Ithiel de Sola Pool was a pioneering social scientist, a distinguished scholar of the political process, and one of the most original thinkers in the development of the social sciences. Passionately engaged in politics, he continued his role of leadership throughout his life, building the MIT Political Science Department into an outstanding group. He organized international teams of social scientists and collaborated widely to develop the understanding of social change. He was a frequent adviser to governments as consultant and in-house critic, and a successful advocate of limits on government regulation. "Politics in Wired Nations" presents his writings on the social and political impact of different communication systems and new telecommunications technology. Included in this volume is the first study of trends in a global information society, and the first study of social networks and the "small world" phenomenon that creates new relationships and routes of informal influence and political power, both domestic and international. Pool's essays on the politics of foreign trade, the influence of American businessmen on Congress, and changeable "unnatural" institutions of the modern world (e.g., bureaucracies, mega-cities, and nation-states) are herein contained. Pool describes a nonviolent revolution in freedom and political control that is possible as the world changes from the era of one-way mass communications--targeted to national audiences--to a new era of abundant, high-capacity, low-cost, interactive, and user-controlled communications on a global scale. He discusses policy choices for freedom, the battlegrounds ahead, and the risks of government involvement in the regulation of new telecommunication technologies.

Synonymous with fine craftsmanship and understated elegance, the House of Bottega Veneta is the go-to brand for those who love effortless chic. Since 1966, Bottega Veneta has stood out from the crowd, unique in its blend of timeless sophistication and contemporary edge. Known for the distinctive Intrecciato woven design and statement green, this Milan-based luxury brand is renowned for beautifully crafted leather goods such as the Cabat, Veneta, and iconic clutch Knot bags and increasingly famous footwear and jewellery collections. Cultural relevance remains at the heart of this ultra-cool brand with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Rihanna seen in exquisite hand-finished dresses, oversized clutches and quilted shoes. Under Creative Director, Matthiew Blazy, there's no denying that Bottega Veneta is one of the most exciting brands in the fashion world.

"Solà pushes past the limits of human experience to tell a story of instinct and earth-time that is irresistible in its jagged glory." - C Pam Zhang, author of How Much of These Hills is Gold When Domenec - mountain-dweller, father, poet, dreamer - dies suddenly, struck by lightning, he leaves behind two small children, Mia and Hilari, to grow up wild among the looming summits of the Pyrenees and the ghosts of the Spanish civil war. But then Hilari dies too, and his sister is forced to face life's struggles and joys alone. As the years tumble by, the inhabitants of the mountain - human, animal and other - come together in a chorus of voices to bear witness to the sorrows of one family, and to the savage beauty of the landscape. This remarkable English-language debut is lyrical, mythical, elemental, and ferociously imaginative.

Gorgeous Collector's Edition. With its powerful tradition of storytelling, the myths of the continent of Africa have survived colonialism and slavery, bringing together a rich diversity of cultures from Ethiopia to Tanzania, from the Xhosa people to the Yoruba. This collection offers tales of the gods, creation stories, trickster adventures, animal fables and stories which amuse and teach from 'The Tortoise and the Elephant', from the Akamba of Kenya, to 'Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes', from Southern Nigeria, providing an insight into the boundless and vibrant world of African myth. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

'I began to grow up the day my mother warned me to stop laughing' At age eleven, Sola Mahfouz was told she could no longer attend school. The Taliban threatened that any girl who dared to continue their education would have acid thrown in their face, be kidnapped, or worse. Confined to the walls of her home, Sola watched as the few freedoms of childhood were stripped away. She was forbidden to play, to sing, even to laugh. Her early teenage years were consumed by restrictions. Realising that she would have to either succumb to this life or find a way out, she decided on the latter. At age sixteen, without even a basic ability to add or subtract, she began secretly learning maths and English. By reading dictionaries and taking free online courses, she taught herself theoretical physics and philosophy, all from a home she could only leave five times a year. In the space of nine years she achieved the level of education that a westerner might take 25 years to do and against all odds moved to America to study quantum computing. It is a radical act to tell the story of an Afghan woman. Too often, they are portrayed only as victims, their identities erased by thick veils and blanket reporting. Defiant Dreams will change the narrative. It's the story of an Afghan girl who dared to ask for more.

Britpop has burst its bubble, Cool Britannia has hit its come down and the Asbo Generation have come of age. It is 2004 in the North West of England. Fifteen years old, Lay Baby has nine months before school ends, before her mother signs the estrangement papers, before her name gets dropped into the council house raffle barrel and before the excuse 'I'm a kid' expires as abruptly as a child's library card. Left the blank journal of a friend after his death, Lay Baby begins writing.

