The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant. None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale -- the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating -- has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

The fateful first meeting of Enza and Ciro takes place amid the haunting majesty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century. Still teenagers, they are separated when Ciro is banished from his village and sent to hide in New York's Little Italy, apprenticed to a shoemaker, leaving a bereft Enza behind. But when her own family faces disaster, she, too, is forced to emigrate to America. Though destiny will reunite the star-crossed lovers, it will, just as abruptly, separate them once again sending Ciro off to serve in World War I, while Enza is drawn into the glamorous world of the opera . . . and into the life of the international singing sensation Enrico Caruso. Still, Enza and Ciro have been touched by fate and, ultimately, the power of their love will change their lives forever. A riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny, inspired by the author's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write.

Flying the not-so-friendly skies... In her more than fifteen years as an airline flight attendant, Heather Poole has seen it all. She's witnessed all manner of bad behavior at 35,000 feet and knows what it takes for a traveler to become the most hated passenger onboard. She's slept in flight attendant crashpads in "Crew Gardens," Queens sharing small bedrooms crammed with bunk beds with a parade of attractive women who come and go at all hours, prompting suspicious neighbors to jump to the very worst conclusions. She's watched passengers and coworkers alike escorted off the planes by police. She can tell you why it's a bad idea to fall for a pilot but can be a very good one (in her case) to date a business-class passenger. Heather knows everything about flying in a post-9/11 world and she knows what goes on behind the scenes, things the passengers would never dream. Heather's true stories in Cruising Attitude are surprising, hilarious, sometimes outrageously incredible the very juiciest of "galley gossip" delightfully intermingled with the eye-opening, unforgettable chronicle of her fascinating life in the sky.

For hundreds of years, the vampire Balthazar has been alone without allies, without love. When Balthazar agrees to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel, seductive master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Now Redgrave plans to use Skye powers for his own evil purposes. Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. As Skye and Balthazar stand together to fight him, they grow closer first unwillingly, then undeniably. Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by her. . . . In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves." The Incorrigible children actually were. Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have been exceedingly busy. Despite their wolfish upbringing, the children have taken up bird-watching, with no unfortunate consequences yet. And a perplexing gift raises hard questions about how Penelope came to be left at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and why her parents never bothered to return for her. But hers is not the only family mystery to solve. When Lord Fredrick's long-absent mother arrives with the noted explorer Admiral Faucet, gruesome secrets tumble out of the Ashton family tree. And when the admiral's prized racing ostrich gets loose in the forest, it will take all the Incorrigibles' skills to find her. The hunt for the runaway ostrich is on. But Penelope is worried. Once back in the wild, will the children forget about books and poetry and go back to their howling, wolfish waysWhat if they never want to come back to Ashton Place at all?

New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb “one of the most important writers in 21st-century fantasy” (Contra Costa Times ) continues her enthralling fantasy saga of dragons and their keepers City of Dragons Volume Three of the Rain Wilds Chronicles Once, dragons ruled the Rain Wilds, tended by privileged human servants known as Elderlings. But a series of cataclysmic eruptions nearly drove these magnificent creatures to extinction. Born weak and deformed, the last of their kind had one hope for survival: to return to their ancient city of Kelsingra. Accompanied by a disparate crew of untested young keepers, the dragons embarked on a harsh journey into the unknown along the toxic Rain Wild River. Battling starvation, a hostile climate, and treacherous enemies, dragons and humans began to forge magical connections, bonds that have wrought astonishing transformations for them all. And though Kelsingra is finally near, their odyssey has only begun. Because of the swollen waters of the Rain Wild River, the lost city can be reached only by flight a test of endurance and skill beyond the stunted dragons’ strength. Venturing across the swift-running river in tiny boats, the dragon scholar Alise and a handful of keepers discover a world far different from anything they have ever known or imagined. Immense, ornate structures of black stone veined with silver and lifelike stone statues line the silent, eerily empty streets. Yet what are the whispers they hear, the shadows of voices and bursts of light that flutter and are goneAnd why do they feel as if eyes are watching themThe dragons must plumb the depths of their ancestral memories to help them take flight and unlock the secrets buried in Kelsingra. But enemies driven by greed and dark desires are approaching. Time is running out, not only for the dragons but for their human keepers as well.

