Distinguishing agents (e.g., molecules, cells, animals, and species) from their interactions (e.g., chemical reactions, immune system responses, sexual reproduction, and evolution), Flake argues that it is the computational properties of interactions that account for much of what we think of as beautiful and interesting. From this basic thesis, Flake explores what he considers to be today's four most interesting computational topics: fractals, chaos, complex systems, and adaptation.Each of the book's parts can be read independently, enabling even the casual reader to understand and work with the basic equations and programs. Yet the parts are bound together by the theme of the computer as a laboratory and a metaphor for understanding the universe. The inspired reader will experiment further with the ideas presented to create fractal landscapes, chaotic systems, artificial life forms, genetic algorithms, and artificial neural networks.

    Jason Briggs, author of the popular online tutorial "Snake Wrangling for Kids," begins with the basics of how to install Python and write simple commands. In bite-sized chapters, he instructs readers on the essentials of Python, including how to use Python's extensive standard library, the difference between strings and lists, and using for-loops and while-loops. By the end of the book, readers have built a game and created drawings with Python's graphics library, Turtle. Each chapter closes with fun and relevant exercises that challenge the reader to put their newly acquired knowledge to the test.

    Each chapter covers a different topic important to game designers, and was taken from actual industry experience. After a brief overview of the topic, there are five challenges that each take less than two hours and allow you to apply the material, explore the topic, and expand your knowledge in that area. Each chapter also includes 10 -non-digital shorts- to further hone your skills. None of the challenges in the book require any programming or a computer, but many of the topics feature challenges that can be made into fully functioning games. The book is useful for professional designers, aspiring designers, and instructors who teach game design courses, and the challenges are great for both practice and homework assignments. The book can be worked through chapter by chapter, or you can skip around and do only the challenges that interest you. As with anything else, making great games takes practice and Challenges for Game Designers provides you with a collection of fun, thoughtprovoking, and of course, challenging activities that will help you hone vital skills and become the best game designer you can be.

    The proven success of database design treatment is sustained and further improved in this revision. The proven Parts organizations streamline the chapter coverage, so it is an ideal choice for your classroom. Each Part opens with a new business vignette, which provides real world examples to engage your students. The new edition includes updates in every chapter as well as added exercises and cases. There are new chapters such as Advanced Modeling Concepts, Database Performance Tuning and Query Optimization, and Database Connectivity and Web Development. In the seventh edition you will find examples of database usage, which highlights eBAY for compelling context. In our new Query Optimization chapter, we cover database performance tuning concepts, index selectivity and SQL coding practices. There is added EERD coverage such as clusters and subtype discriminator attributes. With the authors' strong writing style and outstanding balance of theory and practice, this is just a small sampling of the improvements we have made to the new edition of Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management by Peter Rob and Carlos Coronel.

    As you d expect, there s accurate, clearly written coverage of every exam objective (now including Service Pack 1): installation and configuration; user, group, and computer accounts; filesystems and backup/recovery; hardware, disk storage, and printers; Update Services and licensing; monitoring, and more. The content s been extensively revamped and more effectively focused on the exam s objectives. There s also a large Prepare for the Test section packed with questions, answers, testing skills, and suggested practices. You ll find more case studies, more troubleshooting scenarios, electronic practice testing in practically any form your heart desires, and (if you don t have Windows Server handy) a 120-day evaluation version. There s even a 15% discount coupon for your exam -- making this package an even more compelling proposition. Bill Camarda, from the June 2006 href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/newslet... Only

    Anderson takes a fresh approach to designing sites and interactions based on the stages of seduction. This beautifully designed book examines what motivates people to act.Topics include: AESTHETICS, BEAUTY, AND BEHAVIOR: Why do striking visuals grab our attention? And how do emotions affect judgment and behavior? PLAYFUL SEDUCTION: How do you create playful engagements during the moment? Why are serendipity, arousal, rewards, and other delights critical to a good experience? THE SUBTLE ART OF SEDUCTION: How do you put people at ease through clear and suggestive language? What are some subtle ways to influence behavior and get people to move from intent to action? THE GAME OF SEDUCTION: How do you continue motivating people long after the first encounter? Are there lessons to be gained from learning theories or game design? Principles from psychology are found throughout the book, along with dozens of examples showing how these techniques have been applied with great success. In addition, each section includes interviews with influential web and interaction designers.

