Systems Science

Reidon Ward porte les stigmates d'une existence brutale. Abandonné par des parents incapables de supporter sa maladie dégénérative, il grandit en regardant les circuits de combat, s'entraînant sans relâche dans l'espoir d'un jour rejoindre ce monde et triompher de ses idoles. Son acharnement ne passe pas inaperçu. Quand l'IA omnisciente qui gouverne l'humanité pose son regard sur lui, tout bascule.

"Vaclav Smil is my favorite author."—Bill Gates An indispensable analysis of how the world really produces and consumes its food—and a scientist's exploration of how we can successfully feed a growing population without killing the planet We have never had to feed as many people as we do...

There is a huge, bold black streak in the sky. Branches appear out of nowhere over North America, Southern Europe, and Central Africa. People who live beneath The Rift can see it. But scientists worldwide are distressed - their equipment cannot pick up any type of signal from it. The rift appears to consist of nothing. Literally. Nothing. Nada. Niente. Most people are curious but not overly concerned. The phenomenon seems to pose no danger. It is just there. Then something jolts the most hardened naysayers, and surpasses the worst nightmares of the world's greatest scientists.

Now every breath has a price tag, every monster works on commission, and the Doom System keeps the books in blood. Hiro Johnson thought the First Interim was hell. Now he’s entered the Second Interim—a financial apocalypse where survival depends on your net worth. Debt drains stats. Monsters collect interest. And the System’s new motto? Survivors must be punished. Armed with a demon dog, a sarcastic shield, a slew of odd weapons, and dwindling Soul Cash, Hiro’s running out of ways to stay alive.

Few subjects are more fundamental to modern life than electrical power. The systems that generate, transport, and distribute electricity are among the most essential contributors to modern industry, development, and everyday living. As energy demand grows and, with it, the electric power industry, more and more non-electrical professionals must make important policy and administrative decisions regarding the systems that power our world.

Is our sun behaving differently from other stars? When an amateur astronomer discovers something strange on telescopic solar pictures, an explanation must be found. Is it merely artifact? Or has he found something totally unexpected? An expert international crew is hastily assembled, a spaceship is speedily repurposed, and the foursome is sent on the ride of their lives. What challenges will they face on this spur-of-the-moment mission to our central star?

The world didn't end. It just leveled up in this epic LitRPG adventure. Fourteen-year-old Caden Taylor was more worried about his grades than his stats. But that was before the universe hit the reset button. Now, the world he knew is gone, replaced by a new reality governed by a game-like System. With stats, skills, and quests, it's the ultimate Gamelit challenge where survival is the only goal. When the timer hits zero, the world he knew is deleted.

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.

The smallest planet in our solar system is also the closest to the sun. That means on Mercury, one year is just 88 days long! Discover more facts about the small but mighty Mercury.

Saturn is famous for its rings. This very windy planet has another claim to fame—it has the most moons of all eight planets! Discover more amazing facts about the sixth planet in the solar system!

Mars is famous for its coloring, but the fourth planet from the sun has more than that going for it. Discover more interesting facts and secrets about the famous "red planet."

In a world upended by the whims of the [Admin], all of humanity has been forced into a brutal game of survival. Nick is more than just another man: he's a man who saw the ending and used a wish to travel back in time. His story has started over. Following his escape from the Manhattan Rooftops, he must next fight against the Ancient Mariner of Central Island and the hoard of undead that the Ancient Mariner commands. The survivors are under attack, and all eyes are on Nick to make sure they survive to see the next challenge.

In World-Systems Analysis, Immanuel Wallerstein provides a concise and accessible introduction to the comprehensive approach that he pioneered 30 years ago to understanding the history and development of the modern world. Since Wallerstein first developed world-systems analysis, it has become a widely utilized methodology within the historical social sciences and a common point of reference in discussions of globalization.

Living with an advanced Werewolf System hasn't always been easy for Gary Dem. But it sure comes in handy. Without it, he would never have been able to take on—and literally devour—a lethal Altered and live to tell about it. With his new rank and abilities, Gary and his gang, the Howlers, are primed to finally wipe out the last remaining competition in Slough. As long as he can control himself and his growing werewolf pack, things might just turn out all right . . . But it's not bloody likely.

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.

From the acclaimed author of New York 2140 and Red Mars, this NYT bestselling novel tells the story of a future where humanity has populated miraculous new habitats engineered across the solar system -- and the one death that triggers a precarious chain of events that could destroy it all. The...

Wrench is a Fixer. Someone born to maintain, fix, and correct any and every issue that could arise in the Habitat he lives in. To make sure he and his fellow humans can remain on display and entertain their owners as any good human pet would. At least, that's what he was born to be. Now, after getting a second chance along with a superpower that lets him alter anything and everything in regards to his own body, he's trying to fix his life.

The Devil in Iron by Robert E. Howard is a thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure set in the legendary Hyborian Age, starring the iconic warrior Conan the Barbarian. When an ancient iron-skinned god named Khosatral Khel is awakened on the mysterious island of Xapur, a resurrected city of forgotten magic rises from the jungle. Drawn into a deadly trap involving the captive noblewoman Octavia and the scheming Jehungir Agha, Conan must battle sorcery, monstrous guardians, and the living iron god himself.

As Reeves shows, the growing separation between the upper middle class and everyone else can be seen in family structure, neighborhoods, attitudes, and lifestyle. Those at the top of the income ladder are becoming more effective at passing on their status to their children, reducing overall social mobility. The result is not just an economic divide but a fracturing of American society along class lines. Upper-middle-class children become upper-middle-class adults.

You might not care about politics… but politics sure as hell cares about you.
Your bills, your job, your rent, your rights – all shaped by decisions made in rooms you’re never invited into. This isn’t some boring textbook full of waffle. It’s a straight-talking guide to how the system really works – and why it doesn’t work for people like us.