EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book A Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Spider Subfamily Phyxelidinae  Araneae  Amaurobiidae

Download or read book A Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Spider Subfamily Phyxelidinae Araneae Amaurobiidae written by Charles E. Griswold and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The subfamily Phyxelidinae Lehtinen of the Amaurobiidae is diagnosed and revised, and a key to and distribution maps of the 53 valid and 1 undescribed species are provided. The subfamily comprises 12 genera placed in three newly described tribes: Ambohima, new genus, Kulalania new genus, Lamaika, new genus, Malaika Lehtinen, Matundua Lehtinen, Namaquarachne, new genus, Phyxelida Simon, Pongolania, new genus, Themacrys Simon, Vidole Lehtinen, Vytfutia Deeleman-Reinhold, and Xevioso Lehtinen. Vytfutia is newly transferred to the Phyxelidinae. Members of the Phyxelidinae occur in Africa, Madagascar, the eastern Mediterranean, and southeast Asia. The Phyxelidinae is monophyletic and is defined by the following putative synapomorphies: at least some of the basal prolateral setae on the palpal femora of both sexes are enlarged, and in many species the setae are also modified into thorns; the tarsal trichobothria are lost and the metatarsal pattern is reduced to a single subapical dorsal trichobothrium; and the origin of the calamistrum is shifted to the median part of the fourth metatarsus. Previous familial placements of the spiders here placed in the Phyxelidinae are critically evaluated, and it is concluded that the Phyxelidinae are members of the Amaurobiidae. The Amaurobiidae is redefined on the basis of putative synapomorphies as spiders with a divided cribellum which have simple, sclerotized retrolateral and dorsal tibial processes on the male palp (however, the retrolateral process is lost in all Phyxelidinae except Vytfutia). A cladogram for the 54 species of the Phyxelidinae derived through numerical parsimony analysis using Swofford's program PAUP is presented. The following new taxa are proposed: new tribes: Vytfutiini, Vidoleini, and Phyxelidini; new genera: Ambohima (type species Ambohima sublima, new species, from Madagascar), Kulalania (type species Kulalania antiqua, new species, from Kenya), Lamaika (type species Lamaika distincta, new species, from South Africa), Namaquarachne (type species Namaquarachne khoikhoiana, new species, from South Africa), and Pongolania (type species Pongolania pongola, new species, from South Africa); new species: Ambohima sublima and A. pauliani; Kulalania antiqua; Lamaika distincta; Malaika delicatula; Namaquarachne angulata, N. khoikhoiana, N. thaumatula, and N. tropata; Phyxelida abyssinica, P. anatolica, P. apwania, P. carcharata, P. crassibursa, P. eurygyna, P. fanivelona, P. irwini, P. jabalina, P. kipia, P. malagasyana P. pingoana, P. sindanoa, and P. umlima; Pongolania chrysionaria and P. pongola; Themacrys ukhahlamba; Vidole V. helicigyna, V. lyra, and V. sothoana; Xevioso amica, X. aululata, X. colobata, X. jocquei, X. kulufa, X. lichmadina, and X. orthomeles. The following new synonymies are proposed: Haemilla grindleyi Lawrence with Malaika longipes (Purcell); Haemilla profundissima Lawrence with Vidole capensis (Pocock). The synonymies of Auximus schreineri Purcell with Auximus capensis Pocock, and of Haemilla tanganensis Simon and Fage with Amphigyrum nebulosum Tullgren, are rejected. Themacrys stolida Simon is considered a nomen dubium"--Page 3

Book Spider Research in the 21st Century

Download or read book Spider Research in the 21st Century written by David Penney and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The result is a great increase in multi-disciplinary research and novel avenues incorporating spiders as model organisms.

