Closing the Gap is an accessible overview of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and the impact it is set to have on various sectors in South Africa and Africa. It explores the previous industrial revolutions that have led up to this point and outlines South Africa’s position been through each one.

With a focus on artificial intelligence as a core concept in understanding the 4IR, this book uses familiar concepts to explain artificial intelligence, how it works and how it can be used in banking, mining, medicine and many other fields.

Written from an African perspective, Closing the Gap addresses the challenges and fears around the 4IR by pointing to the opportunities presented by new technologies and outlining some of the challenges and successes to date

Significantly revised and updated, this second edition of "Management for Engineers, Scientists and Technologists" is vital reading for all students of any of these subjects hoping to make it in the real world.

Increasingly, students of engineering, science and technology subjects are finding that their success depends as much on general management skills and understanding operational systems as on their technical expertise. This book offers students that all- important firm foundation in management training.

"Management for Engineers, Scientists and Technologists" offers a practical and accessible introduction to management and provides a comprehensive guide to the management tools used in managing people and other resources. Part 1 includes a series of chapters on management applications and concepts, starting with basic issues such as 'What is a business?' and 'What is management?', continuing through management of quality, materials and new product development and concluding with examples of successful companies who provide good models of management. Part 2 considers human resource management and communications, introduces tools and techniques for managing machines and materials, examines financial management, describes the procedures and tools of project management, analyses the supply system and the processes of inventory control, studies business planning and marketing, and concludes with a new chapter on the management of SMEs.

The authors' significant experience in both teaching and industry provides valuable lessons in business management, and allows them to provide case studies with real insight.

A Silicon Valley icon - and inventor of the iPod and iPhone - dispenses valuable tips and life lessons for entrepreneurs at any stage in their careers.

Tony Fadell has spent the last three decades making things and founding companies that have profoundly changed millions of lives. After leading the team that created the iPod and iPhone, products that saved a struggling Apple, Tony founded Nest Labs and revolutionised household electronics. He has worked with everyone from Steve Jobs to Larry Page, advised companies from Impossible Foods to Diamond Foundry, built products that have literally shaped the modern world, and learned a lot of things about business, innovation and solving all manner of problems.

In BUILD, Tony shares stories and valuable lessons from his career, offering advice and solutions for your toughest moments. For anyone striving to grow in their career, start-up founders and start-up dreamers, leaders of businesses big and small, this book will show you how to navigate challenges and take that next big leap.

Did you know that AI helped to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup for South Africa? That Africa led the way in small language models? That AI has been supporting farmers in Kenya for the last decade? After reading, you will understand the present and future of AI, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI: The African Edge particularly the distinct advantages presented by and for AI on the African ccontinent.

The book draws on the author’s many years of direct access to global and regional leaders in using AI, from Africa to the Middle East to North America to Europe and Asia, and it provides unique perspectives on generative AI, as well as practical advice for using it.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI is useful for consumers, academics, professionals and anyone in business who wants to get up to speed quickly and practically. It also entertains and inspires anyone who is curious about AI or already engaged in its possibilities.

What can business learn from the use of AI in sports? How can educators embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat? When will AI truly transform health, travel, agriculture, entertainment, shopping and personal services? This book has the answers.

From one of tech's boldest thinkers and his longtime deputy, this is a sweeping indictment of Silicon Valley and treatise on how the West has slid into a culture of complacency - even as we enter a new era of mounting global threats.

Once upon a time, the most brilliant engineering minds once collaborated with government to advance world-changing technologies. Their efforts secured the West's dominance and kept its people safe. Now, our relationship with new technologies has become shallow-and the repercussions could not be more perilous.

Today, engineers and founders build photo-sharing apps and marketing algorithms, furthering the ambitions of whoever can exploit them. This complacency has spread into academia, politics, and the boardroom. The result? An entire generation for whom the narrow-minded pursuit of the whims of a late capitalist economy has become their calling.

In this groundbreaking treatise, one of tech's boldest thinkers and his longtime deputy offer a searing critique of our collective abandonment of ambition. Palantir co-founder and CEO Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska argue that in order for the West to retain its global edge-and preserve the freedoms we take for granted-the software industry must renew its commitment to addressing our most urgent challenges, including the new arms race of artificial intelligence. Governmen , in turn, must embrace the most effective features of the engineering mindset that have propelled Silicon Valley's success.

