Download or read book Cloudthinker written by Andrew McGlinchey and published by Pitanga Press. This book was released on 2023-05-04 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER: First Place 2023 Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards for for Science Fiction. Numbers don’t lie. But people do. Seasoned tech journalist Parham Nasiri is convinced there’s something sinister behind tech giant Magenta’s new product, Cloudthinker. The ambitious AI service sent shockwaves through an already fragile economy, decimating the workforce and tightening Magenta’s stranglehold on society. After his employers subscribe to the service and put him out of a job, Parham becomes determined to uncover the truth. His digging leads him to Boogie Wu – an enigmatic math genius who died in a corporate jet accident – and he’s quickly ensnared in a shadowy web of mystery and deception. Tangled up with a corporate whistle-blower, a human-like autonomous hacker, AI-powered robots, and the increasingly blurry line separating humans from software, Parham fights to expose the secrets behind Cloudthinker and its elusive creators. And when he realizes the world-shaking consequences of Magenta’s real intentions, he’ll be forced to make impossible choices to stop the world from tipping into crisis... Set in a future so near you can touch it, Cloudthinker is a profound and propulsive new thriller that confronts big tech, memory and consciousness, and what it means to be human. Selected Reader Reviews: ✭✭✭✭✭ "If ChatGPT had a villain origin story, this would be it" - Deborah N. ✭✭✭✭✭ "Crackling near-term, hard-SF dawn-of-AGI novel. More ideas per page than any book I've read in ages... Rather than worrying about whether AI understands in a way that would satisfy a philosopher, he asks whether they feel in a way that would terrify an ethicist." - Harry S. ✭✭✭✭✭ "WOW. I always hope but never expect a book to be this good! How much did I ENJOY it?... and on a scale of 1-10 this was 17-19 or something!" - Randy F. ✭✭✭✭✭ "This book will take you down the winding trail of "what ifs" that are fast becoming a reality for all of us. Thrilling and thought provoking. I forgot this was a work of fiction several times." - Joe S. ✭✭✭✭✭ "In many ways, Cloudthinker feels like a movie waiting for a screenplay." - Jules K ✭✭✭✭✭ "The timeliness of the AI progression nailed it, I think - everything from Wuhan to the current state of language models felt like the changes were worryingly plausible" - Sean R. ✭✭✭✭✭ "You can read it as a philosophical and ethical journey into some of the most interesting topics emerging in today's society." - JT. ✭✭✭✭✭ "I picked it up and read it in a single sitting. And then went back and read it again a few days later. A gripping and engaging story both times!" - Jordan D-M. ✭✭✭✭✭ "This distinctly creative, imaginative, and profound debut novel will delight fans of sci-fi, thrillers/suspense stories, technothrillers, and cyberpunk". - Terri Stepek for Reader Views ✭✭✭✭✭ "Hits the zeitgeist in a big way." - Jennifer Hill for Reedsy Discovery

Download or read book Something About a Mountain written by and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book In the Spirit written by Steven DeLay and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2022-05-27 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series of analysis dealing with issues of basic human concern such as love, hope, joy, beauty, desire, suffering, evil, and death, Steven DeLay articulates an existence of faith in Christ. With attention to the Bible and works of art (Caravaggio, Doré, Pissarro, Poussin, Rembrandt, and Rodin), DeLay explores the depths of the human experience, offering a descriptive account of our personal encounter with God. A contribution to the longstanding tradition of edifying Christian works, In the Spirit extols the glory of being human in light of God's word.

Download or read book The Professional ScrumMaster s Handbook written by Stacia Viscardi and published by Packt Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2013-04-19 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on the ScrumMaster role and responsibilities, this book presents solutions and ideas for common problems, improving the overall methodology of a ScrumMaster's approach.The Professional ScrumMaster’s Handbook is for anybody who wishes to be a true ScrumMaster as the role was originally intended - a fearless, professional, change facilitator. This book extends your working knowledge of Scrum to explore other avenues and ways of thinking to help teams and organizations reach their full potential.

Download or read book The Bear s Forest Patrol written by Andy Weiss and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2013-09 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Midwestern family with NY ties, caught in a terminal under-current. To work your way out of the hard.

Download or read book Z for Zachariah written by Robert C. O'Brien and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this post-apocalyptic novel from Newbery Medal–winning author Robert C. O’Brien, a teen girl struggling to survive in the wake of unimaginable disaster comes across another survivor. Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors. But the smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann’s solitude. Someone else is still alive and making his way toward the valley. Who is this man? What does he want? Can he be trusted? Both excited and terrified, Ann soon realizes there may be worse things than being the last person on Earth.