    Python is easy to learn, and it's perfect for exploring topics like statistics, geometry, probability, and calculus. You’ll learn to write programs to find derivatives, solve equations graphically, manipulate algebraic expressions, even examine projectile motion.Rather than crank through tedious calculations by hand, you'll learn how to use Python functions and modules to handle the number crunching while you focus on the principles behind the math. Exercises throughout teach fundamental programming concepts, like using functions, handling user input, and reading and manipulating data. As you learn to think computationally, you'll discover new ways to explore and think about math, and gain valuable programming skills that you can use to continue your study of math and computer science.If you’re interested in math but have yet to dip into programming, you’ll find that Python makes it easy to go deeper into the subject—let Python handle the tedious work while you spend more time on the math.

    Until recently, however, we have had few clues to unlock the secrets of the brain. Now, research from the neurosciences has greatly improved our understanding of the learning process, and we have a much more solid foundation on which to base educational decisions. In this book, Patricia Wolfe makes it clear that before we can effectively match teaching practice to brain functioning, we must first understand how the brain functions. In Part I, several chapters act as a mini-textbook on brain anatomy and physiology. Then, in Part II, Wolfe brings brain functioning into clearer focus, describing how the brain encodes, manipulates, and stores information. This information-processing model provides a first look at some implications of the research for practice--why meaning is essential for attention, how emotion can enhance or impede learning, and how different types of rehearsal are necessary for different types of learning. In Part III, Wolfe devotes several chapters to practical classroom applications and brain-compatible teaching strategies. This section shows how to use simulations, projects, problem-based learning, graphic organizers, music, rhyme and rhythm, writing, active engagement, and mnemonics. Each chapter provides examples using brief scenarios from actual classroom practice, from the lower elementary grades to high school. The book also includes a glossary of terms.

    1,200 pages of up-to-date information correlates with both the hardware and operating system exams and serves as a reference after the test-taking is completed.The minibooks cover each domain of the exam: A+ Groundwork, Inside the Box, Outside the Box, Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Operating System Basics, Managing The Operating System, Recovering Systems, Networking, and Securing Systems. You'll find plenty of sample test questions to get you prepared, too. CompTIA's A+ certification is vendor-neutral and validates the skills of entry-level computer technicians; it can be the ticket to a new or better job Certification requires successful completion of two exams; this prep guide covers all the core competencies required Nine minibooks cover A+ Groundwork, Inside the Box, Outside the Box, Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Operating System Basics, Managing The Operating System, Recovering Systems, Networking, and Securing Systems Covers installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance, and basic networking, with extra information about Vista and a heavier emphasis on hardware Companion CD-ROM include the Dummies Test Engine, an exclusive, fully customizable test-prep software package that includes 400 exam review questions CompTIA A+ Certification All-In-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the best study guide to have as you prepare for the A+ exams!Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

    This is necessary because, in the words of Michael Polanyi, "we can know more than we can tell." Our design choices are not the result of an ineluctable chain of logic; they come from a deeper place, one which is visceral and inarticulate.Polanyi calls this "tacit knowledge", a thing which we only understand as part of something else. When we speak, we do not focus on making sounds, we focus on our words. We understand the muscular act of speech, but would struggle to explain it.To write software, we must learn where to draw boundaries. Good software is built through effective indirection. We seem to have decided that this skill can only be learned through practice; it cannot be taught, except by example. Our decisions may improve with time, but not our ability to explain them. It's true that the study of these questions cannot yield a closed-form solution for judging software design. We can make our software simple, but we cannot do the same to its problem domain, its users, or the physical world. Our tacit knowledge of this environment will always inform our designs.This doesn't mean that we can simply ignore our design process. Polanyi tells us that tacit knowledge only suffices until we fail, and the software industry is awash with failure. Our designs may never be provably correct, but we can give voice to the intuition that shaped them. Our process may always be visceral, but it doesn't have to be inarticulate.And so this book does not offer knowledge, it offers clarity. It is aimed at readers who know Clojure, but struggle to articulate the rationale of their designs to themselves and others. Readers who use other languages, but have a passing familiarity with Clojure, may also find this book useful.

    In a 1995 interview, the late Steve Jobs claimed that the secret to his and Apple’s success was talent. “We’ve gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people,” he said, believing that the talented resource was twenty-five times more valuable than an average alternative. For Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the multiple was even higher:A great lathe operator commands several times the wage of an average lathe operator, but a great writer of software code is worth 10,000 times the price of an average software writer.While the actual number might be up for debate, the importance of technical talent is not. The most successful companies today are those that understand the strategic role that developers will play in their success or failure. Not just successful technology companies – virtually every company today needs a developer strategy. There’s a reason that ESPN and Sears have rolled out API programs, that companies are being bought not for their products but their people. The reason is that developers are the most valuable resource in business.How did we get here? How did developers become the most important constituency in business seemingly overnight? The New Kingmakers explores the rise of the developer class, its implications and provides suggestions for navigating the new developer-centric landscape.

