Systems Science

Reluctant ruler of the settlements in British Columbia, John and his friends must now face even greater dangers as they seek to free other human settlements from Galactic control in North America. But John's enemies have begun to take notice of the burgeoning resistance and take steps to stop him and the human resistance including bringing in Master Class help. Can John navigate the treacherous waters of Galactic politics and human interests without compromising his beliefs or sacrificing his friends?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is causing massive changes in our lives, both at the individual and societal level, with the global AI market expected to reach around 126 billion US dollars by 2025. As more and more decision-making moves to AI systems, unique risks are being introduced. However, this topic can be quite challenging for newcomers who want to understand the governance and cyber-security risks that AI introduces. This book assumes zero prior knowledge of AI or machine learning and explains in an easy-to-understand way how to govern and secure AI.

Interference is the true history of the most important and consequential decisions, obstacles, and quandaries Mueller and his team faced when investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. For the first time, Mueller’s only deputy, his most senior counselor who served on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and the lead prosecutor looking into obstruction of justice and Russian interference, have come together to tell a highly relevant and compelling account of what it was like to carry out their investigation of election interference.

As a software developer from Texas, Tom thought he understood broken code. But when mysterious obelisks transform Earth into a glitch-riddled dungeon crawler, he discovers that debugging the apocalypse won't be as easy as turning it off and back on again. Their lifeline? Vending machines turned into miniature storefronts. These mechanical saviors dispensed everything from swords to shampoo—until they started dispensing death.

The Supreme Court has always had the authority to issue emergency rulings in exceptional circumstances. But since 2017, the Court has dramatically expanded its use of the behind-the-scenes “shadow docket,” regularly making decisions that affect millions of Americans without public hearings and without explanation, through cryptic late-night rulings that leave lawyers—and citizens—scrambling. But Americans of all political stripes should be worried about what the shadow docket portends for the rule of law, argues Supreme Court expert Stephen Vladeck.

Right now in America, there are about two million homes with solar panels. Considering there are about 90 million single-family homes, that doesn’t seem like a lot. But consider this: We’re now on track to start adding a million new solar-powered systems each year. It’s taken a while to get here, but solar energy is increasingly becoming a popular option to power the home of the future.

What will it take to restore balance to our world, repair past injustices, and support future generations' survival? Looking deeply into the web of life that created and supports us, and drawing inspiration from diverse cultural traditions and perspectives, spirited thinkers Michael Pawlyn and Sarah Ichioka propose a bold set of regenerative principles with potential to transform how we design, make, and manage our buildings; infrastructure; and communities.

Jake's monster girls just want to have fun, but success always brings new challenges. After his embarrassment in the Trials, an evil god wants vengeance, and he'll stop at nothing to get it. Despite his sound defeat, Apophis's plot is going to make it difficult for Jake's party to enjoy their hard-won freedom. Meanwhile, the true perils of the war with Tartarus loom on the horizon. Join Jake and his growing family as they face fresh challenges and summon a new ally that's a lot more than they can handle. The giant dark elf lamia proves to be as difficult to deal with as she is powerful.

The U.S.S. Enterprise is the site for a wedding that will unite two powerful rival families of the Tizarin. But Captain Picard's happiness is soon cut short by the arrival of Lwaxana Troi, the nagging mother of ship's counsellor Deanna Troi, and the notorious, all-powerful Q, who has come to examine and challenge the human concept of love. Read by Majel Barrett and John de Lancie!

Based on interviews with currently and formerly incarcerated artists, prison visits, and the author's own family experiences with the penal system, Marking Time shows how the imprisoned turn ordinary objects into elaborate works of art. Working with meager supplies and in the harshest conditions - including solitary confinement - these artists find ways to resist the brutality and depravity that prisons engender. The impact of their art, Fleetwood observes, can be felt far beyond prison walls.

How did the world’s greatest systems thinkers handled crises, invented revolutionary ideas, and solved complex problems? How did the field of systems thinking develop? Who were the pioneers in the field? Learn about the answers in Lessons from Systems Thinkers, from Norbert Wiener’s pioneering contribution on positive and negative feedback to Warren McCulloch’s research on feedback mechanisms in neurology, from Gregory Bateson’s double bind and how it affects family relationships to Margaret Mead’s systems approach to cultural anthropology.

Pantheon Leader Jay Luckrun has experienced the loss of friends and enemies alike. But he continues marching forward to conquer new challenges and bring vengeance against the System Admins. His magic has grown stronger. His gravity has greater reach. And the dungeons of an invasive pantheon of goblins are up next on the chopping block. Follow Jay as he develops his own unique path and finally gets some revenge upon the evil System Admins. He might have to lose his humanity along the way. But that's a plus. He'll gain greater power that's more paradoxical than expected.

When it comes to choosing, using, and maintaining a database, understanding its internals is essential. But with so many distributed databases and tools available today, it's often difficult to understand what each one offers. With this practical guide, Alex Petrov guides developers through the concepts behind modern database and storage engine internals.

In the distant future, horrible dreams torment Admiral James T. Kirk, dreams prompted by his reading of Strangers from the Sky, a book about that historic first contact. He dreams of an alternate reality where he somehow changed the course of history, and destroyed the Federation before it began.

The past collides with the present as the true story of the historical Kahless sparks a battle for control of the entire Klingon Empire. Yet even if Worf and Picard can prevent a civil war, the revelations contained by the scroll ensure that the Klingon Empire - and the rest of the galaxy - will never be the same.

At the dawn of the 21st century, British society is still shaped by a private education system devised to gentrify the Victorian middle classes and produce gentlemen to run the Empire. Yet it is not on the political agenda. It is rarely the subject of public debate, and we remain blind to its psychological implications. Can we afford to go on ignoring this issue? Will we continue to sacrifice the welfare of our children to satisfy our antiquated social aspirations?

Parker Wu’s life was cut short after a tragic encounter with a very large truck. But when one existence ended, another far more bizarre one began. Reincarnated and transported to the Continent—a world of swords and sorcery in which an all-powerful being known as the Eternal King reigns supreme—Parker is no longer a corporeal being. It seems the Continent has other plans for the late Earthling . . . As it turns out, Parker is now a System, a non-player entity whose purpose is to help a player succeed.

Climb into your spaceship and blastoff for an adventure through our solar system! This exciting nonfiction series uses narrative text to inform early learners about the different planets, moons, and other celestial bodies in the solar system. On their journeys, they’ll discover volcanic moons, mysterious dwarf planets, and much more! This volume includes Moons, The Outer Planets, and The Sun.

What causes Jupiter’s Great Red Spot? How have volcanoes shaped the land on many planets? How do space shuttles launch and dock with space stations? This series introduces young listeners to the objects within our solar system and the tools people use to explore the mysteries of space. This volume includes The Moon, NASA, Pluto, The Solar System, Space Shuttles, and Space Stations.

The Colorado Trail in Crisis addresses the sweeping transformation of western forests and wilderness ecosystems affected by climate change. This book is equal parts trail journal and synthesis of natural and human history. Karl Ford uses research on climate impacts to forests, wildlife, hydrology, and more to stress the urgent need for an action plan to reduce greenhouse gases and save forests and watersheds.