Download or read book Asperger Solution written by Kevin Foley and published by Exposure Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kevin Foley BA (Hons) Econ. PGCE had been teaching for four years before Aspergers Syndrome was actually called Aspergers Syndrome (AS). A specialist in getting young people through exams, he was - like most teachers- totally oblivious to autistic spectrum disorders. Had it not been for a chance encounter with his son, Sean, he would probably have remained ignorant of autism bar 'a little knowledge' gleaned from watching Rainman and Forest Gump. Kevin Foley enjoyed a quarter of a century's teaching in a variety of 'challenging' settings in and out of the mainstream. In that time he saw some of his students graduate to Oxbridge whilst others graduated to penal institutions. On this journey he came to appreciate the efficacy of Solution Focused interventions and worked as Education Consultant with Eileen Murphy Consultants. But in terms of understanding autism, more important have been the lessons his son has taught him during the past eighteen years: Such as who lived at No 7 Coronation St. in 1977. And why somebody with autism would be jealous of Mr Berkeley from Star Trek. Having seen his son struggle with the demands of the mainstream, Kevin Foley now believes that: "Too many children with AS suffer 'meltdown' as a result of being forced to operate in environments that test their immature executive, social, and emotional skills to breaking point - and beyond. We need to ' personalise' our children's education so that this doesn't happen. We need to cast a cold eye on what currently passes for 'inclusion' and be aware of the intrusion and exclusion that is the daily reality for many of our children in mainstream schools" Kevin Foley has home-educated his son for the past four years.

Download or read book Movie Wars written by Jonathan Rosenbaum and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2002-07-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the cinema, as writers from David Denby to Susan Sontag have claimed, really dead? Contrary to what we have been led to believe, films are better than ever—we just can't see the good ones. Movie Wars cogently explains how movies are packaged, distributed, and promoted, and how, at every stage of the process, the potential moviegoer is treated with contempt. Using examples ranging from the New York Times's coverage of the Cannes film festival to the anticommercial practices of Orson Welles, Movie Wars details the workings of the powerful forces that are in the process of ruining our precious cinematic culture and heritage, and the counterforces that have begun to fight back.

Download or read book Placing Movies written by Jonathan Rosenbaum and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1995-05-10 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Once or twice a generation a film critic comes along who expands or even redefines how we talk about the medium. Jonathan Rosenbaum is one of these figures."—Alan Williams, author of Republic of Images

Download or read book The Software Project Manager s Bridge to Agility written by Michele Sliger and published by Addison-Wesley Professional. This book was released on 2008-05-19 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When software development teams move to agile methods, experienced project managers often struggle—doubtful about the new approach and uncertain about their new roles and responsibilities. In this book, two long-time certified Project Management Professionals (PMPRs) and Scrum trainers have built a bridge to this dynamic new paradigm. They show experienced project managers how to successfully transition to agile by refocusing on facilitation and collaboration, not “command and control.” The authors begin by explaining how agile works: how it differs from traditional “plan-driven” methodologies, the benefits it promises, and the real-world results it delivers. Next, they systematically map the Project Management Institute’s classic, methodology-independent techniques and terminology to agile practices. They cover both process and project lifecycles and carefully address vital issues ranging from scope and time to cost management and stakeholder communication. Finally, drawing on their own extensive personal experience, they put a human face on your personal transition to agile--covering the emotional challenges, personal values, and key leadership traits you’ll need to succeed. Coverage includes Relating the PMBOKR Guide ideals to agile practices: similarities, overlaps, and differences Understanding the role and value of agile techniques such as iteration/release planning and retrospectives Using agile techniques to systematically and continually reduce risk Implementing quality assurance (QA) where it belongs: in analysis, design, defect prevention, and continuous improvement Learning to trust your teams and listen for their discoveries Procuring, purchasing, and contracting for software in agile, collaborative environments Avoiding the common mistakes software teams make in transitioning to agile Coordinating with project management offices and non-agile teams “Selling” agile within your teams and throughout your organization For every project manager who wants to become more agile. Part I An Agile Overview 7 Chapter 1 What is "Agile"? 9 Chapter 2 Mapping from the PMBOKR Guide to Agile 25 Chapter 3 The Agile Project Lifecycle in Detail 37 Part II The Bridge: Relating PMBOKR Guide Practices to Agile Practices 49 Chapter 4 Integration Management 51 Chapter 5 Scope Management 67 Chapter 6 Time Management 83 Chapter 7 Cost Management 111 Chapter 8 Quality Management 129 Chapter 9 Human Resources Management 143 Chapter 10 Communications Management 159 Chapter 11 Risk Management 177 Chapter 12 Procurement Management 197 Part III Crossing the Bridge to Agile 215 Chapter 13 How Will My Responsibilities Change? 217 Chapter 14 How Will I Work with Other Teams Who Aren't Agile? 233 Chapter 15 How Can a Project Management Office Support Agile? 249 Chapter 16 Selling the Benefits of Agile 265 Chapter 17 Common Mistakes 285 Appendix A Agile Methodologies 295 Appendix B Agile Artifacts 301 Glossary 321 Bibliography 327 Index 333