Above all, leaders must reject intellectual fragility and preserve space for ideological confrontation. A willingness to risk the disapproval of the crowd, Karp and Zamiska contend, has everything to do with technological and economic outperformance.

At once iconoclastic and rigorous, this book will also lift the veil on Palantir and its broader political project from the inside, offering a passionate call for the West to wake up to our new reality.

Mteto Nyati knew as a schoolboy in Mthatha, working at his mother’s store, that he wanted to fix and build things. After completing his studies at Natal University, he turned down a Rhodes scholarship and headed for Jo'burg to take up a position at Afrox. He was the only black engineer and the advice he received was ‘don’t mess up’. 

He didn’t and today is one of South Africa’s top CEOs. This is his inspirational story. 

Completely revised and updated, A Guide to Human Factors and Ergonomics, Second Edition presents a comprehensive introduction to the field. Building on the foundation of the first edition, titled "Guide to Ergonomics of Manufacturing," the new title reflects the expanded range of coverage and applicability of the techniques you will find in the second edition. Each and every chapter contains new material and some have been entirely rewritten. Drawing on the author's experience in both teaching and industry, the book lays to rest the common myths and misconceptions that surround ergonomics.

Unlike most ergonomics and human factors books that emphasize the physical, this one gives a broad overview of cognitive as well as physical ergonomics. Written in an accessible style, it presents a systems approach to human factors and ergonomics that leads to complete understanding. The author demonstrates how to collect data on users and operators and how to convert the data to good design, and offers a practical guide to the design and analysis of systems. Design oriented, systems oriented, and results oriented, this text provides the tools needed to solve systems problems and develop adequate design solutions.

Project Management for Engineering, Business and Technology is a highly regarded textbook that addresses project management across all industries. First covering the essential background, from origins and philosophy to methodology, the bulk of the book is dedicated to concepts and techniques for practical application. Coverage includes project initiation and proposals, scope and task definition, scheduling, budgeting, risk analysis, control, project selection and portfolio management, program management, project organization, and all-important "people" aspects—project leadership, team building, conflict resolution, and stress management.

The systems development cycle is used as a framework to discuss project management in a variety of situations, making this the go-to book for managing virtually any kind of project, program, or task force. The authors focus on the ultimate purpose of project management—to unify and integrate the interests, resources and work efforts of many stakeholders, as well as the planning, scheduling, and budgeting needed to accomplish overall project goals.

This sixth edition features:

• updates throughout to cover the latest developments in project management methodologies;
• a new chapter on project procurement management and contracts;
• an expansion of case study coverage throughout, including those on the topic of sustainability and climate change, as well as cases and examples from across the globe, including India, Africa, Asia, and Australia; and
• extensive instructor support materials, including an instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, answers to chapter review questions and a test bank of questions.

Taking a technical yet accessible approach, this book is an ideal resource and reference for all advanced undergraduate and graduate students in project management courses, as well as for practicing project managers across all industry sectors.

The new fourth edition of Principles of Business Information Systems features new cases, new questions and assignments and the latest technologies, whilst retaining its comprehensive coverage of Information Systems issues.

It also boasts a wealth of real world examples from a broad range of countries and updated coverage of IT and technological issues, making it perfect for courses that prepare students for the modern corporate world.

A brilliant takedown and exposé of the great con job of the twenty-first century—the metaverse, crypto, space travel, transhumanism—being sold by four billionaires (Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Andreesen, Elon Musk), leading to the degeneration and bankruptcy of our society.

At a time when the crises of income inequality, climate, and democracy are compounding to create epic wealth disparity and the prospect of a second American civil war, four billionaires are hyping schemes that are designed to divert our attention away from issues that really matter. Each scheme—the metaverse, cryptocurrency, space travel, and transhumanism—is an existential threat in moral, political, and economic terms.

In The End of Reality¸ Jonathan Taplin provides perceptive insight into the personal backgrounds and cultural power of these billionaires—Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Marc Andreesen (“The Four”) —and shows how their tech monopolies have brought middle-class wage stagnation, the hollowing out of many American towns, a radical increase in income inequality, and unbounded public acrimony. Meanwhile, the enormous amount of taxpayer money to be funneled into the dystopian ventures of "The Four," the benefits of which will accrue to billionaires, exacerbate these disturbing trends.

