万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

The Times Improve Your Bridge Game
The Times Improve Your Bridge Game
Andrew Robson
¥44.24
Based on The Times Bridge column, an extensive bridge guide aimed at the less experienced or social player who longs to improve their game, with instructive deals and tips, as well as a helpful Index. Andrew Robson, The Times Bridge Correspondent, is both a champion Bridge player and an inspired teacher. He teaches and tutors at his Bridge Club and has acquired great practical knowledge about how people learn to play Bridge. Based on Andrew Robson’s Friday column in The Times, common scenarios are presented with an outline of what actually happened, as well as what should have happened. Along with every deal is the very popular handy tip ‘If you remember just one thing…’, which features throughout the book. The first section of the book, ‘The Game’, is a basic outline providing the key to playing a sensible game of Bridge, subdivided into ‘Bidding’, ‘Declarer Play’ and ‘Defence’. The reader can either read ‘The Game’ first, paying particular attention to the tips, or they can dip in and out of the book, picking a common mistake at random, with the option to cross-reference to the same tip in ‘The Game’ section. Bridge is now reaching a new audience, and is being played by people of all ages. Let Andrew Robson help you to improve your game! Previously published as The Times Bridge: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Short walks in the Peak District
Short walks in the Peak District
Brian Spencer
¥44.24
The Peak District, with its gentle limestone White Peak and the wilder more dramatic gritstone Dark Peak, is a superb walking area. Explore the district with these 20 walks, all of which are 5 miles or under in length and can easily be completed in less than 3 hours. This guide, produced in co-operation with the Ramblers and featuring Ordnance Survey mapping, is the perfect way to really appreciate the stunning scenery of the Peak District. INCLUDES: ? 20 easy to follow walks which can be completed in 3 hours and under. ? Each walk has a detailed 1:25 000 Ordnance Survey map with the route clearly marked plus a detailed de*ion of the route. ? The walks have been chosen with issues like parking and refreshments in mind to make life easy for families. ? Packed with colour photographs of scenes you will see along the walk. The perfect guide for afternoon walks near to Chesterfield, Sheffield, Matlock, Buxton and Macclesfield.
The Wood for the Trees: The Long View of Nature from a Small Wood
The Wood for the Trees: The Long View of Nature from a Small Wood
Richard Fortey
¥73.58
From one of our greatest science writers, this biography of a beech-and-bluebell wood through diverse moods and changing seasons combines stunning natural history with the ancient history of the countryside to tell the full story of the British landscape. ‘The woods are the great beauty of this country… A fine forest-like beech wood far more beautiful than anything else which we have seen in its vicinity’ is how John Stuart Mill described a small patch of beech-and bluebell woodland, buried deeply in the Chiltern Hills and now owned by Richard Fortey. Drawing upon a lifetime of scientific expertise and abiding love of nature, Fortey uses his small wood to tell a wider story of the ever-changing British landscape, human influence on the countryside over many centuries and the vital interactions between flora, fauna and fungi. The trees provide a majestic stage for woodland animals and plants to reveal their own stories. Fortey presents his wood as an interwoven collection of different habitats rich in species. His attention ranges from the beech and cherry trees that dominate the wood to the flints underfoot; the red kites and woodpeckers that soar overhead; the lichens, mosses and liverworts decorating the branches as well as the myriad species of spiders, moths, beetles and crane-flies. The 300 species of fungi identified in the wood capture his attention as much as familiar deer, shrews and dormice. Fortey is a naturalist who believes that all organisms are as interesting as human beings – and certainly more important than the observer. So this book is a close examination of nature and human history. He proves that poetic writing is compatible with scientific precision. The book is filled with details of living animals and plants, charting the passage of the seasons, visits by fellow enthusiasts; the play of light between branches; the influence of geology; and how woodland influences history, architecture and industry. On every page he shows how an intimate study of one small wood can reveal so much about the natural world and demonstrates his relish for the incomparable pleasures of discovery.
Woman in the 19th Century
Woman in the 19th Century
Margaret Fuller Ossoli
¥8.09
According to Wikipedia: "Sarah Margaret Fuller Ossoli (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850) was a journalist, critic and women's rights activist associated with the American transcendental movement. She was the first full-time female book reviewer in journalism. Her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century is considered the first major feminist work in the United States."