Download or read book The Soul of Design written by Robert Austin and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2012-09-05 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes the Apple iPhone cool? Bang & Olufsen and Samsung's televisions beautiful? Any of a wide variety of products and services special? The answer is not simply functionality or technology, for competitors' products are often as good. The Soul of Design explores the uncanny power of some products to grab and hold attention—to create desire. To understand what sets a product apart in this way, authors Lee Devin and Robert Austin push past personal taste and individual response to adopt a more conceptual approach. They carefully explore the hypothesis that there is something within a "special" product that makes it—well, special. They argue that this je ne sais quoi arises from "plot"—the shape that emerges as a product or service arouses and then fulfills expectations. Marketing a special product is, then, a matter of helping its audience perceive its plot and comprehend its qualities. Devin and Austin provide keys to understanding why some products and services stand out in a crowd and how the companies that make them create these hits. Part One of the book introduces the authors' definition of plot in this context; Part Two breaks down the components needed to build a plot; Part Three describes what makes a plot coherent; Part Four takes on the challenges of making coherent products and services attractive to consumers. Part Four also presents detailed casework, which shows how innovators and makers have successfully brought special products to market. Readers will come away with a sensible and clear approach to conceiving of artful products and services. This book will help managers and designers think about engaging with plot, taking aesthetic factors into account to provide consumers with more special things.

Download or read book Professional Scrum Development with Azure DevOps written by Richard Hundhausen and published by Microsoft Press. This book was released on 2021-02-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional Scrum Development with Azure DevOps stands apart from all other Scrum and Azure guides by focusing on the fusion of today's most popular agile framework (Scrum) and ALM/DevOps toolset (Azure DevOps). Hundhausen shows how a professional Scrum team can more effectively plan, track, and manage its work with Azure Boards, Azure Test Plans, and related Azure DevOps features. He offers detailed coverage of team formation, backlogs, sprints, test plans, collaboration, flow, continuous improvement, and the real-world tradeoffs between using tools and interacting directly with other team members. To make this guide even more valuable, Hundhausen has crafted it to complement Scrum.org's popular Professional Scrum Developer (PSD) program, which he personally created with Scrum.org's Ken Schwaber. Powerful techniques for the 80-90% of modern software teams that use Scrum and its variants Reflects state-of-the-art tools built into Azure DevOps, as well as its integration with GitHub Introduces high-productivity features for Scrum teams in Azure Boards and Azure Test Plans Complements Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Developer (PSD) program -- created by this book's author together with Ken Schwaber Richard Hundhausen helps software organizations and teams deliver better products by understanding and leveraging Azure DevOps and Scrum. He is a Professional Scrum Trainer, Professional Scrum Developer, author of Professional Scrum Development with Microsoft Visual Studio(Microsoft Press), and co-creator of the Nexus Scaled Scrum Framework with Ken Schwaber. As a software developer and consultant with 30+ years of experience, he understands that software is built and delivered by people, not by processes or tools.

Download or read book The Enterprise and Scrum written by Ken Schwaber and published by Microsoft Press. This book was released on 2007-06-13 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It’s time to extend the benefits of Scrum—greater agility, higher-quality products, and lower costs—from individual teams to your entire enterprise. However, with Scrum’s lack of prescribed rules, the friction of change can be challenging as people struggle to break from old project management habits. In this book, agile-process revolution leader Ken Schwaber takes you through change management—for your organizational and interpersonal processes—explaining how to successfully adopt Scrum across your entire organization. A cofounder of Scrum, Ken draws from decades of experience, answering your questions through case studies of proven practices and processes. With them, you’ll learn how to adopt—and adapt—Scrum in the enterprise. And gain profound levels of transparency into your development processes. Discover how to: Evaluate the benefits of adopting Scrum in any size organization Initiate an enterprise transition project Implement a single, prioritized Product Backlog Organize effective Scrum teams using a top-down approach Adapt and apply solutions for integrating engineering practices across multiple teams Shorten release times by managing high-value increments Refine your Scrum practices and help reduce the length of Sprints

Download or read book Artful Making written by Robert Daniel Austin and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors show how to "manage" ingenuity--and "manufacture" the next great idea, in other words they tell what managers need to know about how artists and highly creative people work.

Download or read book Orson Welles written by and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Having and Raising Children written by Uma Narayan and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the term &"family values&" achieves prominence in the rhetoric of political debate, the social issues at the heart of today's political controversies deserve to be studied in depth. This volume brings together a group of philosophers, political scientists, and legal scholars to explore a wide range of specific topics dealing with the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of familial relationships. Topics addressed include the rights of unwed fathers, the nature of children's autonomy, children's rights to divorce their parents, parental rights with respect to medical treatment and religious education of children, surrogate parenting, same-sex parenting, and single-parent families. Collectively, the essays point out that many contemporary issues pertaining to the having and raising of children pose genuinely hard choices for public policy makers, for those who make and enforce the laws, and for citizens who would like to engage in informed and critical democratic debate on these issues.

Download or read book Atlas of Breast Surgery written by Ismail Jatoi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-16 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unique atlas on the market that covers both surgical management of breast diseases and cosmetic reconstruction International technical standard set by the world’s best surgeons Abundantly illustrated