'I began to grow up the day my mother warned me to stop laughing' 'Stories like this inspire me. Seeing the way people like Sola Mahfouz think about the world reinforces my optimism about the future.' BILL GATES At age eleven, Sola Mahfouz was told she could no longer attend school. The Taliban threatened that any girl who dared to continue their education would have acid thrown in their face, be kidnapped, or worse. Confined to the walls of her home, Sola watched as the few freedoms of childhood were stripped away. She was forbidden to play, to sing, even to laugh. Her early teenage years were consumed by restrictions. Realising that she would have to either succumb to this life or find a way out, she decided on the latter. At age sixteen, without even a basic ability to add or subtract, she began secretly learning maths and English. By reading dictionaries and taking free online courses, she taught herself theoretical physics and philosophy, all from a home she could only leave five times a year. In the space of nine years she achieved the level of education that a westerner might take 25 years to do and against all odds moved to America to study quantum computing. It is a radical act to tell the story of an Afghan woman. Too often, they are portrayed only as victims, their identities erased by thick veils and blanket reporting. Defiant Dreams will change the narrative. It's the story of an Afghan girl who dared to ask for more.

'Soula Emmanuel's prose is breathtaking: searingly sharp, deliciously funny, profound. Wild Geese is a beautiful and devastating read. An extraordinary debut. I loved this deeply intelligent and emotionally powerful novel' Danielle McLaughlin New home, new name and newly thirty: Phoebe Forde has stepped into emigrant life in Copenhagen with her anxious dog, Dolly. Almost three years into her gender transition, she has learned to move through the world carefully, savouring small moments of joy. A woman without a past can be anyone she wants - that is, until an unexpected visit from Grace, her first love, brings memories of Dublin and a life she thought she'd left behind. Over the course of a single weekend, as their old romance kindles something sweet and radically unfamiliar, Grace helps Phoebe to navigate the jagged edges of migration, nostalgia and hope.

- Authored by an authority in the area, whose research group first invented ultra-fast silicon detectors - The first book on the topic to explain 4-dimensional tracking - Interdisciplinary topic, with applications in other area such as medicine

This book examines the intersection between cultural identities and development in African and the Diaspora from multidisciplinary perspectives. Starting with the premise that culture is one of the most significant factors in development, the book examines diverse topics such as the migrations of musical forms, social media, bilingualism and religion. Foregrounding the work of Africa based scholars, the book presents strategies for identifying solutions to the challenges facing African culture and development. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of African Studies and African Culture and Society.

Damian Lee directs this Canadian action thriller starring Brendan Fraser, Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee. When a pair of crooks, Tommy (Purcell) and Kenny (Suplee), believe that a couple of kids on a camping trip have witnessed them committing murder they waste no time in setting about tracking the youngsters, a brother and sister, with the intention of eliminating them. However, Tommy and Kenny haven't counted on the presence of the kids' father, Jack Damson (Fraser), who orchestrates a prison break in order to protect his offspring. Who will make it out of the resulting game of cat and mouse alive?

- Authored by an authority in the area, whose research group first invented ultra-fast silicon detectors - The first book on the topic to explain 4-dimensional tracking - Interdisciplinary topic, with applications in other area such as medicine

Super-spy action thrills in 2000 AD's answer to James Bond and The 6 Million Dollar Man! + ALERT STATUS RED + CRISIS POINT EXCEEDED + When terrorists, super-weapons and other-worldly forces plot destruction, the British Secret Service need John Probe - their number one super-agent. But when Probe begins to question the motives of his superiors and the ruthless logic of his cybernetic brain, he finds the service has dark secrets up its sleeve... including failed prototype, M.A.C.H. Zero! The agency will find out what happens when they try to control Men Activated by Compu-Puncture Hyperpower!

Ithiel de Sola Pool was a distinguished scholar of the political process, and one of the most original thinkers in the development of an integrated social science. This volume focuses upon his contributions to the development of research methods that deepen our understanding of human behaviour. The book is divided into five parts treating the analysis of communications, computer simulation, forecasting, network theory, and the social sciences in political contexts. The first part considers the problems and possibilities of analysis raised by the unprecedented quantity of data made available by widespread and improved communications technology; what should be counted and how should inferences be made. Part two explores computer simulation in the study of presidential election patterns and how it can provide in-depth analyses of crisis situations in history. Part three focuses on strategies for predicting the future of international politics and methods to forecast the impacts of new communications technologies, while part four offers a rigorous analysis of domestic and global contact networks and the so-called "small world" phenomenon. Part five is concerned with external challenges to the use of social science to create more humane politics, including the question of value neutrality, ideology, "deconstructive" critical theory, and threats by government to the health of universities. In a concluding essay Lloyd Etheredge draws upon Pool's work to discuss several new ways in which the methods treated in this volume can be applied to contemporary social change.

This book examines the intersection between cultural identities and development in African and the Diaspora from multidisciplinary perspectives. Starting with the premise that culture is one of the most significant factors in development, the book examines diverse topics such as the migrations of musical forms, social media, bilingualism and religion. Foregrounding the work of Africa based scholars, the book presents strategies for identifying solutions to the challenges facing African culture and development. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of African Studies and African Culture and Society.