Book Field Guide to South African Spiders

Download or read book Field Guide to South African Spiders written by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2014-02-20 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first-ever field guide to provide information on a vast spectrum of spider species based on their morphology, behaviour and distribution. It’s the first book to introduce all 70 South African spider families including 370 major genera and more than 860 of the more common species. It includes illustrations of all of the families, genera and species as well as more than 2 000 colour photographs and 843 maps. - A thorough summary of morphology, biology and habitat requirements is provided - Species with medical importance are discussed - The morphological characters of all known spider families from South Africa are provided and illustrated with notes on their behavior as well as further reading material - Short morphological data with notes on behaviour and distribution of 370 major genera and 860 species is provided This field guide’s purpose is to enable observers to identify spiders in the field. One of the difficulties facing a spider-watcher is that a large number of spider species are small and extremely well camouflaged and are therefore not easily seen. For some genera you will need a magnifying glass or microscope to be able to identify the specimen to generic or species level. Many species can only be identified by a specialist who has access to a good microscope and the relevant literature. Most of the spiders were photographed alive in their natural settings and only some rare and smaller species were photographed using a camera mounted on a microscope. The illustrations and descriptions make it easy for an inexperienced spider-watcher to identify many of the common species encountered in and around the house. The spiders were divided according to the free-living species and those that build intricate webs to catch their prey. The free-living spiders were further divided according to those found on the vegetation and those living on the ground. Spiders are an abundant, diverse and highly successful group of animals. They are commonly found on farms, in gardens and also in houses. They are important predators in all terrestrial ecosystems and are regarded as the “best friends” of gardeners and farmers in sustainable agriculture because they have the important task of regulating the numbers of potentially harmful insects and mites. However, they are feared and maligned because of the venom they produce. We hope this field guide will help save the lives of a few spiders. It will be valuable for the man on the street, researchers, conservation agencies, students, gardeners, farmers, as well as spider-watchers and photographers.

Book Zoogeography of Arachnida

Download or read book Zoogeography of Arachnida written by Petar Beron and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-27 with total page 987 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume merges all geographical and paleogeographical data on all groups of the arachnofauna. The book features topics such as the ecological factors, climate and other barriers that influence the distribution of arachnida. It also elaborates on the characteristics of the distribution such as arachnida at high altitude (e.g. Himalaya), in caves, in polar regions and highlights differences between the arachnofauna of e.g. Mediterranean regions vs Central Europe, West African vs Indomalayan and more. Furthermore, amongst other topics the volume also includes chapters on the systems of arachnida, fossil orders, dispersal and dispersion, endemics and relicts, regional arachnogeography, cave and high altitude arachnida.

Book The Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters in Animals

Download or read book The Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters in Animals written by Janet Leonard and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-07-16 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Primary sexual traits, those structures and processes directly involved in reproduction, are some of the most diverse, specialized, and bizarre in the animal kingdom. Moreover, reproductive traits are often species-specific, suggesting that they evolved very rapidly. This diversity, long the province of taxonomists, has recently attracted broader interest from evolutionary biologists, especially those interested in sexual selection and the evolution of reproductive strategies. Primary sexual characters were long assumed to be the product of natural selection, exclusively. A recent alternative suggests that sexual selection explains much of the diversity of "primary" sexual characters. A third approach to the evolution of reproductive interactions after copulation or insemination has been to consider the process one of sexual conflict. That is, the reproductive processes of a species may reflect, as does the mating system, evolution acting on males and on females, but in different directions. In this volume, authors explore a wide variety of primary sexual characters and selective pressures that have shaped them, from natural selection for offspring survival to species-isolating mechanisms, sperm competition, cryptic female choice and sexual arms races. Exploring diverse reproductive adaptations from a theoretical and practical perspective, The Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters will provide an unparalleled overview of sexual diversity in many taxa and an introduction to the issues in sexual selection that are changing our view of sexual processes.