Enjoy fresh, simple, delicious, and satisfying Chinese food including many takeout classics without ever leaving home! With her trademark passion and deep appreciation for Chinese cooking, Cooking Channel star Ching-He Huang brings her charm and expertise to an eager audience with this outstanding cookbook. Ching fuses Chinese and Western cultures to create one hundred quick dishes full of natural ingredients and bursting with flavor. Ching Everyday Easy Chinese makes it simple for home cooks to prepare their favorite Chinese dishes faster, cheaper, and more healthfully than their local restaurant. Enjoy a diverse selection of favorite recipes for every occasion and taste, including: Traditional Hot and Sour Soup Five-Spice Salted Shrimp with Hot Cilantro Sauce Crispy Sweet Chili Beef Pancakes Kung Po Chicken Black Pepper Beef and Rainbow Vegetable Stir-Fry Singapore Noodles Egg and Asparagus Fried Rice Interspersed with entertaining personal stories and suggestions for exciting variations on classic recipes, Ching Everyday Easy Chinese takes readers on a culinary journey that delightfully blends ancient and modern, yin and yang, experimentation and intuition and ends with perfectly balanced and tantalizing fare that will inspire even the most stalwart takeout devotees.

Psychiatry has ignored the normal. The focus on defining abnormal behavior has obscured what turns out to be a more fundamental question how does the biology of the brain give rise to the mind, which in turn gives rise to everything we care about: thoughts, feelings, desires, and relationships In The Other Side of Normal , Harvard psychiatrist Jordan Smoller shows us that understanding what the mind was designed to do in the first place demystifies mental illness and builds a new foundation for defining psychiatric disorders from autism to depression. Smoller argues there are no bright lines between normal and abnormal. Psychiatric disorders are variations of the same brain systems that evolved to help us solve the challenges of everyday life. How do we become who we areSmoller explains where our personalities come from, and how the temperaments we had as infants actually stay with us into adulthood. Why do we choose to date, love, and marry the people we doWhy do some of us form healthy relationships while others form unstable onesOur relationships are shaped by the biology that drives two imperatives: maternal-child bonding and child-parent attachment. Along the way, Smoller tackles an even greater question what do we mean by "normal" as he explores the puzzles behind the epidemics of multiple personalities and koro, the shocking phobia that one's penis is shrinking. He also looks at the controversial history of psychiatric classification and the explosive debates over how much early experiences influence our minds and to what degree genetics affect our temperaments, personalities, and emotional lives. Throughout this examination, Smoller explores the hidden sides of such questions as: How are trust and love rooted in biologyHow much does sexual attraction stem from biology rather than cultureAnd what can the scientific study of normal behavior tell us about what it means to be human Based on the author's groundbreaking research and personal experiences treating psychological disorders, The Other Side of Normal changes the way we think about the human condition.

Erin Hunter, the #1 nationally bestselling author of the Warriors series, is back with book two in the New York Times bestselling Survivors series about a dog named Lucky. A Hidden Enemy was praised by Kirkus as "perfectly crafted" in a starred review. It will be welcomed by all fans of epic animal fantasy adventure. After discovering a forest filled with prey and fresh water, Lucky and the Leashed Dogs are sure that they have found their new home. But a fierce pack of Wild Dogs has laid claim to the land and their menacing Alpha is determined to make sure that no other dogs settle there. Now Lucky finds himself forced to go behind enemy lines and he has to decide which dogs will ultimately be his true allies.