Delphi Works of Alexander Pushkin (Illustrated)
Delphi Works of Alexander Pushkin (Illustrated)
Alexander Pushkin
¥16.27
Russia's Father of Literature deserves a place in all digital libraries. This comprehensive eBook presents the major works of Alexander Pushkin, with beautiful illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Pushkin's life and works * Concise introductions to the poetry and other works * Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * A selection of many of Pushkin's greatest poems, first time in digital print. * Excellent formatting of the texts * Almost the complete short fiction, including rare short stories appearing for the first time in digital print * Rare plays, with contents tables * Special criticism section, with three essays evaluating Pushkin's contribution to literature * Features a bonus biography - discover Pushkin's literary life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Poetry SHORT POEMS THE FOUNTAIN OF BAKHCHISARAY THE GIPSIES POLTAVA THE BRONZE HORSEMAN RUSLAN AND LYUDMILA LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Verse Novel EUGENE ONEGIN The Short Stories and Unfinished Novels PETER THE GREATS NEGRO MARIE THE SHOT THE SNOWSTORM THE UNDERTAKER THE POSTMASTER MISTRESS INTO MAID THE QUEEN OF SPADES KIRDJALI THE CAPTAINS DAUGHTER EGYPTIAN NIGHTS DUBROVSKY The Plays BORIS GODUNOV THE STONE GUEST MOZART AND SALIERI The Criticism THE ROMANTIC POETS: POUSHKIN by Rosa Newmarch POUSHKIN: HIS WORKS by Rosa Newmarch LECTURES ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE: PUSHKIN by Ivan Panin The Biography A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF ALEXANDER PUSHKIN by Henry Spalding
Hands-On Android UI Development
Hands-On Android UI Development
Jason Morris
¥297.10
Master the art of creating impressive and reactive UIs for mobile applications on the latest version of Android Oreo. About This Book A comprehensive guide to designing and developing highly interactive user interfaces for your app. Design responsive and agile applications targeting multiple Android devices (up to Android Oreo) using Android Studio 3.0 Write reactive user interfaces with minimal effort by leveraging the latest Android technologies, such as Architecture components and the Lifecycle API Avoid common design problems and pitfalls with the help of shared UI design patterns and best practices. Who This Book Is For This book is for novice Android and Java developers who have a basic knowledge of Android development and want to start developing stunning user interfaces. What You Will Learn Create effective and efficient user interfaces that allow users to carry out tasks smoothly Understand the fundamentals of Android UI design, and take a look at the basic layouts, Inputs, and controls Learn about various UI components provided by Android, which include structured layout objects and UI controls that allow you to build the graphical user interface for your app Explore various styles and themes that allow you to customize the look and feel of your app Leverage the animation and graphics APIs to improve user experience and draw custom 2D graphics In Detail A great user interface (UI) can spell the difference between success and failure for any new application. This book will show you not just how to code great UIs, but how to design them as well. It will take novice Android developers on a journey, showing them how to leverage the Android platform to produce stunning Android applications. Begin with the basics of creating Android applications and then move on to topics such as screen and layout design. Next, learn about techniques that will help improve performance for your application. Also, explore how to create reactive applications that are fast, animated, and guide the user toward their goals with minimal distraction. Understand Android architecture components and learn how to build your application to automatically respond to changes made by the user. Great platforms are not always enough, so this book also focuses on creating custom components, layout managers, and 2D graphics. Also, explore many tips and best practices to ease your UI development process. By the end, you'll be able to design and build not only amazing UIs, but also systems that provide the best possible user experience. Style and approach This book takes an easy tutorial approach to help you learn how to create consistent and efficient user interfaces for your apps. The book first takes you through the basics of user interfaces such as basic layouts, inputs, and controls, and also covers animations and graphics. By the end of the book, you will have learned best practices and will be able to develop inspired interfaces that look good and also work subtly in the background.
