Forty articles expertly curated by biographer Andrew Robinson provide an unrivalled account of the lives and personalities behind the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time. Who made us see the atom, our minds, our planet and the universe afresh? How did we uncover the mysteries of life on earth? What next? The theories, discoveries and inventions of scientists have revolutionized our consciousness. Think of gravity, evolution, relativity, radioactivity and the Big Bang; electric motors, vaccines, nuclear power and computers. Behind these breakthroughs lie the personal stories of men and women with vision and determination: singular thinkers who defied adversity in their quest for answers. This book tells the remarkable lives of the pioneers - from Galileo, Faraday and Darwin, through Pasteur and Marie Curie, to Einstein, Freud and Turing. Written by an international team of distinguished scientists, historians and science writers, it will intrigue budding scientists; those fascinated by the lives of great individuals; and anyone curious to know how we came to understand the exterior world and the pulse of life within.

Experience the story of Overwatch 2 from a multiple points of view in this star-studded short story collection, featuring eight tales from award-winning and bestselling authors. As Null Sector's global assault brings the world to its knees, millions of voices cry out amid the devastation . . . and heroes around the world are answering the call. o Lyndsay Ely brings heartrending clarity to Ashe and B.O.B.'s pre-Crisis history. o As Null Sector drop pods rain down on Tokyo, Hanzo hears the ghost of his father--and meets with a familiar face--in an electrifying tale by E.C. Myers. o Corinne Duyvis and Sangu Mandanna trace Symmetra's travels abroad to retrieve a Vishkar asset . . . and an old friend. o Mohale Mashigo lends fresh perspective to Ana and Jack's relationship as they weave through a broken Istanbul to meet with an informant, one who claims to have knowledge of what brought down Overwatch all those years ago. These stories and more illuminate the darkest corners of the Null Sector chaos, in the crucible where choices are made and heroes are forged. From the streets of Numbani to the alleys of Junkertown, the highest floors of Lijiang Tower to the stars themselves, don't miss this exploration of the battles fought all around the globe. This perfect companion read to Overwatch 2's main story includes tales from award-winning, bestselling science fiction and fantasy authors as well as Blizzard's stellar narrative designers and cinematic writers. Complete with illustration by Kevin Hong, Hannah Templer, and more, this incredible anthology brings new focus to Overwatch's universe, and shows that--even in its most uncertain times--the future is still worth fighting for.

"The most accessible and informative book available on the major writing systems of the world."--"History Today"
Without writing, there would be no history and no civilization as we know it. But how, when, and where did writing evolve?
Andrew Robinson explains the interconnection between sound, symbol, and script in a succinct and absorbing text. He discusses each of the major writing systems in turn, from cuneiform and Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphs to alphabets and the scripts of China and Japan, as well as topics such as the Cherokee "alphabet" and the writing of runes. Full coverage is given to the history of decipherment, and a provocative chapter devoted to undeciphered scripts challenges the reader: can these codes ever be broken?
In this revised edition, the author reveals the latest discoveries to have an impact on our knowledge of the history of writing, including the Tabula Cortonensis showing Etruscan symbols and a third millennium BC seal from Turkmenistan that could solve the mystery of how Chinese writing evolved. He also discusses how the digital revolution has not, despite gloomy predictions, spelled doom for the printed book. In addition, the table of Maya glyphs has been revised so that they are up-to-date with current research. 355+ illustrations, 50 in color.

This latest volume of "Advances" contains a series of original and innovative empirical and survey papers that investigate theoretical and contemporary issues facing participatory organizations. The first four papers explore the growing area of participatory and labor-managed firms' survival. The second group of three papers offers a number of new approaches and insights into the performance effects of participatory firms, and the final group of papers provides a broad-ranging synthesis and assessment of the experience of employee ownership and participation in transition economies. Collectively, these nine papers truly constitute "Advances in the Economic Analysis of Participatory and Labor-Managed Firms."