In this book, experts from both sides of the Atlantic, examine the recent tensions between Western Europe and the United States over such issues as transatlantic security, policies towards terrorism and relations with Russia and the former Soviet Union, against the broader background of perceptions and misperceptions in transatlantic relations. Drawing on Professor Robert Jervis' work, Perceptions and Misperceptions in International Politics, this book examines whether Jervis' thesis has a new relevance given the current challenges in transatlantic relations. Some of the issues examined include: perceptions and misperceptions in general focusing on US foreign policy, issues of decision-making and implementation and issues of alliance management the capacity of the United States and the European Union to cooperate effectively within the broader transatlantic framework studies focusing on the 'alliance security dilemma' and the transatlantic security community case studies of transatlantic relations in the 'war on terror' and relations with Russia the present and future of the 'western alliance'. Providing a global and multilateral analysis from American and European perspectives and exploring fields of cooperation and competition, Perceptions and Policy in Transatlantic Relations will be of strong interest to students of International Relations, American politics and European politics.

This book presents a novel approach for studying the impact of leadership styles on supply chain resilience using a combination of transactional and transformational leadership. The book consists of two main sections: The first introduces key concepts and provides a framework for understanding the research problem and methodology. The second section presents five structural equation models developed and validated using data collected from a survey of managers and engineers in the Mexican Maquiladora Industry. These models explore the relationships between key variables, such as agility, flexibility, alertness, and efficiency, and how they are affected by different leadership styles. The findings of this study suggest that a combination of transactional and transformational leadership is highly effective in enhancing resilience and achieving better results during disruptive events. Written in a clear and accessible style, this book is an essential resource for scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in supply chain management, leadership, and resilience. It contributes to the existing literature on these topics and provides practical insights for improving supply chain performance in today's complex and dynamic business environments.

Natural stone is utilised in monumental works both as a construction material and as a foundation. This volume contains papers and special lectures on monument preservation, reflecting a broad spectrum of issues in three different fields: Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geology. The topics discussed covered the entire process of preservation and included: - Processes of rock degradation - Stone conservation and treatments - Compatible material for restoration - Preservation and risk assessment - In situ and laboratory testing and monitoring - Rock Mechanics studies and modelling in the context of monuments. - Foundation problems - Rock-slope problems at protected sites - Case histories The workshopPreservation of Natural Stone and Rock Weathering was held in Madrid in July 2007, within the framework of the 11th International Congress of the ISRM. Consultants, researchers, designers and contractors, as well as a great variety of professionals in many public and private agencies, will benefit from this volume that brings an updated view of the technical problems of the preservation of stone monuments.

Natural stone is utilised in monumental works both as a construction material and as a foundation. This volume contains papers and special lectures on monument preservation, reflecting a broad spectrum of issues in three different fields: Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geology. The topics discussed covered the entire process of preservation and included: - Processes of rock degradation - Stone conservation and treatments - Compatible material for restoration - Preservation and risk assessment - In situ and laboratory testing and monitoring - Rock Mechanics studies and modelling in the context of monuments. - Foundation problems - Rock-slope problems at protected sites - Case histories The workshop "Preservation of Natural Stone and Rock Weathering", was held in Madrid in July 2007, within the framework of the 11th International Congress of the ISRM. Consultants, researchers, designers and contractors, as well as a great variety of professionals in many public and private agencies, will benefit from this volume that brings an updated view of the technical problems of the preservation of stone monuments.

Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity A comprehensive review of the science of aromaticity, as well as its evolution, from benzene to atomic clusters In Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity: Concepts and Applications, a team of accomplished chemists delivers a comprehensive exploration of the evolution and critical aspects of aromaticity. The book examines the new global criteria used to evaluate aromaticity, including the Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) index and the electronic indices based on electronic properties. Additional discussions of inorganic aromatic compounds developed in this century, which give rise to new concepts like multifold aromaticity, are included. Three-dimensional aromaticity found in fullerenes and nanotubes, Moebius aromaticity present in some annulenes, and excited state aromaticity are explored as well. This volume explores the geometrical, electronic, magnetic, and thermodynamic characteristics of aromatic and antiaromatic compounds and their reactivity properties. It also provides: A thorough historical overview of aromaticity, as well as simple electronic and structural models Comprehensive explorations of organic and inorganic aromatic compounds, concepts of stability and reactivity, and geometric, energetic, magnetic, and electronic criteria of descriptors of aromaticity Practical discussions of heteroaromaticity, as well as Moebius aromaticity and excited state aromaticity In-depth examinations of sigma, pi, delta, and phi aromaticity Perfect for graduate students, researchers, and academics interested in aromaticity, organometallic chemistry, and computational chemistry, Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity: Concepts and Applications will also earn a place in the libraries of professionals and researchers working in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry.