This book describes the stage-by-stage creation, from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, of one of the greatest human artifacts--the world communication, broadcasting, and information technology systems which are essential to modern life and which will transform the ways in which people live and work in the future. The significance of each innovative step is shown in terms of its impact--in scale and relevance on today's communication world. A final chapter looks to the future and considers the ability of information technology and information superhighways to improve rural, urban, and national economies. The author presents his account of the dramatic advances in telecommunications and broadcasting as essentially a human story.Bray takes a compelling look at the brilliant minds and personalities who helped launch the electronic revolution. He provides remarkable accounts of the early scientists and mathematicians such as Ampere, Faraday, Maxwell, Hertz, and Planck--exploring their backgrounds and motivations. In giving us this perspective, John Bray has a unique advantage. As a world-renowned scientist and pioneer in British telecommunication technology, he himself was a principal player in the subject of his narrative. It would be hard to find any person more qualified to undertake a task as monumental in scale and importance.

Collaborative Inquiry in Practice is an invitation and guide for people interested in pursuing a more imaginative and holistic approach to human inquiry. The reader is guided step-by-step through the theory and practice of collaborative inquiry:

• the key ideas from pragmatism and phenomenological traditions;
• the relationship of collaborative inquiry with other action-oriented methods of inquiry;
• the conduct of collaborative inquiry, from forming a group to constructing knowledge

The authors demonstrate how effective collaborative inquiry demystifies research and makes learning more accessible. The guidance provided is equally relevant to professional and academic settings. 

Frontier Tibet: Patterns of Change in the Sino-Tibetan Borderlands addresses a historical sequence that sealed the future of the Sino-Tibetan borderlands. It considers how starting in the late nineteenth century imperial formations and emerging nation-states developed competing schemes of integration and debated about where the border between China and Tibet should be. It also ponders the ways in which this border is internalised today, creating within the People's Republic of China a space that retains some characteristics of a historical frontier. The region of eastern Tibet called Kham, the focus of this volume, is a productive lens through which processes of place-making and frontier dynamics can be analysed. Using historical records and ethnography, the authors challenge purely externalist approaches to convey a sense of Kham's own centrality and the agency of the actors involved. They contribute to a history from below that is relevant to the history of China and Tibet, and of comparative value for borderland studies.

When Wall Street tycoon Joseph Egan enters the lobby of an elegant Manhattan hotel to celebrate his daughter's birthday, he is faced with the panic and confusion of a shocking crime. Angry and deeply concerned, he realizes that the safety of his family and the future of his business empire are under threat. Joe always has an uncanny ability to cut through the paperwork and get to the heart of any business deal. This time however, he's dealing with the lowest criminal elements of New York City. He has never been in more danger. With Sharyn Cooper, his stunning personal assistant at his side, Joe faces his enemies in a profoundly punishing way. Prepare yourself to be thrown headfirst into a whirlpool of confrontation, with interludes of mystery, suspense, and romance.

This book describes the stage-by-stage creation and development, from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, of the remarkable global communications technologies that have profoundly transformed the way that people live and work. Written in a highly readable style, this book provides a fascinating account of the key innovators from Faraday, Maxwell and Hertz to the inventors of the transistor, microchip, optical fibre systems and the World Wide Web. The book explores the background and motivation of these pioneers and the social and economic environment in which they worked. The significance of each innovative step is shown in terms of the impact - in scale and relevance - on today's communications world. John Bray also looks to the future for innovations yet to come. This book will be interest to all those interested in the human thread running through the history of technological advances in telecommunications and broadcasting.

Collaborative Inquiry in Practice is an invitation and guide for people interested in pursuing a more imaginative and holistic approach to human inquiry. The reader is guided step-by-step through the theory and practice of collaborative inquiry:

• the key ideas from pragmatism and phenomenological traditions;
• the relationship of collaborative inquiry with other action-oriented methods of inquiry;
• the conduct of collaborative inquiry, from forming a group to constructing knowledge

The authors demonstrate how effective collaborative inquiry demystifies research and makes learning more accessible. The guidance provided is equally relevant to professional and academic settings.