Expand your knowledge of computer vision by building amazing projects with OpenCV 3About This BookBuild computer vision projects to capture high-quality image data, detect and track objects, process the actions of humans or animals, and much moreDiscover practical and interesting innovations in computer vision while building atop a mature open-source library, OpenCV 3Familiarize yourself with multiple approaches and theories wherever critical decisions need to be madeWho This Book Is ForThis book is ideal for you if you aspire to build computer vision systems that are smarter, faster, more complex, and more practical than the competition. This is an advanced book intended for those who already have some experience in setting up an OpenCV development environment and building applications with OpenCV. You should be comfortable with computer vision concepts, object-oriented programming, graphics programming, IDEs, and the command line.What You Will LearnSelect and configure camera systems to see invisible light, fast motion, and distant objectsBuild a “camera trap”, as used by nature photographers, and process photos to create beautiful effectsDevelop a facial expression recognition system with various feature extraction techniques and machine learning methodsBuild a panorama Android application using the OpenCV stitching module in C++ with NDK supportOptimize your object detection model, make it rotation invariant, and apply scene-specific constraints to make it faster and more robustCreate a person identification and registration system based on biometric properties of that person, such as their fingerprint, iris, and faceFuse data from videos and gyroscopes to stabilize videos shot from your mobile phone and create hyperlapse style videosIn DetailComputer vision is becoming accessible to a large audience of software developers who can leverage mature libraries such as OpenCV. However, as they move beyond their first experiments in computer vision, developers may struggle to ensure that their solutions are sufficiently well optimized, well trained, robust, and adaptive in real-world conditions. With sufficient knowledge of OpenCV, these developers will have enough confidence to go about creating projects in the field of computer vision.This book will help you tackle increasingly challenging computer vision problems that you may face in your careers. It makes use of OpenCV 3 to work around some interesting projects. Inside these pages, you will find practical and innovative approaches that are battle-tested in the authors’ industry experience and research. Each chapter covers the theory and practice of multiple complementary approaches so that you will be able to choose wisely in your future projects. You will also gain insights into the architecture and algorithms that underpin OpenCV’s functionality.We begin by taking a critical look at inputs in order to decide which kinds of light, cameras, lenses, and image formats are best suited to a given purpose. We proceed to consider the finer aspects of computational photography as we build an automated camera to assist nature photographers. You will gain a deep understanding of some of the most widely applicable and reliable techniques in object detection, feature selection, tracking, and even biometric recognition. We will also build Android projects in which we explore the complexities of camera motion: first in panoramic image stitching and then in video stabilization.By the end of the book, you will have a much richer understanding of imaging, motion, machine learning, and the architecture of computer vision libraries and applications!Style and approachThis book covers a combination of theory and practice. We examine blueprints for specific projects and discuss the principles behind these blueprints, in detail.

Implement state-of-the-art techniques to visualize solutions to challenging problems in scientific computing, with the use of the SciPy stackAbout This BookMaster the theory and algorithms behind numerical recipes and how they can be applied to real-world problemsLearn to combine the most appropriate built-in functions from the SciPy stack by understanding the connection between the sources of your problem, volume of data, or computer architectureA comprehensive coverage of all the mathematical techniques needed to solve the presented topics, with a discussion of the relevant algorithms built in the SciPy stackWho This Book Is ForIf you are a mathematician, engineer, or computer scientist with a proficiency in Python and familiarity with IPython, this is the book for you. Some basic knowledge of numerical methods in scientific computing would be helpful.What You Will LearnMaster relevant algorithms used in symbolic or numerical mathematics to address approximation, interpolation, differentiation, integration, root-finding, and optimization of scalar or multi-variate functionsDevelop different algorithms and strategies to efficiently store and manipulate large matrices of data, in particular to solve systems of linear equations, or compute their eigenvalues/eigenvectorsUnderstand how to model physical problems with systems of differential equations and distinguish the factors that dictate the strategies to solve themPerform statistical analysis, hypothesis test design and resolution, or data mining at a higher level, and apply them to real-life problems in the field of data analysisGain insights on the power of distances, Delaunay triangulations and Voronoi diagrams for Computational Geometry, and apply them to various engineering problemsFamiliarize yourself with different techniques in signal/image processing, including filtering audio, images, or video to extract information, features, or remove componentsIn DetailThe SciPy stack is a collection of open source libraries of the powerful *ing language Python, together with its interactive shells. This environment offers a cutting-edge platform for numerical computation, programming, visualization and publishing, and is used by some of the world’s leading mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. It works on any operating system that supports Python and is very easy to install, and completely free of charge! It can effectively transform into a data-processing and system-prototyping environment, directly rivalling MATLAB and Octave.This book goes beyond a mere de*ion of the different built-in functions coded in the libraries from the SciPy stack. It presents you with a solid mathematical and computational background to help you identify the right tools for each problem in scientific computing and visualization. You will gain an insight into the best practices with numerical methods depending on the amount or type of data, properties of the mathematical tools employed, or computer architecture, among other factors.The book kicks off with a concise exploration of the basics of numerical linear algebra and graph theory for the treatment of problems that handle large data sets or matrices. In the subsequent chapters, you will delve into the depths of algorithms in symbolic algebra and numerical analysis to address modeling/simulation of various real-world problems with functions (through interpolation, approximation, or creation of systems of differential equations), and extract their representing features (zeros, extrema, integration or differentiation).Lastly, you will move on to advanced concepts of data analysis, image/signal processing, and computational geometry.Style and approachPacked with real-world examples, this book explores the mathematical techniques needed to solve the presented topics, and focuses on the algorithms built in the SciPy stack.