Unity 2017 Game Optimization - Second Edition: Optimize all aspects of Unity per
Unity 2017 Game Optimization - Second Edition: Optimize all aspects of Unity per
Chris Dickinson
¥334.25
Master a series of performance-enhancing coding techniques and methods that help them improve the performance of their Unity3D applications About This Book Discover features and techniques to optimize Unity Engine's CPU cycles, memory usage, and the GPU throughput of any application Explore multiple techniques to solve performance issues with your VR projects Learn the best practices for project organization to save time through an improved workflow Who This Book Is For This book is intended for intermediate and advanced Unity developers who have experience with most of Unity's feature-set, and who want to maximize the performance of their game. Familiarity with the C# language will be needed. What You Will Learn Use the Unity Profiler to find bottlenecks anywhere in your application, and discover how to resolve them Implement best practices for C# scripting to avoid common pitfalls Develop a solid understanding of the rendering pipeline, and maximize its performance by reducing draw calls and avoiding fill rate bottlenecks Enhance shaders in a way that is accessible to most developers, optimizing them through subtle yet effective performance tweaks Keep your scenes as dynamic as possible by making the most of the Physics engine Organize, filter, and compress your art assets to maximize performance while maintaining high quality Discover different kinds of performance problems that are critical for VR projects and how to tackle them Use the Mono Framework and C# to implement low-level enhancements that maximize memory usage and avoid garbage collection Get to know the best practices for project organization to save time through an improved workflow In Detail Unity is an awesome game development engine. Through its massive feature-set and ease-of-use, Unity helps put some of the best processing and rendering technology in the hands of hobbyists and professionals alike. This book shows you how to make your games fly with the recent version of Unity 2017, and demonstrates that high performance does not need to be limited to games with the biggest teams and budgets. Since nothing turns gamers away from a game faster than a poor user-experience, the book starts by explaining how to use the Unity Profiler to detect problems. You will learn how to use stopwatches, timers and logging methods to diagnose the problem. You will then explore techniques to improve performance through better programming practices. Moving on, you will then learn about Unity's built-in batching processes; when they can be used to improve performance, and their limitations. Next, you will import your art assets using minimal space, CPU and memory at runtime, and discover some underused features and approaches for managing asset data. You will also improve graphics, particle system and shader performance with a series of tips and tricks to make the most of GPU parallel processing. You will then delve into the fundamental layers of the Unity3D engine to discuss some issues that may be difficult to understand without a strong knowledge of its inner-workings. The book also introduces you to the critical performance problems for VR projects and how to tackle them. By the end of the book, you will have learned to improve the development workflow by properly organizing assets and ways to instantiate assets as quickly and waste-free as possible via object pooling. Style and approach This practical book will help readers understand the essentials of the Unity3D engine and how to build games while improving the performance of their applications.
Abraham Lincoln: A Play
Abraham Lincoln: A Play
John Drinkwater
¥8.09
This unique edition of Abraham Lincoln: A Play from Dead Dodo Vintage includes the full original text as well as exclusive features not available in other editions.
The Travels of Ibn Fudayl
The Travels of Ibn Fudayl
Goerge R. Sole
¥57.14
The Travels of Ibn Fudayl is a satirical tale written in the style of an academic who has translated a medieval manuscript. It comes complete with a foreword, introduction, bibliography and copious footnotes that poke fun at the pretentious world of academia, whilst chronicling Ibn Fudayl's experiences in Al-Andalus. In particular, how his search for wisdom leads him to meet the philosopher Al-Homsi, the world's most ignorant man. It is their friendship and love for worthless knowledge that enables Ibn Fudayl to reach the upper echelons of Andalusian society.
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
Beatrix Potter
¥40.79
Once upon a time there was a very beautiful doll’s-house; it was red brick with white windows, and it had real muslin curtains and a front door and a chimney. One morning Lucinda and Jane had gone out for a drive in the doll’s perambulator. There was no one in the nursery, and it was very quiet. Presently there was a little scuffling, scratching noise in a corner near the fire-place, where there was a hole under the skirting-board.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
Hugh Lofting
¥40.79
Doctor Dolittle lives in a little town called Puddleby. He is a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages. He later becomes a naturalist, using his abilities to speak with animals to better understand nature and the history of the world.
At Christmas Time
At Christmas Time
Anton Chekhov
¥40.79
Vasilisa had not seen her daughter for four years. Her daughter Yefimya had gone after her wedding to Petersburg, had sent them two letters, and since then seemed to vanish out of their lives; there had been no sight nor sound of her. And whether the old woman were milking her cow at dawn, or heating her stove, or dozing at night, she was always thinking of one and the same thing—what was happening to Yefimya, whether she were alive... Read in English, unabridged.