Book A Phylogenetic Approach to the Classification and Diversity of Ctenid Spiders  Araneae   Ctenidae  with a Taxonomic Revision of the Malagasy Genera

Download or read book A Phylogenetic Approach to the Classification and Diversity of Ctenid Spiders Araneae Ctenidae with a Taxonomic Revision of the Malagasy Genera written by Diana Silva and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 1064 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Changing Diversity in Changing Environment

Download or read book Changing Diversity in Changing Environment written by Oscar Grillo and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2011-11-14 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As everybody knows, the dynamic interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, as well as the anthropic ones, considerably affect global climate changes and consequently biology, ecology and distribution of life forms of our planet. These important natural events affect all ecosystems, causing important changes on biodiversity. Systematic and phylogenetic studies, biogeographic distribution analysis and evaluations of diversity richness are focal topics of this book written by international experts, some even considering economical effects and future perspectives on the managing and conservation plans.

Book Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences

Download or read book Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences written by California Academy of Sciences and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Spider Subfamily Amaurobioidinae  Araneae  Anyphaenidae

Download or read book The Spider Subfamily Amaurobioidinae Araneae Anyphaenidae written by Martín J. Ramírez and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A cladistic phylogenetic analysis at generic level of the subfamily Amaurobioidinae is presented. The analysis is based on a dataset of 93 representative species scored for one behavioral and 199 morphological characters. Tree searches were made under equal and implied weights according to homoplasy, and the results were compared in terms of sensitivity to jackknife resampling. Mildest weighting functions produced trees more robust to resampling, and those results were selected as the working phylogenetic hypotheses. Groups of weak support as identified by jackknifing and Bremer indices are in general those that vary in resolution with different character-weighting schemes. Seven outgroup representatives were included (Malenella nana Ramírez, from Malenellinae, and six Anyphaeninae species). In this analysis Anyphaeninae, previously identified as sister group of Amaurobioidinae, is paraphyletic, but forcing its monophyly does not alter the groupings within Amaurobioidinae. The monophyly of the genera is in general well supported, but some particularly conflicting groups are discussed. In contrast, the relationships among genera are in general problematic. Amaurobioidinae is diagnosed by a pronounced indentation at the base of male palpal tegulum, and by a particular male copulatory bulb conformation, with a paramedian apophysis. The subfamily is classified in two tribes (Gayennini and Amaurobioidini); the genus Josa Keyserling, probably sister group to Gayennini, is not assigned to either tribe. The tribe Amaurobioidini is mainly diagnosed by an apical loop of the sperm duct in the male copulatory bulb. It includes 10 genera: Amaurobioides O.P.