Install, configure, and support your XenApp systems with the power of Citrix XenAppAbout This BookFamiliarize yourself with Citrix applications and desktop virtualizationMaintain and troubleshoot your XenApp environment to minimize system downtimeA hands-on, step-by-step guide with a practical approach and real-world examples to get you up and running with XenApp systemsWho This Book Is ForThis book is intended for IT administrators and consultants who want to build application and desktop virtualization solutions for their employers and customers. No prior knowledge of Citrix technologies is required.What You Will LearnMake the use case for Citrix XenApp and design your first systemPrepare your existing IT infrastructure for XenApp and learn what licenses you needInstall and configure the XenApp infrastructureEnable access with StoreFront and NetScaler GatewayEnable load balancing with NetScalerMaintain servers and publish applications and desktopsManage printing in a Citrix environmentTroubleshoot your environment using advanced tools and methodologies employed by Citrix Escalation TeamsIn DetailIf you want to effectively deploy the various components of Citrix XenApp to create an enterprise environment for application and desktop delivery, this hands-on guide is perfect for you. You start off by understanding the need and benefits of Citrix XenApp with respect to Virtualization technology. After this, you will get to grips with the requirement analysis and designing aspect of building XenApp systems and all the necessary installation and configuration procedures for Citrix XenApp, StoreFront and NetScalar Gateway are explained one by one in detail.Step-by-step, you will learn to deploy your first XenApp with the Machine Creation Services method and Provisioning Services method. After this, you will explore the administering part of applications and systems, followed by printing in the XenApp environment. Next, you will learn all the trips and tricks required to troubleshoot and support the XenApp environment. By the end of this book, you will be ready to go live with your new XenApp environment.Style and approachThis is a step-by-step guide to technical implementations in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Each component is deployed sequentially until a full solution is built. Basic as well as advanced features of the product are explored to appeal to the widest possible audience interested in the topic.

Design efficient machine learning systems that give you more accurate results About This Book Gain an understanding of the machine learning design process Optimize machine learning systems for improved accuracy Understand common programming tools and techniques for machine learning Develop techniques and strategies for dealing with large amounts of data from a variety of sources Build models to solve unique tasks Who This Book Is For This book is for data scientists, scientists, or just the curious. To get the most out of this book, you will need to know some linear algebra and some Python, and have a basic knowledge of machine learning concepts. What You Will Learn Gain an understanding of the machine learning design process Optimize the error function of your machine learning system Understand the common programming patterns used in machine learning Discover optimizing techniques that will help you get the most from your data Find out how to design models uniquely suited to your task In Detail Machine learning is one of the fastest growing trends in modern computing. It has applications in a wide range of fields, including economics, the natural sciences, web development, and business modeling. In order to harness the power of these systems, it is essential that the practitioner develops a solid understanding of the underlying design principles. There are many reasons why machine learning models may not give accurate results. By looking at these systems from a design perspective, we gain a deeper understanding of the underlying algorithms and the optimisational methods that are available. This book will give you a solid foundation in the machine learning design process, and enable you to build customised machine learning models to solve unique problems. You may already know about, or have worked with, some of the off-the-shelf machine learning models for solving common problems such as spam detection or movie classification, but to begin solving more complex problems, it is important to adapt these models to your own specific needs. This book will give you this understanding and more. Style and approach This easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide covers the most important machine learning models and techniques from a design perspective.