Black Pearls and Red Tide
Black Pearls and Red Tide
Jay Maclean
¥8.09
The strange death of three young children in a small coastal village in far away Papua New Guinea in March 1972 did not rate a mention in the territory’s annual report that year to its Australian governors—let alone make a ripple in international ponds. Yet, it was an event of incredible proportions. It marked the end of a chain of knowledge that extended back more than 45,000 years; it heralded the beginning of an era of immense, baffling phenomena and disasters around the world; and it marked the rise of a deadly toxin from the seabed that would spread from country to country. The book works back in time to discover the origin of the toxin’s host, traces its emergence and bizarre spread from country to country with resulting deaths, and projects into the future the likely, unsettling to horrific, consequences for the world’s food security, already set irreversibly in motion. It is a story that encompasses much of the globe, from the Pacific islands to Asia—Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines—to the Middle East—Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and the Egypt of the Pharaohs—to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the Americas, and to Australia and Antarctica. It is a detective story too, about who or what killed the three children, taking us in helicopters, light planes, speedboats and a naval patrol vessel, and on underwater explorations. It is a romance spanning a period from the tail end of the Palaeolithic era, pausing for a less ancient exodus, that of the Jews from Egypt, and for Cleopatra’s—incredibly expensive as we will see—dinner with Marc Antony, and leap-frogging through events over the following two millennia via connections with Spanish kings, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the most famous pair to play the part of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in modern times: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Finally, it is the story of a young scientist sent unknowingly as a spy into Papua New Guinea shortly before its independence. How did he find himself enmeshed in the threads of this strange puzzle and what did he discover?
Surgical Anatomy: "With Sixty-Eight Coloured Plates"
Surgical Anatomy: "With Sixty-Eight Coloured Plates"
Joseph Maclise
¥37.20
The object of this work is to present to the student of medicine and the practitioner removed from the schools, a series of dissections demonstrative of the relative anatomy of the principal regions of the human body. Whatever title may most fittingly apply to a work with this intent, whether it had better be styled surgical or medical, regional, relative, descriptive, or topographical anatomy, will matter little, provided its more salient or prominent character be manifested in its own form and feature. The work, as I have designed it, will itself show that my intent has been to base the practical upon the anatomical, and to unite these wherever a mutual dependence was apparent.That department of anatomical research to which the name topographical strictly applies, as confining itself to the mere account of the form and relative location of the several organs comprising the animal body, is almost wholly isolated from the main questions of physiological and transcendental interest, and cannot, therefore, be supposed to speak in those comprehensive views which anatomy, taken in its widest signification as a science, necessarily includes. While the anatomist contents himself with describing the form and position of organs as they appear exposed, layer after layer, by his dissecting instruments, he does not pretend to soar any higher in the region of science than the humble level of other mechanical arts, which merely appreciate the fitting arrangement of things relative to one another, and combinative to the whole design of the form or machine of whatever species this may be, whether organic or inorganic. The descriptive anatomist of the human body aims at no higher walk in science than this, and hence his nomenclature is, as it is, a barbarous jargon of words, barren of all truthful signification, inconsonant with nature, and blindly irrespective of the cognitio certa ex principiis certis exorta. Still, however, this anatomy of form, although so much requiring purification of its nomenclature, in order to clothe it in the high reaching dignity of a science, does not disturb the medical or surgical practitioner, so far as their wants are concerned. Although it may, and actually does, trammel the votary who aspires to the higher generalizations and the development of a law of formation, yet, as this is not the object of the surgical anatomist, the nomenclature, such as it is, will answer conveniently enough the present purpose. The anatomy of the human form, contemplated in reference to that of all other species of animals to which it bears comparison, constitutes the study of the comparative anatomist, and, as such, establishes the science in its full intent. But the anatomy of the human figure, considered as a species, per se, is confessedly the humblest walk of the understanding in a subject which, as anatomy, is relationary, and branches far and wide through all the domain of an animal kingdom. While restricted to the study of the isolated human species, the cramped judgment wastes in such narrow confine; whereas, in the expansive gaze over all allying and allied species, the intellect bodies forth to its vision the full appointed form of natural majesty; and after having experienced the manifold analogies and differentials of the many, is thereby enabled, when it returns to the study of the one, to view this one of human type under manifold points of interest, to the appreciation of which the understanding never wakens otherwise. If it did not happen that the study of the human form (confined to itself) had some practical bearing, such study could not deserve the name of anatomical, while anatomical means comparative, and whilst comparison implies inductive reasoning. ? ABOUT AUTHOR: Joseph Maclise:FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS I INSCRIBE THIS WORK TO THE GENTLEMENWITH WHOM AS A FELLOW-STUDENT I WAS ASSOCIATED AT THELondon University College: AND IN AN ESPECIAL MANNER, IN THEIR NAME AS WELL AS MY OWN,I AVAIL MYSELF OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECORD, ON THIS PAGE,ALBEIT IN CHARACTERS LESS IMPRESSIVE THAN THOSE WHICH AREWRITTEN ON THE LIVING TABLET OF MEMORY,THE DEBT OF GRATITUDE WHICH WE OWE TO THE LATE SAMUEL COOPER, F.R.S., AND ROBERT LISTON, F.R.S., TWO AMONG THE MANY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORS OF THATINSTITUTION, WHOSE PUPILS WE HAVE BEEN,AND FROM WHOM WE INHERIT THAT BETTER POSSESSION THAN LIFEITSELF, AN ASPIRATION FOR THE LIGHT OF SCIENCE. JOSEPH MACLISE.
Dac? ??i pas? de copilul t?u
Dac? ??i pas? de copilul t?u
Orban Adrian
¥65.32
A tr?i mult, ?n s?n?tate ?i fericire, a fost preocuparea dintotdeauna a omenirii. Antropologi, biologi ?i medici s-au str?duit de mii de ani s? g?seasc? cele mai bune c?i pentru a le asigura semenilor no?tri o via?? c?t mai lung?.Sintetiz?nd o asemenea experien?? ?n domeniul medicinei complementare ?i ad?ug?ndu-i rezultatele cercet?rilor gerontologice proprii, Fanic?-Voinea Ene, renumit specialist ?n sfera terapiilor naturiste, prezint? ?n aceast? lucrare metode ?i procedee practice, la ?ndem?na fiec?ruia dintre noi, pentru a ne prelungi via?a. Astfel, ve?i g?si ?n lucrare recomand?ri originale ?i de mare folos privind alimenta?ia s?n?toas?, m?surile pe care trebuie s? le lu?m pentru ?ncetinirea proceselor oxidative ?i, implicit, a ?mb?tr?nirii organismului, fortificarea sistemului imunitar, echilibrarea metabolismului, respectarea cronobiologiei umane, ?ntoarcerea la natur?, toate acestea constituind repere majore ale stilului de via?? pentru a deveni longevivi.
Terapia Cognitiv Comportamental?. Cum s?-?i ?mbun?t??e?ti via?a prin TCC
Terapia Cognitiv Comportamental?. Cum s?-?i ?mbun?t??e?ti via?a prin TCC
Stephen Briers
¥81.67
Psihocardiologia constituie o apari?ie editorial? inedit? ?n literatura medical? ?i psihologic? rom?neasc?, eviden?iind o rela?ie legitim? ?i plin? de aplica?ii practice ?ntre cele dou? specialit??i. Asocierea reu?it? ?ntre dou? personalit??i – profesorii Ioan-Bradu Iamandescu ?i Crina Julieta Sinescu de la UMF ?Carol Davila“, Bucure?ti – a f?cut posibil? realizarea acestei lucr?ri de mare amploare care abordeaz? domeniul psihocardiologiei. Profesorul Ioan-Bradu Iamandescu, personalitate a medicinei academice rom?ne?ti, primul profesor de Psihologie medical? ?i Psihosomatic?, s-a remarcat prin contribu?ii deosebite la statutul psihocardiologiei ca o ramur? distinct? a psihosomaticii, cu un cadru nosologic bine definit ?i cunoscut. El se num?r? printre marile personalit??i care s-au preocupat de ?mbun?t??irea ?nv???m?ntului clinic bazat pe o g?ndire modern? de orientare biopsihosocial? ?n practica medicinei. Prezen?? binecunoscut? ?n cardiologia din ?ara noastr?, prof. dr. Crina Julieta Sinescu a dovedit deplin? ?n?elegere pentru problematica psihocardiologiei, ?ncuraj?nd ?i particip?nd la realizarea unor cercet?ri referitoare la etiopatogenia psihosomatic? a hipertensiunii arteriale ?i a bolii cardiace ischemice, desf??urate ?n clinica pe care o conduce la spitalul ?Bagdasar-Arseni“. A oferit numeroase sugestii rezultate din observa?ia clinic? psihologilor cu care a elaborat ?n comun c?teva capitole ale acestei c?r?i. Lucrarea se adreseaz? ?n primul r?nd psihologilor clinicieni ?i corpului medical – ?n special cardiologilor, interni?tilor ?i medicilor de familie – dar ?i publicului larg, care cuprinde un mare num?r de bolnavi cardiaci, inclusiv aceia ??n devenire“, ce ar putea beneficia de cuno?tin?ele desprinse din paginile c?r?ii spre a preveni sau ?ncetini instalarea unei boli cardiace.