     Rails(TM) AntiPatterns identifies these widespread Rails code and design problems, explains why they're bad and why they happen--and shows exactly what to do instead.The book is organized into concise, modular chapters--each outlines a single common AntiPattern and offers detailed, cookbook-style code solutions that were previously difficult or impossible to find. Leading Rails developers Chad Pytel and Tammer Saleh also offer specific guidance for refactoring existing bad code or design to reflect sound object-oriented principles and established Rails best practices. With their help, developers, architects, and testers can dramatically improve new and existing applications, avoid future problems, and establish superior Rails coding standards throughout their organizations.This book will help you understand, avoid, and solve problems withModel layer code, from general object-oriented programming violations to complex SQL and excessive redundancy Domain modeling, including schema and database issues such as normalization and serialization View layer tools and conventions Controller-layer code, including RESTful code Service-related APIs, including timeouts, exceptions, backgrounding, and response codes Third-party code, including plug-ins and gems Testing, from test suites to test-driven development processes Scaling and deployment Database issues, including migrations and validations System design for "graceful degradation" in the real world

    Are You Ready To Learn Python Easily? Learning Python Programming in 7 days is possible, although it might not look like it

    The application of the developed guidelines within the framework of ITIL® allows IT departments to improve their overall efficiency; from the way IT infrastructure is created and managed to how individual service interactions within the business are conducted. Through the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ITIL® measures the effectiveness of an IT organization by analyzing data related to performance, issues, process improvement and progress. Given its framework structure, one of the key strengths of ITIL® is its ability to be adapted and modified to fit the unique structure and needs of an organization. By not prescribing a specific set of rules, the dynamic nature of ITIL® affords the ability to be scalable and flexible within an organization. The goal of this book is simple: breakdown ITIL® into easy to follow concepts and examples that anyone can follow. Put simply This Book Will Become Your ITIL® Bible. ITIL® is quickly changing the way IT departments around the world are operated. The sooner your organization implements the framework, the sooner you will start to see improvements in both how business is conducted internally as well as with external stakeholders. For those within or outside of the IT field, This Book Will Break Down All of The Concepts and Guidelines Included Within the ITIL® Framework Into Easy to Understand and Follow Pieces. Regardless of your prior experience, you will be completely knowledgeable with the ITIL® framework so that you will be able to able to begin implementing the guidelines by the end of this book. If you are an IT professional looking to increase your skill set and increase your contributions to your organization – this book is for you. If you are preparing for the ITIL® Foundation Exam - this book is for you. If you are a business owner who wants to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your IT department – this book is for you. Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... The Principles & Philosophies That Define The ITIL® Framework The Tools & Techniques You Need To Understand The ITIL® Guidelines How ITIL® Can Directly Affect Your Employees and Customers A Thourough Explanition of Each Process Within ITIL® The Specific KPIs That Are Relevant To Each Process The Top Mistakes to AVOID That Those New To ITIL® Make A FREE Gift from ClydeBank Media Worth Over $250 Dollars! Much, Much More! Our Personal Guarantee We are so confident that methods outlined in this book will help you understand ITIL® that we're willing to let you try the book risk-free. If you are not fully satisfied with the product, simply let us know and we will provide a 100% full refund. That’s right, a 100% Money-Back Guarantee! What reason do you have to not give this book a try? Scroll Up To The Top Of The Page And Click The Orange "Buy Now" or "Read For Free" Icon On The Right Side Right Now! ClydeBank Media LLC All Rights Reserved

    For this special hardcover edition, two new appendixes on locales and standard library exception safety (also available at www.research.att.com/ bs/) have been added. The result is complete, authoritative coverage of the C++ language, its standard library, and key design techniques. Based on the ANSI/ISO C++ standard, The C++ Programming Language provides current and comprehensive coverage of all C++ language features and standard library components. For example:abstract classes as interfaces class hierarchies for object-oriented programming templates as the basis for type-safe generic software exceptions for regular error handling namespaces for modularity in large-scale software run-time type identification for loosely coupled systems the C subset of C++ for C compatibility and system-level work standard containers and algorithms standard strings, I/O streams, and numerics C compatibility, internationalization, and exception safety Bjarne Stroustrup makes C++ even more accessible to those new to the language, while adding advanced information and techniques that even expert C++ programmers will find invaluable.