The Most Human Human: What Talking with Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive


Brian Christian - 2011
    Its starting point is the annual Turing Test, which pits artificial intelligence programs against people to determine if computers can “think.”Named for computer pioneer Alan Turing, the Tur­ing Test convenes a panel of judges who pose questions—ranging anywhere from celebrity gossip to moral conundrums—to hidden contestants in an attempt to discern which is human and which is a computer. The machine that most often fools the panel wins the Most Human Computer Award. But there is also a prize, bizarre and intriguing, for the Most Human Human.In 2008, the top AI program came short of passing the Turing Test by just one astonishing vote. In 2009, Brian Christian was chosen to participate, and he set out to make sure Homo sapiens would prevail.The author’s quest to be deemed more human than a com­puter opens a window onto our own nature. Interweaving modern phenomena like customer service “chatbots” and men using programmed dialogue to pick up women in bars with insights from fields as diverse as chess, psychiatry, and the law, Brian Christian examines the philosophical, bio­logical, and moral issues raised by the Turing Test.One central definition of human has been “a being that could reason.” If computers can reason, what does that mean for the special place we reserve for humanity?

The Clayburn Collection


Deborah Raney - 2017
     Six people longing to mend broken hearts and shattered dreams… Three romances ready to blossom in the charming Midwest town of Clayburn. REMEMBER TO FORGET: Graphic designer Maggie Anderson has lived under her boyfriend's tyranny for nearly two years...until she's carjacked in New York. Will this terrifying experience be the end for Maggie—or the beginning of a freedom greater than she dares imagine? But to gain her freedom, she'll have to remember to forget everything about her old life… LEAVING NOVEMBER: Eight years ago, Vienne Kenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam…again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure—just like her father—in this podunk Kansas town? YESTERDAY’S EMBERS: On Thanksgiving Day, Douglas DeVore kissed his beloved wife good-bye, unaware that it would be the last time he'd see her—or their precious daughter Rachel. Left with five kids to raise on his own, and already juggling two jobs to make ends meet, Doug wonders how he'll manage moment by moment, much less day after day, without Kaye's love and support.

The Haunting of Crowford Station (The Ghosts of Crowford Book 11)


Amy Cross - 2022
    

Maid For You


Paisley Lang - 2016
    That's how they see me--all they'll ever see when they look at me. But I am more, so much more. We can't change the past, the hand we've been dealt, But we can play that hand and win in the end. And that's what I plan to do--what I've always planned to do. Then he came into my life. Jaxon Prescott. He's everything I want, But nothing I'm permitted to have. He's too good, too perfect, For someone like me. After all, I'm just a maid, To them. They don't know the real me, My dreams, my fears, my past, My secrets. Jax A rich playboy.... That's how they see me--all they'll ever see when they look at me. They've got it all wrong, So wrong. I've been living a lie, a fabrication of what they want, And I thought it was what I wanted. Then she came into my life. Ava Williams. She reminded me of what I want, What I need, And who I really am. She's everything, But nothing I'm supposed to have. She's not right, not polished enough For someone like me. After all, I'm high class society--better than everyone else, To them. They don't know the real me, My dreams, my fears, my past, My secrets.

Damages 2


Natavia Stewart - 2017
    What was supposed to be a summer fling turned into a toxic love affair. With Trayon away, how will she be able to cope? Does she wait for him or run into the arms of another man? Set on a path of revenge, Trayon wants nothing more than to get what he is owed and that's the throne. On his journey of revenge, he discovers some shocking secrets; family secrets that will cause him to lose sight of his original plan. Will he reach a point where not even, Asayi's love can save him? Stacy is stuck trying to balance his time between two women. When he finds himself giving one woman more time than the other, he might just regret that choice. Will he risk everything him and Tuchie built over a childhood love? This is the second installment to a heart-wrenching, tear-filled and an emotional journey. Secrets, lies, deceit and murder. Everyone has experienced damages in their love life. Will they overcome it or will they remain damaged? Get ready for a gritty and urban hood love novel.

Harry Heron Midshipman's Journey


Patrick G. Cox - 2015
    Cox weaves the exciting, authentic tale of Harry Nelson-Heron, a young midshipman in the British Navy in the early 1800s. Born in 1789 during the Irish Rebellion, Harry must overcome the prejudice against the Irish and the usual hazards of an active and inquisitive youth to realise his dream of becoming an officer in Britain’s Royal Navy. When he and his childhood friend Ferghal make the treacherous journey to London to be commissioned to a ship, fate smiles on them. Harry is appointed a midshipman on the HMS Bellerophon, and Ferghal joins him as a seaman. Corsairs, diplomacy, and exploration challenge their skills as the seafaring life takes Harry and Ferghal across the seas to worlds they never imagined and engages their ship in sea fights with the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

Orphans of an Angel: A tragic but true story of four boys who lost everything Motherless, Fatherless, Homeless and Unloved


Jay Aston - 2020
    

The Confession (Elizabeth Monroe #2)


Tom Lowe - 2019
    To divulge the private confession would violate holy canon law. When he refuses to go to the police, people begin to die, and the priest becomes the prime suspect. Elizabeth Monroe, a college professor who teaches forensic psychology, doesn’t believe the elder priest fits the killer’s profile. Elizabeth discovers a frightening thread woven within each killing—a thread that began thirty years ago. To stop the murders, she has to find where the seed of evil was first planted. Because the roots are penetrating deep within a small Mississippi town and they’re spreading dangerously close to Elizabeth.

