In The Phoenix Project, Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited, is tasked with a project critical to the future of the business, code named Phoenix Project. But the project is massively over budget and behind schedule. The CEO demands Bill fix the mess in ninety days or else Bill's entire department will be outsourced. In The Unicorn Project, we follow Maxine, a senior lead developer and architect, as she is exiled to the Phoenix Project, to the horror of her friends and colleagues, as punishment for contributing to a payroll outage. She tries to survive in what feels like a heartless and uncaring bureaucracy and to work within a system where no one can get anything done without endless committees, paperwork, and approvals. One day, she is approached by a ragtag bunch of misfits who say they want to overthrow the existing order, to liberate developers, to bring joy back to technology work, and to enable the business to win in a time of digital disruption. To her surprise, she finds herself drawn ever further into this movement, eventually becoming one of the leaders of the Rebellion, which puts her in the crosshairs of some familiar and very dangerous enemies. The Age of Software is here, and another mass extinction event looms--this is a story about "red shirt" developers and business leaders working together, racing against time to innovate, survive, and thrive in a time of unprecedented uncertainty...and opportunity.

    We want to be able to figure out who will win an election, if the stock market will crash, or if a suspect definitely committed a crime. But the odds are not in our favor. Life is full of uncertainty --- indeed, scientific advances indicate that the universe might be fundamentally inexact --- and humans are terrible at guessing. When asked to predict the outcome of a chance event, we are almost always wrong.Thankfully, there is hope. As award-winning mathematician Ian Stewart reveals, over the course of history, mathematics has given us some of the tools we need to better manage the uncertainty that pervades our lives. From forecasting, to medical research, to figuring out how to win Let's Make a Deal, Do Dice Play God? is a surprising and satisfying tour of what we can know, and what we never will.

    It provides comprehensive coverage of the subject from basic principles to state-of-art concepts and applications. The objective is to give the reader a sound understanding of the principles and the basis for applying them in a variety of both product and nonproduct situations. While statistical techniques are emphasized throughout, the book has a strong engineering and management orientation. Guidelines are given throughout the book for selecting the proper type of statistical technique to use in a wide variety of product and nonproduct situations. By presenting theory, and supporting the theory with clear and relevant examples, Montgomery helps the reader to understand the big picture of important concepts. Updated to reflect contemporary practice and provide more information on management aspects of quality improvement.

    

    

    He'd left the boxing ring with his body intact and he was content with his new job at Elite Security. But the chiseled-to-perfection heartthrob didn't have who he wanted... Maxine "Maxi" Rizzo had always prided herself on being independent and in complete control of her life...well, at least she thought she was. The gorgeous, blue-eyed publicist clearly wasn't in control of her life when the stalking had started a few weeks ago... With her life in serious danger, Maxi would have to let someone else take care of her for once; but she never knew that he would be her safety. Can she let go and finally give in to her heart's desire? Can Billy convince her that all he wants...is her? All He Needs – Zach & Stephanie Sexy, newly single, former Marine Andrew Charles Elliot IV, aka Ace, was ready for a life with no drama and no one to answer to. After a broken engagement and twelve years in the Corps he hoped his fresh start in Harper's Crossing would be just what he needed. But after laying eyes on his new neighbor, he knew all he really needed was her... Stephanie Holland excelled at taking care of others both at work as a nurse and as an incredible big sister to her twin siblings. The gorgeous redhead had no room to think of anyone else...that is until he moved next door... After years of putting the needs of others before her own, would she be able to surrender to the idea of someone taking care of her? Would Ace be able to convince her that he wanted to be there for her--mind, body and soul? Could he make her see that she was All He Needs? All He Feels – Dax & Ginny One night sealed their fate... Virginia "Ginny" Valentine didn't think she could feel so connected to another person after one night of "just talking." The beautiful and famous country singer had everything in her life...everything but that connection. And after experiencing it for the first time, she wanted more, and she wanted it with him... Dax Archer felt it the second he laid eyes on her. From that moment, the bodyguard and former Marine knew he had to make her his in every way possible. But when she disappeared from his life after leaving only a note to say she'd never forget him, he didn't know how... With some time set aside to create new music, Ginny was also ready to create something special with the man that consumed her every waking thought. After being reunited with the woman who owned him mind, body and soul, he was ready to make her feel all that he felt and more... All He Desires – Nate & Eliza Former Army Ranger and cyber security specialist Nate Holmes was a genius in all things computers. The sexy, muscled Adonis could fix any technical problem he was faced with, but when it came to matters of the heart, there was one issue he couldn't face...how he felt about her... Eliza Young thought she'd put Harper's Crossing in her rear view, but when a job opportunity opens up, the beautiful brunette is forced to return to her hometown and the setting of her unrequited first true love... He thought he'd missed his chance, she thought she'd never had one. After ten years, fate had finally reunited Nate and Eliza, but the question remains--what do you do when you get a chance to get it right this time? Will Nate have the courage and heart to claim her and...All He Desires...

