With a very suitable title, this book highlights the work of two very accomplished and ambitious modelers, Lewis Pruneau and Bob Letterman, both of which were inspired and befriended by Francois Verlinden early in his career. Francois immediately published this first book dedicated to their work in order to introduce them to the rest of the scale modeling community. The book focuses on only three pieces of their work, but in reality a book could easily have been made for each of these massive pieces. The first piece, entitled The Paris Gun, is a 1:35 scale monster of a German railroad mounted gun built from scratch by Lewis Pruneau. Depicted in a diorama as it appeared during construction in the factory, this piece is comprehensively detailed from every side to a very high level of realism. The next piece, also by Lewis, is of a dry-docked German experimental U-Boat undergoing maintenance. Again, the entire piece is built from scratch, with many photographs taken during construction. This piece truly illustrates the talents of this bold modeler. The final article focuses on a miniature city in 1:35 scale by Bob Letterman. Depicting a French city undergoing liberation from the Germans by Pattons forces during WWII, it truly must be seen to be believed. Although the main theme is clearly shown in the form of U.S. Army convoys moving past columns of German P.O.W.s in the city, seemingly countless details can be seen, from individual vignettes on street corners, to different European architectural styles. This book is a must for every modeler, artist, military enthusiast, and history buff.

Did Newton "unweave the rainbow" by reducing it to its prismatic colors, as Keats contended? Did he, in other words, diminish beauty? Far from it, says acclaimed scientist Richard Dawkins; Newton's unweaving is the key to much of modern astronomy and to the breathtaking poetry of modern cosmology. Mysteries don't lose their poetry because they are solved: the solution often is more beautiful than the puzzle, uncovering deeper mysteries. With the wit, insight, and spellbinding prose that have made him a best-selling author, Dawkins takes up the most important and compelling topics in modern science, from astronomy and genetics to language and virtual reality, combining them in a landmark statement of the human appetite for wonder. This is the book Richard Dawkins was meant to write: a brilliant assessment of what science is (and isn't), a tribute to science not because it is useful but because it is uplifting.

Well-written and engaging, this volume explores the most important questions and issues that have absorbed philosophers over the past twenty-five centuries. The quest to define reality, the problem of the existence of God, the search for moral values, the problem of evil, the discovery of the self, and other philosophical issues are clearly outlined in six thematic chapters. The ideas of ancient, medieval, and modern philosophers are integrated into a reflective and compelling narrative, which aims at emphasizing the timeless relevance of these questions and concerns and at eliciting from the readers their own responses to the issues raised. The book includes a comprehensive bibliography and two extensive glossaries that outline the theories of all the philosophers mentioned and explain the main philosophical terms used in the text. Designed specifically for undergraduate students taking their first courses in philosophy and for anybody who wishes to gain acquaintance with the subject, this comprehensive volume sheds light on the significance of the philosophical adventure.

Astrology...poltergeists and ghosts...firewalking...spontaneous human combustion...psychic surgery...ESP. This is the stuff of tabloid headlines. Sure, many people find them laughable, but consider that these papers are all staying in business because people are buying them-and often believing in their outrageous stories, even labeling it all science. The fact is that not all "science" is created equally. Indeed, some "science" isn't science at all but is really downright bogus-in other words, pseudoscience. However, separating the wheat from the chaff might not be as easy as you think when you consider how many people are seduced by the headlines that surround them in the supermarket line. UFOs and creationism certainly have their advocates among intelligent and educated people. Sometimes, though, wrongly held beliefs can get you into real trouble. Consider the proclamation by Marshall Applewhite: "Planet Earth about to be recycled. Your chance to survive-leave with us."In April 1997, 39 people-believing just that-committed suicide in their communal home in Rancho Sante Fe, California. They hoped to shed their earthly "containers" and be whisked away by extraterrestrials to a spaceship and, ultimately, a higher level of existence. Unfortunately, their tragically misguided belief in the pseudoscientific claim of Marshall Applewhite cost them their lives. "Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction" takes us on a tour of the most notorious instances of pseudoscience and sets the record straight. To clearly demonstrate what is wrong with this brand of ersatz science, the authors look closely at what's right about real science, and then compare the true scientific approach with that of pseudoscience. Readers learn that science's most basic value is that all ideas about reality are subject to testing by experiment and challenge by critical, rational thought.Scientifically literate thinkers accept ideas tentatively. They base their acceptance on evidence rather than on authority. People who are not scientifically literate are more likely to accept ideas absolutely. They are more vulnerable to deficient or phony ideas. "Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction" draws the line between what is good science and what isn't even really science at all. The basis for the book begins with the examination of the five most widely believed pseudoscientific ideas: UFOs, out-of-body experiences, astrology, creationism, and ESP These ideas are reviewed in detail to see just how well they stand up to scientific scrutiny. Cleverly illustrated with cartoons by the renowned Sidney Harris, "Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction" is both wonderful fun as well as illuminating science.Although many science topics can seem mysterious, especially when you really get into the details, in the long run its methods and ideas are remarkably straightforward. "Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction" takes this methodical approach to dissect the worst in the field. Tremendously witty, disarmingly fun, this is a book for anyone-especially for those folks who check their horoscope everyday.

