From legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross, this candid, colorful memoir about the inner workings of the WWE and the personal crises he weathered at the height of his career is "a must-read for wrestling fans" (Charleston Post Courier). If you've caught a televised wrestling match anytime in the past thirty years, you've probably heard Jim Ross's throaty Oklahoma twang. The beloved longtime announcer of the WWE "has been a driving force behind a generation of wrestling fans" (Mark Cuban), and he's not slowing down, having signed on as the announcer of the starry new wrestling venture All Elite Wrestling. In this follow-up to his bestselling memoir Slobberknocker, he dishes out about not only his long career, which includes nurturing global stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, but also about his challenges of aging and disability, his split from collaborator Vince McMahon, and the sudden death of his beloved wife, Jan. The result is a gruff, endearing, and remarkably human-scale portrait, set against the larger than life backdrop of professional wrestling. Ross's ascent in WWE mirrors the rise of professional wrestling itself from a DIY sideshow to a billion-dollar business. Under the Black Hat traces all the highs and lows of that wild ride, in which Jim served not only as on-air commentator, but talent manager, payroll master, and even occasional in-ring foil to threats like Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Undertaker. While his role brought him riches and exposure he had never dreamed of, he chafed against the strictures of a fickle corporate culture and what he saw as a narrow vision of what makes great wrestlers-and great story lines. When suddenly stricken with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis that makes it impossible to smile, he started down his greatest fear-being cast out of the announcing booth for good. Picking up where Slobberknocker left off and ending on the cusp of a new career in a reimagined industry, Under the Black Hat is the triumphant tale of a country boy who made it to the top, took a few knocks, and stuck around-just where his fans like him. Not only being one of the greatest wrestlers of the WWE, Ross is also "a master storyteller, and this book is the perfect forum for his forty years' worth of tales" (Chris Jericho, former WWE champion).

Is it actually possible? ...that we might emerge from this pandemic with a peaceful global power switch from those who have too much to those who don't have enough? With billionaires able to decide the fate of nations, private corporations more powerful and less accountable than ever, and political autocrats around the world shaking our confidence in democratic institutions, power resides in all the wrong places. And so our world is in crisis. In such moments, activists find opportunities. Not to restore the pre-crises order, but to transform it. Paul O'Brien argues that progressive activists may never have a better opportunity to rewrite economic rules, systems and outcomes in favor of those who don't have enough. His book offers practical action steps for activists who want to drive a power switch that overcomes extreme inequalities in our world.

Sol-Gel processing methods, first used historically for decorative and constructional materials, were extensively developed in the last century for applications such as glasses, ceramics, catalysts, coatings, composites and fibres. Today they are reaching their full potential, enabling the preparation of new generations of advanced materials not easily accessible by other methods yet using mild, low-energy conditions. The topic is therefore increasingly included in advanced undergraduate, MSc and PhD programmes in the areas of chemistry, physics and materials science. This concise introductory text, written at the advanced undergraduate/first-year postgraduate level, is also suitable as an introduction to the development, mechanisms, chemistry, characterisation methods and applications of the technique. It provides readers with an extensive yet concise grounding in the theory of each area of the subject and details the real and potential applications and the future prospects of sol-gel chemistry.

The field of nanoscience continues to grow at an impressive rate, with over 10,000 new articles a year contributing to more than half a million citations. Such a vast landscape of material requires careful examination to uncover the most important discoveries. Nanoscience, edited by Professor Paul O'Brien (University of Manchester) and Dr John Thomas (Bangor University), presents a critical and comprehensive assessment of the last twelve months of research and discussion. With contributions from around the globe, this series ensures readers will be well-versed in the latest research and methodologies. Chapters cover a range of topics, including 'Mesocrystals', 'Quantum dot synthesis', 'Nano and energy storage' and 'Beyond graphene'. Anyone practicing in a nano-allied field, or wishing to enter the nano-world, will benefit from the publication of this comprehensive resource annually.

