A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's biggest tech companies.

In 2019, a Chinese entity called Tencent overtook Facebook to become the world's fifthlargest company. It was a watershed moment, a wake-up call for those in the West accustomed to regarding the global tech industry through the prism of Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft. Yet to many of the two billion-plus people who live just across the Pacific Ocean, it came as no surprise at all.

Tencent's ambition to be an essential part of digital daily life means it holds a dizzyingly diverse range of products - music, gaming, messaging, and film.

In this fascinating narrative - crammed with insider interviews, exclusive details about the company's culture - tech reported Lulu Chen tells the story of how Tencent is changing the world and asks what the consequences will be for us all.

A stunning feminist reimagining of the life of Joan of Arc.

1412. France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. From this chaos emerges a teenage girl who will turn the tide of battle and lead the French to victory, becoming an unlikely hero whose name will echo across the centuries.

In Katherine J. Chen’s hands, the myth and legend of Joan of Arc is transformed into a flesh-and-blood young woman: reckless, steel-willed, and brilliant. This meticulously researched novel is a sweeping narrative of her life, from a childhood steeped in both joy and violence, to her meteoric rise to fame at the head of the French army, where she navigates the perils of the battlefield and the equally treacherous politics of the royal court. Many are threatened by a woman who leads, and Joan draws wrath and suspicion from all corners, while her first taste of fame and glory leaves her vulnerable to her own powerful ambition.

With unforgettably vivid characters, transporting settings, and action-packed storytelling, Joan is a thrilling epic, a triumph of historical fiction, as well as a feminist celebration of one remarkable—and remarkably real—woman who left an indelible mark on history.

Carefully examining the challenges of meeting fast-developing consumer demands and preferences, this enlightening Handbook captures the difficulties involved in providing optimal service experiences. It provides invaluable theoretical guidance while emphasising the evolutionary nature of experience science. With contributions from a diverse range of top international researchers, the Handbook of Experience Science explores fully up-to-date theories within experience studies as applied to tourism, hospitality and leisure. Chapters analyse the progress of recent research ventures, exploring fascinating case studies to further illustrate important concepts such as virtual tourism and slow tourism. Both the important frameworks behind experience science and real-world applications are discussed, providing the reader with a full picture of this rapidly changing subject. This Handbook provides crucial new examinations of experience creation which will be perfect for students researching tourism, hospitality and leisure, international business and innovation. It will additionally be incredibly useful for consumer researchers looking to better understand the complex paradigm behind experience creation.

The reform of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism has become one of the more controversial issues in the study of international investment law. This concise and insightful book studies the role of the ISDS mechanism in the legalization, and legitimacy, of the international investment law regime. Providing a fresh, interdisciplinary perspective on ISDS through the constructivist theory of international relations, this book argues that reforming ISDS can contribute to the legalization of international investment law, but such a contribution is subject to both “institutional” and “internal” limitations. Chapters investigate the notion of legalization in the context of international investment law, the limitations of adjudicative bodies in advancing the legitimacy of international law, and the relationship between the level of shared understandings and choices of institutionalization. Based on comparative studies of international regimes, this book cautions against radically institutionalizing the dispute settlement regime through the establishment of the multilateral investment court. The novel perspectives presented in this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers in arbitration and dispute resolution, international economic law, and investment law. It will also be beneficial to legal experts in international organizations working on the reform of ISDS and investment law.

How will artificial intelligence change our world within twenty years?

AI will be the defining development of the twenty-first century. Within two decades, aspects of daily human life will be unrecognizable. AI will generate unprecedented wealth, revolutionize medicine and education through human-machine symbiosis, and create brand new forms of communication and entertainment. However, AI will also challenge the organizing principles of our economic and social order and bring new risks in the form of autonomous weapons and smart technology that inherits human bias. AI is at a tipping point, and people need to wake up-both to AI's radiant pathways and its existential perils for life as we know it.

In this provocative, utterly original work of "scientific fiction," Kai-Fu Lee, the former president of Google China and bestselling author of AI Superpowers, joins forces with celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan to imagine our AI world in 2041 in ten gripping short stories.

Gazing toward a not-so-distant horizon, AI 2041 offers urgent insights into our collective future and reminds us that we are the authors of our own destiny.

Fast-paced Hong Kong action adventure. Set in a land ruled by a vengeful queen (Ying Qu), who insists that all men will be slaves to women, the film follows the journey of two young brothers, Charcoal Head (Jaycee Chan) and Blockhead (Bo-Lin Chen), who come into the possession of a mysterious map. Presuming that the map will lead them to treasure, the boys set out on an adventure in the hope of finding wealth and happiness. They are pursued by Spring (Charlene Choi) and Blue Bird (Gillian Chung), two beautiful female warriors with secret intentions, and quickly discover that the map has led them into danger. Will the boys be able to fight their way to the bottom of the riddle - and past rivals as formidable as the Lord of Armour (Jackie Chan) - to fulfil their destiny?

