Explorations
Author: Beth Alison Schultz Shook
Publisher:
Published: 2023
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781931303811
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The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Author: Bobby Henderson
Publisher: Villard
Published: 2010-04-07
Total Pages: 194
ISBN-13: 0307485560
DOWNLOAD EBOOKCan I get a “ramen” from the congregation?! Behold the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), today’s fastest growing carbohydrate-based religion. According to church founder Bobby Henderson, the universe and all life within it were created by a mystical and divine being: the Flying Spaghetti Monster. What drives the FSM’ s devout followers, a.k.a. Pastafarians? Some say it’s the assuring touch from the FSM’s “noodly appendage.” Then there are those who love the worship service, which is conducted in pirate talk and attended by congregants in dashing buccaneer garb. Still others are drawn to the Church’s flimsy moral standards, religious holidays every Friday, or the fact that Pastafarian heaven is way cooler: Does your heaven have a Stripper Factory and a Beer Volcano? Intelligent Design has finally met its match—and it has nothing to do with apes or the Olive Garden of Eden. Within these pages, Bobby Henderson outlines the true facts– dispelling such malicious myths as evolution (“only a theory”), science (“only a lot of theories”), and whether we’re really descended from apes (fact: Humans share 95 percent of their DNA with chimpanzees, but they share 99.9 percent with pirates!) See what impressively credentialed top scientists have to say: “If Intelligent Design is taught in schools, equal time should be given to the FSM theory and the non-FSM theory.” –Professor Douglas Shaw, Ph.D. “Do not be hypocritical. Allow equal time for other alternative ‘theories’ like FSMism, which is by far the tastier choice.” –J. Simon, Ph.D. “In my scientific opinion, when comparing the two theories, FSM theory seems to be more valid than classic ID theory.” –Afshin Beheshti, Ph.D. Read the book and decide for yourself!
Disney A to Z
Author: Dave Smith
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Published: 1996
Total Pages: 600
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIncludes full descriptions of all Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy cartoons; the story of Mickey's birth; the Disney Channel Premiere films and Disney television shows; the Disney parks; Disney Academy Awards and Emmy Awards; the Mouseketeers throughout the years; and details of Disney company personnel and primary actors.
The Second Home
Author: Christina Clancy
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Published: 2022-06-28
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 1250239613
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAfter a disastrous summer spent at her family summer home on Cape Cod, seventeen-year-old Ann Gordon was left with a secret that changed her life forever, and created a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael. Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, leaving Ann and Poppy to decide the fate of the Wellfleet home that's been in the Gordon family for generations. For Ann, the once-beloved house is tainted with bad memories. Poppy loves the old saltbox, but after years spent chasing waves around the world, she isn't sure she knows how to stay in one place. Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long ago summer. Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings must decide if they can continue to be a family-and the house just might be the glue that holds them together. Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again. It is about second homes, second families, and second chances. Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, The Second Home is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with, and won't soon forget.
Notes on the Elements of Behavioral Science
Author: Doris Zumpe
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Published: 2001-08-31
Total Pages: 374
ISBN-13: 9780306465772
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis textbook is designed for all undergraduate students headedfor medical, dental, veterinary, and nursing school, as well asbiology majors. Classical and modern ethology is discussed in additionto sociobiology and, finally, the physiology of different behavioralsystems. Attention is paid to the behavior of primates, includinghumans, and in some cases mention is made of human clinical syndromes.
Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years
Author: Lee Gale Gruen
Publisher:
Published: 2020-11-10
Total Pages:
ISBN-13: 9781735848105
DOWNLOAD EBOOKHave you retired or are about to and have no clue what to do next? Don't succumb to isolation and depression as so many have. This book offers a detailed guide for retirees, those soon to retire, baby boomers, and seniors to reinvent themselves in this new stage of their lives by finding joy, excitement, and purpose in their retirement. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach but instead highlights how each individual can identify and locate gratifying activities and pursuits based on their own interests and comfort level. The author learned the secret the hard way and finally transitioned from retired probation officer to actress, author, public speaker, and blogger. Audience members at her lectures on senior reinvention began requesting a book on the subject. This is the result, and it contains the content of those talks as well as six years of posts from her free, online blog. Her lectures, blog, and this book are all titled, "Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years." The book details the author's own personal reinvention after she retired; why people fear retirement; why they eventually do retire; how you can find joy, excitement, and purpose in your retirement; how you can figure out what might be of interest to you personally; and what the secret is to customizing available choices to your particular personality. To help guide them, the reader is then given a long, detailed account of what is available to retirees in the community as well as where and how to find those activities and pursuits. There is a separate chapter on volunteer activities and another on employment opportunities for retirees and seniors. The final chapter offers six years of posts from the author's blog which she has been writing every two weeks since 2013 where she discusses her thoughts, observations, and experiences which she believes are universal to the retiree and senior populations. Her website is: LeeGaleGruen.com
The Joy of Science
Author: Richard A. Lockshin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Published: 2007-11-05
Total Pages: 426
ISBN-13: 1402060998
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis book reveals that scientific logic is an extension of common, everyday logic and that it can and should be understood by everyone. Written by a practicing and successful scientist, it explores why questions arise in science and looks at how questions are tackled, what constitutes a valid answer, and why. The author does not bog the reader down in technical details or lists of facts to memorize. He uses accessible examples, illustrations, and descriptions to address complex issues. The book should prove enlightening to anyone who has been perplexed by the meaning, relevance, and moral or political implications of science.
Introduction to Psychology
Author: Jennifer Walinga
Publisher: Hasanraza Ansari
Published:
Total Pages: 810
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis book is designed to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a conceptual level. The focus on behaviour and empiricism has produced a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. The beginning of each section includes learning objectives; throughout the body of each section are key terms in bold followed by their definitions in italics; key takeaways, and exercises and critical thinking activities end each section.
The Other End of the Leash
Author: Patricia McConnell, Ph.D.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2009-02-19
Total Pages: 289
ISBN-13: 0307489183
DOWNLOAD EBOOKLearn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.
The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values
Author: Brian Christian
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2020-10-06
Total Pages: 459
ISBN-13: 039363583X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKA jaw-dropping exploration of everything that goes wrong when we build AI systems and the movement to fix them. Today’s “machine-learning” systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us—and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem. Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole—and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands. The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called “artificial intelligence.” They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software. In best-selling author Brian Christian’s riveting account, we meet the alignment problem’s “first-responders,” and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they—and we—succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story. The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture—and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.
