Download or read book Mean Baby written by Selma Blair and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2023-05-09 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selma Blair has played many roles: Ingenue in Cruel Intentions. Preppy ice queen in Legally Blonde. Muse to Karl Lagerfeld. Advocate for the multiple sclerosis community. But before all of that, Selma was known best as … a mean baby. In a memoir that is as wildly funny as it is emotionally shattering, Blair tells the captivating story of growing up and finding her truth. "Blair is a rebel, an artist, and it turns out: a writer."—Glennon Doyle, Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Untamed and Founder of Together Rising The first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. With her mouth pulled in a perpetual snarl and a head so furry it had to be rubbed to make way for her forehead, Selma spent years living up to her terrible reputation: biting her sisters, lying spontaneously, getting drunk from Passover wine at the age of seven, and behaving dramatically so that she would be the center of attention. Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. She often felt like her arms might be on fire, a sensation not unlike electric shocks, and she secretly drank to escape. Over the course of this beautiful and, at times, devasting memoir, Selma lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complicated mother, and the moments she flirted with death. There is brutal violence, passionate love, true friendship, the gift of motherhood, and, finally, the surprising salvation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. In a voice that is powerfully original, fiercely intelligent, and full of hard-won wisdom, Selma Blair’s Mean Baby is a deeply human memoir and a true literary achievement.

Download or read book Crossed Over written by Beverly Lowry and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-07-27 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One mother's son is killed in a tragic accident; another's daughter murders two people in a wild rage. From these bitter facts, Beverly Lowry--the first child's mother and an acclaimed novelist--has fashioned a memoir in which the objectivity of true-crime reportage resonates with acute feeling and even, ultimately, with redemption. In Houston, in the early morning hours of June 13, 1983, twenty-three-year-old Karla Faye Tucker showed up with two friends at the apartment of a man they hated, Jerry Lynn Dean. Fired by a lost weekend of drugs and bravado, during which their grievances against Jerry Lynn became magnified out of all proportion, they had it in mind to steal motorcycle parts. Maybe to scare him a little. But by the time they left, both Dean and his chance, one-night companion had been murdered with such thorough wickedness as to ensure Karla's place among the handful of young white women on Death Row in this country. The next fall, outside of Austin, Beverly Lowry's son Peter, after an increasingly troubled adolescence, was back in high school and back living at home when he was killed--an unsolved hit-and-run. He was eighteen. The despair that descended into Lowry's life seemed without end, but eventually and almost inevitably she became obsessed by the beautiful young killer whose photograph she'd seen in a Houston newspaper. "If Peter hadn't been killed," she writes, "I would not have made that first trip up to see Karla Faye." In Crossed Over, Beverly Lowry reveals how Tucker, a full-time addict and part-time prostitute, had been dealt this fate as a child--only to pursue it relentlessly herself in Houston's violent subculture of bikers and outlaws. Working backward from the murders, Lowry delves into character and motive, looking for reasons that might explain these unthinkable acts. But this is also an account of the unlikely and powerful friendship between a writer--a mother--coming to terms with her loss and a young woman who, even under the sentence of death, begins the life she'd never before had a chance to lead. Crossed Over is a story of crime and punishment, but more importantly it explores the connection between grief and hope, and between different kinds of victims. In the end, what Beverly Lowry uncovers is the unexpected ability of life, however blighted the circumstances, to assert its best, most urgent claim upon us.

Download or read book Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX written by Stephen J. Hegner and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this international collection of papers there is a wealth of knowledge on artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive science (CS) techniques applied to the problem of providing help systems mainly for the UNIX operating system. The research described here involves the representation of technical computer concepts, but also the representation of how users conceptualise such concepts. The collection looks at computational models and systems such as UC, Yucca, and OSCON programmed in languages such as Lisp, Prolog, OPS-5, and C which have been developed to provide UNIX help. These systems range from being menu-based to ones with natural language interfaces, some providing active help, intervening when they believe the user to have misconceptions, and some based on empirical studies of what users actually do while using UNIX. Further papers investigate planning and knowledge representation where the focus is on discovering what the user wants to do, and figuring out a way to do it, as well as representing the knowledge needed to do so. There is a significant focus on natural language dialogue where consultation systems can become active, incorporating user modfelling, natural language generation and plan recognition, modelling metaphors, and users' mistaken beliefs. Much can be learned from seeing how AI and CS techniques can be investigated in depth while being applied to a real test-bed domain such as help on UNIX.