Unleash the power of Apache Oozie to create and manage your big data and machine learning pipelines in one go About This Book Teaches you everything you need to know to get started with Apache Oozie from scratch and manage your data pipelines effortlessly Learn to write data ingestion workflows with the help of real-life examples from the author’s own personal experience Embed Spark jobs to run your machine learning models on top of Hadoop Who This Book Is For If you are an expert Hadoop user who wants to use Apache Oozie to handle workflows efficiently, this book is for you. This book will be handy to anyone who is familiar with the basics of Hadoop and wants to automate data and machine learning pipelines. What You Will Learn Install and configure Oozie from source code on your Hadoop cluster Dive into the world of Oozie with Java MapReduce jobs Schedule Hive ETL and data ingestion jobs >Import data from a database through Sqoop jobs in HDFS Create and process data pipelines with Pig, hive *s as per business requirements. Run machine learning Spark jobs on Hadoop Create quick Oozie jobs using Hue Make the most of Oozie’s security capabilities by configuring Oozie’s security In Detail As more and more organizations are discovering the use of big data analytics, interest in platforms that provide storage, computation, and analytic capabilities is booming exponentially. This calls for data management. Hadoop caters to this need. Oozie fulfils this necessity for a scheduler for a Hadoop job by acting as a cron to better analyze data. Apache Oozie Essentials starts off with the basics right from installing and configuring Oozie from source code on your Hadoop cluster to managing your complex clusters. You will learn how to create data ingestion and machine learning workflows. This book is sprinkled with the examples and exercises to help you take your big data learning to the next level. You will discover how to write workflows to run your MapReduce, Pig ,Hive, and Sqoop *s and schedule them to run at a specific time or for a specific business requirement using a coordinator. This book has engaging real-life exercises and examples to get you in the thick of things. Lastly, you’ll get a grip of how to embed Spark jobs, which can be used to run your machine learning models on Hadoop. By the end of the book, you will have a good knowledge of Apache Oozie. You will be capable of using Oozie to handle large Hadoop workflows and even improve the availability of your Hadoop environment. Style and approach This book is a hands-on guide that explains Oozie using real-world examples. Each chapter is blended beautifully with fundamental concepts sprinkled in-between case study solution algorithms and topped off with self-learning exercises.

Acquire skills to manage your IT infrastructure effectively with Puppet About This BookBreeze through Puppet 4’s key features and performance improvements to bring real advantage to your IT infrastructureDiscover Puppet best practices to help you avoid common mistakes and pitfallsBlitz through easy-to-follow examples to get to grips with Puppet and succeed with everyday IT automationWho This Book Is ForIf you're an experienced IT professional and a new Puppet user, this book will provide you with all you need to know to go from installation to advanced automation in no time at all. Get a rapid introduction to the essential topics and then tackle Puppet for advanced automation.What You Will LearnWrite and employ individual Puppet manifestsUnderstand how Puppet implements system abstractionDeploy the Puppet master and agentsLeverage and extend Facter to summarize your systems Create modular and reusable Puppet code Extend your code base with publicly available Puppet modules Use the modern features of Puppet 4 Separate logic from data using Hiera In Detail Puppet is a configuration management tool that allows you to automate all your IT configurations, giving you control over what you do to each Puppet Agent in a network, and when and how you do it. In this age of digital delivery and ubiquitous Internet presence, it's becoming increasingly important to implement scalable and portable solutions, not only in terms of software, but also the systems that run it. The free Ruby-based tool Puppet has established itself as the most successful solution to manage any IT infrastructure. Ranging from local development environments through complex data center setups to scalable cloud implementations, Puppet allows you to handle them all with a unified approach. Puppet 4 Essentials, Second Edition gets you started rapidly and intuitively as you’ll put Puppet’s tools to work right away. It will also highlight the changes associated with performance improvements as well as the new language features in Puppet 4. We’ll start with a quick introduction to Puppet to get you managing your IT systems quickly. You will then learn about the Puppet Agent that comes with an all-in-one (AIO) package and can run on multiple systems. Next, we’ll show you the Puppet Server for high-performance communication and passenger packages. As you progress through the book, the innovative structure and approach of Puppet will be explained with powerful use cases. The difficulties that are inherent to a complex and powerful tool will no longer be a problem for you as you discover Puppet's fascinating intricacies. By the end of the book, you will not only know how to use Puppet, but also its companion tools Facter and Hiera, and will be able to leverage the flexibility and expressive power implemented by their tool chain. Style and approach This quick learning guide for Puppet follows a practical approach, starting with some basic commands that you can use from the shell right away. It comprises a series of examples that will get you familiar with the most important aspects of Puppet in a flash.

Explore the robust features of Python to create real-world ArcGIS applications through exciting, hands-on projects About This Book Get to grips with the big world of Python add-ins and wxPython in GUI development to implement their features in your application Integrate advanced Python libraries, ArcPy mapping, and data access module techniques to develop a mapping application Construct a top-notch intermediate-to-advanced project by accessing ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online resources through the ArcGIS REST API using a project-based approach Who This Book Is For If you have prior experience building simple apps with ArcGIS and now have a fancy for developing a more challenging and complex desktop application in ArcGIS, then this book is ideal for you. What You Will Learn Automate the creation of creative output data visualizations including maps, charts, and graphs Explore ways to use the ArcPy Mapping module and Data-driven Pages to automate the creation of map books in your own project Develop applications that use the Plotly platform and library to create stunning charts and graphs that can be integrated into ArcGIS Desktop Build tools that access REST services and download data to a local geodatabase Design, build, and integrate advanced GUIs with wxPython and ArcGIS Desktop in ArcGIS Get clued up about constructing applications that export data to Google Earth Pro to automate time-consuming complex processes Maximize the access of ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online using the ArcGIS REST API with Python In Detail This book is an immersive guide to take your ArcGIS Desktop application development skills to the next level It starts off by providing detailed de*ion and examples of how to create ArcGIS Desktop Python toolboxes that will serve as containers for many of the applications that you will build. We provide several practical projects that involve building a local area/community map and extracting wildfire data. You will then learn how to build tools that can access data from ArcGIS Server using the ArcGIS REST API. Furthermore, we deal with the integration of additional open source Python libraries into your applications, which will help you chart and graph advanced GUI development; read and write JSON, CSV, and XML format data sources; write outputs to Google Earth Pro, and more. Along the way, you will be introduced to advanced ArcPy Mapping and ArcPy Data Access module techniques and use data-driven Pages to automate the creation of map books. Finally, you will learn advanced techniques to work with video and social media feeds. By the end of the book, you will have your own desktop application without having spent too much time learning sophisticated theory. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow, project-based guide that guides you through the whole ArcGIS theme with practical, real-world examples and a systematic approach.

Harness the hidden power of Java to build network-enabled applications with lower network traffic and faster processes About This BookLearn to deliver superior server-to-server communication through the networking channelsGain expertise of the networking features of your own applications to support various network architectures such as client/server and peer-to-peerExplore the issues that impact scalability, affect security, and allow applications to work in a heterogeneous environmentWho This Book Is ForLearning Network Programming with Java is oriented to developers who wish to use network technologies to enhance the utility of their applications. You should have a working knowledge of Java and an interest in learning the latest in network programming techniques using Java. No prior experience with network development or special software beyond the Java SDK is needed. Upon completion of the book, beginner and experienced developers will be able to use Java to access resources across a network and the Internet.What You Will LearnConnect to other applications using socketsUse channels and buffers to enhance communication between applicationsAccess network services and develop client/server applicationsExplore the critical elements of peer-to-peer applications and current technologies availableUse UDP to perform multicastingAddress scalability through the use of core and advanced threading techniques Incorporate techniques into an application to make it more secure Configure and address interoperability issues to enable your applications to work in a heterogeneous environment In Detail Network-aware applications are becoming more prevalent and play an ever-increasing role in the world today. Connecting and using an Internet-based service is a frequent requirement for many applications. Java provides numerous classes that have evolved over the years to meet evolving network needs. These range from low-level socket and IP-based approaches to those encapsulated in software services. This book explores how Java supports networks, starting with the basics and then advancing to more complex topics. An overview of each relevant network technology is presented followed by detailed examples of how to use Java to support these technologies. We start with the basics of networking and then explore how Java supports the development of client/server and peer-to-peer applications. The NIO packages are examined as well as multitasking and how network applications can address practical issues such as security. A discussion on networking concepts will put many network issues into perspective and let you focus on the appropriate technology for the problem at hand. The examples used will provide a good starting point to develop similar capabilities for many of your network needs. Style and approach Each network technology’s terms and concepts are introduced first. This is followed up with code examples to explain these technologies. Many of the examples are supplemented with alternate Java 8 solutions when appropriate. Knowledge of Java 8 is not necessary but these examples will help you better understand the power of Java 8.

Harness the power of Magento 2 – The most recent version of the world’s favourite e-Commerce platform for your online store About This Book Set up, configure, and power up your Magento environment from development to production Master the use of Web API to communicate with the Magento system and create custom services Create custom modules from scratch to extend the core functionality of the Magento system Who This Book Is For This book is intended primarily for intermediate to professional-level PHP developers who are interested in Magento development. For backend developers, several topics are covered that will enable you to modify and extend your Magento 2 store. Frontend developers will also find some coverage on how to customize the look of the site in the frontend. What You Will Learn Set up the development and production environment of Magento 2 Understand the new major concepts and conventions used in Magento 2 Build a miniature yet fully-functional module from scratch to manage your e-commerce platform efficiently Write models and collections to manage and search your entity data Dive into backend development such as creating events, observers, cron jobs, logging, profiling, and messaging features Get to the core of frontend development such as blocks, templates, layouts, and the themes of Magento 2 Use token, session, and Oauth token-based authentication via various flavors of API calls, as well as creating your own APIs Get to grips with testing Magento modules and custom themes, which forms an integral part of development In Detail Magento is one of the most exciting, flexible, and customizable e-commerce systems. It offers you an extensive suite of powerful tools for creating and managing an online store. After years of development, Magento 2 introduces itself with a strong emphasis on modularity, Web API's, automated testing and overall new technology stack platform. The long-awaited Magento 2 release introduces a whole new e-commerce platform to develop online stores. The all new Magento 2 architecture, Web APIs, and a host of other features are equally challenging to master as much as they are exciting to use. This book will ease the learning curve by offering step-by-step guidance on how to extend the core functionality of your Magento 2 store. This book is your one-stop guide to build and customize a quality e-commerce website from the latest version of one of the largest, fastest growing, and most popular e-commerce platforms—Magento 2. We start off with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of Magento to give you a foundation to work from. We then move on to configure the development and basic production environment for Magento. After this, you’ll get to grips with the major concepts and conventions that are new to the Magento 2 platform. We then delve deeper to get to the core of automated deployments, persisting data, writing data fixture *s and applying various backend and frontend modifications. As we near the end of the book, you will learn to make API calls and write automated tests. Finally, you will be guided through building a full-blown helpdesk module from scratch. By the end of this book, you will have learned a wide range of techniques to extend and customize your Magento 2 store to fit the requirements of your business. Style and approach This book is a mix of theoretical and step-by-step approaches, explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Topics are explained sequentially, giving detailed explanations of the basic and advanced features to get you working on Magento 2.

Get the most out of your Qlik Sense investment with the latest insight and guidance direct from the Qlik Sense team About This Book Updated with new coverage on Qlik Cloud, Qlik Sense Modeling, and Extending the Qlik Analytic Platform. Get insider insight on Qlik Sense and its new approach to business intelligence Explore practical demonstrations for utilizing Qlik Sense to discover data for sales, human resources, and more Who This Book Is For Learning Qlik Sense?: The Official Guide Second Edition is for anyone seeking to understand and utilize the revolutionary new approach to business intelligence offered by Qlik Sense. Familiarity with the basics of business intelligence will be helpful when picking up this book, but not essential. What You Will Learn Understand the vision behind the creation of Qlik Sense, and the promise that data discovery offers to you and your organization Get to grips with the life cycle of a Qlik Sense application Load and manage your data for app creation Visualize your data with Qlik Sense's engaging and informative graphing Administer your Qlik Sense system and monitor its security Build efficient and responsive Associative Models Extend the Qlik Analytic Platform with the Dev Hub Optimize Qlik Sense for sales, human resources, and demographic data discovery In Detail The intuitive and powerful Qlik Sense visual analytics software allows anyone to engage in data discovery, to explore your data, and find meaningful insights to empower your business. Qlik Sense lets you easily create personalized reports and visualizations and reveal essential connections to show new opportunities from every angle. Written by members of the Qlik Sense team, this book is the official guide from Qlik to understanding and using their powerful new product with fully updated coverage to the latest features of the most modern edition of Qlik Sense. Benefit from the vision behind the development of Qlik Sense and get to grips with how Qlik Sense can empower you as a data discovery consumer. Learn how to create your own applications for Qlik Sense to customize it to meet your personal needs for business intelligence, and how to oversee and administer the Qlik Sense data architecture. Finally, explore utilizing Qlik Sense to uncover essential data, with practical examples on finding and visualizing intelligence for sales figures, human resources information, travel expense tracking, and demographic data discovery. Style and approach This book is a practical guide to understand what Qlik Sense is and how to implement it. This is an example-rich, step-by-step book to implement and optimize Qlik Sense for sales, human resources, and demographic data discovery.

Learn to code like a professional with Python – an open source, versatile, and powerful programming language About This Book Learn the fundamentals of programming with Python – one of the best languages ever created Develop a strong set of programming skills that you will be able to express in any situation, on every platform, thanks to Python’s portability Create outstanding applications of all kind, from websites to *ing, and from GUIs to data science Who This Book Is For Python is the most popular introductory teaching language in U.S. top computer science universities, so if you are new to software development, or maybe you have little experience, and would like to start off on the right foot, then this language and this book are what you need. Its amazing design and portability will help you become productive regardless of the environment you choose to work with. What You Will Learn Get Python up and running on Windows, Mac, and Linux in no time Grasp the fundamental concepts of coding, along with the basics of data structures and control flow. Write elegant, reusable, and efficient code in any situation Understand when to use the functional or the object oriented programming approach Create bulletproof, reliable software by writing tests to support your code Explore examples of GUIs, *ing, data science and web applications Learn to be independent, capable of fetching any resource you need, as well as dig deeper In Detail Learning Python has a dynamic and varied nature. It reads easily and lays a good foundation for those who are interested in digging deeper. It has a practical and example-oriented approach through which both the introductory and the advanced topics are explained. Starting with the fundamentals of programming and Python, it ends by exploring very different topics, like GUIs, web apps and data science. The book takes you all the way to creating a fully fledged application. The book begins by exploring the essentials of programming, data structures and teaches you how to manipulate them. It then moves on to controlling the flow of a program and writing reusable and error proof code. You will then explore different programming paradigms that will allow you to find the best approach to any situation, and also learn how to perform performance optimization as well as effective debugging. Throughout, the book steers you through the various types of applications, and it concludes with a complete mini website built upon all the concepts that you learned. Style and approach This book is an easy-to-follow guide that will take you from a novice to the proficient level at a comfortable pace, using a lot of simple but effective examples. Each topic is explained thoroughly, and pointers are left for the more inquisitive readers to dig deeper and expand their knowledge.

Learn and explore the fundamentals of data analysis with power of Mathematica About This Book Use the power of Mathematica to analyze data in your applications Discover the capabilities of data classification and pattern recognition offered by Mathematica Use hundreds of algorithms for time series analysis to predict the future Who This Book Is For The book is for those who want to learn to use the power of Mathematica to analyze and process data. Perhaps you are already familiar with data analysis but have never used Mathematica, or you know Mathematica but you are new to data analysis. With the help of this book, you will be able to quickly catch up on the key points for a successful start. What You Will Learn Import data from different sources to Mathematica Link external libraries with programs written in Mathematica Classify data and partition them into clusters Recognize faces, objects, text, and barcodes Use Mathematica functions for time series analysis Use algorithms for statistical data processing Predict the result based on the observations In Detail There are many algorithms for data analysis and it’s not always possible to quickly choose the best one for each case. Implementation of the algorithms takes a lot of time. With the help of Mathematica, you can quickly get a result from the use of a particular method, because this system contains almost all the known algorithms for data analysis. If you are not a programmer but you need to analyze data, this book will show you the capabilities of Mathematica when just few strings of intelligible code help to solve huge tasks from statistical issues to pattern recognition. If you're a programmer, with the help of this book, you will learn how to use the library of algorithms implemented in Mathematica in your programs, as well as how to write algorithm testing procedure. With each chapter, you'll be more immersed in the special world of Mathematica. Along with intuitive queries for data processing, we will highlight the nuances and features of this system, allowing you to build effective analysis systems. With the help of this book, you will learn how to optimize the computations by combining your libraries with the Mathematica kernel. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step approach, accompanied by examples, so you get a better understanding of the logic of writing algorithms for data analysis in Mathematica. We provide a detailed explanation of all the nuances of the Mathematica language, no matter what your level of experience is.

Master the advanced concepts of game development for iOS to build impressive games About This Book Create a complete game with advanced techniques through the course of the book using in-depth, hands-on instructions Learn how to multi-task and improve performance optimization in your game playing experience The author, Miguel, has 11 years of iOS game development using xcode and has released over 10 games to the Apple AppStoreMaster player movement using touch controls as well as discuss motion controls Who This Book Is For This book is for those who have created an iOS game already and want to hone their skills. A reasonable level of knowledge and an understanding of the core elements and applications would be helpful. What You Will Learn Blast off and start developing fun games Optimize the assets for the best performance in the game app Master player movement using touch controls as well as discuss motion controls Perform bug Squashing by testing and debugging Design interesting various characters and enemies for your game Test your game on both, the simulator on the computer and on real devices Tweak and fine tune the code and graphics before the release of your app Uncover some awesome new gameplay by adding in multiplayer elements, to get more people playing together In Detail iOS is an operating system for Apple manufactured phones and tablets. Mobile gaming is one of the fastest-growing industries, and compatibility with iOS is now becoming the norm for game developers. SpriteKit is part of the native SDK from Apple, and enables developers to make simple entry into game development without unnecessary overhead and a long learning process. SpriteKit also provides other functionality that is useful for games, including basic sound playback support and physics simulation. In addition, Xcode provides built-in support for SpriteKit so that you can create complex special effects and texture atlases directly in Xcode. This combination of framework and tools makes SpriteKit a good choice for games and other apps that require similar kinds of animation. Become a master in iOS game development through this fast and fun guide! In the beginning, we’ll tell you everything you need to plan and design your game. You’ll then start developing your game through step-by-step instructions using the various built-in technologies of Xcode. From there on, we discuss how to deploy your game to the iOS App Store, as well as monetizing it to make more revenue. You will also learn advanced techniques to improve your game playing experience, including better multi-tasking, improved performance optimization, battery management, and more. To end the book off, we’ll show you how to update your game with different features, then port the update to the App Store. Style and approach This book provides an easy-to-understand and fun approach to game development, with step-by-step instructions and detailed explanation of each block of code. The topics covered range from easy to advanced, so buckle up for a fast-paced ride!

Discover all the secrets of Unreal Engine and create seven fully functional games with the help of step-by-step instructions About This Book Understand what a Blueprint is and how to create a complex visual *ing code Discover the infinite possibilities that Unreal Engine offers, and understand which tool to use, where and when Learn to think like a real game developer in order to create enjoyable and bug-free games using this comprehensive and practical handbook Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for intermediate level developers who know how to use Unreal Engine and want to go through a series of projects that will further their expertise. Working knowledge of C++ is a must. What You Will Learn Write clean and reusable Blueprint *s Develop any kind of game you have in mind, following the rules used by experts Move through Unreal Engine 4, always knowing what you are doing and where to find the right tool for your needs Integrate C++ code into your projects using Visual Studio and the tools that Unreal provides Extricate between classes, nodes, interfaces, macros, and functions Work with different types of assets, from 3D objects to audio sources, from UI buttons to animations Explore all the aspects of the game logic—collisions, navigation meshes, matinees, volumes, events, and states In Detail With the arrival of Unreal Engine 4, a new wonderful tool was born: Blueprint. This visual *ing tool allows even non-programmers to develop the logic for their games, allowing almost anyone to create entire games without the need to write a single line of code. The range of features you can access with Blueprint * is pretty extensive, making it one of the foremost choices for many game developers. Unreal Engine Game Development Blueprints helps you unleash the real power of Unreal by helping you to create engaging and spectacular games. It will explain all the aspects of developing a game, focusing on visual *ing, and giving you all the information you need to create your own games. We start with an introductory chapter to help you move fluidly inside the Blueprint user interface, recognize its different components, and understand any already written Blueprint *. Following this, you will learn how to modify generated Blueprint classes to produce a single player tic-tac-toe game and personalize it. Next, you will learn how to create simple user interfaces, and how to extend Blueprints through code. This will help you make an informed decision between choosing Blueprint or code. You will then see the real power of Unreal unleashed as you create a beautiful scene with moving, AI controlled objects, particles, and lights. Then, you will learn how to create AI using a behavior tree and a global level Blueprint, how to modify the camera, and how to shoot custom bullets. Finally, you will create a complex game using Blueprintable components complete with a menu, power-up, dangerous objects, and different weapons. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow guide full of practical game examples. Each chapter contains step-by-step instructions to build a complete game and each game uses a different tool in order to cover all the topics in a detailed and progressive manner.

MeteorJS makes full-stack JavaScript Application Development simple – Learn how to build better modern web apps with MeteorJS, and become an expert in the innovative JavaScript framework About This Book Get your dream project up and running by building exceptional MeteorJS applications in a matter of days Learn how to integrate other JavaScript frameworks into your MeteorJS project and become an expert in full-stack development Go beyond coding and learn how to make modern design decisions – from mobile design to SEO – that drive great user experiences Who This Book Is For If you’ve already had some experience with MeteorJS but want to learn how to build even better modern web application, this book has been created for you. It provides you with a comprehensive look at one of those most important frameworks being used for the modern web today.What You Will Learn Get to grips with the basics and learn how to build a complete real-time application with MeteorJS Find out how Meteor makes full-stack development simple – become a better developer, fast. Use some of the most effective testing tools in modern web development to troubleshoot, debug and optimize your app Find out how to write custom packages for applications – so you can build your project exactly how you want Integrate React and Angular into your project Design and develop high quality animations that will give your UI the edge Build MeteorJS to serve as REST-based application and reactive system Learn how to host a MeteorJS application and then scale it for data Find out how MeteorJS can help you build for mobile Learn how to make sure you implement an effective SEO strategy in your MeteorJS application In Detail The web is dead – applications now rule our online experiences. But how are you going to build themWell, if you’ve been paying attention, you might already have tried your hand with MeteorJS, the JavaScript framework that helps you build complete full-stack web applications that are responsive and fast with ease. Mastering MeteorJS Application Development shows you how to do even more with MeteorJS – if you’re ready to try a comprehensive course through one of the most exciting frameworks in web development today, this is the book you need. Designed to take you through the entire process of building an advanced multipage application with Meteor, you’ll be able to bring your web development ideas with surprising ease. You’ll not only learn how Meteor makes web development easier, but also how you can make using Meteor easier, by automating and simplifying tasks so you can be confident you have full control of everything in your workflow – especially everything that could go wrong. From automated testing to integrating other useful frameworks such as Angular and D3, each chapter covers a crucial element in the Meteor development process. Discover how to integrate animations using Meteor’s Blaze, to give your UI designs the edge, and explore reactive programming to effectively harness RESTful systems in your projects. You will also learn how to deploy and scale your application, two crucial aspects of modern development and vital in a changing digital environment with users expecting a product and experience that delivers. With further insights on developing for mobile – and how Meteor can help you tackle the challenges of the trend – and details on incorporating SEO strategies into your application, this book isn’t just a code tutorial – it’s about creating a product that users love. Style and approach This book is a practical guide that teaches you different ways to create custom packages, efficient client and server code, and more using Meteor. This book is packed with perfect examples and explanations to help you understand the concepts. With the perfect mix of theory and practical experience, it will equip you to become a professional MeteorJS developer.

The murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums. America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving people. Critics are like pigs at the pastry cart. Describing something by relating it to another thing is the essence of metaphorical thought. It is one of the oldest activities of humankind and one of the most impressive when done skillfully. Throughout history, many masters of metaphor have crafted observations that are so spectacular they have taken up a permanent residence in our minds. In I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like , quotation maven Dr. Mardy Grothe fixes his attention on the three superstars of figurative language analogies, metaphors, and similes. The result is an extraordinary compilation of nearly 2,000 feats of association that will entertain, educate, and occasionally inspire quotation lovers everywhere. In this intellectual smorgasbord, the author of Oxymoronica and Viva la Repartee explains figurative language in a refreshingly down-to-earth way before taking readers on a tour of history's greatest word pictures. In chapters on wit, love, sex, stage and screen, insults, politics, sports, and more, you will find quotations from Aristotle and Maya Angelou to George Washington and Oprah Winfrey.