the Second
World War.
This book is both a concise history of British universities and
their place in society over eight centuries, and a penetrating
analysis of current university problems and policies as seen in the
light of that history. It explains how the modern university system
has developed since the Victorian era, and gives special attention
to changes in policy since the Second World War, including the
effects of the Robbins report, the rise and fall of the binary
system, the impact of the Thatcher era, and the financial crises
which have beset universities in recent years. A final chapter on
the past and the present shows the continuing relevance of the
ideals inherited from the past, and makes an important contribution
to current controversies by identifying a distinctively British
university model and discussing the historical relationship of
state and market.
The visual turn recovers new pasts. With education as its theme,
this book seeks to present a body of reflections that questions a
certain historicism and renovates historiographical debate about
how to conceptualize and use images and artifacts in educational
history, in the process presenting new themes and methods for
researchers. Images are interrogated as part of regimes of the
visible, of a history of visual technologies and visual practices.
Considering the socio-material quality of the image, the analysis
moves away from the use of images as mere illustrations of written
arguments, and takes seriously the question of the life and death
of artifacts - that is, their particular historicity. Questioning
the visual and material evidence in this way means considering how,
when, and in which regime of the visible it has come to be
considered as a source, and what this means for the questions
contemporary researchers might ask.
Daniel Dumile Qeqe (1929–2005), ‘Baas Dan’, ‘DDQ’. He was the Port Elizabeth leader whose struggles and triumphs crisscrossed the entire gamut of political, civic, entrepreneurial, sports and recreational liberation activism in the Eastern Cape. Siwisa tells the story of Qeqe’s life and times and at the same time has written a social and political biography of Port Elizabeth – a people’s history of Port Elizabeth. As much as Qeqe was a local legend, his achievements had national repercussions and, indeed, continue to this day.
Central to the transformation of sports towards non-racialism, Qeqe paved the way for the mainstreaming and liberation of black rugby and cricket players in South Africa. He co-engineered the birth of the KwaZakhele Rugby Union (Kwaru), a pioneering non-racial rugby union that was more of a political and social movement. Kwaru was a vehicle for political dialogues and banned meetings, providing resources for political campaigns and orchestrations for moving activists into exile.
This story is an attempt at understanding a man of contradictions. In one breath, he was generous and kind to a fault. And yet he was the indlovu, an imposing authoritarian elephant, decisively brutal and aggressive. Then there was Qeqe, the man whose actions were not in keeping with the struggle. This story narrates his role in ‘collaborationist’ civic institutions and in courting reactionary homeland structures, yet through all that he was the signal actor in the emancipation of rugby in South Africa.
Brodsky contends that three factors--constitutional, commercial,
and technological--in turn, have caused Britain to raise large
citizen forces. Because Britain traditionally has been an
unmilitary state which has not maintained large standing armies,
this ethos of amateurism merged with the professionalism of the
Regular Army. He argues that it is this unique influence of
amateurism which historically has been central to the British
profession of arms and vital to its spirit of service. A wide range
of prose and poetry illustrates that spirit and the military
cultural experience in which it evolved in Great Britain from the
Restoration through World War II. In an overview of later
developments, including the Falklands War, Brodsky enunciates the
challenge facing the traditional ethos in the nuclear age.
Analyzing the effect of the literary idiom, he questions the future
direction of representative literature.
The already vibrant charitable sector in the US is in the midst of
a transformation that is altering both the manner in which
donations occur and the causes that are supported. Philanthropy in
Transition examines the unique role that charitable giving has
played in the US, from colonial times to the present. The rising
importance of new means of contributing, particularly giving
through buying or investing, is considered. These new models of
philanthropy have expanded the ways by which ethical consumers or
investors can support a cause. Although these innovations represent
a revolution in the structure of philanthropy, they introduce
significant complexity to the act of giving - donors are far
removed from recipients - and this may weaken the impact of
contributing. This transformation is also likely to accelerate the
rising importance of web-based promotion and fund-raising, as
traditional nonprofits compete with social market enterprises and
social impact investments for funds.
2004 marked the 150th anniversary of the foundation of
institutionalised public accountancy in the English-speaking world.
