Embittered mercenary Alex Devereux has the fate of Europe in his hands when the British government orders him to overthrow a new Russian dictator, Viktor Krymov. Working with an unstable Russian oligarch and his former lover, Lara, Alex races against the clock towards a violent showdown in Moscow - with the highest imaginable stakes. Combining action, history and political intrigue, Steel creates a truly epic modern thriller. For anyone who's a fan of Robert Harris, Frederick Forsyth or Alistair MacLean, December is a must read.

Human social life is constrained and defined by our cognitive and emotional dispositions, which are the legacy of our foraging ancestors. But how difficult is it to reconstruct the social systems and cultural traditions of those ancestors? The Archaeology of Human Ancestry provides a stimulating and provocative answer, in which archaeologists and biological anthropologists set out and demonstrate their reconstructive methods. Contributors use observations of primates and modern hunter-gatherers to illuminate the fossil and artefactual records. Thematic treatment covers the evolution of group size; group composition and the emotional structure of social bonds; sexual dimorphism and the sexual division of labour; and the origins of human cultural traditions. The Archaeology of Human Ancestry is an essential introduction to the subject for advanced undergraduates and researchers in archaeology and biological anthropology. It will also be used by workers in psychology, sociology and feminist studies as a resource for understanding human social origins.

The process of familiarization with and adaptation to unfamiliar landscapes has been integral to colonization and settlement throughout human history.
This innovative and important volume presents the archaeological and anthropological foundations of the landscape learning process. Contributions apply the related fields of ethnography, cognitive psychology, and historical archaeology to the issues of individual exploration, development of trail systems, folk knowledge, social identity, and the role of the frontier in the growth of the modern world. A series of case studies examines the archaeological evidence for and interpretations of landscape learning from the movement of the first pre-modern humans into Europe, peoplings of the Old and New World at the end of the Ice Age, and colonization of the Pacific, to the English colonists at Jamestown. The final chapters summarize the implications of the landscape learning idea for our understanding of human history and set out a framework for future research.

The process of familiarization with and adaptation to unfamiliar landscapes has been integral to colonization and settlement throughout human history.
This innovative and important volume presents the archaeological and anthropological foundations of the landscape learning process. Contributions apply the related fields of ethnography, cognitive psychology, and historical archaeology to the issues of individual exploration, development of trail systems, folk knowledge, social identity, and the role of the frontier in the growth of the modern world. A series of case studies examines the archaeological evidence for and interpretations of landscape learning from the movement of the first pre-modern humans into Europe, peoplings of the Old and New World at the end of the Ice Age, and colonization of the Pacific, to the English colonists at Jamestown. The final chapters summarize the implications of the landscape learning idea for our understanding of human history and set out a framework for future research.

This thoroughly revised and updated reference provides comprehensive coverage of the latest developments and scientific advances in dairy microbiologya "emphasizing probiotics, fermented dairy products, disease prevention, and public health and regulatory control standards for dairy foods.

Containing more than 2350 bibliographic citations, tables, drawings and photographsa "550 more than the previous editiona "Applied Dairy Microbiology, Second Edition is an invaluable reference for all food and dairy microbiologists, scientists, and technologists; toxicologists; food processors; sanitarians; dietitians; epidemiologists; bacteriologists; public health and regulatory personnel; and veterinarians; and an important text for upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students in these disciplines.

A-

Alex Devereux, former cavalry Major and hardened mercenary takes on a mission to raise a private army and attack a diamond mine in Africa - and in doing so, comes face to face with an ancient prophecy with earth-shattering implications. 1501 - A medieval Knight encounters an object of awesome power - The Nubian Deathstone. Filled with terrifying visions of what the future might bring, he embarks on a quest to discover its secret. 1941 - Himmler orders an elite SS Officer on an expedition to resolve the centuries-old enigma, but his discovery will have dire consequences. Working for a diamond cartel and operating outside of international law, Alex comes face-to-face with the Dark Heart Prophecy. Past and present collide - but can Alex redeem himself and prevent the prophecy from coming true?

Contemporary Japanese Architecture presents a clear and comprehensive overview of the historical and cultural framework that informs the work of all Japanese architects, as an introduction to an in-depth investigation of the challenges now occupying the contemporary designers who will be the leaders of the next generation. It separates out the young generation of Japanese architects from the crowded, distinguished, multi-generational field they seek to join, and investigates the topics that absorb them, and the critical issues they face within the new economic reality of Japan and a shifting global order. Salient points in the text are illustrated by beautiful, descriptive images provided by the architects and from the extensive collection of the author. By combining illustrations with timelines and graphics to explain complex ideas, the book is accessible to any student seeking to understand contemporary Japanese architecture.

The first in-depth exploration of the award-winning King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta Ithra, also known as the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is an unprecedented architectural achievement. Designed on a monumental scale by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, built by Saudi Aramco, and inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz in late 2017, Ithra has been listed in Time magazine as one of the world's top 100 places to visit and is the winner of Project of the Year and Best Innovative Project of the Year at the Construction Innovation Awards in 2019. This multi-purpose cultural institution, with its unusual geometric sculptures, is one of a kind in contemporary architecture. With stunning imagery and a holographic wrap-around case, the book offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration for Ithra, from the competition process and selection of the architect to its complex construction and reveals the story behind this striking architectural gem, from its inception to its realization.

Written by a former NYPD cyber cop, this is the only book available that discusses the hard questions cyber crime investigators are asking.
The book begins with the chapter What is Cyber Crime? This introductory chapter describes the most common challenges faced by cyber investigators today. The following chapters discuss the methodologies behind cyber investigations; and frequently encountered pitfalls. Issues relating to cyber crime definitions, the electronic crime scene, computer forensics, and preparing and presenting a cyber crime investigation in court will be examined. Not only will these topics be generally be discussed and explained for the novice, but the hard questions the questions that have the power to divide this community will also be examined in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner.
This book will serve as a foundational text for the cyber crime community to begin to move past current difficulties into its next evolution.
* This book has been written by a retired NYPD cyber cop, who has worked many high-profile computer crime cases
* Discusses the complex relationship between the public and private sector with regards to cyber crime
* Provides essential information for IT security professionals and first responders on maintaining chain of evidence"

Human social life is constrained and defined by our cognitive and emotional dispositions, which are the legacy of our foraging ancestors. But how difficult is it to reconstruct the social systems and cultural traditions of those ancestors? The Archaeology of Human Ancestry provides a stimulating and provocative answer, in which archaeologists and biological anthropologists set out and demonstrate their reconstructive methods. Contributors use observations of primates and modern hunter-gatherers to illuminate the fossil and artefactual records. Thematic treatment covers the evolution of group size; group composition and the emotional structure of social bonds; sexual dimorphism and the sexual division of labour; and the origins of human cultural traditions. The Archaeology of Human Ancestry is an essential introduction to the subject for advanced undergraduates and researchers in archaeology and biological anthropology. It will also be used by workers in psychology, sociology and feminist studies as a resource for understanding human social origins.

Written by foremost experts in the field, Engineering Modeling Languages provides end-to-end coverage of the engineering of modeling languages to turn domain knowledge into tools. The book provides a definition of different kinds of modeling languages, their instrumentation with tools such as editors, interpreters and generators, the integration of multiple modeling languages to achieve a system view, and the validation of both models and tools. Industrial case studies, across a range of application domains, are included to attest to the benefits offered by the different techniques. The book also includes a variety of simple worked examples that introduce the techniques to the novice user. The book is structured in two main parts. The first part is organized around a flow that introduces readers to Model Driven Engineering (MDE) concepts and technologies in a pragmatic manner. It starts with definitions of modeling and MDE, and then moves into a deeper discussion of how to express the knowledge of particular domains using modeling languages to ease the development of systems in the domains. The second part of the book presents examples of applications of the model-driven approach to different types of software systems. In addition to illustrating the unification power of models in different software domains, this part demonstrates applicability from different starting points (language, business knowledge, standard, etc.) and focuses on different software engineering activities such as Requirement Engineering, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and V&V. Each chapter concludes with a small set of exercises to help the reader reflect on what was learned or to dig further into the examples. Many examples of models and code snippets are presented throughout the book, and a supplemental website features all of the models and programs (and their associated tooling) discussed in the book.

An utterly gripping thriller that sees former cavalry Major turned hardened mercenary Alex Devereux plunged into conflict in the dark heart of Africa, as he battles the dominant militia in the Congo. China intends to take over the Kivu region in The Democratic Republic of Congo, a tribal slaughterhouse of rival militias who are butchering the local population and fighting over mineral resources. Alex's mission is to defeat the dominant militia, the FDLR. But details of how Kivu will be governed under the new order are sketchy and Alex must run the gamut of the United Nations, the Congolese army and the clash of superpower claims on the region. Alex knows that the plan is risky. But he can't resist - could he succeed in bringing stability when everyone else has failed? He and his crack regiment take on their toughest assignment yet. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions and Alex is about to find out why the region has been called the dark heart of Africa...

Contemporary Japanese Architecture presents a clear and comprehensive overview of the historical and cultural framework that informs the work of all Japanese architects, as an introduction to an in-depth investigation of the challenges now occupying the contemporary designers who will be the leaders of the next generation. It separates out the young generation of Japanese architects from the crowded, distinguished, multi-generational field they seek to join, and investigates the topics that absorb them, and the critical issues they face within the new economic reality of Japan and a shifting global order. Salient points in the text are illustrated by beautiful, descriptive images provided by the architects and from the extensive collection of the author. By combining illustrations with timelines and graphics to explain complex ideas, the book is accessible to any student seeking to understand contemporary Japanese architecture.

Since 1945, the globalization of education and the professionalization of architects and engineers, as well as the conceptualization and production of space, can be seen as a product of battles of legitimacy that were played out in the context of the Cold War and what came after. In this book James Steele provides an informative and compelling analysis of one of Egypt's foremost contemporary architects, Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim, and his work during a period of Egypt's attempts at constructing an identity and cultural legitimacy within the post-Second World War world order. Born in 1941 in the small town of Sornaga just south of Cairo, Abdelhalim received his architectural training in Egypt and the United States, and is the designer of over one hundred cultural, institutional, and rehabilitation projects, including the Cultural Park for Children in Cairo, the American University in Cairo campus in New Cairo, the Egyptian Embassy in Amman, and the Uthman Ibn Affan Mosque in Qatar. The first comprehensive study of the work and career of Abdelhalim and his office, the Community Design Collaborative (CDC), which he established in Cairo in 1978, Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim: An Architecture of Collective Memory is inspired by Abdelhalim's deep belief in the power of rituals as a guiding force behind various human behaviors and the spaces in which they are enacted and designed to play out. Each chapter is consequently dedicated to one of these rituals and the ways in which some of Abdelhalim's primary commissions have, at all levels of scale, revealed and expressed that ritual. In the sequence presented these are: the rituals of possession, reverence, order, the transmission of knowledge, procession, human institutions, geometry, light, the sense of place, materiality, and finally, the ritual of color.

On 8 August 1918, the Allied forces launched the surprise attack that heralded the end of the First World War. With skill and daring, 21 divisions of men breached the German lines, supported by 500 tanks and 1,000 aircraft. This book considers the successes and failures of both sides in this conflict.