-Cambridge is restricted to seashores of southern continents. Clubiona chilensis Nicolet, transferred to Amaurobioides, is the first true record of the genus for South America. The male of Axyracrus elegans Simon, three species of Aysenia Tullgren, and three of Coptoprepes Simon are newly described. Four new genera are proposed in Amaurobioidini: Gamakia, Selknamia (described for one new species each), Aysenoides (for three new species), and Negayan (type species Gayenna tridentata Simon, including also Axyracrus coccineus Mello-Leitão, Clubiona paduana Karsch, Gayenna excepta Tullgren, Gayenna exigua Mello-Leitão, and Tomopisthes lebruni Simon). The previously revised genera Acanthoceto Mello-Leitão and Ferrieria Tullgren are also included in the tribe. The basal branch and most intergeneric branches of the tribe have low support values. Amaurobioides and Negayan, however, are relatively well supported. The tribe Gayennini is well defined by a homogeneous conformation of male and female genitalia, with a distinctive secondary conductor and spherical spermathecae. It includes 11 genera: Gayenna Nicolet includes only G. americana Nicolet from Chile and adjacent Argentina. Arachosia O.P.-Cambridge comprises many species previously assigned to Oxysoma. Abuzaida striata Keyserling, Anyphaena oblonga Keyserling, Gayenna proseni Mello-Leitão, Gayenna duplovittata Mello-Leitão, Gayenna bonneti Mello-Leitão, Oxysoma dubium Berland, Oxysoma bifasciatum Mello-Leitão, Oxysoma cubana Banks, Oxysoma polytrichium Mello-Leitão, Phidyle bergi Simon, and Samuza praesignis Keyserling are transferred to Arachosia. The males of Arachosia bergi (Simon), A. honesta Keyserling, and Arachosia praesignis (Keyserling) are newly described. Arachosia is easily recognized by the thick setae on the anterior lateral spinnerets, and it has good support values. A very diverse group of species here assigned to the genus Sanogasta Mello-Leitão is paraphyletic in terms of Arachosia. It includes many of the species formerly placed in Gayenna Nicolet. Anyphaena maculatipes Keyserling, Clubiona maculosa Nicolet, Gayenna paucilineata Mello-Leitão, Gayenna alticola Simon, Gayenna bonariensis Mello-Leitão, Gayenna rufithorax Tullgren, Gayenna x-signata Keyserling, Gayenna approximata Tullgren, Samuza minuta Keyserling, and Tomopisthes backhauseni Simon are transferred to Sanogasta. The female of Sanogasta alticola (Simon), the males of S. x-signata (Keyserling) and S. approximata (Tullgren), and four species are newly described. The males of Monapia carolina Ramírez and Monapia angusta (Mello-Leitão) are newly described. A new species of Oxysoma Nicolet from southern Brazil is described, and Gayenna saccata Tullgren is transferred to Oxysoma. Phidyle Simon is removed from the synonymy of Oxysoma Nicolet; the male of its only species Phidyle punctipes (Nicolet) is newly described. The genus Philisca Simon is redefined to include Liparotoma Simon. Clubiona tripunctata Nicolet and Clubiona gayi Nicolet are also transferred to Philisca. The male of Philisca hahni Simon and two species are newly described. The genus is reasonably supported, except for one basal species of questionable placement. Anyphaena punctata Keyserling, Gayenna fuscotaeniata Keyserling, Gayenna tripunctata Mello-Leitão, Gayenna reticulata Mello-Leitão, Gayenna taperae Mello-Leitão, Oxysoma quinquenotatum Simon, Oxysoma unipunctatum Simon, Oxysoma novum Mello-Leitão, Oxysoma lineatum Tullgren, and Tomopisthes frenatus Mello-Leitão are transferred to Tasata. The males of Tasata parcepunctata Simon, T. variolosa Mello-Leitão, and three species are newly described. Tasata albofasciata Mello-Leitão is transferred to