Progress in Sustainable Development: Sustainable Engineering Practices provides readers with the latest research and best practices in sustainable engineering in the fields of urban, environmental, energy and sustainability sciences, reflecting a focus on state-of-the art insights and the latest developments. Chapters focus on the key engineering principles of effective resource use, reduction of excess waste, and taking advantage of natural resources to equip readers with the background information and practical considerations of successful implementations of sustainable technical solutions. Each chapter features detailed case studies and figures showing real-world applications of the latest technologies, ensuring they are reproduceable by the reader. The multidisciplinary chapters include environmentally-friendly technologies and the application of novel initiatives in engineering for infrastructure, renewable energy generation, advanced materials and waste, among other areas, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and conservation of resources.

New York Times bestselling author! Here is the story of how Jim Ross, an Oklahoman farm kid with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became "The Voice of Wrestling" to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world. There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that's just not JR. He's recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars. Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent's TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of "outsiders," he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business-from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match. This isn't just a wrestling story. It's a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell's Palsy. Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling-from the territory days to today-will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story-and you don't want to miss it!

The drive to realise operational efficiencies, improve customer service, develop new markets and accelerate the introduction of new products has substantially increased the complexity of field service operations. To maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of these operations, organisations have embarked on a wide range of transformation programmes that have sought to introduce automation through the use of workforce management technologies. Despite the potential business value that can be provided by such transformation programmes, too often, the automation technologies have not been fully utilised and their expected benefits have as such not been realised. Scholars of organisation change argue that the success of any transformation programme is a function of how well the technical, political, structural and social aspects of a specific project have been managed. The objective of this edited book is to provide insights into how organisations might successfully transform their field service operations with the help of workforce management technologies. Accordingly, the book is organised into four sections: Section A "The Case for Transforming Service and Field Operations" explains the rationale as to why organisations should actively consider transforming their service and field operations, while Section B presents various "Methods, Models and Enabling Technologies for Transforming Service and Field Operations". In Section C, a number of "Case Studies" illustrate how new technologies can be applied to field and service operations to deliver concrete business benefits. Lastly, Section D considers "Challenges, Outcomes and Future Directions". Overall, this book provides valuable insights into how to successfully transform field service operations with automated technologies. It draws on years of experience from different industries and from different perspectives on realising change. It is aimed at managers, technologists, change agents and scholars who are interested in field service operations in general and the use of advanced computing technologies in this area in particular.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

How did Benito Mussolini come to fascism? Standard accounts of the dictator have failed to explain satisfactorily the transition from his pre-World War I 'socialism' to his post-war fascism. This controversial new book is the first to examine closely Mussolini's political trajectory during the Great War as evidenced in his journalistic writings, speeches and war diary, as well as some previously unexamined archive material. The author argues that the 1914-18 conflict provided the catalyst for Mussolini to clarify his deep-rooted nationalist tendencies. He demonstrates that Mussolini's interventionism was already anti-socialist and anti-democratic in the early autumn of 1914 and shows how in and through the experience of the conflict the future duce fine-tuned his authoritarian and totalitarian vision of Italy in a state of permanent mobilization for war. Providing a radical new interpretation of one of the most important dictators of the twentieth century, Mussolini in the First World War will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about the roots of fascism in modern Europe.

How did Benito Mussolini come to fascism? Standard accounts of the dictator have failed to explain satisfactorily the transition from his pre-World War I 'socialism' to his post-war fascism. This controversial new book is the first to examine closely Mussolini's political trajectory during the Great War as evidenced in his journalistic writings, speeches and war diary, as well as some previously unexamined archive material. The author argues that the 1914-18 conflict provided the catalyst for Mussolini to clarify his deep-rooted nationalist tendencies. He demonstrates that Mussolini's interventionism was already anti-socialist and anti-democratic in the early autumn of 1914 and shows how in and through the experience of the conflict the future duce fine-tuned his authoritarian and totalitarian vision of Italy in a state of permanent mobilization for war. Providing a radical new interpretation of one of the most important dictators of the twentieth century, Mussolini in the First World War will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about the roots of fascism in modern Europe.

This book is a collection of nine essays examining the impact of World War II on the American people. The contributions range from macro studies (the ways corporations sought to recruit women into the work force) to micro studies (the impact of the war on working conditions in Indiana) to biography (the Congressional career of Margaret Chase Smith). Focusing as it does on the domestic scene, this study offers a comprehensive selection of the impact of the war on Americans, and the way it influenced concepts of gender, race, class, and ethnicity.

Nanostructured materials with tailored properties are regarded as a fundamental element in the development of future science and technology. Research is still ongoing into the nanosized construction elements required to create functional solids. The recently developed technique, nanocasting, has great advantage over others in terms of the synthesis of special nanostructured materials by the careful choice of suitable elements and nanoengineering steps. This new book summarizes the recent developments in nanocasting, including the principles of nanocasting, syntheses of novel nanostructured materials, characterization methods, detailed synthetic recipes and further possible development in this area. The book focuses on the synthesis of porous solids from the viewpoint of methodology and introduces the science of nanocasting from fundamental principles to their use in synthesis of various materials. It starts by outlining the principles of nanocasting, requirements to the templates and precursors and the tools needed to probe matter at the nanoscale level. It describes how to synthesize nano structured porous solids with defined characteristics and finally discusses the functionalization and application of porous solids. Special attention is given to new developments in this field and future perspectives. A useful appendix covering the detailed synthetic recipes of various templates including porous silica, porous carbon and colloidal spheres is included which will be invaluable to researchers wanting to follow and reproduce nanocast materials. Topics covered in the book include: * inorganic chemistry * organic chemistry * solution chemistry * sol-gel and interface science * acid-base equilibria * electrochemistry * biochemistry * confined synthesis The book gives readers not only an overview of nanocasting technology, but also sufficient information and knowledge for those wanting to prepare various nanostructured materials without needing to search the available literature.

This exciting new book is a unique compilation of data from a wide range of chemical and spectroscopic instrumentation and the integration of nanostructure characterisation drawn from physical, chemical, electrochemical, spectroscopic and electron microscopic measurements. It fills a gap in the current nanomaterials literature by documenting the latest research from scientific journals and patent literature to provide a concise yet balanced and integrated treatment of an interesting topic: titanium oxide nanostructures within the emerging fashionable area of nanomaterials. Of particular interest are the following key chapters: * Modification and Coating Techniques - provides a unique summary and discussion of available techniques to coat surfaces with nanostructured materials * Chemical Properties - relates structure to surface chemistry and hence applications * Structural and Physical Properties - reviews the relationship between nanostructure and physical properties providing a basis for the rationalisation of applications The book, a valuable reference point, is aimed at professionals, postgraduates and industrial research workers in nanomaterials. Readers will gain a knowledge of the methods for synthesising nanomaterials as well as an understanding of their structure and resulting physical characteristics and a knowledge of their (existing and potential) applications.

The progress of today's science and technology encounters an increasing demand for finer and more efficiently performing materials with properties superior over those of current and hence ageing devices. Whether this is concerned with electronics or drug delivery, cancer diagnostics or alternative energy sources, the search for means of miniaturizing the existing materials or devising fundamentally new components with higher capacities appears to be relentless. A saving solution to this is widely proposed as the design and fabrication of nanostructures, molecular architectures with dimensions featured below 100 nm. Replicating Nature's designs faithfully reproduced over millions of years provides perhaps the most straightforward route to success. Nature offers examples of nanodefined self-assemblies in virtually all levels of biological organization. However explicit guidance to the fabrication of functional or specialist nanostructures is of paramount importance.