Cracking the Egyptian Code is the first biography in English of Jean-Francois Champollion, the impoverished, arrogant and brilliant child of the French Revolution who made the vital breakthrough in deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs. This finely illustrated account charts Champollion's dramatic life and achievements: by turns a teenage professor, a supporter of Napoleon, an exile, a fanatical decipherer and a curator at the Louvre, he lived life to the full but drove himself into an early grave. Andrew Robinson's full-blooded account brings the man, his setbacks and his ultimate triumphs vividly to life.

Whether it's the possibility of hearing the voices of ancient peoples or the puzzle solver's taste for the challenges posed by breaking codes, undeciphered scripts have long tantalized the public. Here, Andrew Robinson investigates the most famous examples, beginning with the stories of three great decipherments: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Maya glyphs, and the Minoan Linear B clay tablets.

He then tackles the important scripts that have yet to be cracked. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the Indus script, the onl writing of the four "first" civilizations that cannot be read and a potential key to better understanding the impressive Indus Valley civilization. Then there are the Etruscans, builders of sensational tombs and the cultural conduit through whom the Greek alphabet reached Rome and the rest of Europe. Yet the language spoken by the Etruscans remains wrapped in mystery. And on isolated Easter Island, the Rongorongo script, inscribed on wood with sharks' teeth, has long been an irresistible magnet for ambitious scholars.

The struggle to decipher these three scripts and six others--including the Phaistos disc of Crete and the Zapotec script of Mexico--is recounted with extraordinary depth and erudition in this wonderfully illustrated book. Lost Languages is an archaeological and linguistic detective story that will appeal to anyone interested in ancient peoples and the intricacies of language.

Andrew Robinson's many books include The Story of Writing.

The first in the series of films featuring Lieutenant Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) - a right wing, bad-tempered San Francisco policeman, not averse to bending the rules to get his man. The maniacal 'Scorpio Killer' is on the loose and Callahan disregards procedure in his efforts to track him down, using his trusty Magnum .44 to dispense his own brand of justice. Somewhat surprisingly, the film was conceived as a vehicle for Frank Sinatra.

The essential argument of this new work by Andrew Robinson is that we live, move and have our being within a sea of signs, but that we are largely unaware of this for most of the time. When the structure of these signs is analysed it turns out to rest on three recurring 'elemental grounds', which the author calls Quality, Otherness and Mediation. The kaleidoscopic, ramifying patterns of Quality, Otherness and Meditation which underpin representations and interpretations at every level and dimension of the processes of signification offer a model of the dynamic mutual indwelling of the Father, Son and Spirit within the eternal life of the Trinity. This 'semiotic model' of the Trinity would be of rather limited interest in itself unless it can also illuminate other areas of Christian theology. Robinson suggests that the model leads to a helpful way of understanding how the entirely human person Jesus of Nazareth may be understood to have been the full and perfect embodiment (representation) of the quality of God's being. This in turn helps us to understand how the processes of representation and interpretation enable us to be drawn into the very life of God. This has practical implications for the church and for the individual lives of Christian believers. It also offers, via a re-articulation of the neglected concept of vestiges of the Trinity in creation, a form of 'spirituality of the everyday'.

This book examines issues of organisation in resistance movements, discussing topics including the integration of the world system, the intersection of networks with discourses of identity, and the possibility of social transformation. Drawing on a number of theorists including Deleuze and Guattari, authors Athina Karatzogianni and Andrew Robinson seek to reinterpret World Systems Theory in order to engage with issues of power, resistance, and conflict in the contemporary world. Discussing contemporary scholarship in global politics, the authors consider new and developing concepts including: global cities, bifurcations, hegemonic transitions, the relationship between capitalism and the state, the position of East Asia, and active and reactive network movements. Their analysis includes a very rich pool of empirical examples covering more than fifty countries and thirty resistance groups. Power, Resistance and Conflict in the Contemporary World will be of interest to students and scholars looking for a comprehensive new theorization of the forces at work in global politics. The book provides a framework which crosses the boundaries between international relations, international political economy, comparative politics, conflict studies, social movement studies and critical theory, producing a study of a highly interdisciplinary scope.

Methods of Statistical Model Estimation examines the most important and popular methods used to estimate parameters for statistical models and provide informative model summary statistics. Designed for R users, the book is also ideal for anyone wanting to better understand the algorithms used for statistical model fitting.

The text presents algorithms for the estimation of a variety of regression procedures using maximum likelihood estimation, iteratively reweighted least squares regression, the EM algorithm, and MCMC sampling. Fully developed, working R code is constructed for each method. The book starts with OLS regression and generalized linear models, building to two-parameter maximum likelihood models for both pooled and panel models. It then covers a random effects model estimated using the EM algorithm and concludes with a Bayesian Poisson model using Metropolis-Hastings sampling.

The book's coverage is innovative in several ways. First, the authors use executable computer code to present and connect the theoretical content. Therefore, code is written for clarity of exposition rather than stability or speed of execution. Second, the book focuses on the performance of statistical estimation and downplays algebraic niceties. In both senses, this book is written for people who wish to fit statistical models and understand them.

See Professor Hilbe discuss the book.

This book examines issues of organisation in resistance movements, discussing topics including the integration of the world system, the intersection of networks with discourses of identity, and the possibility of social transformation. Drawing on a number of theorists including Deleuze and Guattari, authors Athina Karatzogianni and Andrew Robinson seek to reinterpret World Systems Theory in order to engage with issues of power, resistance, and conflict in the contemporary world. Discussing contemporary scholarship in global politics, the authors consider new and developing concepts including: global cities, bifurcations, hegemonic transitions, the relationship between capitalism and the state, the position of East Asia, and active and reactive network movements. Their analysis includes a very rich pool of empirical examples covering more than fifty countries and thirty resistance groups. Power, Resistance and Conflict in the Contemporary World will be of interest to students and scholars looking for a comprehensive new theorization of the forces at work in global politics. The book provides a framework which crosses the boundaries between international relations, international political economy, comparative politics, conflict studies, social movement studies and critical theory, producing a study of a highly interdisciplinary scope.

An updated edition of this acclaimed book, now with a new preface and published to tie in with the bicentenary of Champollion's breakthrough in 1822. Cracking the Egyptian Code is the first biography in English of Jean-Francois Champollion, the impoverished, arrogant and brilliant child of the French Revolution who made the vital breakthrough in deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs. This account charts Champollion's dramatic life and achievements: by turns a teenage professor, a supporter of Napoleon, an exile, a fanatical decipherer and a curator at the Louvre, he lived life to the full but drove himself into an early grave. Andrew Robinson's full-blooded account brings the man, his setbacks and his ultimate triumphs vividly to life.

Riots and Militant Occupations provides students with theoretical reflections and qualitative case studies on militant contentious political action across a range from across Europe to Nigeria, China and Turkey. This multi-authored, interdisciplinary collection adopts an interpretive and participatory approach to examining meanings, affects, embodiment, identity, relationality and space in the context of riots and protests. The rapidly shifting terrain of riots and occupations has left existing social-scientific theories lagging behind, challenging dominant constructions of agency and rationality. This book will fill this gap, by offering new understandings and critical perspectives on the question of what happens in space, in time and between people, during and after riots. Weaving together observations, experiences and analyses of riots from participants, theorists and social scientists, the authors craft theoretical perspectives in close connection with researched practices. These perspectives take the form of new theoretical contributions on the spatiality, affectivity and immanent meaning of riots, and grassroots qualitative case-studies of particular events and contexts. Countering the preconceptions of riots as a trail of broken windows, burned dumpsters and angry conservatives, this book aims to demonstrate that riots are fundamentally creative, generating forms of meaning, power, knowledge, affect, social connection and participatory space which are rare, and sociologically important, in the modern world.

Methods of Statistical Model Estimation examines the most important and popular methods used to estimate parameters for statistical models and provide informative model summary statistics. Designed for R users, the book is also ideal for anyone wanting to better understand the algorithms used for statistical model fitting. The text presents algorithms for the estimation of a variety of regression procedures using maximum likelihood estimation, iteratively reweighted least squares regression, the EM algorithm, and MCMC sampling. Fully developed, working R code is constructed for each method. The book starts with OLS regression and generalized linear models, building to two-parameter maximum likelihood models for both pooled and panel models. It then covers a random effects model estimated using the EM algorithm and concludes with a Bayesian Poisson model using Metropolis-Hastings sampling. The book's coverage is innovative in several ways. First, the authors use executable computer code to present and connect the theoretical content. Therefore, code is written for clarity of exposition rather than stability or speed of execution. Second, the book focuses on the performance of statistical estimation and downplays algebraic niceties. In both senses, this book is written for people who wish to fit statistical models and understand them. See Professor Hilbe discuss the book.

The fate of the world rests in the hands of the worst person on it! From New York Times best selling writer RICK REMENDER and a murderers' row of all-star artistic talent, comes the story of Ernie Ray Clementine-a profane, illiterate, drug-addicted biker with a fifth-grade education accidentally received a power-imbuing serum making him the world's most powerful super spy. He is a relic of a bygone era, the living embodiment of sex, drugs, and rock and roll-so, this doesn't make things easy for the spy organization that needs his help as they bribe, cajole, and manipulate him to choose between his own self-interests and doing what's right. Featuring Collects THE SCUMBAG #1-5

Learn How to Program Stochastic Models Highly recommended, the best-selling first edition of Introduction to Scientific Programming and Simulation Using R was lauded as an excellent, easy-to-read introduction with extensive examples and exercises. This second edition continues to introduce scientific programming and stochastic modelling in a clear, practical, and thorough way. Readers learn programming by experimenting with the provided R code and data. The book's four parts teach: Core knowledge of R and programming concepts How to think about mathematics from a numerical point of view, including the application of these concepts to root finding, numerical integration, and optimisation Essentials of probability, random variables, and expectation required to understand simulation Stochastic modelling and simulation, including random number generation and Monte Carlo integration In a new chapter on systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), the authors cover the Euler, midpoint, and fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) schemes for solving systems of first-order ODEs. They compare the numerical efficiency of the different schemes experimentally and show how to improve the RK4 scheme by using an adaptive step size. Another new chapter focuses on both discrete- and continuous-time Markov chains. It describes transition and rate matrices, classification of states, limiting behaviour, Kolmogorov forward and backward equations, finite absorbing chains, and expected hitting times. It also presents methods for simulating discrete- and continuous-time chains as well as techniques for defining the state space, including lumping states and supplementary variables. Building readers' statistical intuition, Introduction to Scientific Programming and Simulation Using R, Second Edition shows how to turn algorithms into code. It is designed for those who want to make tools, not just use them. The code and data are available for download from CRAN.

Retired serial killer Edwyn Stoffgruppen is in love with Virginia, a girl he "met online." Her affection quiets his vile urges. Together, they tour the back roads of America in their LTD Crown Vic, eating doughnuts and enjoying their insatiable appetites for each other. Life is good...until a Louisiana billionaire kidnaps Virginia, forcing Edwyn to kill again in exchange for her freedom. And the twist to all of this? Virginia is a sex doll. Writer DOUG WAGNER teams up with artists DANIEL HILLYARD and LAURA MARTIN for a chilling new crime series that ROBERT KIRKMAN (THE WALKING DEAD) reviewed as: "This is the weirdest s**t I've ever read. I love it!" Collects issues 1-5.

Akira Kurosawa said of the great director: 'Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.' Martin Scorsese remarked on Ray's birth centenary in 2021: 'The films of Satyajit Ray are truly treasures of cinema, and everyone with an interest in film needs to see them.' Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye is the definitive biography, based on extensive interviews with Ray himself, his actors and collaborators, and a deep knowledge of Bengali culture. Andrew Robinson provides an in-depth critical account of each film in an astonishingly versatile career, from Ray's directorial debut Pather Panchali (1955) to his final feature Agantuk (1991). The third (centenary) edition includes new material: an epilogue, 'A century of Ray', about the nature of his genius; a wide-ranging conversation with Ray drawn from the author's interviews; and an updated comprehensive bibliography of Ray's writings.

Akira Kurosawa said of the great director: 'Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.' Martin Scorsese remarked on Ray's birth centenary in 2021: 'The films of Satyajit Ray are truly treasures of cinema, and everyone with an interest in film needs to see them.' Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye is the definitive biography, based on extensive interviews with Ray himself, his actors and collaborators, and a deep knowledge of Bengali culture. Andrew Robinson provides an in-depth critical account of each film in an astonishingly versatile career, from Ray's directorial debut Pather Panchali (1955) to his final feature Agantuk (1991). The third (centenary) edition includes new material: an epilogue, 'A century of Ray', about the nature of his genius; a wide-ranging conversation with Ray drawn from the author's interviews; and an updated comprehensive bibliography of Ray's writings.

Homer, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy; Curie, Darwin, Einstein, Galileo, and Newton. What do these world-famous artists and scientists have in common?- apart from the fact that their achievements predate our own time by a century or more. Most of us would probably answer: all ten possessed something we call genius, which in each instance permanently changed the way that humanity perceived the world. But pressed to be more precise, we find it remarkably hard to define genius. Genius is highly individual and unique, of course, yet it shares a compelling, inevitable quality for professionals and the general public alike. Darwin's ideas are still required reading for every working biologist; they continue to generate fresh thinking and experiments around the world. So do Einstein's theories among physicists. Shakespeare's plays and Mozart's melodies and harmonies continue to move people in languages and cultures far removed from their native England and Austria. Contemporary 'geniuses' may come and go, but the idea of genius will not let go of us. Genius is the name we give to a quality of work that transcends fashion, celebrity, fame, and reputation: the opposite of a period piece. Somehow, genius abolishes both the time and the place of its origin. This Very Short Introduction uses the life and work of familiar geniuses-and some less familiar-to illuminate both the individual and the general aspects of genius. In particular: the roles of talent, heredity, parenting, education, training, hard work, intelligence, personality, mental illness, inspiration, eureka moments, and luck, in the making of genius. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth are disproportionately represented in the U.S. youth homelessness population. In Coming Out to the Streets, Brandon Andrew Robinson examines their lives. Based on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in central Texas, Coming Out to the Streets looks into the LGBTQ youth's lives before they experience homelessness-within their families, schools, and other institutions-and later when they navigate the streets, deal with police, and access shelters and other services. Through this documentation, Brandon Andrew Robinson shows how poverty and racial inequality shape the ways that the LGBTQ youth negotiate their gender and sexuality before and while they are experiencing homelessness. To address LGBTQ youth homelessness, Robinson contends that solutions must move beyond blaming families for rejecting their child. In highlighting the voices of the LGBTQ youth, Robinson calls for queer and trans liberation through systemic change.

This book tells the remarkable lives of the pioneers of science - from Galileo and Newton, Faraday and Darwin, Pasteur and Marie Curie, to Einstein, Freud, Turing, and Crick and Watson. A series of seventy articles, written by an international team of distinguished scientists, historians of science and science writers, provides an unrivalled account of the lives and personalities behind the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time. Organized thematically, starting at the 'Universe', and moving smaller through the 'Earth' and 'Molecules and Matter' to 'Inside the Atom', with the final two sections looking at 'Life' and 'Body and Mind', it covers all the major scientific disciplines, including astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computing, ecology, geology, medicine, neurology, physics and psychology, as well as mathematics. The Scientists will intrigue budding scientists, those fascinated by the lives of great individuals, and anyone curious to know how over the centuries we came to understand the physical world around us and inside us.