Tupirinna Bonaldo, in the Corinnidae. Tomopisthes Simon includes only three species from Chile and adjacent Argentina. Clubiona horrenda Nicolet and Clubiona pusilla Nicolet are transferred to Tomopisthes. The male of Tomopisthes pusillus (Nicolet) is newly described. Two new genera are proposed in Gayennini: Araiya (Gayenna pallida Tullgren, type species and Gayenna coccinea Simon) and Gayennoides (for two new Chilean species). The genus Josa Keyserling, distinguished by a femoral apophysis on the male palp, is extremely diverse in Andean cloud forests and tropical America. It is one of the better supported groups of the analysis. Anyphaena keyserlingi L. Koch, Gayenna andesiana Berland, Gayenna simoni Berland, Gayennella riveti Berland, Haptisus nigrifrons Simon, Haptisus analis Simon, Haptisus maurus Simon, Olbophthalmus lojensis Berland, Olbus personatus Simon, Olbus gounellei Simon, Tetromma luteum Keyserling, and Tomopisthes chazaliae Simon are transferred to Josa. The male of Josa riveti (Berland) and one species are newly described. The following names are newly synonymized: Cluilius Simon, with Amaurobioides O.P.-Cambridge; Schiapellia Mello-Leitão, with Axyracrus Simon; Schiapellia gerschmanni Mello-Leitão and Amaurobioides boydi Forster, with Axyracrus elegans Simon; Tomopisthes magellanicus Simon and Gayenna strigosa Tullgren, with Clubiona (now Negayan) paduana Karsch; Tetromma Keyserling (preoccupied), Haptisus Simon, Olbophthalmus Simon, and Gayennella Berland, with Josa Keyserling; Anyphaena pilosa Keyserling and Gayenna riveti Berland, with Tetromma (now Josa) luteum Keyserling; Pelayo insignis Banks, with Haptisus (now Josa) nigrifrons Simon; Samuza Keyserling, Abuzaida Keyserling, and Gayennina Gertsch, with Arachosia O.P.-Cambridge; Tomopisthes tripunctatus Mello-Leitão, with Samuza (now Arachosia) praesignis Keyserling; Oxysoma ramboi Mello-Leitão, with Arachosia honesta Keyserling; Sanogasta intermedia Mello-Leitão, with Anyphaena (now Sanogasta) maculatipes Keyserling; Gayenna monticola Chamberlin, with Gayenna alticola Simon; Clubiona sternalis Nicolet, Anyphaena ignota Keyserling, Gayenna affinis Tullgren, Gayenna dubia Tullgren, Tomopisthes conspersus Simon, Tomopisthes modestus Simon, Tomopisthes taeniatus Simon, Gayenna skottsbergi Berland, and Tomopisthes injucundus Simon, with Clubiona (now Sanogasta) maculosa Nicolet; Tomopisthes kraepelini Simon, with Gayenna approximata Tullgren; Liparotoma Simon, with Philisca Simon; Philisca navarinensis Tullgren, with Philisca hahni Simon; Heteromma Karsch (preoccupied), with Tomopisthes Simon; Tomopisthes immanis Simon, Heteromma fuegiana Karsch, Philisca sica Strand, and Nonianus argentinus Mello-Leitão, with Clubiona (now Tomopisthes) horrenda Nicolet; Gayenna chilensis Tullgren, with Clubiona (now Tomopisthes) pusilla Nicolet; Gayenna stellata Simon, with Gayenna (now Araiya) coccinea Simon; Oxysoma punctipes Nicolet, Oxysoma aurata Nicolet, Oxysoma longipes Nicolet, Oxysoma lineata Nicolet, and Aporatea valdiviensis Simon, with Oxysoma punctatum Nicolet. The following names, previously listed in Anyphaenidae, are considered nomina dubia: Anyphaena pampa Holmberg, Clubiona albiventris Nicolet, Clubiona citrina Nicolet, Clubiona gemella Nicolet, Clubiona gibbosa Nicolet, Clubiona lepida Nicolet, Clubiona limbata Nicolet, Clubiona lineata Nicolet, Clubiona nigricans Nicolet, Clubiona nubes Nicolet, Clubiona pulchella Nicolet, Clubiona puella Nicolet, Clubiona versicolor Nicolet, Oxysoma auratum Nicolet, Oxysoma delfini Simon, and Tomopisthes aethiops Simon.