The mid nineteenth century founders were public accountants
practicing in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. Their historical
legacy is a respected profession world-wide that offers a complex
range of public accountancy and other services to industry,
commerce, and government. This book celebrates this legacy in
biographies of 138 accountants involved in the creation of three
professional bodies that combined to form the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) in 1951. The biographies
are presented within a historical context of Scotland at the
beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria and reveal the economic
and social class structure that characterised Victorian times. Many
of the founders were members of families that profoundly influenced
Scottish history in a variety of ways. Others had more humble
origins. The biographies therefore attempt to capture not only the
background of the founders but also their achievements in terms of
careers, families, and friends. The book should be of interest to
public accountants wishing to understand the historical foundations
on which their profession is based. It is also relevant to social
historians studying the impact of emerging professions on the
economic, political, and social landscape of nineteenth century
Scotland particularly and Britain more widely.
"A most welcome contribution to the burgeoning field of Deaf
Studies. The book performs a vital service to readers by providing
them with a comprehensive collection of sources that narrate the
struggles, accomplishments and aspirations of our nation's deaf
community."
"--I. King Jordan, President, Gallaudet University"
"This is one of those marvelous initiatives that, when you see
it, leads you to say, 'Why didn't I think of that?' A very valuable
resource not only for the growing numbers of students in Deaf
Studies but for everyone who seeks to understand the world of
culturally Deaf people.""
"--Harlan Lane, University Distinguished Professor, Northeastern
University"
"A landmark in the history of Deaf studies. Bragg has assembled
an astonishingly balanced selection of historical sources, personal
memoirs, and critical essays to give readers a rich and varied
panaroma of perspectives."
"--Yerker Andersson, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and former
Chair of Deaf Studies, Gallaudet University"
To many who hear, the deaf world is as foreign as a country
never visited.
Deaf World thus concerns itself less with the perspectives of
the hearing and more with what Deaf people themselves think and do.
Editor Lois Bragg asserts that English is for many signing people a
second, infrequently used language and that Deaf culture is the
socially transmitted pattern of behavior, values, beliefs, and
expression of those who use American Sign Language. She has
assembled an astonishing array of historical sources, political
writings, and personal memoirs, from classic 19th-century
manifestos to contemporary policy papers, on everything from
eugenics to speech and lipreading, theright to work and marry, and
the never-ending controversy over separation vs. social
integration. At the heart of many of the selections lies the belief
that Deaf Americans have long constituted an internal colony of
sorts in the United States.
While not attempting to speak for Deaf people en masse, this
ambitious platform anthology places the Deaf on center stage,
offering them an opportunity to represent the world--theirs as well
as the hearing world--from a Deaf perspective. For Deaf readers,
the book will be welcomed as a gift, both a companion to be savored
and, as often, an opponent to be engaged and debated. And for the
hearing, it serves as an unprecedented guide to a world and a
culture so often overlooked.
Comprising a judicious mix of published pieces and original
essays solicited specifically for this volume, Deaf World marks a
major contribution.
A Rich and Compelling History of Mountaineering ...At Your
Fingertips. High Summits is the result of over 30 years of research
into the fascinating world of international mountaineering. An
essential guide to mountaineering history, this year-by-year
account spans all seven continents and dates from 450 B.C. through
2011. In it you'll find everything from the monumental to the
hard-to-find-trivia including: * The most significant 370 Peak
First Ascents as well as over 600 other types of first ascents on
mountain faces and ridges. * 345 detailed listings of major
advancements in mountaineering gear, clothing, and climbing
equipment. * 171 references to the development of various climbing
techniques on snow, rock, and ice. * 58 hand-drawn maps and 57
carefully chosen photographs to accompany over 2,800 climbing
events around the world. * Appendices that include 17 unique
mountain summit collections and the author's ten most significant
events in mountaineering history. Taken from expedition accounts,
biographies and autobiographies, climbing journals and diaries,
mountaineering museums, magazines and newspapers, films,
documentaries, newsletters, and interviews, High Summits is one of
the most comprehensive studies of its kind. A must-have reference
book for anyone interested in mountaineering, from the aficionado
and weekend climber, to anyone who just likes to read about the
majesty and allure of climbing the most significant peaks in the
world. "Wolfe's meticulous compilation of this much mountaineering
history and lore into one volume is simply a stunning achievement
that makes for an invaluable reference as well as an entertaining
read." Walter R. Borneman. Historian and co-author of 100 Years Up
High: Colorado Mountains and Mountaineers Fred Wolfe's exhaustive
research teases out the details of mountaineering's entire,
worldwide history. High Summits is a reference I will always keep
handy." Phil Powers, Executive Director, American Alpine Club
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