Explore the capabilities of Dynamics NAV 2016 and discover all you need to implement it About This Book Learn the key roles of your Dynamics NAV partner and the roles within your customer’s organization Create configuration packages and perform data migration on your own Find out how to troubleshoot your problems effectively with your Dynamics NAV partner Who This Book Is For This book is for Dynamics NAV partners and end users who want to know everything about Dynamics NAV implementations. It is aimed at those who want to be project managers or get involved with Dynamics NAV, but do not have the expertise to write code themselves. What You Will Learn Study the roles within a Dynamics NAV partner and within a customer’s company Create reusable data migration packages Work with the debugger to pinpoint error messages Get to grips with the key tables used in data reporting and analysis Successfully upgrade your installation to the latest version Manage and expand your existing installation with additional functionalities Explore the free third-party add-ons that can leverage your existing installation In Detail Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application used in all kinds of organizations around the world. It provides a great variety of functionality out-of-the-box in different topics such as accounting, sales, purchase processing, logistics, or manufacturing. It also allows companies to grow the application by customizing the solution to meet specific requirements. This book is a hands-on tutorial on working with a real Dynamics NAV implementation. You will learn about the team from your Microsoft Dynamics NAV partner as well as the team within the customer’s company. This book provides an insight into the different tools available to migrate data from the client’s legacy system into Microsoft Dynamics NAV. If you are already live with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, this books talks about upgrades and what to expect from them. We’ll also show you how to implement additional or expanding functionalities within your existing Microsoft Dynamics NAV installation, perform data analysis, debug error messages, and implement free third-party add-ons to your existing installation. This book will empower you with all the skills and knowledge you need for a successful implementation. Style and approach This book is step-by-step guide to implementing Dynamics NAV from start to finish.

Build and manage networks in OpenStack using Neutron About This Book Deploy an all-in-one cloud based on OpenStack Liberty (2015.2) using RDO Learn the fundamentals of the Neutron API including networks, subnets, and ports, and how to manage these resources in the cloud Build simple virtual network infrastructures in the cloud Who This Book Is For The book is for those who are new to OpenStack and Neutron who want to learn the cloud networking fundamentals and get started with OpenStack networking. Prior networking experience along with a virtual or physical server is recommended to follow along with the concepts demonstrated in the book. What You Will Learn Install the latest Liberty (2015.2) release of OpenStack using RDO in VirtualBox Discover the basics of the Neutron API, including networks, subnets, and ports Interact with Neutron using the CLI and Horizon dashboard Create networks and subnets that provide connectivity to instances Implement software routers that connect networks and provide network address translation Secure instances using Neutron's security group functionality In Detail The OpenStack Networking API offers users the ability to create and manage both basic and complex network architectures that blend the virtual and physical network infrastructure. This book kicks off by describing various components of Openstack Neutron and installing Ubuntu OpenStack based on Canonical's process. Further on, you will use various methods to interface with Neutron to create and manage network resources. You will also get to grips with the relationship between ports, networks, and subnets through diagrams and explanations, and see how the logical components are implemented via plugins and agents. Moving forward, you will learn how virtual switches are implemented and how to build Neutron routers. You will also configure networks, subnets, and routers to provide connectivity to instances using simple examples. At the end, you will configure and manage security groups, and will observe how these rules translate to iptables rules on the host machines. By the end of the book, you will be able to build basic network architectures using Neutron networks and routers in no time. Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide that covers the networking features of OpenStack and the core Neutron API components providing a solid foundation to deploy networks and instances.

