Overcomplicated

Overcomplicated PDF

Author: Samuel Arbesman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1591847761

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In "Overcomplicated," complexity scientist Samuel Arbesman offers a fresh, insightful field guide to living with complex technologies that defy human comprehension. As technology grows more complex, Arbesman argues, its behavior mimics the vagaries of the natural world more than it conforms to a mathematical model. If we are to survive and thrive in this new age, we must abandon our need for governing principles and rules and accept the chaos. By embracing and observing the freak accidents and flukes that disrupt our lives, we can gain valuable clues about how our algorithms really work. What's more, we will become better thinkers, scientists, and innovators as a result.

Overcomplicated

Overcomplicated PDF

Author: Samuel Arbesman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2017-06-20

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 0143131303

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Why did the New York Stock Exchange suspend trading without warning on July 8, 2015? Why did certain Toyota vehicles accelerate uncontrollably against the will of their drivers? Why does the programming inside our airplanes occasionally surprise its creators? After a thorough analysis by the top experts, the answers still elude us. You don’t understand the software running your car or your iPhone. But here’s a secret: neither do the geniuses at Apple or the Ph.D.’s at Toyota—not perfectly, anyway. No one, not lawyers, doctors, accountants, or policy makers, fully grasps the rules governing your tax return, your retirement account, or your hospital’s medical machinery. The same technological advances that have simplified our lives have made the systems governing our lives incomprehensible, unpredictable, and overcomplicated. In Overcomplicated, complexity scientist Samuel Arbesman offers a fresh, insightful field guide to living with complex technologies that defy human comprehension. As technology grows more complex, Arbesman argues, its behavior mimics the vagaries of the natural world more than it conforms to a mathematical model. If we are to survive and thrive in this new age, we must abandon our need for governing principles and rules and accept the chaos. By embracing and observing the freak accidents and flukes that disrupt our lives, we can gain valuable clues about how our algorithms really work. What’s more, we will become better thinkers, scientists, and innovators as a result. Lucid and energizing, this book is a vital new analysis of the world heralded as "modern" for anyone who wants to live wisely.

The Half-Life of Facts

The Half-Life of Facts PDF

Author: Samuel Arbesman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2013-08-27

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 159184651X

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New insights from the science of science Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur. In short, what we know about the world is constantly changing. Samuel Arbesman shows us how knowledge in most fields evolves systematically and predictably, and how this evolution unfolds in a fascinating way that can have a powerful impact on our lives. He takes us through a wide variety of fields, including those that change quickly, over the course of a few years, or over the span of centuries.

The Imperfectionists

The Imperfectionists PDF

Author: Tom Rachman

Publisher: Anchor Canada

Published: 2011-01-04

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 0385671040

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Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman's wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it - and themselves - afloat. Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff's personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family's quirky newspaper. As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions. Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.

Health Information Technology Evaluation Handbook

Health Information Technology Evaluation Handbook PDF

Author: Vitaly Herasevich, MD, PhD, MSc

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2017-10-24

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1351649892

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Governments and clinical providers are investing billions of dollars in health information technologies. This is being done with the expectation that HIT adoption will translate into healthier patients experiencing better care at lower cost. As the first wave of adoption comes to an end, stakeholders are ready to evaluate the results of their investment and make decisions about future directions. As a result, structured evaluations of a projects impact are an essential element of the justification for investment in HIT. This book provides an easy-to-read reference outlining the basic concepts, theory, and methods required to perform a systematic evaluation of HIT.

It's All Fun and Games

It's All Fun and Games PDF

Author: Dave Barrett

Publisher: Inkshares

Published: 2016-08-02

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1941758819

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Six friends cross over into a dangerous fantasy world — will they make it back alive?

Developer's Guide to Social Programming

Developer's Guide to Social Programming PDF

Author: Mark D. Hawker

Publisher: Pearson Education

Published: 2010-08-09

Total Pages: 635

ISBN-13: 0321680928

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In The Developer’s Guide to Social Programming, Mark Hawker shows developers how to build applications that integrate with the major social networking sites. Unlike competitive books that focus on a single social media platform, this book covers all three leading platforms: Facebook, OpenSocial, and Twitter. Hawker identifies the characteristics of superior, highly engaging social media applications, and shows how to use the Facebook platform, Google Friend Connect, and the Twitter API to create them. You’ll find practical solutions and code for addressing many common social programming challenges, from site registration to search, blog commenting to creating location-based applications. Hawker concludes by walking you through building a complete, integrated social application: one that works seamlessly across all leading platforms, and draws on powerful features from each. Coverage includes Working with the Twitter API, including the Search API, Lists API, and Retweets API Authenticating users with Twitter OAuth Mastering the Facebook API, FQL, and XFBML Utilizing the Facebook JavaScript Library for creating dynamic content, and animation Exploring the Google Friend Connect JavaScript API, and integrating with the OpenSocial API Using Facebook’s tools for sharing, social commenting, stream publishing, and live conversation Using the PHP OpenSocial Client Library with Google Friend Connect Creating, testing, and submitting Google Friend Connect gadgets

Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns

Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns PDF

Author: Vladimir Khorikov

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-01-06

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 1638350299

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"This book is an indispensable resource." - Greg Wright, Kainos Software Ltd. Radically improve your testing practice and software quality with new testing styles, good patterns, and reliable automation. Key Features A practical and results-driven approach to unit testing Refine your existing unit tests by implementing modern best practices Learn the four pillars of a good unit test Safely automate your testing process to save time and money Spot which tests need refactoring, and which need to be deleted entirely Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About The Book Great testing practices maximize your project quality and delivery speed by identifying bad code early in the development process. Wrong tests will break your code, multiply bugs, and increase time and costs. You owe it to yourself—and your projects—to learn how to do excellent unit testing. Unit Testing Principles, Patterns and Practices teaches you to design and write tests that target key areas of your code including the domain model. In this clearly written guide, you learn to develop professional-quality tests and test suites and integrate testing throughout the application life cycle. As you adopt a testing mindset, you’ll be amazed at how better tests cause you to write better code. What You Will Learn Universal guidelines to assess any unit test Testing to identify and avoid anti-patterns Refactoring tests along with the production code Using integration tests to verify the whole system This Book Is Written For For readers who know the basics of unit testing. Examples are written in C# and can easily be applied to any language. About the Author Vladimir Khorikov is an author, blogger, and Microsoft MVP. He has mentored numerous teams on the ins and outs of unit testing. Table of Contents: PART 1 THE BIGGER PICTURE 1 ¦ The goal of unit testing 2 ¦ What is a unit test? 3 ¦ The anatomy of a unit test PART 2 MAKING YOUR TESTS WORK FOR YOU 4 ¦ The four pillars of a good unit test 5 ¦ Mocks and test fragility 6 ¦ Styles of unit testing 7 ¦ Refactoring toward valuable unit tests PART 3 INTEGRATION TESTING 8 ¦ Why integration testing? 9 ¦ Mocking best practices 10 ¦ Testing the database PART 4 UNIT TESTING ANTI-PATTERNS 11 ¦ Unit testing anti-patterns

Teach Like Nobody's Watching

Teach Like Nobody's Watching PDF

Author: Mark Enser

Publisher:

Published: 2019-10

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781785833991

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Challenges teachers to embrace their professional agency in order to ensure that their pupils get the excellent education they deserve. At a time when schools are calling out for more autonomy and trust Mark Enser poses teachers the pivotal question, "How would you teach if nobody was watching?" and empowers them with the tools and confidence to do just that. Mark argues that a quality education is rooted in simplicity. In this book he methodically strips away the layers of contradictory pedagogical advice that educators have received over the years and lends weight to the three key pillars that underpin effective, efficient teaching: the lesson, the curriculum and the school's support structure. Teach Like Nobody's Watching explores these three core elements in detail, and presents teachers with a range of practical strategies to help them cultivate a culture of excellent learning in their schools and classrooms.

A Political History of the World

A Political History of the World PDF

Author: Jonathan Holslag

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2018-10-25

Total Pages: 640

ISBN-13: 0241352053

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A three-thousand year history of the world that examines the causes of war and the search for peace In three thousand years of history, China has spent at least eleven centuries at war. The Roman Empire was in conflict during at least 50 per cent of its lifetime. Since 1776, the United States has spent over one hundred years at war. The dream of peace has been universal in the history of humanity. So why have we so rarely been able to achieve it? In A Political History of the World, Jonathan Holslag has produced a sweeping history of the world, from the Iron Age to the present, that investigates the causes of conflict between empires, nations and peoples and the attempts at diplomacy and cosmopolitanism. A birds-eye view of three thousand years of history, the book illuminates the forces shaping world politics from Ancient Egypt to the Han Dynasty, the Pax Romana to the rise of Islam, the Peace of Westphalia to the creation of the United Nations. This truly global approach enables Holslag to search for patterns across different eras and regions, and explore larger questions about war, diplomacy, and power. Has trade fostered peace? What are the limits of diplomacy? How does environmental change affect stability? Is war a universal sin of power? At a time when the threat of nuclear war looms again, this is a much-needed history intended for students of international politics, and anyone looking for a background on current events.