All children have the right to life, survival and development; to protection from violence and abuse; to education; to express their opinions and be listened to… These are just some of the children’s rights highlighted in this important and much-needed collection of stories and poems by a galaxy of well-known authors and poets, including two UK Children’s Laureates. The book is edited by leading children’s book consultant, Jake Hope, and illustrated by Ruthine Burton, Chih-An Chen and Habiba Nabisubi, recent graduates of the Pop-Up Pathways scheme. Stories and poems by Valerie Bloom, Sita Brahmachari, Cathy Cassidy, Maisie Chan, Joseph Coelho, Dom Conlon, AM Dassu, Nicola Davies, Anne Fine, Jamila Gavin, Morris Gleitzman, Jake Hope, Paul Jennings, Elizabeth Laird, CG Moore, Jackie Morris, Beverley Naidoo, RR O'Neill, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Chitra Soundar, Jordan Stephens, Benjamin Zephaniah.

In the tradition of Jenny Han and Emma Lord, Jennifer Chen's Artifacts of an Ex is a story of love, art, and finding your way when everything you know has changed completely. When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, her first instinct is to throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers' break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Opening night is going great, until she spots Daniel Kwak illicitly filming his best friend's reaction to his ex's box. When she tries to stop him, an intense discussion ends up launching a creative partnership and friendship... and a major crush for Chloe. There's just one problem: Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound. Five times he's been the guy who makes the girls he's dating realize they want to get back with their ex. And he refuses for there to be a sixth. She insists she's over her ex, but when he shows up unexpectedly with his new girlfriend, it turns out Daniel was right. She isn't ready for a new relationship. She throws herself into making Heartifacts successful, but flashy influencers threaten her original vision of the exhibit. To create the exhibit she's always wanted, Chloe needs to go back to basics, learn to work with artists in a more collaborative way, and discover what love can be. Only then will she convince Daniel she's truly ready for everything they could be to one another.

Lucky Cat is a heartwarming story about an immigrant family in America, and a new friend their daughter June makes as they prepare to open their restaurant. June's family have a new home in America. There's plenty to do before their restaurant opens, but Mama is excited when she finds the previous owners have left a Lucky Cat! It's meant to bring good luck to their ventures, and June is even more excited the next evening when she finds that the statue can come to life. But unfortunately, Lucky Cat doesn't seem that lucky. She has the best intentions but she knocks over the vinegar bottle and rips holes in people's clothing. Will she ever get anything right? Luckily, June learns that real luck is earned through hard work and perseverance as the family embark on a new venture, close to their hearts. This beautiful book, authored by the hosts of the hugely popular AsianBossGirl podcast and packed with lively, characterful illustrations from the exceptionally talented Eunice Chen tells a funny and uplifting tale of family love and fitting in in a new country.

Covering a wide range of current issues, this comprehensive Handbook explores the links between tourism as a dynamic tertiary industry and China as the world's most influential tourism market and destination. From China outbound tourism, Chinese outbound tourists and the growth of smart tourism to the development of sectors such as the hotel market, theme parks and cruise tourism, contributors provide the latest indigenous knowledge otherwise unavailable to the global tourism research community. This essential reference allows readers to develop a fine-grained understanding of the current state of the art of research on tourism and China, all the more crucial given the fast speed of China's development and transformation and innovative industry practices in tourism. Vital reading for academics and researchers in need of the latest knowledge on Chinese tourism, this distinctive Handbook also offers a wealth of insight for students studying Chinese tourism, business and hospitality management. Industry practitioners in business management and marketing will also benefit from its insights into a flourishing international market. Contributors include: J. Bao, M.J. Bauman, P. Benckendorff, G. Brown, S. Cai, G. Chen, M. Cheng, J. Fountain, H. Gao, H. Gu, Q. Gu, M. Huang, S. Huang, Y. Jiang, B. Li, M. Li, X. Li, Z. Liang, X. Luo, Z. Mai, Y. Qin, Y. Rao, B.W. Ritchie, M.M. Su, J. Sun, X. Sun, J. Wang, B. Weiler, J. Wen, H.A. Williams, Y. Yang, J. Yin, J. Yuan, B. Zhai, S. Zhao, D. Zheng, L. Zhong, Y. Zhu, Y. Zou, B. Zuo

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, and Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook, both in their third edition, provide an innovative reference guide to Mandarin Chinese, alongside exercises and language tasks to facilitate practice and reinforce language use. The Grammar is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammar points such as phrase order, and the structure of noun phrases, and verb phrases. Part B is carefully organized around language functions and situations such as: • Asking questions • Communication strategies • Making comparisons • Giving orders and making requests • Expressing apologies, regrets, and sympathy Meanwhile, the Workbook's main features include: Exercises at various levels of challenge for a broad range of learners Cross-referencing to the related Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar A comprehensive index to exercises alphabetically arranged in terms of structures, functions, and key Chinese structure vocabulary. An extensive answer key at the back to enable students to check on their progress, The third edition includes new sections on character structure, social media, speaker perspective, updated illustrative sentences, exapanded exercises including new task-based exercises, and an expanded index. Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar is ideal for all learners of Mandarin Chinese, from beginner to intermediate and advanced students.