Saltier Than Ever (A Ghetto Soap Opera)


Aleta L. Williams - 2012
    Aleta Williams spins a realistic tale that indeed is... Saltier Than Ever--- CA$H author of the urban classic Trust No Man trilogy, Thugs Cry, and Shorty Got A ThugSix months after her mother's death Jazz is determined to start the healing process and follow her dreams. It seems like things go from good.. to bad... to worse in a matter of time. How can you let go of the past and prepare for a future that is unknown to you; when you are not even sure of your present? Will Jazz be able to push through life's drama and find herself again or will she be left standing alone and hurt by those she trusted and love?Diesel lost his basketball contract, might have impregnated a stripper, and as quiet as its kept he's dealing with the stress the only way he knows how, by lashing out at the black b*tch he believes is responsible for his misery. Will Diesel take responsibility for his own actions?From a preacher to a gangster, Pastor G is out for revenge. He wants the man's head that he believes is the real reason for his wife's death. Will Pastor G succeed on the devils playground?Ken always seems to be in the right place at the wrong time. Trying to make sure a friend makes it home safe, turns into him being a suspect in crime that he claims he didn't commit; thus, making him less closer to winning over the one that has his heart. Will Ken clear his name and capture the heart of the one he loves?Yay-Yay and White-Girl are still the grimiest chicks in Los Angeles, but when karma pays them both a visit, they soon find out that she's the baddest b*tch of them all. Will these chicks ever learn the true reason for their downfall?Supported by the ghetto, grimy, and sassy characters of this novel. This installment is Saltier than Ever! ***Aleta is back with a juicy third installment of the Ghetto Soap Opera series. Saltier Than Ever is full of drama, twists and turns that you wont see coming. ---Karen Williams author of Harlem on Lock, Dirty to the Grave, The People vs Cashmere, Thug In Me, and Sweet Giselle.

A Bitch's Bad Side


Kawand Crawford - 2015
    Lady Sondra and her family. Shortly after Lady Sondra is released from doing a ten year stint in Bellevue Mental Institution, tragedy strikes close to home testing her bad side and putting her on a vengeful mission for blood. Things go horribly wrong when she attempts to recruit her twin sons Rahmel and Jahmel to embark on a mission to build an untouchable drug empire all the while trying to keep her daughter Mahogany on the straight and narrow path. Lady Sondra is just one incident away from being sent back to the place she’s vowed never to visit again. Drama and betrayal send her spiraling down a dark bumpy road of no return. Get to know the Bells and learn all of the family secrets as you and those who betray Lady Sondra experience “A Bitch’s Bad Side”

Andrezej Sapkowski Witcher Series Reading Order


Weird Journals - 2019
    Easy to tick off so you can keep track of which book is next in reading order. There are no parts or portions of the books themselves here, just the titles in reading order. Perfect for keeping a checklist in your kindle app.

King Of The Streets, King Of My Heart: A Daddy's Gurlz Spin Off


Diamond D. Johnson - 2020
    

Remote: Office Not Required


David Heinemeier Hansson - 2013
    Moms in particular will welcome this trend.  A full 60% wish they had a flexible work option. But companies see advantages too in the way remote work increases their talent pool, reduces turnover, lessens their real estate footprint, and improves the ability to conduct business across multiple time zones, to name just a few advantages.  In Remote, inconoclastic authors Fried and Hansson will convince readers that letting all or part of work teams function remotely is a great idea--and they're going to show precisely how a remote work setup can be accomplished.

Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL


Kevin Yank - 2001
    There has been a marked increase in the adoption of PHP, most notably in the beginning to intermediate levels. PHP now boasts over 30% of the server side scripting market (Source: php.weblogs.com).The previous edition sold over 17,000 copies exclusively through Sitepoint.com alone. With the release of PHP 5, SitePoint have updated this bestseller to reflect best practice web development using PHP 5 and MySQL 4.The 3rd Edition includes more code examples and also a new bonus chapter on structured PHP Programming which introduces techniques for organizing real world PHP applications to avoid code duplication and ensure code is manageable and maintainable. The chapter introduces features like include files, user-defined function libraries and constants, which are combined to produce a fully functional access control system suitable for use on any PHP Website.

Read in Order: Rick Riordan: Heroes of Olympus Series: Percy Jackson Series


Titan Read - 2016
    You will spoil the story and your own enjoyment if you read a series in the wrong order and you will miss the development of an author’s writing if you read their books in a helter-skelter fashion. With our original reading list you get the perfect tool to enjoy Rick Riordan’s books the way they where meant to be enjoyed. You can also use the reading list as checklist. Simply use the inbuilt highlight feature to highlight all the books that you have already read. Inside this book you will find a link that will allow you to download three classics for FREE along with three free audiobooks. Enjoy! Note To Readers This is a bibliography. The author and publisher of this book do not guarantee the accuracy and/or completeness of the content within this book and are not liable for damages arising from the use of this book. The bibliography portion of this book can be found in publicly available sources and only includes elements, such as titles and dates of publication, which are not subject to copyright protection. The bibliography is unofficial and not approved, authorized, licensed, or endorsed by any author, publisher, or organization mentioned within it.