Contents Introduction. Foundation. Foundation and Empire. Second Foundation. About the author. The Foundation Series is an epic science fiction series written over a span of forty-four years by Isaac Asimov. It consists of seven volumes that are closely linked to each other, although they can be read separately. The term 'Foundation Series' is often used more generally to include the Robot Series and Empire Series, which are set in the same fictional universe. In total there are fourteen novels and dozens of short stories written by Asimov, and six novels written by other authors after his death. The series is highly acclaimed, winning the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1965. Foundation was originally a series of eight short stories published in Astounding Magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. According to Asimov the premise was based on ideas set forth in Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and was invented spontaneously on his way to meet with editor John W. Campbell, with whom he developed the concept. The first four stories were collected, along with a new story taking place before the others, in a single volume published by Gnome Press in 1951 as Foundation. The remainder of the stories were published in pairs as Foundation and Empire (1952) and Second Foundation (1953), resulting in the "Foundation Trilogy", as the series was known for decades. In 1981, after the series had long been considered the Read more...

Puzzles are as old as human history.What do they reveal about the human mind? A walk through history's most mind-boggling puzzles.In the humanities and the arts, there is a long-standing tradition of identifying the masterpieces-the great novels, the great symphonies, and the great paintings-as the most illuminating things to study. Books are written and courses taught on them. Mathematics, too, has its "great" problems. Significantly, most of these were originally devised as clever puzzles. So, in line with teaching practices in literature, music, and the fine arts, this book introduces basic mathematical ideas through ten puzzle masterpieces. Review "With the proliferation of puzzle books, one looks for something different, and here it is! : This treatment will arouse interest, ally suspicion and banish fear." (Mathematical Association of America Online) "Delightful." (Mathematics Teacher) Review "As an undergraduate math major, I studied various areas of mathematics as if under a sequence of microscopes. I had no clear picture of what mathematics as a whole was about. Here is a book, based on ten great puzzles, that provides that much needed view from 40,000 feet. Big concepts such as topology, combinatorics, logic, the infinite, and many others come into clear view at this altitude. For those seeking more detail, there is always the option to land and explore a host of mathematical issues, puzzles and related references. Danesi's approach to relating difficult Read more...

Survival experts provide illustrated, step-by-step instructions on what you need to know fast. Whatever the situation, whether you're out in the mountains, on board a plane, or driving cross-country, to "survive" means "To outlive, to remain alive or in existence; live on. To continue to exist or live after." After all, that's what it's really all about-about continuing to exist, no matter how dire the circumstances. Amazon.com How to Wrestle Free from an Alligator: 4. If its jaws are closed on something you want to remove (for example, a limb), tap or punch it on the snout. Though it's being marketed as a humorous title--after all, it's unlikely you'll be called upon to land a plane, jump from a motorcycle to a moving car, or win a swordfight--the information contained in The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is all quite sound. Authors Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht consulted numerous experts in their fields (they're cited at the end of the book) to discover how to survive various and sundry awful events. Parachute doesn't open? Your best bet for survival is to hook your arms through the straps of a fellow jumper's chute--and even then you're likely to dislocate both shoulders and break both legs. Car sinking in water? Open the window immediately to equalize pressure, then open the car door and swim to the surface. Buried in an avalanche? Spit on the snow--it will tell you which direction is really up. Then dig as fast as you can. Each survival skill is Read more...

Since its first publication in 1974, Use Your Head has acquired the status of a classic.Translated into twelve languages, with worldwide sales well in excess of 250,000.Tony Buzan's book has helped scores of people to understand the true capacity of the human brain and realise and develop many of the abilities that normally lie dormant. Now in a new and revised edition of his classic bestseller, Tony Buzan explains the latest discoveries about the brain and helps you to understand more clearly how your mind works. Fully illustrated in colour and black and white, with tests and exercises designed to improve your reading power and memory, Use Your Head will help you to study more effectively, solve problems more readily and develop your own ways of thinking. Read more...

Reviews Dr R J A Lambourne, Open University "I will continue to recommend this book to those who seek accessible yet comprehensive introduction to particle and astroparticle physics" George Ellis in MNASSA Vol. 61 Nos. 7 and 8 ".. it is highly recommended" Read more...

Early chapters give an overview of COM and the use of ATL to develop components, controls, and document objects. Subsequent chapters analyze the key design considerations and explore specific programming techniques for such projects as tear-off interfaces, out-of-proc servers, and applications. Concluding chapters cover debugging and more advanced topics. Finally, the enclosed CD-ROM supplies programmers with the book's sample code as well as abundant sample controls and components. ATL can help software development professionals accomplish more and be more productive. INSIDE ATL shows them how. Written for readers with knowledge of C++, Inside ATL surveys the strengths of today's Active Template Library (ATL), used for creating lightweight, high-performance COM components on Windows. This book provides an excellent guide to ATL programming while introducing all its features, both for client- and server-side development. One of the best features of Inside ATL is its thorough coverage of using (and understanding) the wizard-generated code in Visual C++. The authors describe each of the choices developers face when running these wizards, as well as examining and modifying the generated boilerplate code. (You'll find good detail on the various threading options available with ATL components.) The book also provides an excellent discussion of smart pointers and C++ templates to explain how ATL works by analogy. Another notable section is the full treatment of using ATL t Read more...

Beginning Web Programming with HTML, XHTML, and CSS teaches you how to write Web pages using HTML, XHTML, and CSS. It follows standards-based principles, but also teaches readers ways around problems they are likely to face using (X)HTML. While XHTML is the "current" standard, the book still covers HTML because many people do not yet understand that XHTML is the official successor to HTML, and many readers will still stick with HTML for backward compatibility and simpler/informal Web pages that don't require XHTML compliance. The book teaches basic principles of usability and accessibility along the way, to get users into the mode of developing Web pages that will be available to as many viewers as possible from the start. The book also covers the most commonly used programming/scripting language - JavaScript - and provides readers with a roadmap of other Web technologies to learn after mastering this book to add more functionality to their sites. Read more...

Including the addition of 40 new species, this 2nd edition is completely updated to reflect the changes in endangered and threatened status. Color photographs and maps provide students with many species threatened by extinction, including amphibians, birds, crustaceans, fish, insects, mammals, mollusks, reptiles and more. Each of the 240 entries gives a species description, location, reason for endangerment and measures being taken to protect it. Review "An impressive set. Accessible to students in grades five and up and is recommended for school and public libraries." -- RBB/Booklist (04/15/99) "...This is a wonderful research tool for life science classes." -- Public Schools of North Carolina Book Report : "Often we limit our thinking of endangered species to only animals, but this set includes endangered and threatened mammals, arachnids, birds, crustaceans, insects, mollusks, amphibians, fish, reptiles and plants. Gives a good overview of the species, and is an excellent starting place. Recommended." -- Book Report (October 1999) "This will be a useful set for both school and public libraries. A very affordable alternative to The Endangered Wildlife of the World (Marchall Cavendish, 1993) or the Grolier Student Encyclopedia of Endangered Species (Grolier, 1994). -- School Library Journal (August 1999) School Library Journal : "This will be a useful set for both school and public libraries. A very affordable alternative to The Endangered Wildlife o Read more...

This is a companion volume to "An Illustrated History of Britain". It traces the history of the USA from the time of the Amerindians, through to the arrival of the Europeans, to the present day. Topics covered include colonial life, the Civil War and the American involvement in Vietnam. Each chapter consists of two or three double page spreads with inset material highlighting some of the characters or events mentioned in the main text. Read more...