Get up and running with ReactJS by developing five cutting-edge and responsive projects About This Book Create pragmatic real-world applications while learning React and its modern developer tools Build sustainable user interfaces by transforming data into components of UI Learn how to generate reusable ReactJS components effectively Who This Book Is For If you are a web developer and wish to learn ReactJS from scratch, then this book is tailor-made for you. Good understanding of Java*, HTML, and CSS is expected. What You Will Learn Create, reuse, and compose React components using JSX Share data between various React components and techniques for data flow within a React app Handle user interactions with the help of event handlers and dynamic components Set up and use various next generation ES2015/ES6 features with React Understand the performance and immutability features of React using React add-ons Learn the techniques of Animation in React Use data stores to store model-related data and information Create a flux-based React application by using Reflux library In Detail ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript library that brings the power of reactive programming to web applications and sites. It aims to address the challenges encountered in developing single-page applications, and is intended to help developers build large, easily scalable and changing web apps. Starting with a project on Open Library API, you will be introduced to React and JSX before moving on to learning about the life cycle of a React component. In the second project, building a multi-step wizard form, you will learn about composite dynamic components and perform DOM actions. You will also learn about building a fast search engine by exploring server-side rendering in the third project on a search engine application. Next, you will build a simple frontpage for an e-commerce app in the fourth project by using data models and React add-ons. In the final project you will develop a complete social media tracker by using the flux way of defining React apps and know about the best practices and use cases with the help of ES6 and redux. By the end of this book, you will not only have a good understanding of ReactJS but will also have built your very own responsive frontend applications from scratch. Style and approach An easy-to-follow program to learn ReactJS with the help of real world projects. Each topic is explained within the context of a project and provides plenty of tips and tricks for using ReactJS.

Start building amazing projects with the Raspberry Pi right out of the box About This Book Explore the vast range of opportunities provided by Raspberry Pi and other hardware components such as a webcam, the Pi camera, and sensors Get hands-on experience with coding, networking, and hardware with the Raspberry Pi platform Learn through ample screenshots that offer a play-by-play account of how to implement Raspberry-Pi-based real-life projects Who This Book Is For What's the best way to learn how to use your Raspberry PiBy example! If you want something exciting to do whilst getting to grips with what your Pi can offer, this is the book for you. With both simple and complex projects, you'll create a wide variety of cool toys and functions with your Raspberry Pi - all with minimal coding experience necessary. What You Will Learn Set up your Raspberry Pi and get it ready for some interesting real-life projects Work with images, videos, webcams, and the Pi camera and create amazing time-lapse videos Explore the amazing world of Minecraft Pi Get to know how to use PiGlow for GPIO programming Interface your Pi with Grove Sensors and implement IoT applications Build your own cluster with Raspberry Pi Understand the networking and network programming fundamentals In Detail Want to put your Raspberry Pi through its paces right out of the boxThis tutorial guide is designed to get you learning all the tricks of the Raspberry Pi through building complete, hands-on hardware projects. Speed through the basics and then dive right in to development! Discover that you can do almost anything with your Raspberry Pi with a taste of almost everything. Get started with Pi Gaming as you learn how to set up Minecraft, and then program your own game with the help of Pygame. Turn the Pi into your own home security system with complete guidance on setting up a webcam spy camera and OpenCV computer vision for image recognition capabilities. Get to grips with GPIO programming to make a Pi-based glowing LED system, build a complete functioning motion tracker, and more. Finally, get ready to tackle projects that push your Pi to its limits. Construct a complete Internet of Things home automation system with the Raspberry Pi to control your house via Twitter; turn your Pi into a super-computer through linking multiple boards into a cluster and then add in advanced network capabilities for super speedy processing! Style and approach This step-by-step guide to building Raspberry-Pi-based projects is explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Each topic is explained sequentially in the process of creating real-life projects, and detailed explanations of the basic and advanced features of various Python libraries are also included.

