Introduction to MATLAB

Art and nature meet in this guided workbook that allows readers to learn the popular art of watercolor while slowing down and connecting with their surroundings. Artist Rosalie Haizlett has led hundreds of watercolor workshops, teaching beginners to paint scenes and details they observe outdoors. With this book, the watercolor trend is more accessible than ever. Rosalie's fun, illustrated step-by-step projects make it easy to pick up the basics of watercolor and paint lifelike flowers, leaves, ferns, animals and more. In addition to a foundation in watercolor, readers get an introduction to incorporating pen and pencil into their artwork. This unique blend of techniques guarantees a realistic, natural result. Readers learn to focus on details in projects like the Magnolia Flower, Fiddlehead Fern, Luna Moth and Chanterelle Mushroom, or take in the big picture in compositions such as the Mountain Vista, Waterfall Scene and Meadow Landscape. Full of Rosalie's inspiring illustrations, this

This is an engaging introduction to the study of language for undergraduate or beginning graduate students, aimed especially at those who would like to continue further linguistic study. It introduces students to analytical thinking about language, but goes beyond existing texts to show what it means to think like a scientist about language, through the exploration of data and interactive problem sets. A key feature of this text is its flexibility. With its focus on foundational areas of linguistics and scientific analysis, it can be used in a variety of course types, with instructors using it alongside other information or texts as appropriate for their own courses of study. The text can also serve as a supplementary text in other related fields (Speech and Hearing Sciences, Psychology, Education, Computer Science, Anthropology, and others) to help learners in these areas better understand how linguists think about and work with language data. No prerequisites are necessary. While ea

This is an engaging introduction to the study of language for undergraduate or beginning graduate students, aimed especially at those who would like to continue further linguistic study. It introduces students to analytical thinking about language, but goes beyond existing texts to show what it means to think like a scientist about language, through the exploration of data and interactive problem sets. A key feature of this text is its flexibility. With its focus on foundational areas of linguistics and scientific analysis, it can be used in a variety of course types, with instructors using it alongside other information or texts as appropriate for their own courses of study. The text can also serve as a supplementary text in other related fields (Speech and Hearing Sciences, Psychology, Education, Computer Science, Anthropology, and others) to help learners in these areas better understand how linguists think about and work with language data. No prerequisites are necessary. While ea

Introduce young readers to the fascinating and colorful process of how caterpillars become butterflies.As we follow the transformation of a tiny white egg laid on a leaf to a brilliantly-colored butterfly, award-winning writer and artist Gail Gibbons uses bright, detailed watercolors to illustrate the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, stage by stage. Young readers can follow along and learn as the monarch grows, changes, and takes flight, in this simple introduction to a process studied by many school children. With clear, labeled diagrams and simple text that defines and reinforces important vocabulary, Monarch Butterfly introduces key concepts of insect anatomy and behavior. And of course, the unique migration of the monarch--which can range up to four thousand miles--is covered, with descriptions of how the insects travel, and how people in their path celebrate the occasion. This best-selling look at butterflies also includes labelled instructions about how to hatch your own mona

Language is not simply a tool for communication - symbolic power struggles underlie any speech act, discourse move, or verbal interaction, be it in face-to-face conversations, online tweets or political debates. This book provides a clear and accessible introduction to the topic of language and power from an applied linguistics perspective. It is clearly split into three sections: the power of symbolic representation, the power of symbolic action and the power to create symbolic reality. It draws upon a wide range of existing work by philosophers, sociolinguists, sociologists and applied linguists, and includes current real-world examples, to provide a fresh insight into a topic that is of particular significance and interest in the current political climate and in our increasingly digital age. The book shows the workings of language as symbolic power in educational, social, cultural and political settings and discusses ways to respond to and even resist symbolic violence.

From monster-slewing heroes to ancient accounts of gods and goddesses from all around the world, such as Thor and Odin, the beautifully illustrated follow-up to Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts is a fun and fascinating journey through the realms of mythology, enthralling with tales of creation, legendary fables, gods and beasts. Accompanied by engaging text by Marzia Accatino, Laura Brenella's captivating illustrations take you on a voyage of discovery all over the globe. Guided by the centaur Chiron, young readers will vault across the world to learn about the powers and weaknesses of the gods, the adventures of the great heroes, the best ways to befriend strange creatures, and the most useful tricks for escaping terrible monsters. From Norse legends of valiant Valkyries preparing for battle to the powers of Ancient Egypt's gods and goddesses, this is an exciting introduction to the world of gods, goddesses and heroes for young kids. About Lonely Planet Kids: Lonely Planet Kids - an impri

Irony is an intriguing topic, central to the study of meaning in language. This book provides an introduction to the pragmatics of irony. It surveys key work carried out on irony in a range of disciplines such as semantics, pragmatics, philosophy and literary studies, and from a variety of theoretical perspectives including Grice's approach, Sperber and Wilson's echoic account, and Clark and Gerrig's pretense theory. It looks at a number of uses of irony and explores how irony can be misunderstood cross-culturally, before delving into the key debates on the pragmatics of irony: is irony always negative? Why do speakers communicate via irony, and which strategies do they usually employ? How are irony and sarcasm different? Is irony always funny? To answer these questions, basic pragmatic notions are introduced and explained. It includes multiple examples and activities to enable the reader to apply the theoretical frameworks to actual everyday instances of irony.

Dress and fashion are central to our understanding of art. From the stylization of the body to subtle textile embellishments and richly symbolic colors, dress tells a story and provides clues as to the cultural beliefs of the time in which artworks were produced. This concise and accessible book provides a step-by-step guide to analysing dress in art, including paintings, photographs, drawings and art installations.The first section of the book includes an introduction to visual analysis and explains how to 'read' fashion and dress in an artwork using the checklists. The second section offers case studies which demonstrate how artworks can be analysed from the point of view of key themes including status and identity, modernity, ideals of beauty, gender, race, globalization and politics. The book includes iconic as well as lesser known works of art, including work by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun, Thomas Gainsborough, James Jacques Tissot, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, Yinka Shonibare, Mickale

This text is geared toward students who have an undergraduate degree or extensive coursework in engineering or the physical sciences and who wish to develop their understanding of the essential topics of applied mathematics. The methods covered in the chapters form the core of analysis in engineering and the physical sciences. Readers will learn the solutions, techniques, and approaches that they will use as academic researchers or industrial R&D specialists. For example, they will be able to understand the fundamentals behind the various scientific software packages that are used to solve technical problems (such as the equations describing the solid mechanics of complex structures or the fluid mechanics of short-term weather prediction and long-term climate change), which is crucial to working with such codes successfully. Detailed and numerous worked problems help to ensure a clear and well-paced introduction to applied mathematics. Computational challenge problems at the end of eac

The essential guide for anyone wanting a quick introduction to the fundamental ideas underlying photonics. The author uses his forty years of experience in photonics research and teaching to provide intuitive explanations of key concepts, and demonstrates how these relate to the operation of photonic devices and systems. Readers will gain insight into the nature of light and the ways in which it interacts with materials and structures, and learn how these basic ideas are applied in areas such as optical systems, 3D imaging and astronomy. Carefully designed worked examples and end-of-chapter problems enable students to check their understanding, with full solutions available online. Mathematical treatments are kept as simple as possible, allowing readers to grasp even the most complex of concepts. Clear, concise and accessible, this is the perfect guide for undergraduate students taking a first course in photonics, and anyone in academia or industry wanting to review the fundamentals.

The essential guide for anyone wanting a quick introduction to the fundamental ideas underlying photonics. The author uses his forty years of experience in photonics research and teaching to provide intuitive explanations of key concepts, and demonstrates how these relate to the operation of photonic devices and systems. Readers will gain insight into the nature of light and the ways in which it interacts with materials and structures, and learn how these basic ideas are applied in areas such as optical systems, 3D imaging and astronomy. Carefully designed worked examples and end-of-chapter problems enable students to check their understanding, with full solutions available online. Mathematical treatments are kept as simple as possible, allowing readers to grasp even the most complex of concepts. Clear, concise and accessible, this is the perfect guide for undergraduate students taking a first course in photonics, and anyone in academia or industry wanting to review the fundamentals.

A full-color picture book biography about Dorothy Vaughan, one of NASA's first African American managers and one of the groundbreakers on the front line of electronic computing--includes hands-on STEM activities for an introduction to coding.Dorothy Vaughan loved things that made sense--especially numbers! In Computer Decoder: Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist, elementary-aged children follow Dorothy's journey from math teacher to human computer and beyond, a journey made difficult because she was an African American woman working during a time of segregation. Dorothy worked incredibly hard to meet the challenges that greeted her at every turn and rose to the level of supervisor, the first black supervisor in the history of her company! But another challenge awaited when a mechanical computer threatened to replace the teams of human computers. How will Dorothy figure out this problem?- In the Picture Book Biography series, children encounter real-life characters who are thrilled to l

Since the notion was introduced by Gromov in the 1980s, hyperbolicity of groups and spaces has played a significant role in geometric group theory; hyperbolic groups have good geometric properties that allow us to prove strong results. However, many classes of interest in our exploration of the universe of finitely generated groups contain examples that are not hyperbolic. Thus we wish to go 'beyond hyperbolicity' to find good generalisations that nevertheless permit similarly strong results. This book is the ideal resource for researchers wishing to contribute to this rich and active field. The first two parts are devoted to mini-courses and expository articles on coarse median spaces, semihyperbolicity, acylindrical hyperbolicity, Morse boundaries, and hierarchical hyperbolicity. These serve as an introduction for students and a reference for experts. The topics of the surveys (and more) re-appear in the research articles that make up Part III, presenting the latest results beyond hy

Irony is an intriguing topic, central to the study of meaning in language. This book provides an introduction to the pragmatics of irony. It surveys key work carried out on irony in a range of disciplines such as semantics, pragmatics, philosophy and literary studies, and from a variety of theoretical perspectives including Grice's approach, Sperber and Wilson's echoic account, and Clark and Gerrig's pretense theory. It looks at a number of uses of irony and explores how irony can be misunderstood cross-culturally, before delving into the key debates on the pragmatics of irony: is irony always negative? Why do speakers communicate via irony, and which strategies do they usually employ? How are irony and sarcasm different? Is irony always funny? To answer these questions, basic pragmatic notions are introduced and explained. It includes multiple examples and activities to enable the reader to apply the theoretical frameworks to actual everyday instances of irony.

Many climatic extremes around the globe, such as severe droughts and floods, can be attributed to the periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific sea surface, termed the El Niño or Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Advances in our understanding of ENSO, in which Edward S. Sarachik and Mark A. Cane have been key participants, have led to marked improvements in our ability to predict its development months or seasons, allowing adaptation to global impacts. This book introduces basic concepts and builds to more detailed theoretical treatments. Chapters on the structure and dynamics of the tropical ocean and atmosphere place ENSO in a broader observational and theoretical context. Chapters on ENSO prediction, past and future, and impacts, introduce broader implications of the phenomenon. This book provides an introduction to all aspects of this most important mode of global climate variability, for research workers and students of all levels in climate science, oceanography and related fields.

Richard Feynman was one of the most famous and important physicists of the second half of the twentieth century. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965, celebrated for his spirited and engaging lectures, and briefly a star on the evening news for his presence on the commission investigating the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, Feynman is best known for his contributions to the field of quantum electrodynamics. The Character of Physical Law, drawn from Feynman's famous 1964 series of Messenger Lectures at Cornell, offers an introduction to modern physics -- and to Feynman at his witty and enthusiastic best. Feynman offers an overview of selected physical laws and gathers their common features into one broad principle of invariance -- arguing that the importance of a physical law is not "how clever we are to have found it out" but "how clever nature is to pay attention to it." He discusses such topics as the interaction of mathematics and physics, the principle of conserva

In the second edition of this user-friendly book, Olivier de La Grandville provides a clear and original introduction to the theory of economic growth, its mechanisms and its challenges. The book has been fully updated to incorporate several important new results and proofs since the first edition. In addition to a progressive treatment of dynamic optimization, readers will find intuitive derivations of all central equations of the calculus of variations and of optimal control theory. It offers a new solution to the fundamental question: How much should a nation save and invest? La Grandville shows that the optimal savings rule he suggests not only corresponds to the maximization of future welfare flows for society, but also maximizes the value of society's activity, as well as the total remuneration of labour. The rule offers a fresh alternative to dire current predictions about an ever-increasing capital–output ratio and a decrease of the labour share in national income.

In the second edition of this user-friendly book, Olivier de La Grandville provides a clear and original introduction to the theory of economic growth, its mechanisms and its challenges. The book has been fully updated to incorporate several important new results and proofs since the first edition. In addition to a progressive treatment of dynamic optimization, readers will find intuitive derivations of all central equations of the calculus of variations and of optimal control theory. It offers a new solution to the fundamental question: How much should a nation save and invest? La Grandville shows that the optimal savings rule he suggests not only corresponds to the maximization of future welfare flows for society, but also maximizes the value of society's activity, as well as the total remuneration of labour. The rule offers a fresh alternative to dire current predictions about an ever-increasing capital–output ratio and a decrease of the labour share in national income.

Stone Tools in the Paleolithic and Neolithic Near East: A Guide surveys the lithic record for the East Mediterranean Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and adjacent territories) from the earliest times to 6,500 years ago. It is intended both as an introduction to this lithic evidence for students and as a resource for researchers working with Paleolithic and Neolithic stone tool evidence. Written by a lithic analyst and professional flintknapper, this book systematically examines variation in technology, typology, and industries for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic; the Epipaleolithic; and Neolithic periods in the Near East. It is extensively illustrated with drawings of stone tools. In addition to surveying the lithic evidence, the book also considers ways in which archaeological treatment of this evidence could be changed to make it more relevant to major issues in human origins research. A final chapter shows how change in stone tool designs points to increasing human d

This 2007 volume presents the lectures from the sixteenth Winter School of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, which was dedicated to extrasolar planets. Research into extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting fields of astrophysics, and the past decade has seen a research leap from speculations on the existence of planets orbiting other stars to the discovery of around 200 planets to date. The book covers a wide range of issues, from the state-of-the-art observational techniques used to detect extrasolar planets, to the characterizations of these planets, and the techniques used in the remote detection of life. It also looks at the insights we can gain from our own Solar System, and how we can apply them. The contributors, all of high-standing in the field, provide a balanced and varied introduction to extrasolar planets for research astronomers and graduate students, bridging theoretical developments and observational advances.

This textbook provides an intuitive yet mathematically rigorous introduction to the thermodynamics and thermal physics of planetary processes. It demonstrates how the workings of planetary bodies can be understood in depth by reducing them to fundamental physics and chemistry. The book is based on two courses taught by the author for many years at the University of Georgia. It includes 'Guided Exercise' boxes; end-of-chapter problems (worked solutions provided online); and software boxes (Maple code provided online). As well as being an ideal textbook on planetary thermodynamics for advanced students in the Earth and planetary sciences, it also provides an innovative and quantitative complement to more traditional courses in geological thermodynamics, petrology, chemical oceanography and planetary science. In addition to its use as a textbook, it is also of great interest to researchers looking for a 'one stop' source of concepts and techniques that they can apply to their research pro

"An excellent introduction. It is not just a well-laid-out narrative, it is a thought-provoking reflection on the arguments that swirl around the image of Africa today." Richard Dowden-Director of the Royal African Society and author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles"Clear, well written, and provocative. Be prepared to have your prejudices challenged." Ray Bush-Professor of African Studies and Development Politics, University of Leeds"Informed, challenging, and thought provoking." Peter Woodward-Professor of Politics, University of ReadingBeset by war, famine, and corruption, Africa is viewed by many in the West as a helpless charity case. Little seems to change despite decades of massive financial assistance, prompting many to question whether Africa is a lost cause. Although home to diverse and dynamic societies, the continent is often seen as a single entity, and the West treats it as a problem to be `solved'.This unsentimental and hard-hitting account of the continent to

Many climatic extremes around the globe, such as severe droughts and floods, can be attributed to the periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific sea surface, termed the El Niño or Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Advances in our understanding of ENSO, in which Edward S. Sarachik and Mark A. Cane have been key participants, have led to marked improvements in our ability to predict its development months or seasons, allowing adaptation to global impacts. This book introduces basic concepts and builds to more detailed theoretical treatments. Chapters on the structure and dynamics of the tropical ocean and atmosphere place ENSO in a broader observational and theoretical context. Chapters on ENSO prediction, past and future, and impacts, introduce broader implications of the phenomenon. This book provides an introduction to all aspects of this most important mode of global climate variability, for research workers and students of all levels in climate science, oceanography and related fields.

Do you want a rigorous book that remembers where PDEs come from and what they look like? This highly visual introduction to linear PDEs and initial/boundary value problems connects the math to physical reality, all the time providing a rigorous mathematical foundation for all solution methods. Readers are gradually introduced to abstraction – the most powerful tool for solving problems – rather than simply drilled in the practice of imitating solutions to given examples. The book is therefore ideal for students in mathematics and physics who require a more theoretical treatment than given in most introductory texts. Also designed with lecturers in mind, the fully modular presentation is easily adapted to a course of one-hour lectures, and a suggested 12-week syllabus is included to aid planning. Downloadable files for the hundreds of figures, hundreds of challenging exercises, and practice problems that appear in the book are available online, as are solutions.

Do you want a rigorous book that remembers where PDEs come from and what they look like? This highly visual introduction to linear PDEs and initial/boundary value problems connects the math to physical reality, all the time providing a rigorous mathematical foundation for all solution methods. Readers are gradually introduced to abstraction – the most powerful tool for solving problems – rather than simply drilled in the practice of imitating solutions to given examples. The book is therefore ideal for students in mathematics and physics who require a more theoretical treatment than given in most introductory texts. Also designed with lecturers in mind, the fully modular presentation is easily adapted to a course of one-hour lectures, and a suggested 12-week syllabus is included to aid planning. Downloadable files for the hundreds of figures, hundreds of challenging exercises, and practice problems that appear in the book are available online, as are solutions.

Callimachus was one of the most important and influential writers in the ancient world. He was the outstanding poet of the Hellenistic period and had a profound effect on the subsequent course of Greek and Roman literature. The hymns are intricate, allusive and difficult poetry, and need elucidation for the modern reader. 'The Fifth Hymn: The Bath of Pallas', is considered by many to be Callimachus' finest surviving poem. Anthony Bulloch has established a new text of the poem, which is printed here with facing English translation. The substantial introduction and full commentary aim to introduce the poem to a wide audience and to help the modern reader to reconstruct what the ancient reader may have taken for granted as part of the crucial and intellectual background and to achieve an informed and sensitive appreciation of the poem in its full perspective. This will be welcomed by Greek scholars and those interested in Greek and Roman poetry.

This is one of the first studies to treat Valéry's theory and practice of poetry together and is the first full-length study of his poetry in English. Discussion of his ideas on poetic composition leads to a detailed analysis of the principal poetry: the long term poem La Jeune Parque and all the poems in the main collection. While serving as a step-by-step introduction to Valéry's poetic achievement, the argument is not merely neutral; it elicits and comments on his little-known concept of 'Voice', now seen increasingly to be central. This is not simply the acoustic or musical effect of one poet's verse: it relates to the inner monologue we all hear within ourselves. By concentrating on Valéry's unusually thorough understanding of this area of exchange between willed and spontaneous modes of perception and creativity, the book is able to approach without jargon the much debated question of the subject - 'Who speaks in a poem?' It proposes some unexpected conclusions concerning Valéry'

In this work, which has survived only in manuscript form and in Italian, Gardiner analyses the great dynastic changes in England's past in order to provide Phillip II with a guide to ruling England and establishing a Catholic dynasty. He adapts historical example to practical political purposes with great subtlety, quoting at length (but without saying so) from Machiavelli to show that a new prince can rule England - if he eliminates those of royal blood and respects the laws and customs of his new possessions. This edition is a carefully edited text of the Italian and Professor Donaldson has provided an English translation and an introduction setting the treatise in its immediate historical context. Gardiner's work is perhaps the clearest example of an attempt to relate Machiavelli's political theories to practical political problems. Its publication will interest historians and students of politics as well as those with an interest in the influence of Machiavellianism as an important

This book examining diagnosis was first published in 1985. Diagnosis is at the centre of medical practice and depends on skilled information processing and decision making. Medical students, who will spend their working lives gathering information from patients, making decisions and solving problems need to be taught the necessary techniques. One aim of the book is, therefore, to give teachers an account of some of the basic ideas which have been applied to the diagnostic process and to medical problem solving in general. Another aim is to make teachers more aware of the principles underlying their clinical work, for it has been shown repeatedly that clinicians' actions do not always coincide with their teaching and there is a distinct gap between what they do and what they teach. This introduction to the fundamental concepts of information processing and decision making is written at a level which makes it appropriate reading for those who have not previously read widely in these area

The theory of Lie groups rests on three pillars: analysis, topology and algebra. Correspondingly it is possible to distinguish several phases, overlapping in some degree, in its development. It also allows one to regard the subject from different points of view, and it is the algebraic standpoint which has been chosen in this tract as the most suitable one for a first introduction to the subject. The aim has been to develop the beginnings of the theory of Lie groups, especially the fundamental theorems of Lie relating the group to its infinitesimal generators (the Lie algebra); this account occupies the first five chapters. Next to Lie's theorems in importance come the basic properties of subgroups and homomorphisms, and they form the content of Chapter VI. The final chapter, on the universal covering group, could perhaps be most easily dispensed with, but, it is hoped, justifies its existence by bringing back into circulation Schreier's elegant method of constructing covering groups.

This text is important both as one of the most interesting contributions to the liberalism of the German Enlightenment, and as the most significant source for the ideas which John Stuart Mill popularized in his essay On Liberty. Humboldt's concern is to define the criteria by which the permissible limits of the state's activities may be determined. His basic principle, like that of Mill, is that the only justification for government interference is the prevention of harm to others. He discusses in detail the role and limits of the state's responsibility for the welfare, security and morals of its citizens. Humboldt's special achievement in this work is to enlarge our sense of what a liberal political theory might be by his particularly sensitive grasp of the complexity of our attitudes to and our need of other people. Dr Burrow has based his translation on Coulthard's version of 1854. In an important introduction, he provides a most perceptive as well as scholarly guide to Humboldt's p

A study of the Pharisees, in particular as they appear in the New Testament and in relation to Jesus. The main part of the book brings together the most important Greek and Semitic source material in translation. This facilitates reference, and it makes possible group and seminar discussion of documents which have hitherto been difficult to study in English. As in his book The Targums and Rabbinic Literature Mr Bowker makes available and accessible to students material which tends to be removed from them by language and technicality. In his introduction he explains the many problems and uncertainties which surround this apparently well-known but actually little-understood group. He shows that they were far from constituting a static, uniform sect, and that they had an important history of their own. He finally suggests an approach to understanding Jesus' relations with them, which in turn suggests an understanding of Jesus' conception of his own relation to God, and also of his 'trial'

The contributors to this 1992 book examine various aspects of the relationship among Christianity and the visual arts, architecture and music in Russia. Within this broad area the book concentrates on specific topics rather than attempting a broad survey. Nonetheless, the range of material extends from the earliest stages of the introduction of Byzantine art forms in Kievan Russia to the relation between Christian and folk decorative/iconographic motifs to the use of religious imagery in the work of contemporary filmmaker Andrei Tarkovskii. The related interests of the contributors create a concentration of topics in certain periods such as the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of the chapters are academically specialized, others are easily accessible to a general audience; but all are based on thorough and careful scholarship. Christianity and the Arts in Russia is based on, but not limited to, a symposium held at the Library of Congress in 1988 to mark the millenniu

“Long a secret weapon for the hedge-fund elite,” says Trader Monthly, the DeMark Indicators are now used by more than 35,000 traders. This book provides an easy-to-follow system for using the indicators to identify market turns as they happen.Author Jason Perl gives a concise introduction to thirty-nine of the DeMark Indicators, and then shows how to combine the indicators and time frames to achieve a higher probability of trading success. Thomas R. DeMark, the creator of the DeMark Indicators and one of the most well-respected practitioners of technical analysis wrote the Foreword to this book. This is the second book in the Bloomberg Market Essentials™: Technical Analysis series, which covers the key elements of the most widely used technical analysis tools. Silver Medal Winner, Investing Category, Axiom Business Book Awards (2009)Winner: Book Series Cover Design, The Bookbinders Guild of New York/2009 New York Book Show Awards

This 2007 volume presents the lectures from the sixteenth Winter School of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, which was dedicated to extrasolar planets. Research into extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting fields of astrophysics, and the past decade has seen a research leap from speculations on the existence of planets orbiting other stars to the discovery of around 200 planets to date. The book covers a wide range of issues, from the state-of-the-art observational techniques used to detect extrasolar planets, to the characterizations of these planets, and the techniques used in the remote detection of life. It also looks at the insights we can gain from our own Solar System, and how we can apply them. The contributors, all of high-standing in the field, provide a balanced and varied introduction to extrasolar planets for research astronomers and graduate students, bridging theoretical developments and observational advances.