Download or read book US Open written by United States Tennis Association and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timed to coincide with the US Open’s 50th anniversary, this exquisitely produced book celebrates the most electrifying event in tennis. All of the key moments and unforgettable personalities from the competition’s 50-year history are brought to life by vibrant, exclusive photography. This book provides a comprehensive look at the tournament, from the early years of tennis legends such as Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe to iconic players such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Original contributions from journalists, players, coaches, and notable fans stand alongside gorgeous photography of the many household names who have made their mark competing on the game’s biggest stage. A perfect gift for any tennis fan, this book is a richly visual tribute to the sport, its fans, and its champions.

Download or read book Do the Right Thing written by Stuart Jonathan Russell and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like Mooki, the hero of Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing artificially, intelligent systems have a hard time knowing what to do in all circumstances. Classical theories of perfect rationality prescribe the right thing for any occasion, but no finite agent can compute their prescriptions fast enough. In Do the Right Thing, the authors argue that a new theoretical foundation for artificial intelligence can be constructed in which rationality is a property of programs within a finite architecture, and their behaviour over time in the task environment, rather than a property of individual decisions.

Download or read book Word Searches For Dummies written by Denise Sutherland and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-05-11 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A travel-friendly puzzle-packed book that keeps the brain in shape One of the best ways to exercise the mind is through word and logic games like word searches and Sudoku. Studies have shown that doing word searches frequently can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. Word Searches For Dummies is a great way to strengthen the mind and keep the brain active plus, it's just plain fun! This unique guide features several different types of word searches that take readers beyond simply circling the answer: secret shape word searches, story word searches, listless word searches, winding words, quiz word searches, and more. It provides a large number of puzzles at different levels that will both test and exercise the mind while keeping the reader entertained for hours.

Download or read book The World Until Yesterday written by Jared Diamond and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-12-31 with total page 727 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling author of Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel surveys the history of human societies to answer the question: What can we learn from traditional societies that can make the world a better place for all of us? “As he did in his Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond continues to make us think with his mesmerizing and absorbing new book." Bookpage Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday—in evolutionary time—when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions.The World Until Yesterday provides a mesmerizing firsthand picture of the human past as it had been for millions of years—a past that has mostly vanished—and considers what the differences between that past and our present mean for our lives today. This is Jared Diamond’s most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn’t romanticize traditional societies—after all, we are shocked by some of their practices—but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. Provocative, enlightening, and entertaining, The World Until Yesterday is an essential and fascinating read.

Download or read book Prison and Slavery A Surprising Comparison written by John Dewar Gleissner and published by John Dewar Gleissner. This book was released on 2010-11-17 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This historically accurate and thoroughly researched book compares the modern American prison system to antebellum slavery. The surprising comparison proves that antebellum slavery was not as bad as many believe, while modern mass incarceration is an unrealized social and financial disaster of mammoth proportions.

Download or read book Rethinking Gamification written by Mathias Fuchs and published by Meson Press Eg. This book was released on 2014 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gamification marks a major change to everyday life. It describes the permeation of economic, political, and social contexts by game-elements such as awards, rule structures, and interfaces that are inspired by video games. Sometimes the term is reduced to the implementation of points, badges, and leaderboards as incentives and motivations to be productive. Sometimes it is envisioned as a universal remedy to deeply transform society toward more humane and playful ends. Despite its use by corporations to manage brand communities and personnel, however, gamification is more than just a marketing buzzword. States are beginning to use it as a new tool for governing populations more effectively. It promises to fix what is wrong with reality by making every single one of us fitter, happier, and healthier. Indeed, it seems like all of society is up for being transformed into one massive game. The contributions in this book offer a candid assessment of the gamification hype. They trace back the historical roots of the phenomenon and explore novel design practices and methods. They critically discuss its social implications and even present artistic tactics for resistance. It is time to rethink gamification!

Download or read book Museums and Memory written by Susan A. Crane and published by Cultural Sitings. This book was released on 2000 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume considers museums from personal experience and historical study, and from the memories of museum visitors, curators, and scholars. Representing a variety of fields, the essays range widely over time and place, in exhibitions explored, and types of institutions.