Improve the performance of your PHP application to ensure the application users aren't left waiting About This Book · Make the optimum use of PHP coding to improve your programming productivity · Leverage the potential of PHP for server-side programming, memory management, and object-oriented programming · Packed with real-life examples to help the readers implement concepts as they learn Who This Book Is For This book is for those who have basic experience in PHP programming. If you are developing performance-critical applications, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn · Setup high performance development and production environment for PHP 7 · Discover new OOP features in PHP 7 to achieve high performance · Improve your PHP applications' performance · Attain improved database performance · Benchmark PHP applications to optimize them · Write quality code by learning to improve code reusability, simplicity, and expressiveness · Get rid of the bottlenecks in your PHP 7 applications by writing PHP code optimally · Tackle issues related to web applications, such as high user dependency and large datasets In Detail PHP is a great language for building web applications. It is essentially a server-side *ing language that is also used for general-purpose programming. PHP 7 is the latest version, providing major backward-compatibility breaks and focusing on high performance and speed. This fast-paced introduction to PHP 7 will improve your productivity and coding skills. The concepts covered will allow you, as a PHP programmer, to improve the performance standards of your applications. We will introduce you to the new features in PHP 7 and then will run through the concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP) in PHP 7. Next, we will shed some light on how to improve your PHP 7 applications' performance and database performance. Through this book, you will be able to improve the performance of your programs using the various benchmarking tools discussed. At the end, the book discusses some best practices in PHP programming to help you improve the quality of your code. Style and approach The book is a step-by-step guide to improve the quality of your code in PHP through real-time examples. The book takes a practical approach to improving the quality of your code.

Simplify and automate server administration tasks with PowerCLI About This Book Automate VMware’s VSphere environment by learning the essentials of PowerCLI Impress your peers by developing *s to perform administration tasks Discover the intricate workings of PowerCLI through simple and real-life examples Who This Book Is For PowerCLI Essentials is focused toward virtualization professionals and system administrators who want to discover and learn about the automation techniques associated with PowerCLI for complex virtual environments. What You Will Learn Download and install PowerCLI and its basics as well as the basics of PowerShell Enchance your scritping experience Build longer *s and simpler reports Relate a task in VMware administration to a PowerCLI * Discover methods to acquire and change information remotely Set up orchestrator to manage your workflow In Detail Have you ever wished you could automatically get a report with all the relevant information about your VMware environments in exactly the format you wantOr that you could automate a crucial task that needs to be performed on a regular basisPowerful Command Line Interface (PowerCLI) *s do all these things and much more for VMware environments. PowerCLI is a command-line interface tool used to automate VMware vSphere environments. It is used to handle complicated administration tasks through use of various cmdlets and *s, which are designed to handle certain aspects of VSphere servers and to help you manage them. This book will show you the intricacies of PowerCLI through real-life examples so that you can discover the art of PowerCLI *ing. At the start, you will be taught to download and install PowerCLI and will learn about the different versions of it. Moving further, you will be introduced to the GUI of PowerCLI and will find out how to develop single line *s to duplicate running tasks, produce simple reports, and simplify administration. Next, you will learn about the methods available to get information remotely. Towards the end, you will be taught to set up orchestrator and build workflows in PowerShell with update manager and SRM *s. Style and approach Each and every topic in this book is explained in a very easy-to-follow fashion with real-life, simple examples so you’ll get an idea not only about working with PowerCLI, but will also get an idea about *ing.

When a new baby arrives among the Beng people of West Africa, they see it not as being born, but as being reincarnated after a rich life in a previous world. Far from being a tabula rasa, a Beng infant is thought to begin its life filled with spiritual knowledge. How do these beliefs affect the way the Beng rear their children?In this unique and engaging ethnography of babies, Alma Gottlieb explores how religious ideology affects every aspect of Beng childrearing practices-from bathing infants to protecting them from disease to teaching them how to crawl and walk-and how widespread poverty limits these practices. A mother of two, Gottlieb includes moving discussions of how her experiences among the Beng changed the way she saw her own parenting. Throughout the book she also draws telling comparisons between Beng and Euro-American parenting, bringing home just how deeply culture matters to the way we all rear our children.All parents and anyone interested in the place of culture in the lives of infants, and vice versa, will enjoy The Afterlife Is Where We Come From."e;This wonderfully reflective text should provide the impetus for formulating research possibilities about infancy and toddlerhood for this century."e; - Caren J. Frost, Medical Anthropology Quarterly?"e;Alma Gottlieb's careful and thought-provoking account of infancy sheds spectacular light upon a much neglected topic. . . . [It] makes a strong case for the central place of babies in anthropological accounts of religion. ?Gottlieb's remarkably rich account, delivered after a long and reflective period of gestation, deserves a wide audience across a range of disciplines."e;-Anthony Simpson, Critique of Anthropology?

In the years following the Civil War, a veritable army of homeless men swept across America's "e;wageworkers' frontier"e; and forged a beguiling and bedeviling counterculture known as "e;hobohemia."e; Celebrating unfettered masculinity and jealously guarding the American road as the preserve of white manhood, hoboes took command of downtown districts and swaggered onto center stage of the new urban culture. Less obviously, perhaps, they also staked their own claims on the American polity, claims that would in fact transform the very entitlements of American citizenship.In this eye-opening work of American history, Todd DePastino tells the epic story of hobohemia's rise and fall, and crafts a stunning new interpretation of the "e;American century"e; in the process. Drawing on sources ranging from diaries, letters, and police reports to movies and memoirs, Citizen Hobo breathes life into the largely forgotten world of the road, but it also, crucially, shows how the hobo army so haunted the American body politic that it prompted the creation of an entirely new social order and political economy. DePastino shows how hoboes-with their reputation as dangers to civilization, sexual savages, and professional idlers-became a cultural and political force, influencing the creation of welfare state measures, the promotion of mass consumption, and the suburbanization of America. Citizen Hobo's sweeping retelling of American nationhood in light of enduring struggles over "e;home"e; does more than chart the change from "e;homelessness"e; to "e;houselessness."e; In its breadth and scope, the book offers nothing less than an essential new context for thinking about Americans' struggles against inequality and alienation.

"e;It is hard to put this profound book into a category. Despite the author's criticisms of Thoreau, it is more like Walden than any other book I have read. . . . The book makes great strides toward bringing the best insights from medieval philosophy and from contemporary environmental ethics together. Anyone interested in both of these areas must read this book."e;-Daniel A. Dombrowski, The Thomist"e;Those who share Kohk's concern to understand nature as other than a mere resource or matter in motion will find his temporally oriented interpretation of nature instructive. It is here in particular that Kohk turns moments of experience to account philosophically, turning what we habitually overlook or avoid into an opportunity and basis for self-knowledge. This is an impassioned attempt to see the vital order of nature and the moral order of our humanity as one."e;-Ethics

The War in American Culture explores the role of World War II in the transformation of American social, cultural, and political life.World War II posed a crisis for American culture: to defeat the enemy, Americans had to unite across the class, racial and ethnic boundaries that had long divided them. Exploring government censorship of war photography, the revision of immigration laws, Hollywood moviemaking, swing music, and popular magazines, these essays reveal the creation of a new national identity that was pluralistic, but also controlled and sanitized. Concentrating on the home front and the impact of the war on the lives of ordinary Americans, the contributors give us a rich portrayal of family life, sexuality, cultural images, and working-class life in addition to detailed consideration of African Americans, Latinos, and women who lived through the unsettling and rapidly altered circumstances of wartime America.

What are boys likeWho is the creature inhabiting the twilight zone between the perils of the Oedipus complex and the Strum und Drang of pubertyIn With the Boys, Gary Alan Fine examines the American male preadolescent by studying the world of Little League baseball. Drawings on three years of firsthand observation of five Little Leagues, Fine describes how, through organized sport and its accompanying activities, boys learn to play, work, and generally be "e;men."e;

Greater Ethiopia combines history, anthropology, and sociology to answer two major questions. Why did Ethiopia remain independent under the onslaught of European expansionism while other African political entities were colonizedAnd why must Ethiopia be considered a single cultural region despite its political, religious, and linguistic diversity?Donald Levine's interdisciplinary study makes a substantial contribution both to Ethiopian interpretive history and to sociological analysis. In his new preface, Levine examines Ethiopia since the overthrow of the monarchy in the 1970s."e;Ethiopian scholarship is in Professor Levine's debt. . . . He has performed an important task with panache, urbanity, and learning."e;-Edward Ullendorff, Times Literary Supplement"e;Upon rereading this book, it strikes the reader how broad in scope, how innovative in approach, and how stimulating in arguments this book was when it came out. . . . In the past twenty years it has inspired anthropological and historical research, stimulated theoretical debate about Ethiopia's cultural and historical development, and given the impetus to modern political thinking about the complexities and challenges of Ethiopia as a country. The text thus easily remains an absolute must for any Ethiopianist scholar to read and digest."e;-J. Abbink, Journal of Modern African Studies

Behemoth, or The Long Parliament is essential to any reader interested in the historical context of the thought of Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). In De Cive (1642) and Leviathan (1651), the great political philosopher had developed an analytical framework for discussing sedition, rebellion, and the breakdown of authority. Behemoth, completed around 1668 and not published until after Hobbe's death, represents the systematic application of this framework to the English Civil War.In his insightful and substantial Introduction, Stephen Holmes examines the major themes and implications of Behemoth in Hobbes's system of thought. Holmes notes that a fresh consideration of Behemoth dispels persistent misreadings of Hobbes, including the idea that man is motivated solely by a desire for self-preservation. Behemoth, which is cast as a series of dialogues between a teacher and his pupil, locates the principal cause of the Civil War less in economic interests than in the stubborn irrationality of key actors. It also shows more vividly than any of Hobbe's other works the importance of religion in his theories of human nature and behavior.

Brown in the Windy City?is the first history to examine the migration and settlement of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in postwar Chicago. Lilia Fernndez reveals how the two populations arrived in Chicago in the midst of tremendous social and economic change and, in spite of declining industrial employment and massive urban renewal projects, managed to carve out a geographic and racial place in one of America's great cities. Through their experiences in the city's central neighborhoods over the course of these three decades, Fernndez demonstrates how Mexicans and Puerto Ricans collectively articulated a distinct racial position in Chicago, one that was flexible and fluid, neither black nor white.?

Aging and creativity can seem a particularly fraught relationship for artists, who often face age-related difficulties as their audience's expectations are at a peak. In?Four Last Songs, Linda and Michael Hutcheon explore this issue via the late works of some of the world's greatest composers.Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), Richard Strauss (1864-1949), Olivier Messiaen (1908-92), and Benjamin Britten (1913-76) all wrote operas late in life, pieces that reveal unique responses to the challenges of growing older. Verdi's?Falstaff, his only comedic success, combated Richard Wagner's influence by introducing young Italian composers to a new model of national music. Strauss, on the other hand, struggling with personal and political problems in Nazi Germany, composed the self-reflexive?Capriccio, a "e;life review"e; of opera and his own legacy. Though it exhausted him physically and emotionally, Messiaen at the age of seventy-five finished?his only opera,?Saint Franois d'Assise, which marked the pinnacle of his career. Britten, meanwhile, suffering from heart problems, refused surgery until he had completed his masterpiece,?Death in Venice. For all four composers, age, far from sapping their creative power, provided impetus for some of their best accomplishments.With its deft treatment of these composers' final years and works, Four Last Songs provides a valuable look at the challenges-and opportunities-that present themselves as artists grow older.

Our thoughts are shaped as much by what things make of us as by what we make of them. Lyric poetry is especially concerned with things and their relationship to thought, sense, and understanding. In Romantic Things, Mary Jacobus explores the world of objects and phenomena in nature as expressed in Romantic poetry alongside the theme of sentience and sensory deprivation in literature and art.?Jacobus discusses objects and attributes that test our perceptions and preoccupy both Romantic poetry and modern philosophy. John Clare, John Constable, Rainer Maria Rilke, W. G. Sebald, and Gerhard Richter make appearances around the central figure of William Wordsworth as Jacobus explores trees, rocks, clouds, breath, sleep, deafness, and blindness in their work. While she thinks through these things, she is assisted by the writings of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jacques Derrida, and Jean-Luc Nancy. Helping us think more deeply about things that are at once visible and invisible, seen and unseen, felt and unfeeling, Romantic Things opens our eyes to what has been previously overlooked in lyric and Romantic poetry.

"e;What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?"e; Asked by the early Christian Tertullian, the question was vigorously debated in the nineteenth century. While classics dominated the intellectual life of Europe, Christianity still prevailed and conflicts raged between the religious and the secular. Taking on the question of how the glories of the classical world could be reconciled with the Bible, Socrates and the Jews explains how Judaism played a vital role in defining modern philhellenism.Exploring the tension between Hebraism and Hellenism, Miriam Leonard gracefully probes the philosophical tradition behind the development of classical philology and considers how the conflict became a preoccupation for the leading thinkers of modernity, including Matthew Arnold, Moses Mendelssohn, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. For each, she shows how the contrast between classical and biblical traditions is central to writings about rationalism, political subjectivity, and progress. Illustrating how the encounter between Athens and Jerusalem became a lightning rod for intellectual concerns, this book is a sophisticated addition to the history of ideas.