Dumbing down

Sample

Paul Lukez

"Both a work of theory and a practical tool for suburban community planning, Suburban Transformations introduces the Adaptive Design Process, a method that allows for the organic transformation of communities from suburbs and edge cities that lack a sense of place into communities with their own distinct identity and unique character. In order to stimulate the authentic and fluid evolution of a sustainable community, this process draws important information from a site's history, building upon it by projecting into the future with a series of transformations of buildings, programs, and infrastructure, to create a more habitable and memorable environment. Five case studies provide fully expressed examples of the process, beginning with a sophisticated system of mapping and culminating in computer projections of likely future outcomes, giving the designer the ability to envision changes in the community fabric and adding that knowledge to the designer's kit of place-making tools."--BOOK JACKET.

Sample

Yogesh C. Patel and Gloria S. Tannenbaum

Montreal has had a longstanding interest in somatostatin. Two years ago when the final planning began for the International Congress of Endocrinology in Quebec City in July 1984, we seized the opportunity for having a separate Satellite Symposium on somatostatin here in Montreal. We felt that after a decade of uniformly vigorous growth in somatostatin research, the opportune moment had arrived for a review of the most significant past developments and for setting the directions for the future. Knowing the futility of trying to cover every aspect of the burgeoning somatostatin field in a two day scientific program, we opted for a detailed analysis of selected areas which were reasonably mature and of areas of greatest new activity. To attain these objectives, 27 leading international experts actively involved in their fields were invited to present an indepth review of their work in one of five major categories of somatostatin research. Thirty minutes at the end of each session were assigned for a three way, comprehensive discussion of some of the core concepts between the session moderators, the panellists and the audience. The feedback that we have received from the participants leaves little doubt that the meeting was a scientific and social success.This book fulfills our final commitment towards the Meeting which was to record the proceedings in a timely publication. Chapters were received from all but one of the invited speakers and have been carefully edited to ensure uniformity of presentation and nomenclature. Transcripts of the panel discussions required extensive editing to transform the frequently unstructured spoken word into lucid prose. The resultant product, we believe, qualifies as a state of the art monograph on somatostatin research which should excite all scholars in the field and be of value to anyone interested in the biology of neuropeptide systems.

Sample

Irv Englander

Most computer architecture books are just too technical and complex. Focusing on specific technology, they often by-pass the basics and are outdated as quickly as technology advances. Now you can give your students a gentle introduction to computer architecture and systems software that will provide the appropriate amount of technical detail they need to make successful decisions in their future careers. This text covers the basics in an accessible, easy to understand way. Organized in a form that parallels an actual computer system, entire sections are devoted to principles of data, hardware, and software, to emphasize the importance of computer structure. Assuming only basic knowledge, these sections build up to an in-depth understanding of each topic and how they interrelate to make up a computer system.

Sample

Hugh M. Davies and Andrea Hales

The extensive oeuvre John Baldessari (b. National City, Calif., 1931; lives and works in Santa Monica) has built over more than six decades defies conventional classification. In honor of his achievements, the City of Goslar has now awarded him the 2012 Kaiserring. Yet despite these major recognitions of his art, he has, in Europe, remained an "artist's artist".