     Steel's First Temper: Jill "Reaper" Repeth must complete a tough rescue mission on a Meme asteroid base while beginning to train a new protégé, Joseph "Bull" ben Tauros. A Hotter Forge: Bull and Reaper are assigned to capture one of the Pure Race, but a Blend throws a monkey wrench into their plan, forcing them into a no-win battle. What Price Humanity? Vincent "Vango" Markis awakes to find himself blind and helpless. Soon it become apparent that he and his fellow pilots are trapped in a situation with no choices and only one way out. A slightly shorter version was previously published in Jerry Pournelle's anthology There Will Be War X. Plague Wars: Decade One - The Eden Plague - Reaper's Run - Skull's Shadows - Eden's Exodus - Apocalypse Austin - Nearest Night Plague Wars: Alien Invasion - The Demon Plagues - The Reaper Plague - The Orion Plague - Cyborg Strike - Comes the Destroyer - Forge and Steel Plague Wars: Stellar Conquest - First Conquest - Desolator - Tactics of Conquest - Conquest of Earth - Conquest and Empire

    This inspirational novel "Catching Fire," is the sequel to "The Hunger Games" and the second part in Suzanne Collins' trilogy. The Capitol faces the start of a revolution and an impending civil war as it struggles to maintain control over its 12 districts. Katniss narrates her story and shows readers what it means to be a survivor fighting for freedom and independence. Find out what you can expect from "Catching Fire" with the help of this comprehensive review. With quotes from well-known critics and descriptions of the novel's strengths and faults, you can dive into this engaging sequel with a broader perspective. Collins snares her readers' attention with action scenes and romantic undertones in a post-apocalyptic setting. "Catching Fire" offers lessons about revolution and encourages readers to question the impact of modern-day media, including reality TV and the news. Learn about the author's inspirations for the trilogy before you continue the engrossing story of Katniss, a girl who invoked a rebellion with her passion and survival tactics.

    

    From different counties in Ireland, Maggie Qualter and Richard Terrett both sail to America as young adults in 1870 after surviving Ireland’s Great Hunger as children. Maggie works as a maid for a wealthy family. Richard finds work in a tannery. After the death of the young wife he loves passionately, Richard marries Maggie with the help of a deceptive go-between who brews trouble in their marriage that never goes away. They raise three children in the midst of Irish American culture, the Catholic Church, and Richard’s battles for the workingman in the Knights of Labor. Their daughter Mary dreams of being a nun, while Josie seeks the freedom of big-city life in Boston. Neither reckons on the future she will face, Mary as a wife and mother of nine children and Josie as a single working woman. Tom escapes factory life by joining the Navy, manages to see the world in the midst of two wars, and comes home to marry his sweetheart and start a new life. Their stories are both remarkable and familiar to everyone whose ancestors made their way to and in America.The events in the Terretts’ lives are as they emerge from the public record. But their inner lives, their thoughts, their relationships, their words are imagined as a route to understanding these five complicated and fascinating people

    Fate has taken away everything former hot-shot Air Force pilot J.D. Rivera ever held dear--his family, his fiancée and his career. Inheriting his crazy aunt's broken down ranch in Los Rios, Arizona, is the last thing he wants. For J.D. the ranch is just another bad memory. But if he doesn't take over the ranch, all the people who work there will lose their jobs. And the one person who'd believed in him would cry in her grave. SHE COULD LOSE EVERYTHING... A traumatic experience caused Madeline Inglewood to withdraw from life, but now she's determined to change all that. Maddy believes her new job teaching English to Spanish speaking workers at the Tripplehorne Ranch is perfect for her new start. But when she arrives, her employer is dead--and the new owner is man with a secret. He's also dark, handsome, and if locals are to be believed--dangerous. And he has no interest in hiring an English teacher. But when sparks fly between J.D. and Maddy, love...redemption...and second chances are theirs for the taking...if they can let down their defenses long enough to trust each other. "Full of surprises. The pages seem to turn themselves. When a story engages my mind as well as my emotions, I know I'm hooked." 5 Stars --The Romance Reader

    When combined with powerful voice AI, the results are utterly convincing.So-called 'Deep Fakes' are not only a real threat for democracy but they take the manipulation of voters to new levels. They will also affect ordinary people. This crisis of misinformation we are facing has been dubbed the 'Infocalypse'.Using her expertise from working in the field, Nina Schick reveals shocking examples of Deep Fakery and explains the dangerous political consequences of the Infocalypse, both in terms of national security and what it means for public trust in politics. She also unveils what it means for us as individuals, how Deep Fakes will be used to intimidate and to silence, for revenge and fraud, and how unprepared governments and tech companies are.As a political advisor to select technology firms, Schick tells us what we need to do to prepare and protect ourselves. Too often we build the cool technology and ignore what bad guys can do with it before we start playing catch-up. But when it comes to Deep Fakes, we urgently need to be on the front foot.

    Grokking Simplicity is a friendly, practical guide that will change the way you approach software design and development. It introduces a unique approach to functional programming that explains why certain features of software are prone to complexity, and teaches you the functional techniques you can use to simplify these systems so that they’re easier to test and debug.

    Over the past five years, authors Dustin Boswell and Trevor Foucher have analyzed hundreds of examples of "bad code" (much of it their own) to determine why they’re bad and how they could be improved. Their conclusion? You need to write code that minimizes the time it would take someone else to understand it—even if that someone else is you.This book focuses on basic principles and practical techniques you can apply every time you write code. Using easy-to-digest code examples from different languages, each chapter dives into a different aspect of coding, and demonstrates how you can make your code easy to understand.Simplify naming, commenting, and formatting with tips that apply to every line of codeRefine your program’s loops, logic, and variables to reduce complexity and confusionAttack problems at the function level, such as reorganizing blocks of code to do one task at a timeWrite effective test code that is thorough and concise—as well as readable"Being aware of how the code you create affects those who look at it later is an important part of developing software. The authors did a great job in taking you through the different aspects of this challenge, explaining the details with instructive examples." —Michael Hunger, passionate Software Developer

    "Uncle Bob" Martin shows how to bring greater professionalism and discipline to application architecture and design.As with his other books, Martin's Clean Architecture doesn't merely present multiple choices and options, and say "use your best judgment": it tells you what choices to make, and why those choices are critical to your success. Martin offers direct, no-nonsense answers to key architecture and design questions like:What are the best high level structures for different kinds of applications, including web, database, thick-client, console, and embedded apps?What are the core principles of software architecture?What is the role of the architect, and what is he/she really trying to achieve?What are the core principles of software design?How do designs and architectures go wrong, and what can you do about it?What are the disciplines and practices of professional architects and designers?Clean Architecture is essential reading for every software architect, systems analyst, system designer, and software manager — and for any programmer who aspires to these roles or is impacted by their work.