Nanotechnology is often referred to as building nanoscale structures from bottom up. However, while it is visually clear what is at "up" little is given and understood what is at the "bottom." This new book gives the notion of and provides rules for building nanostructures from basics - the very bottom. The main objective of this publication is to bring together contemporary approaches for designing nanostructures that employ naturally derived self-assembling motifs as synthetic platforms.

The book has been written to satisfy the demands that motivate the search for and principles that prove to help the design of novel nanostructures. The overall goal is to compile the existing understanding of rules that govern biomolecular self-assembly into a practical guide to molecular nanotechnology. It is written in the shape of a review referenced as fully as permissible within the context of biomolecular design, which forms a general trend throughout.

The volume is composed of three core chapters focusing on three prominent topics of applied nanotechnology where the role of nanodesign is predominant. The three key areas from which popular highlights can be drawn are:

-employing the genetic repository, DNA, for creating various geometric nanoscale objects and patterns
-the empirical pursuit of an artificial virus, a magic bullet in gene therapy
-designing artificial extracellular matrices for regenerative medicine

Specific applications that arise from designed nanoscale assemblies as well as fabrication and characterization techniques are of secondary importance and whenever they appear serve as progress and innovation highlights.

The book takes an unconventional approach in delivering material of this kind. It does not lead straight to applications or methods as most nanotechnology works tend to do, but instead it focuses on the initial and primary aspect of "nano" rather than on "technology." Nanodesign is unique in its own field - illustrations are essential and the cohort of brilliant bioinspired designs reported to date form a major part of the publication. In addition, key bibliographic references are covered as fully as possible. A special appendix giving a short list of leading world laboratories engaged in bioinspired nanodesign is also included.

In the spring of 1980, the Irish Department of Defence sanctioned the establishment of a new unit within the Irish Defence Forces and the Irish Army Ranger Wing (ARW) came into being. In the decades that followed, its soldiers have been deployed on active service at home and abroad, generally without the knowledge of the wider public. The ARW is made up of seasoned men from across the island, who are selected through tough competition. Only the best of the best make it through and are trained in an extraordinary range of specialist skills. Being one of these elite operators takes more than simply being a skilled soldier - it means believing you are the best. Shadow Warriors tells the story behind the creation of the ARW, from its origins in specialist counter-terrorism training in the late 1960s and the preparation of small unconventional units in the 1970s to the formation of the ARW itself in 1980 and its subsequent history. The first and only authoritative account in the public domain of this specialist unit, authors Paul O'Brien and Sergeant Wayne Fitzgerald have been granted access to the closed and clandestine world of Ireland's Special Forces, who train hard, fight harder and face unconventional types of warfare, yet prefer to stay out of the limelight.

The field of nanoscience continues to grow at an impressive rate, with over 10,000 new articles a year contributing to a literature of more than half a million citations. Such a vast landscape of material requires careful searching to discover the most important discoveries. The introduction of the newest Specialist Periodical Report by the Royal Society of Chemistry: Nanoscience, provides a critical and comprehensive assesment of the most recent research and opinion. With contributions from across the globe, this new series ensures readers will be well-versed in the latest research and methodologies. Some chapters will also present a special focus in emerging countries contributing to the field, such as India and China. Anyone practicing in any nano-allied field, or wishing to enter the nano-world will benefit from the comprehensive resource, which will be published annually.

The field of nanoscience continues to grow at an impressive rate, with over 10,000 new articles a year contributing to a literature of more than half a million citations. Such a vast landscape of material requires careful searching to discover the most important discoveries. The newest edition to the Specialist Periodical Reports presents a digest of the last twelve months of the literature across the field. The volume editor, Professor Paul O'Brien (University of Manchester, UK) has drawn on some of the most active researchers to present critical and comprehensive reviews of the hottest topics in the field. Chapters include "Nanomaterials for solar energy", "Magnetic hyperthermia", and "Graphene and graphene-based nanocomposites". There is also a special chapter on "Nanoscience in India". Anyone practicing in any nano-allied field, or wishing to enter the nano-world will benefit from the comprehensive resource, which will be published annually.