Download or read book The Use of Knowledge in Analogy and Induction written by Stuart Jonathan Russell and published by Pitman Publishing. This book was released on 1989 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book B is for Burglar written by Sue Grafton and published by Holt Paperbacks. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: B is for Burglar, from Sue Grafton's #1 New York Times bestselling Kinsey Millhone Alphabet mystery series Beverly Danziger looked like an expensive, carefully wrapped package from a good but conservative shop. Only her compulsive chatter hinted at the nervousness beneath her cool surface. It was a nervousness out of all proportion to the problem she placed before Kinsey Millhone. There was an absent sister. A will to be settled--a matter of only a few thousand dollars. Mrs. Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars. And she didn't seem like someone longing for a family reunion. Still, business was slow, and even a private investigator has bills to pay. Millhone took the job. It looked routine. Elaine Boldt's wrappings were a good deal flashier than her sister's, but they signaled the same thing: The lady had money. A rich widow in her early forties, she owned a condo in Boca Raton and another in Santa Teresa. According to the manager of the California building, she was last seen draped in her $12,000 lynx coat heading for Boca Raton. According to the manager of the Florida building, she never got there. But someone else had and she was camping out illegally in Mrs. Boldt's apartment. The job was beginning to seem a bit less routine. It turned tricky when Beverly Danziger ordered Millhone to drop the case and it took on an ominous quality when Aubrey Danziger surfaced, making all kinds of wild accusations about his wife. But it only became sinister when Millhone learned that just days before Elaine Boldt went missing, her next-door neighbor and bridge partner had been murdered and the killer was still at large. A house destroyed by arson. A brutally murdered a woman. A missing lynx coat. An apartment burgled of valueless papers, another ransacked in a melée of mindless destruction. And more murder. As Millhone digs deeper into the case, she finds herself in a nightmarish hall of mirrors in which reality is distorted by illusion and nothing--except danger--is quite what it seems. "A" Is for Alibi "B" Is for Burglar "C" Is for Corpse "D" Is for Deadbeat "E" Is for Evidence "F" Is for Fugitive "G" Is for Gumshoe "H" Is for Homicide "I" Is for Innocent "J" Is for Judgment "K" Is for Killer "L" is for Lawless "M" Is for Malice "N" Is for Noose "O" Is for Outlaw "P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry "R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass "U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

Download or read book Life Before Birth written by Arthur Janov and published by Nti Upstream. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author believes the period of our lives that has the greatest impact on disease and personality formation is our gestation and birth. Recent studies provide evidence that fetal imprinting, an evolutionary strategy to prepare children to cope with life, establishes a permanent set-point in a child's physiology. Mothers highly anxious during pregnancy may give birth to babies prone to mental illness and disease in later life. Low oxygen at birth, drugs taken during pregnancy, and a lack of parental affection in the first years of life may have similar adverse affects. The author puts a case for a reorientation of our approaches to pregnancy and the use of drugs, and above all, to the modes of psychotherapy we implement to treat everything from phobias and compulsions to anxiety and depression.--From book jacket.

Download or read book Challenges for Games Designers written by Brenda Brathwaite and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2008-08-21 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to a book written to challenge you, improve your brainstorming abilities, and sharpen your game design skills! Challenges for Game Designers: Non-Digital Exercises for Video Game Designers is filled with enjoyable, interesting, and challenging exercises to help you become a better video game designer, whether you are a professional or aspire to be. Each chapter covers a different topic important to game designers, and was taken from actual industry experience. After a brief overview of the topic, there are five challenges that each take less than two hours and allow you to apply the material, explore the topic, and expand your knowledge in that area. Each chapter also includes 10 "non-digital shorts" to further hone your skills. None of the challenges in the book require any programming or a computer, but many of the topics feature challenges that can be made into fully functioning games. The book is useful for professional designers, aspiring designers, and instructors who teach game design courses, and the challenges are great for both practice and homework assignments. The book can be worked through chapter by chapter, or you can skip around and do only the challenges that interest you. As with anything else, making great games takes practice and Challenges for Game Designers provides you with a collection of fun, thought-provoking, and of course, challenging activities that will help you hone vital skills and become the best game designer you can be.

Download or read book Infinite City written by Rebecca Solnit and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2010-11-29 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes a place? Rebecca Solnit reinvents the traditional atlas, searching for layers of meaning & connections of experience across San Francisco.

Download or read book Waking with Enemies written by Eric Jerome Dickey and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-08-07 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contract killer Gideon becomes the hunted in this “high-octane”* thriller from New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey. A heated encounter in a London hotel room leaves international hit man Gideon waking up to a world where no one can be trusted. Because this time, someone's taken out a hit on him—and finding out who did it has him rethinking a dangerous past. Is it the man he left alive in Tampa, the cold beauty who taught him how to kill, the scorned woman he still desires, or an unknown enemy? One thing is for sure, Gideon will need his friends—and his enemies—to get out of this game alive.

Download or read book Nabokov at Cornell written by Gavriel Shapiro and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of contents