This title draws on contemporary testimonies of life in Napoleon's army, documenting the reality of conscription, training, camp life and combat action for the common infantry soldier. In contrast to most works on this period, it calls into question the propagandist views expounded by numerous Bonapartists - the romantic notion of La Gloire is very much tempered by some hard-hitting recollections of the horror and misery of military life 200 years ago. Packed with prints taken from contemporary sources and superb colour illustrations, it provides a concise, revealing and authentic portrait of life in the Grand Armee.

Vol. 1. - 64 p.

This title deals with the experiences of the American soldiers who fought the Japanese across the Pacific islands, and the specific nature of this combat environment. It follows a hypothetical soldier, ‘Michael’, through his enlistment into and training with the 165th Infantry Regiment (New York National Guard). It takes him through the 1941 maneuvers the 27th Infantry Division participated in, the transfer to Oahu, and into the reality of daily life and combat in the Pacific theater from 1942 to 1945, including Makin, Saipan and Okinawa. It also looks at the PTO administrative procedures for replacements, and medical and psychiatric care of the ordinary soldier. Whilst the focus is on one individual, the experiences of the many are examined and woven into an intricate and meticulous narrative.

This book sets out to explain the complex nature of Russian foreign policy in the post-Soviet era, from the collapse of the USSR in December 1991 and the accession of Boris Yeltsin to the end of Vladimir Putin’s second year as President of the Russian Federation. The tale narrated in the coming pages is a messy one, beset by innumerable contradictions and flavoured by human personality to an uncommon degree. When Winston Churchill speculated that the key to understanding Russia might be ‘national interest’, he could little have imagined the extent to which, more than half a century later, the foreign policy of the largest of the post-Soviet successor states would so reflect the perversity of human nature. Far from exhibiting an underlying if specific pragmatism, Moscow’s relations with the outside world have been liberally streaked with irrationality – at least as we might understand it in the West – and dominated by fundamental dichotomies: continuity and change, consensus and conflict. Easy assumptions about a broader ‘national interest’ and common priorities have been challenged by the politics of sectionalism and personalities, with rationality and logic acquiring multiple, contradictory forms. We enter a realm of smoke and mirrors in which little is as it seems, and where illusion and mythmaking are as much a part of reality as ‘reality’ itself.

This book is now in its fourth edition. Each edition has corresponded to a different phase in the way computer networks were used. When the first edition appeared in 1980, networks were an academic curiosity. When the second edition appeared in 1988, networks were used by universities and large businesses. When the third edition appeared in 1996, computer networks, especially the Internet, had become a daily reality for millions of people. The new item in the fourth edition is the rapid growth of wireless networking in many forms.

Before September 11, 2001, few Americans had heard of immigration detention, but in fact a secret and repressive prison system run by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has existed in this country for more than two decades. In American Gulag, prisoners, jailers, and whistle-blowing federal officials come forward to describe the frightening reality inside these INS facilities. Journalist Mark Dow's on-the-ground reporting brings to light documented cases of illegal beatings and psychological torment, prolonged detention, racism, and inhumane conditions. Intelligent, impassioned, and unlike anything that has been written on the topic, this gripping work of investigative journalism should be read by all Americans. It is a book that will change the way we see our country. American Gulag takes us inside prisons such as the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, the Corrections Corporation of America's Houston Processing Center, and county jails around the country that profit from contracts to hold INS prisoners. It contains disturbing in-depth profiles of detainees, including Emmy Kutesa, a defector from the Ugandan army who was tortured and then escaped to the United States, where he was imprisoned in Queens, and then undertook a hunger strike in protest. To provide a framework for understanding stories like these, Dow gives a brief history of immigration laws and practices in the United States--including the repercussions of September 11 and present-day policies. His book reveals that current immigration detentions are best understood not as a well-intentioned response to terrorism but rather as part of the larger context of INS secrecy and excessive authority. American Gulag exposes the full story of a cruel prison system that is operating today with an astonishing lack of accountability.

В книге рассказывается о том, как с помощью программ Game Maker, 3D GameMaker, Gmax, Reality factory, Multimedia Fusion, MilkShape 3D Modeler, Paint Shop Pro и других создать зрелищные и увлекательные игры, не написав при этом ни строчки программного кода. Описаны процедуры разработки персонажей, вооружения, декораций, подсчета очков, особенности создания экранных заставок, рекламных роликов и т.д. В книге изложена история возникновения и развития компьютерных игр, подробно анализируются их жанры, состав пользовательской аудитории, достоинства и недостатки наиболее известных проектов. Автор уделяет большое внимание терминологии и грамотному планированию процесса проектирования и разработки игр. На прилагаемом компакт-диске содержатся изучаемые программные продукты, графические и звуковые файлы, требуемые для выполнения упражнений, а также примеры готовых игр. Издание адресовано всем, кто интересуется вопросами создания компьютерных игр.