A history of the bacterial disease of bubonic plague, and of the mortality, distress and panic fear that it caused in the British Isles from The Great Pestilence of 1348 to The Plague of London in 1665, with a brief account of its transient reappearances between 1900 and 1912. Professor Shrewsbury draws on his knowledge as a bacteriologist in describing the way in which the disease was transmitted from the rat, its natural host, to man and emphasizes that the Black Rat was solely responsible for its introduction to the British Isles, and for its spread from one place to another; he is thus able to identify genuine outbreaks of plague from those of other diseases. Among the consequences of the plague which Professor Shrewsbury discusses are its effect upon the growth of population, and on social and economic life, the harsh and useless regulations made in vain efforts to control it, and the collapse of law and order during its great outbursts.

This unique volume provides a complete reference on variable stars. It presents a wealth of typical light- and colour-curves to allow identification, together with a detailed and up-to-date description of each subclass. The editors, together with seven other world experts, have created a unique pictorial atlas of variable stars. In the first chapter they give a clear introduction to the nomenclature and classification of the light curves of variable stars, and to photometric systems. In the remaining chapters they provide a detailed account of each subclass: from eruptive, pulsating, rotating and cataclysmic variables, through to eclipsing-binary systems and X-ray binaries. Specific variable stars, types and classes of variables, together with key astrophysical terms can be quickly and easily located in the book by means of detailed object-name and subject indexes. This comprehensive and up-to-date volume provides an essential reference for all those interested in variable stars - from

The Education of a Christian Prince is a new student edition of Erasmus's crucial treatise on political theory. It contains a new, excerpted translation from his Panegyric, making it possible for the first time to compare two works which Erasmus himself regarded as closely related. The Education of a Christian Prince was published in 1516 and dedicated to Prince Charles, the future Emperor Charles V, and is one of the most influential books of the 'advice-to-princes' published in the Renaissance era. It is a strongly pacifist work in which Erasmus sought to ensure that the prince governed justly and benevolently. The importance of Erasmus's work lies in his emphasis on virtuous conduct as the backbone of the polity, an argument which has influenced political writing up to the present time. This edition also includes an original introduction, a chronology of the life and work of Erasmus, and a comprehensive guide to further reading.

Modern cosmology and high energy astrophysics have become interdisciplinary research subjects and new graduate students are now expected to assimilate a broad range of physical concepts. This innovative book provides a clear and pedagogical introduction to research in these areas through a series of problems and answers. The problems are designed to develop each core topic in a simple and coherent way and full solutions are provided to make this book completely self-contained. The first half of the book covers the core subjects of astrophysical processes, gravitational dynamics, radiative processes, fluid mechanics and general relativity. The second half uses these concepts to develop modern cosmology: topics include the Friedmann model and thermal history, dynamics of dark matter and baryons in an expanding universe, physics of high-redshift objects and the very early universe. This unique self-study textbook will be of key interest to graduate students and researchers in cosmology, a

This is a comprehensive account of politics, government and society in thirteenth-century England. Three episodes stand out: the revolt of the barons against King John in 1215, the protest against the misgovernment of Henry III which began in 1258, and the resistance to the demands of Edward I on the resources of the land which came to a head in 1297. Professor Harding places these political events in the context of social and economic change, in order to provide a rounded account of the century. The introduction demonstrates the constitutional importance given by past historians to the period which saw the framing of the Magna Carta and the beginnings of Parliament and statute law. The central chapters describe the developing social structure of peasants, townsmen and professional people, knights, clergy and lay magnates. The book finally sees the politics of the century in terms of royal ambitions to dominate Britain and to play a leading role in Europe.