Lezzetten ?dün Vermeyen Diyet
Lezzetten ?dün Vermeyen Diyet
Dr. Ömer Engin
¥27.88
Pek ?ok diyet program? ve kitab? sizlere diyet listeleri vermekte bunlar? uygulaman?z? sizlerden istemektedir. Peki siz bu listeleri uygulayabiliyor musunuz? ?al??t???n?z yerde tabldot yemek servisi yapan g?revliye bu listeleri verebiliyor musunuz? D??ar?da büfede veya lokantada yemek yerken garsondan sizin günlük diyet listenizi size haz?rlamas?n? isteyebiliyor musunuz? Günlük hayatta uygulayamad???n?z bu listelerin size ne faydas? var? Biz size liste vermeyece?iz. Biz sizi diyet listelerine uymak zorunda b?rakmayaca??z, sizin günlük ya?amda ?evrenizde size sunulan yemekleri nas?l diyetinize uygun hale getirilebilece?ini g?stermek istiyoruz.Kitab?m?z? haz?rlarken hekimlik bilgilerimizi de sizlere sunmay? ama?lad?k. Kitab?n haz?rlanmas?nda bana yard?mc? olan sevgili e?im Uzm. Dr. Candan Engin’e ?ok te?ekkür ediyorum.Kitab?m?z? olabildi?ince k?sa tutmay? hedefledik. Uzun yaz?lan kitaplar okuyucuya s?k?c? gelebiliyor ve kitap ?zümsenme-yebiliyor. Amac?m?z sizi s?kmadan gerekli bilgileri verebilmektir.Keyifli okumalar dile?iyle, Uz. Dr. ?mer Engin Genel Cerrahi Uzman?
Book of Dreams and Ghosts
Book of Dreams and Ghosts
Lang, Andrew
¥19.52
Famed Scottish anthropologist Andrew Lang's classic 'Psychical Research' work 'The Book of Dreams and Ghosts'.
On Being Someone
On Being Someone
Oppenheimer, Helen
¥107.81
This book continues the discussions in "e;What a piece of work: on being human"e; (Imprint Academic 2006) and may be considered its sequel.Among all the creatures in the physical universe, humans seem to be more than simply physical, because they are aware of being creatures in the universe. Human beings essentially belong to the world of nature, yet stand out as the most complex and fascinating of all living beings. Like and also unlike other animals, they respond to what happens to them; they make plans and carry them out; they recognize one another, sometimes lovingly; they make friends and enjoy their company; they shape the world around them for convenience and for delight; they ask questions both practical and theoretical; and many of them try to praise God. In What a Piece of Work, Helen Oppenheimer considered humankind as part of the natural universe which Christians believe God set in motion, asking how human beings stand among other creatures and how they are to be valued. In this volume she leaves aside comparisons with our fellow creatures in order to attend to our own experience. It makes a good start to think of oneself as a human animal, but then we need to go further and ask what does it mean to be a person, to be counted as someone?
Reforming Science
Reforming Science
Ridley, Brian
¥107.81
In the 17th century Sir Francis Bacon advocated the patient study of Nature for the benefit of mankind. Most of science today, in its study of medicine, genetics, electronics etc., continues that pragmatic Baconian tradition without fuss. Over the years, however, as its investigation of Nature probed ever deeper into regions far removed from common experience, science has increasingly exhibited traits more usually associated with fundamentalist religion that with dispassionate study. Articulate voices from biology preach the belief in 18th century materialism in the study of evolution; those from physics promulgate a kind of mathematical theology in its study of elementary particles and cosmology; both inveigh against heresy. But science should be beyond that sort of belief. It should not see its undoubted success in manipulating matter as justifying any sort of religious status, as offering a spiritual foundation alternative to religion. As a scientist himself, Brian Ridley is appalled by such theological trends, hence this book. It is an attempt to address these concerns, to reform science, to place science in its broad historical and philosophical context where dogmatic belief has no place, to remind science itself that it has limitations.
Why the Mind Is Not a Computer
Why the Mind Is Not a Computer
Tallis, Raymond
¥63.67
The equation "e;Mind = Machine"e; is false. This pocket lexicon of "e;neuromythology"e; shows why. Taking a series of key words such as calculation, language, information and memory, Professor Tallis shows how their misuse has a lured a whole generation into accepting the computational model of the mind.First of all these words were used literally in the description of the human mind. Then computer scientists applied them metaphorically to the workings of their machines. And finally, their metaphorical status forgotten, the use of the terms was called as evidence of artificial intelligence in machines and the computational nature of conscious thought.
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