This insightful book provides a timely review of the potential threats of advertising technologies, or adtech. It highlights the need to protect internet users not only from privacy risks, but also as consumers and citizens online dealing with a highly complex technological setting. Jiahong Chen illustrates a concise overview of the technical, economic and legal aspects of adtech together with coverage of other important areas. These include: the ongoing debates around online advertising and data protection, an up-to-date analysis of the application of the GDPR, and insights into both the practices and theories of the regulation of data protection law. The book provides a clear picture of what is truly at stake with online advertising practices, concluding with a critical assessment of the current regime and a proposed approach to reform data protection laws. This book will provide essential reading for researchers and law students requiring an overview of the legal framework and current practices, alongside legal practitioners and policymakers evaluating the benefits and risks of data-driven technologies.

This book examines the key aspects that will define future sustainable energy systems: biofuels, green nanomaterials and the production of bioethanol and bio-hydrogen from bio-waste. Bio-based fuels are the future energy carriers for internal combustion engines as they have lower environmental impact and higher efficiency. The book clearly illustrates the requirement for a unified engineering approach based on solid mathematical and engineering principles. Aside from the ecological advantages, support for sustainable energy can help the socioeconomic situation of developing countries by providing a consistent supply of new energy along with the generation of new job opportunities. The sustainable energy applications and existing contextual investigations provide useful guidance for the broad comprehension of the significance of sustainable energy. Technical topics discussed in the book include: - Thermochemical Conversion process; - Catalytic conversion process; - Rankine cycle; - Nanomaterials;

A young Chinese American girl uses creative STEAM-powered problem-solving to master chopsticks so she can pick up her dumplings and eat them, too, in this charming and laugh-out-loud picture book perfect for fans of the Amy Wu series. Jenny Chow struggles with chopsticks—aiya, those slippery, oh-so-tricky chopsticks! But cousin Victor’s birthday party is just around the corner, along with her family’s annual chopsticks challenge. Jenny doesn’t want to be the only Chow who never learns how to use the utensils. She’ll do whatever it takes to prove she can hold her own in her family’s long-held tradition—no matter how many experiments she wobbles and fumbles through.

The Marina Bay Sand, the Changi Jewel and the fast-paced, high-rise city are what immediately comes to one's mind about Singapore. This is 'The Weekender's' first flight into the Asia Pacific region and this issue will present Singapore in a different and more laid-back perspective than you might be used to. However, it will still showcase the iconic architecture and landmarks that juxtapose with a melting pot of diverse heritages/cultures and remnants of the city-state's colonial past. And at the same, this issue explores the blurred boundaries between the old and the new, the hardscapes and the softscapes. From starting the weekend with breakfast at a local enclave, rich in history and culture, to wandering the grounds of the UNESCO Heritage listed Botanical Gardens and then ending the day sipping a cocktail along Keong Siak Road, a trendy neighbourhood littered with eateries and bars, Matthew aspires for the book to bring about a more local and intimate experience of what the city-state has to offer for a weekend getaway or a pit-stop to explore the rest of region. Whilst the flow of the book will incorporate the weekend trajectory, the mixture of content will mean that a reader is both influenced by Matthew's imagery of the city, without explicitly having to follow a specific route but allow them to adventure at will.

In this book, Chen Gang examines the real-world effectiveness of China's approach to the promotion of green technologies and practices, and discusses the political landscape in which it is situated. Politics of Renewable Energy in China questions the wisdom of hailing China as a model for authoritarian environmental governance with an up-to-date examination of the subject. It provides readers with a thorough and timely account of recent developments in China's low-carbon energy industries. Disclosing how energy interest groups are lobbying members of central government, and shedding light on disputes between pro-development and pro-environmental groups, this book explores the ideological and bureaucratic inconsistency and confusion which surrounds China's environmental policies. Emphasizing China's renewable energy policies, related enforcement issues and local political concerns over wind and solar generation, this book examines the extent to which China's centralised, top down approach has been effective in ensuring local actors reach policy targets. This up-to-date account of recent developments in Chinese low-carbon industries will be useful for readers with an interest in China's model of renewable energy industries, in particular students of Chinese and international politics. It will also be a valuable tool for researchers and professors of public and environmental policy, Chinese and climate studies.