The End of Reality is both scathing critique and reform agenda that replaces the warped worldview of "The Four" with a vision of regenerative economics that seeks to build a sustainable society with healthy growth and full employment.

This textbook is written specifically for those studying and working in an engineering discipline. It will be an invaluable tool for the existing or aspirant engineer and engineering manager.

The text introduces the reader to management and related issues (for example law and economics), which are essential when dealing with customers, suppliers, contractors, accountants, lawyers, economists and managers, either inside or outside an organisation.

Comprehensive Structural Integrity, Second Edition, a Ten Volume Set, provides material scientists and engineers with an authoritative and complete one-stop reference tool on all aspects of this exciting field. The book puts special emphasis on the interaction between mechanics and materials and structural integrity applications. Because of the interdisciplinary and applied nature of the work, it is an indispensable resource for mechanical engineers and materials scientists from both academic and industrial backgrounds, including bioengineering, interface engineering and nanotechnology. Structural Integrity is the ability of a component, structure or asset to operate properly under the pressure of a load, including the weight of the asset itself. It's a vital consideration for structural engineering: essentially the science and technology which can prevent disaster.

This volume comprises select proceedings of the International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work Environment organized by the Indian Society of Ergonomics (HWWE2019). The book presents research findings on different areas of ergonomics for developing appropriate tools and work environment considering capabilities and limitations of working people for maximum effectiveness on their performance. This volume will be of interest to academics, professionals and practitioners in the field of ergonomics.

Neurophotonics and Biomedical Spectroscopy addresses the novel state-of-the-art work in non-invasive optical spectroscopic methods that detect the onset and progression of diseases and other conditions, including pre-malignancy, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, tissue and cell response to therapeutic intervention, unintended injury and laser energy deposition. The book then highlights research in neurophotonics that investigates single and multi-photon excitation optical signatures of normal/diseased nerve tissues and in the brain, providing a better understanding of the underlying biochemical and structural changes of tissues and cells that are responsible for the observed spectroscopic signatures. Topics cover a wide array of well-established UV, visible, NIR and IR optical and spectroscopic techniques and novel approaches to diagnose tissue changes, including: label free in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence spectroscopy, Stoke shift spectroscopy, spectral imaging, Resonance Raman spectroscopy, multiphoton two Photon excitation, and more.

Electrospinning: Nanofabrication and Applications presents an overview of the electrospinning technique, nanofabrication strategies and potential applications. The book begins with an introduction to the fundamentals of electrospinning, discussing fundamental principles of the electrospinning process, controlling parameters, materials and structures. Nanofabrication strategies, including coaxial electrospinning, multi-needle electrospinning, needleless electrospinning, electro-netting, near-field electrospinning, and three-dimensional macrostructure assembling are also covered. Final sections explore the applications of electrospun nanofibers in different fields and future prospects. This is a valuable reference for engineers and materials scientist working with fibrous materials and textiles, as well as researchers in the areas of nanotechnology, electrospinning, nanofibers and textiles.

Drug Delivery Nanosystems for Biomedical Application reviews some of the most challenging nanosystems with different routes of delivery that are useful for specific drugs, from both efficacy and bioavailability points-of-view. The chapters explore how this area is developing, the present state of the field, and future developments, in particular, inorganic, metallic, polymeric, composite and lipid nanosystems and their possible evolution to clinical applications. The book is a valuable research reference for both researchers and industrial partners who are not only interested in learning about this area, but also want to gain insights on how to move towards translational research.

Emerging Nanotechnologies in Immunology aims to deliver a systematic and comprehensive review of data concerning the nature of interaction and nano-related risks between the nanophamaceuticals currently in the pipeline of S&T development for skin, ocular, and nasal drug delivery, including absorption, toxicity, and the ability to distribute after systemic exposure. The scientific development of manufactured nanomaterials for drug delivery is increasing rapidly. One of the most prominent applications is topical drug delivery, where cutaneous, ocular, and nasal exposure becomes even more relevant. These targets are the first barrier that nanoparticles encounter when in contact with the human body. The contributors addresses a representative set of the broad spectrum of nanopharmaceuticals currently being used, including cationic lipid nanoparticles, polymeric PLGA, PLA nanoparticles, biomacromolecules-based nanoparticles, and other scaffolds tissue engineered skin substitutes. Regulation and risk is also covered, since the safety of these nanophamaceuticals still represents a barrier to their wide innovative use.

Experimental Characterization, Predictive Mechanical and Thermal Modeling of Nanostructures and Their Polymer Composite focuses on the recent observations and predictions regarding the size-dependent mechanical properties, material properties and processing issues of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other nanostructured materials. The book takes various approaches, including dedicated characterization methods, theoretical approaches and computer simulations, providing a detailed examination of the fundamental mechanisms governing the deviations of the properties of CNTs and other nanostructured materials. The book explores their applications in materials science, mechanics, engineering, chemistry and physics due to their unique and appealing properties. The use of such materials is, however, still largely limited due to the difficulty in tuning their properties and morphological and structural features.

Nanoparticle Technology Handbook, Third Edition, is an updated and expanded authoritative reference providing both the theory behind nanoparticles and the practical applications of nanotechnology. This third edition features twenty new chapters, providing a reference much broader in scope than the previous edition. Over 140 experts in nanotechnology and/or particle technology contributed to this new edition. The book not only includes the theory behind nanoparticles, but also the practical applications of nanotechnology. It examines future possibilities and new innovations and contains important knowledge on nanoparticle characterization and the effect of nanoparticles on the environment and humans. Nanoparticle technology is a new and revolutionary technology, which is increasingly used in electronic devices and nanomaterials. It handles the preparation, processing, application and characterization of nanoparticles and has become the core of nanotechnology as an extension of conventional fine particle/powder technology. Nanoparticle technology plays an important role in the implementation of nanotechnology in many engineering and industrial fields, including electronic devices, advanced ceramics, new batteries, engineered catalysts, functional paint and ink, drug delivery system, biotechnology, etc., making use of the unique properties of nanoparticles, which are completely different from those of bulk materials.

Design of Nanostructures for Versatile Therapeutic Applications focuses on antimicrobial, antioxidant and nutraceutical applications of nanostructured materials. Many books discuss these subjects, but not from a pharmaceutical point-of-view. This book covers novel approaches related to the modulation of microbial biofilms, antimicrobial therapy and encapsulate polyphenols as antioxidants. Written by an internationally diverse group of academics, this book is an important reference resource for researchers, both in biomaterials science and the pharmaceutical industry.

Enzymes as Sensors, Volume 589, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, covers a variety of topics, including advances in genetically coded fluorescent sensors, enzymes as sensors, and bioapplications of electrochemical sensors and biosensors. Users will find a comprehensive discussion of timely topics that presents a micro-level delivery of specific content related to the study of enzymes in sensors. New to this edition are highly specialized chapters on integrated strategies for gaining a systems level view of dynamic signaling networks, sensitive protein detection and quantification in paper-based microfluidics for point-of-care, and microneedle enzyme sensor arrays for continuous in vivo monitoring. This state-of-the-art series is ideal for those interested in the latest information on enzymology, with this edition focusing on sensors and their role in enzymes.

Microbiorobotics: Biologically Inspired Microscale Robotic Systems, Second Edition presents information on a new engineering discipline that takes a multidisciplinary approach to accomplish precise manipulation of microscale spaces. Microorganisms have evolved various mechanisms to thrive in microscale environments and are therefore a useful tool for use in many applications, ranging from micromanufacturing techniques, to cellular manipulation. In the context of microrobotics, biological microrobots can directly harness the microorganisms for propulsive and sensing power and synthetic microrobots can mimic the microorganisms' motions for effective locomotion. This second edition covers new advances and insights that have emerged in recent years. Several new chapters have been added on important new research areas, with existing chapters thoroughly revised. In particular, increased coverage is given to fluid dynamics of microswimmers in nature.

Nanoengineering: Global Approaches to Health and Safety Issues provides a global vision on the impact of engineered nanomaterials both for the consumer/general public and in occupational settings. The book also presents a hint on what can be expected for the future from nanomaterials and their effects on our lives, both at home and at work. In addition, users will find valuable information on nanomaterials' irreplaceable value and their risks for health, safety, and environmental issues. Case studies illustrate key points and provide information on important processes.

Conducting research and technology design for domestic life is by no means easy. Methods commonly used in the field of Human-Computer Interaction in settings like the workplace may not easily translate to the richness and complexity of domestic life. This book documents new ways in which researchers are studying domestic life, as well as designing and evaluating technology in the home. Each chapter is a candid discussion about methods that were successfully used for research studies with a focus on the challenges that the researchers faced and the best practices they learned.