Book Female Control

    Book Details:
  • Author : William Eberhard
  • Publisher : Princeton University Press
  • Release : 2019-12-31
  • ISBN : 0691207208
  • Pages : 520 pages

Download or read book Female Control written by William Eberhard and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A growing body of evidence has begun to reveal flaws in the traditional assumption of female passivity and lack of discrimination after copulation has begun. William Eberhard has compiled an impressive array of research on the ability of females to shape the outcome of mating. He describes studies of many different cryptic mechanisms by which a female can accept a male for copulation but nevertheless reject him as a father. Evidence from various fields indicates that such selectivity by females may be the norm rather than the exception. Because most post-copulatory competition between males for paternity is played out within the bodies of females, female behavior, morphology, and physiology probably often influence male success in these contests. Eberhard draws examples from a diversity of organisms, ranging from ctenophores to scorpions, nematodes to frogs, and crickets to humans. Cryptic female choice establishes a new bridge between sexual selection theory and reproductive physiology, in particular the physiological effects of male seminal products on female reproductive processes, such as sperm transport, oviposition, and remating. Eberhard interweaves his review of previous studies with speculation on the consequences of this theoretical development, and indicates promising new directions for future research.

Book The Limits and Phylogeny of the Araneoidea  Arachnida  Araneae

Download or read book The Limits and Phylogeny of the Araneoidea Arachnida Araneae written by Karin Schütt and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book A Generic level Revision of the Spider Subfamily Coelotinae  Araneae  Amaurobiidae

Download or read book A Generic level Revision of the Spider Subfamily Coelotinae Araneae Amaurobiidae written by Xin-Ping Wang and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Holarctic coelotine spiders are revised at the generic level. Coelotine morphology, particularly genitalic morphology, is described, the subfamily and generic limits are defined, and a cladistic hypothesis of generic relationships is presented. The subfamily Coelotinae is defined to include 20 genera and 277 species. The 20 genera are: Ambanus Ovtchinnikov, 1999, with 18 species from far eastern Russia, northeastern China, Japan, and Korea (including 6 new combinations); Asiacoelotes, new genus, with 15 East Asian species (all new combinations, with 3 new synonyms); Bifidocoelotes, new genus, with 2 species from China (both new combinations); Coelotes Blackwall, 1841, with 123 species from Europe and Asia (including 2 new synonyms); Coras Simon, 1898, with 15 North American species and 2 species from China; Coronilla Wang, 1994, with 2 species from China (including 2 new synonyms); Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999, with 26 Asian species (including 25 new combinations and 1 new synonym); Eurocoelotes, new genus, with 11 European species (all new combinations); Femoracoelotes, new genus, with 2 species from Taiwan (both new combinations); Himalcoelotes, new genus, fully revised here, with 10 species from the Himalayas (including 2 new combinations and 8 new species); Leptocoelotes, new genus, with 2 species from China (both new combinations); Longicoelotes, new genus, with 1 new species from China; Paracoelotes Brignoli, 1982, with 16 European and Asian species (including 5 new combinations and 5 new synonyms); Platocoelotes, new genus, with 4 species from China (all new combinations); Robusticoelotes, new genus, with 1 newly combined species from China; Spiricoelotes, new genus, with 2 East Asian species (both new combinations); Tegecoelotes Ovtchinnikov, 1999, with 5 species from far eastern Russia, northeastern China, Japan, and Korea (including 4 new combinations); Tonsilla Wang and Yin, 1992, with 3 species from China; Urocoras Ovtchinnikov, 1999, with 5 species from East Europe (including 2 new combinations); and Wadotes Chamberlin, 1925, with 11 species from North America and 1 from China.

Book The spider family Micropholcommatidae  Arachnida  Araneae  Araneoidea   a relimitation and revision at the generic level

Download or read book The spider family Micropholcommatidae Arachnida Araneae Araneoidea a relimitation and revision at the generic level written by Mihael G. Rix and published by PenSoft Publishers LTD. This book was released on 2010-02-22 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Micropholcommatidae are a family of tiny, distinctive araneoid spiders, known from southern-temperate habitats throughout Australasia and Chile. The greatest abundance of individuals and the largest diversity of taxa occur in the cool-temperate rainforests of south-eastern Australia and New Zealand, where micropholcommatid spiders can be very common within moss and leaf litter microhabitats. Although poorly studied biologically and largely neglected taxonomically, the Micropholcommatidae are a diverse lineage, with a significantÿ The monograph in this volume presents a complete generic-level revision of the spider family Micropholcommatidae. The phylogenetic position and internal phylogeny of the family are tested with two separate morphological cladistic analyses, the results of which inform a comprehensive generic-level classification. In total, 26 new species, 12 new genera, one new tribe and two new subfamilies are described, taking the total documented micropholcommatid fauna to 58 species. The distribution and Gondwanan biogeography of the family are also discussed, and natural history information is provided where known. Most importantly, the results of this paper present a taxonomic framework and a phylogenetic foundation for all future research on the Micropholcommatidae; a template by which new species can be described and existing species can be identified, and a valuable dataset for exploring phylogenetic hypotheses.

Book Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario

Download or read book Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario written by Entomological Society of Ontario and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: