LITMIR.BIZ

We have long accepted the face as the most natural and self-evident thing, believing that in it we could read, as if on a screen, our emotions and our doubts, our anger and joy. We have decorated them, made them up, designed them, as if the face were the true calling card of our personality, the public manifestation of our inner being. <br /> <br /> Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather than a window opening onto our inner nature, the face has always been a technical artefact—a construction that owes as much to artificiality as to our genetic inheritance. From the origins of humanity to the triumph of the selfie, Marion Zilio charts the history of the technical, economic, political, legal, and artistic fabrication of the face. Her account of this history culminates in a radical new interrogation of what is too often denounced as our contemporary narcissism. In fact, argues Zilio, the “narcissism” of the selfie may well reconnect us to the deepest sources of the human manufacture of faces—a reconnection that would also be a chance for us to come to terms with the non-human part of ourselves.<br /> <br /> This highly original reflection on the fabrication of the face will be of great value to students and scholars of media and culture and to anyone interested in the pervasiveness of the face in our contemporary age of the selfie.

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In <i>Post-Democracy</i> (Polity, 2004) Colin Crouch argued that behind the façade of strong institutions, democracy in many advanced societies was being hollowed out, its big events becoming empty rituals as power passed increasingly to circles of wealthy business elites and an ever-more isolated political class.<br /><br />Crouch’s provocative argument has in many ways been vindicated by recent events, but these have also highlighted some weaknesses of the original thesis and shown that the situation today is even worse. The global financial deregulation that was the jewel in the crown of wealthy elite lobbying brought us the financial crisis and helped stimulate xenophobic movements which no longer accept the priority of institutions that safeguard democracy, like the rule of law. The rise of social media has enabled a handful of very rich individuals and institutions to target vast numbers of messages at citizens, giving a false impression of debate that is really stage-managed from a small number of concealed sources. Crouch evaluates the implications of these and other developments for his original thesis, arguing that while much of his thesis remains sound, he had under-estimated the value of institutions which are vital to the support of a democratic order. He also confronts the challenge of populists who seem to echo the complaints of Post-Democracy but whose pessimistic nostalgia brings an anti-democratic brew of hatred, exclusion and violence.

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With irrepressible humor, Slavoj iek dissects our current political and social climate, discussing everything from Jordan Peterson and sex “unicorns” to Greta Thunberg and Chairman Mao. Taking aim at his enemies on the Left, Right, and Center, he argues that contemporary society can only be properly understood from a communist standpoint. Why communism? The greater the triumph of global capitalism, the more its dangerous antagonisms multiply: climate collapse, the digital manipulation of our lives, the explosion in refugee numbers – all need a radical solution. That solution is a Left that dares to speak its name, to get its hands dirty in the real world of contemporary politics, not to sling its insults from the sidelines or to fight a culture war that is merely a fig leaf covering its political and economic failures. As the crises caused by contemporary capitalism accumulate at an alarming rate, the Left finds itself in crisis too, beset with competing ideologies and prone to populism, racism, and conspiracy theories.  A Left that Dares to Speak Its Name  is iek’s attempt to elucidate the major political issues of the day from a truly radical Leftist position. The first three parts explore the global political situation and the final part focuses on contemporary Western culture, as iek directs his polemic to topics such as wellness, Wikileaks, and the rights of sexbots. This wide-ranging collection of essays provides the perfect insight into the ideas of one of the most influential radical thinkers of our time.

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A detailed account of various applications and uses of transparent ceramics and the future of the industry In Transparent Ceramics: Materials, Engineering, and Applications , readers will discover the necessary foundation for understanding transparent ceramics (TCs) and the technical and economic factors that determine the overall worth of TCs. This book provides readers with a thorough history of TCs, as well as a detailed account of the materials, engineering and applications of TC in its various forms; fabrication and characterization specifics are also described. With this book, researchers, engineers, and students find a definitive guide to past and present use cases, and a glimpse into the future of TC materials. The book covers a variety of TC topics, including: ● The methods employed for materials produced in a transparent state ● Detailed applications of TCs for use in lasers, IR domes, armor-windows, and various medical prosthetics ● A review of traditionally used transparent materials that highlights the benefits of TCs ● Theoretical science and engineering theories presented in correlation with learned data ● A look at past, present, and future use-cases of TCs  This insightful guide to ceramics that can be fabricated into bulk transparent parts will serve as a must-read for professionals in the industry, as well as students looking to gain a more thorough understanding of the field.

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Explores the epistles’ reception history and their effects in sermons, music, art, literature, and politics over time 1, 2 Peter and Jude Through the Centuries considers three small epistles which are often overlooked in controversial discussions of theology, culture, art, music, politics, and literature. This book offers fresh perspectives on the epistles’ effects in numerous theological and cultural contexts such as slavery, the role of women in marriage, the nature of Christology, and how believers should relate to the government. Author Rebecca Skaggs traces the reception history of 1 Peter, Jude, and 2 Peter and investigates the texts’ effects on diverse doctrinal, social and political issues. Their influence on artists, musicians, dramatists and literary writers is explored, especially the Doctrine of the Descent of Christ into Hades. Each chapter includes an overview of central issues and topics, a selection of ancient readings with interpretations and a brief survey of modern scholarship on the subject. Illuminating how readings vary across historical periods and interpretive communities, this book: Traces the multi-faceted contributions of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude to theological discussions Provides a sampling of the kinds of effects available from each of the texts in various contexts Shows how the epistles engage in the discussions and controversies of the Medieval Ages Offers discussions of the epistles’ contributions to doctrinal debates on the inspiration of scripture and how to respond to heresy in the church Features detailed treatment of topics such as Christ’s visit to the spirits in prison, the dispute between Michael and Satan over Moses’ body and the final judgment by fire Features commentary from a leading scholar in New Testament Studies and Christian Theology Offering enlightening essays and new approaches, 1, 2 Peter and Jude Through the Centuries is an ideal book for anyone interested in the rich contributions of these epistles, such as Biblical and Theological Studies students, and pastors looking for original insights on reception material.

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The Taxable Investor's Manifesto: Wealth Management Strategies to Last a Lifetime is written for every investor with taxable wealth and every advisor who serves them. The Taxable Investor's Manifesto guides readers through a series of related topics, bringing clarity to complexity with an economy of words, while providing valuable and actionable advice at every turn. This remarkable book combines the deep industry knowledge of a seasoned practitioner with the communication skills of a leading educator. Author Stuart E. Lucas is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Wealth Strategist Partners, a firm that advises complex family enterprises, including his own. He also co-founded the University of Chicago’s Private Wealth Management program, now in its fourteenth year. Most investment books only address pre-tax headline returns, but individuals pay taxes. The incentives and disincentives of our tax system can have a dramatic impact on actual investment time horizons and returns. The Manifesto sensibly folds tax incentives into investment strategy in ways that can add profound value over a lifetime to actual results. It includes guidance on: How to keep a greater percentage of your profits with a higher probability of success and less effort Why it’s important to manage the intersection of investment, tax and estate planning How to compete for better long-term investment returns against tax-exempt investors. Whether you're a young professional or entrepreneur, a mid-career manager, a senior business executive, or a retiree this book will give you tools to enhance your net worth considerably. If you are an advisor, studying and implementing Lucas's advice will strengthen your business and make your clients happier.

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Political parties that once dominated Western democracies have been shaken to the core. Many have suffered electoral debacles, as in France, Italy and Greece, while mainstream political parties in the UK and the US have found themselves struggling to cope with outcomes – in the form of Brexit and the election of Trump – that were not anticipated. We are witnessing nothing less than the exhaustion of a century-old cleavage between traditional left and right parties due to their inability to perceive and tackle present-day challenges, such as declining social mobility, mounting environmental crises, rising geographic inequality, tensions over migration and multiculturalism, etc. The ‘populists’, from Salvini and Le Pen to Trump and Bolsonaro, were the first to understand this and supply an alternative.<br /> <br /> But contrary to what many observers now predict, we are not doomed to witness the replacement of the ancient political order by the populists’ rise to power. In France, Emmanuel Macron launched a new movement that stopped them. Though things have sometimes been tough, ‘En Marche!’ has successfully implemented an entirely new programme of reforms and has been given some comfort by recent election results. In this short book, David Amiel and Ismaël Emelien – two of Macron’s closest advisers and key architects of ‘En Marche!’ – build on this experiment and reflect on its successes and failures to define a new grassroots progressivism for Western countries based on three principles and ranging from public policies to electoral strategy, from ideology to party organization. <br /> <br /> This could form the bedrock for a wider counter-offensive against the populism of our times.

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With the end of Moore's law and the emergence of new application needs such as those of the Internet of Things (IoT) or artificial intelligence (AI), neuro-inspired, or neuromorphic, information processing is attracting more and more attention from the scientific community. Its principle is to emulate in a simplified way the formidable machine to process information which is the brain, with neurons and artificial synapses organized in network. These networks can be software – and therefore implemented in the form of a computer program – but also hardware and produced by nanoelectronic circuits. The 'material' path allows very low energy consumption, and the possibility of faithfully reproducing the shape and dynamics of the action potentials of living neurons (biomimetic approach) or even being up to a thousand times faster (high frequency approach). This path is promising and welcomed by the major manufacturers of nanoelectronics, as circuits can now today integrate several million neurons and artificial synapses.

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A collection of the writing of the highly influential architect, Juhani Pallasmaa, presented in short, easily accessible, and condensed ideas ideal for students Juhani Pallasmaa is one of Finland’s most distinguished architects and architectural thinkers, publishing around 60 books and several hundred essays and shorter pieces over his career. His influential works have inspired undergraduate and postgraduate students of architecture and related disciplines for decades. In this compilation of excerpts of his writing, readers can discover his key concepts and thoughts in one easily accessible, comprehensive volume. Inseminations: Seeds for Architectural Thought  is a delightful collection of thoughtful ideas and compositions that float between academic essay and philosophical reflection. Wide in scope, it offers entries covering: atmospheres; biophilic beauty; embodied understanding; imperfection; light and shadow; newness and nowness; nostalgia; phenomenology of architecture; sensory thought; silence; time and eternity; uncertainty, and much more. Makes the wider work of Pallasmaa accessible to students across the globe, introducing them to his key concepts and thoughts Exposes students to a broad range of issues on which Pallasmaa has a view Features an alphabetized structure that makes serendipitous discovery or linking of concepts more likely Presents material in short, condensed manner that can be easily digested by students Inseminations: Seeds for Architectural Thought  will appeal to undergraduate students in architecture, design, urban studies, and related disciplines worldwide.

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The definitive resource for understanding what coding is, designed for educators and parents   Even though the vast majority of teachers, parents, and students understand the importance of computer science in the 21st century, many struggle to find appropriate educational resources. Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book fills a gap in current knowledge by explaining exactly what coding is and addressing why and how to teach the subject. Providing a historically grounded, philosophically sensitive description of computer coding, this book helps readers understand the best practices for teaching computer science to their students and their children.  The authors, experts in teaching computer sciences to students of all ages, offer practical insights on whether coding is a field for everyone, as opposed to a field reserved for specialists. This innovative book provides an overview of recent scientific research on how the brain learns coding, and features practical exercises that strengthen coding skills. Clear, straightforward chapters discuss a broad range of questions using principles of computer science, such as why we should teach students to code and is coding a science, engineering, technology, mathematics, or language? Helping readers understand the principles and issues of coding education, this book: Helps those with no previous background in computer science education understand the questions and debates within the field Explores the history of computer science education and its influence on the present Views teaching practices through a computational lens Addresses why many schools fail to teach computer science adequately Explains contemporary issues in computer science such as the language wars and trends that equate coding with essential life skills like reading and writing Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book is a valuable resource for K-12 educators in computer science education and parents wishing to understand the field to help chart their children’s education path.

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