Neill Torvald is desperate to prove himself—his father’s warlord kingdom depends on him. When a vicious attack on the way to the Draconis Order monastery nearly kills him, it becomes clear that grave trials await him on this path. Jodreth, the wise monk who saves his life, advises caution upon entering the sacred halls. His mission is to learn arcane magic from the monks that will help to cement his father’s power, but Neill will need more than magical arts alone to navigate the challenges before him. Among the monks’ students, Neill meets the lovely and mysterious Char, who senses evil deep within the ranks of the Draconis Order’s members. She takes him to a dragon she has raised, Paxala, and the three of them become fast friends. Neill soon grows in strength as he and his fellow students gain ancient knowledge, and his closeness to Char blossoms into something more. But when Neill ’s brothers grow impatient and attack the monastery in a bid to seize power, he will have to decide where his loyalties lie: with his warlord father’s domain, or the new friends he has made in the wider world. Dragon Dreams Sometimes, the past is best left behind… 
 Char longs for peace and escape, preferring her dreams to the ugly realities of an uncertain age. As an illegitimate daughter of the North Prince, Char has always felt deep insecurity, but she must put that aside when Zaxx gives her the task of retrieving an ancient crown from her family’s palace. If she brings him this crown, he says, he will allow the dragon hoard to choose their riders.
 When her father sends for her to return home, fearing war, she senses an opportunity. But Char’s dragon Paxala has grander ideas—she wants to become the greatest of all dragons and defeat the ancient Zaxx. But she can’t do it without Char’s guidance and aid. Employing patience and skill, Char will have to learn the secrets of dragon lore hidden away in her father's archives before Zaxx’s suspicions turn aggressive. 
 With the help of her love, Neill, Char discovers the secret of the old queen’s crown in her father’s castle, learning a tale of dark magic steeped in blood. But when her father wishes to marry her off to the leader of the Wildmen, the fate of Torvald will depend on her difficult choice: accept the role she has always played, or learn to trust her own power.
 Dragon Mage To unite a fractured kingdom, a reluctant hero must rise. 
Neill has been charged with the impossible task of bringing the Middle Kingdom together to fight the burgeoning threat posed by the rogue sorcerer Ansall and his dragon Zaxx. Neill longs for his old life as a mere foot soldier for his father responsible only for his family’s wellbeing, and is unsure about whether he is fit to lead an army. Neill’s contemplative nature forces him to consider every aspect of the problems he faces, but often makes it difficult for him to take action—and failure to act could mean the deaths of many.
 Now, echoing Char and their dragon Paxala, his duty beckons him to lead the Dragon Riders—and take his rightful place as king—but with doubt and new enemies creeping in, his resolve will be tested. When the mysterious Dark Prince arrives with an offer, Neill will have to make a decision that could change the course of history. 
As Ansall grows in strength by harnessing black magic, Neill must choose between his own desires and the welfare of the entire kingdom.

    Ware's updated review of empirical research and interface design examples will do much to accelerate innovation and adoption of information visualization." —Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland"Colin Ware is the perfect person to write this book, with a long history of prominent contributions to the visual interaction with machines and to information visualization directly. It goes a long way towards joining science to the practical design of information visualization systems." —from the foreword by Stuart Card, PARCMost designers know that yellow text presented against a blue background reads clearly and easily, but how many can explain why, and what really are the best ways to help others and ourselves clearly see key patterns in a bunch of data? When we use software, access a web site, or view graphics, our understanding is greatly enhanced or impeded by the way information is presented. By explaining in detail how we think visually, this book provides guidance on how to construct effective interactive information displays.This book combines a strictly scientific approach to human perception with a practical concern for the rules governing the effective visual presentation of information. Surveying the research of leading psychologists and neurophysiologists, author Colin Ware isolates key principles at work in vision and perception, and from them derives specific and effective visualization techniques suitable for a wide range of scenarios. Information Visualization offers practical guidelines that can be applied by anyone, and covers all facets of visual perception: color, organization, space perception, motion, and texture.* Major revision of this classic work, with a new chapter on visual thinking, new sections on face perception and flow visualization, an appendix on how to evaluate visualizations,and a greatly expanded chapter on color and color sequences. *New to this edition is the full-color treatment throughout, to better display over 400 illustrations.*From a leading researcher in the field of human perception who has brought together, in a single resource, all current scientific insight into the question of data visualization.

    This completely updated edition brings you all the latest information about LaTeX and the vast range of add-on packages now available--over 200 are covered! Full of new tips and tricks for using LaTeX in both traditional and modern typesetting, this book will also show you how to customize layout features to your own needs--from phrases and paragraphs to headings, lists, and pages. Inside, you will find: Expert advice on using LaTeX's basic formatting tools to create all types of publications--from memos to encyclopedias In-depth coverage of important extension packages for tabular and technical typesetting, floats and captions, multicolumn layouts--including reference guides and discussions of the underlying typographic and TeXnical concepts Detailed techniques for generating and typesetting contents lists, bibliographies, indexes, etc. Tips and tricks for LaTeX programmers and systems support New to this edition: Nearly 1,000 fully tested examples that illustrate the text and solve typographical and technical problems--all ready to run! An additional chapter on citations and bibliographies Expanded material on the setup and use of fonts to access a huge collection of glyphs, and to typeset text from a wide range of languages and cultures Major new packages for graphics, "verbatim" listings, floats, and page layout Full coverage of the latest packages for all types ofdocuments--mathematical, multilingual, and many more Detailed help on all error messages, including those troublesome low-level TeX errors Like its predecessor, The LaTeX Companion, Second Edition, is an indispensable reference for anyone wishing to use LaTeX productively. The accompanying CD-ROM contains a complete plug-and-play LaTeX installation, including all the packages and examples featured in the book.

    He draws ideas from three very useful intellectual pools: classical management practices, Agile methods, and lean product development. By combining the strengths of these three approaches, he has produced something that works better than any one in isolation." -From the Foreword by Don Reinertsen, President of Reinertsen & Associates; author of Managing the Design Factory; and leading expert on rapid product development Effective requirements discovery and analysis is a critical best practice for serious application development. Until now, however, requirements and Agile methods have rarely coexisted peacefully. For many enterprises considering Agile approaches, the absence of effective and scalable Agile requirements processes has been a showstopper for Agile adoption. In Agile Software Requirements, Dean Leffingwell shows exactly how to create effective requirements in Agile environments. Part I presents the "big picture" of Agile requirements in the enterprise, and describes an overall process model for Agile requirements at the project team, program, and portfolio levels Part II describes a simple and lightweight, yet comprehensive model that Agile project teams can use to manage requirements Part III shows how to develop Agile requirements for complex systems that require the cooperation of multiple teams Part IV guides enterprises in developing Agile requirements for ever-larger "systems of systems," application suites, and product portfolios This book will help you leverage the benefits of Agile without sacrificing the value of effective requirements discovery and analysis. You'll find proven solutions you can apply right now-whether you're a software developer or tester, executive, project/program manager, architect, or team leader.

    A brief examination of the theory and practice of Renaissance architecture that draws attention to the values underlying this style

    Once you understand how the microprocessor-or central processing unit (CPU)-works, you'll have a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts at the heart of all modern computing.Inside the Machine, from the co-founder of the highly respected Ars Technica website, explains how microprocessors operate-what they do and how they do it. The book uses analogies, full-color diagrams, and clear language to convey the ideas that form the basis of modern computing. After discussing computers in the abstract, the book examines specific microprocessors from Intel, IBM, and Motorola, from the original models up through today's leading processors. It contains the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available (online or in print) on Intel's latest processors: the Pentium M, Core, and Core 2 Duo. Inside the Machine also explains technology terms and concepts that readers often hear but may not fully understand, such as "pipelining," "L1 cache," "main memory," "superscalar processing," and "out-of-order execution."Includes discussion of:Parts of the computer and microprocessor Programming fundamentals (arithmetic instructions, memory accesses, control flow instructions, and data types) Intermediate and advanced microprocessor concepts (branch prediction and speculative execution) Intermediate and advanced microprocessor concepts (branch prediction and speculative execution) Intermediate and advanced computing concepts (instruction set architectures, RISC and CISC, the memory hierarchy, and encoding and decoding machine language instructions) 64-bit computing vs. 32-bit computing Caching and performance Inside the Machine is perfect for students of science and engineering, IT and business professionals, and the growing community of hardware tinkerers who like to dig into the guts of their machines.

    Get your copy now! Destiny I've always been the girl with a plan, but when my disorganized best friend gets married after a whirlwind romance, I realize my plan hasn't gotten me where I really want to be. My babysitting business is never going to give me a family of my own. On the spur of the moment I take a job in St. Petersburg, Russia, to stir things up. I'm hoping to meet a Russian heartthrob of my own, but Viktor the Vor isn't the kind of older man this virgin had in mind. Lifetime criminal, hired by my employer to act as bodyguard, he's the opposite of everything I thought I wanted, but I'm falling for him despite all my plans. Can a man like him ever change his ways to give me the family and become the husband I crave, or am I on track to be a prisoner's wife and mistress to his life of crime? Is there love waiting for me in the snow, or will my heart get frostbitten on the way? Viktor All I ever wanted was to join the Bratva, and when they make a move to take over St. Petersburg, I take my chance. I'm not expecting to have to babysit the babysitter, but when things get out of hand, I'm right there willing to put my life on the line for the younger American woman who stole my heart the moment I set eyes on her. I never thought I'd be a family man, but when it comes to Destiny, it's clear that it's in my fate. When my past choices catch up with me and I have to pick a side, will I able to give her the happily ever after she craves, or will the ice palace of our love tumble down in the face of who we really are? *Bratva Babysitter is part of the Russian Underworld series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone. It ends with an HEA and contains no cheating and no cliffhanger.

    Through conversations held with fifteen of the most accomplished contemporary cinematographers, the authors explore the working world of the person who controls the visual look and style of a film.

    The RESTful approach to web services design is rapidly become the approach of choice. Unfortunately, too few people have truly solid REST API design skills, and discussions of REST can become bogged down in dry theory.The REST API Design Handbook is a simple, practical guide to aid software engineers and software architects create lasting, scalable APIs based on REST architectural principles. The book provides a sound foundation in discussing the constraints that define a REST API. It quickly goes beyond that into the practical aspects of implementing such an API in the real world.Written by cloud computing expert George Reese, The REST API Design Handbook reflects hands on work in consuming many different third party APIs as well the development of REST-based web services APIs. It addresses all of the debates the commonly arise while creating these APIs. Subjects covered include:* REST architectural constraints* Using HTTP methods and response codes in an API* Authenticating RESTful API calls* Versioning* Asynchronous Operations* Pagination and Streaming* Polling and Push Notifications* Rate Limiting

    Now he concentrates on reports of actual encounters with extraterrestrial beings, presenting evidence that Earth is actually the base of operations for several alien species. The most authoritative & comprehensive account of alien visitation & colonization in the 20th century, Alien Base is the culmination of nearly 40 years' research that for the 1st time offers an in-depth understanding of this diverse range of phenomena. New Evidence from his files includes:-An impressive collection of photographs of alien craft-The 1st convincing photographs of aliens-Retrievals of alien craft & bodies predating Roswell-Cases involving repairs carried out to grounded craft-Visits to alien bases on Earth-New stories of worldwide encounters with aliens (1920-97)-Unidentified submarine objects reported by naval observers-Remarkable new cases involving space-time distortion-Sensational new encounters reported by pilots Written by a researcher recognized internationally for his unsensational objectivity about this complex multidisciplinary subject, Alien Base provides insight into this enigma.

    This book provides practical information about how and why the latest version of this markup language will significantly change the way you develop for the Web.HTML5 is still evolving, yet browsers such as Safari, Mozilla, Opera, and Chrome already support many of its features -- and mobile browsers are even farther ahead. HTML5: Up & Running carefully guides you though the important changes in this version with lots of hands-on examples, including markup, graphics, and screenshots. You'll learn how to use HTML5 markup to add video, offline capabilities, and more -- and you'll be able to put that functionality to work right away.Learn new semantic elements, such as,, andMeet Canvas, a 2D drawing surface you can program with JavaScriptEmbed video in your web pages without third-party pluginsUse Geolocation to let web application visitors share their physical locationTake advantage of local storage capacity that goes way beyond cookiesBuild offline web applications that work after network access is disconnectedLearn about several new input types for web formsCreate your own custom vocabularies in HTML5 with microdata

    The basic techniques and theorems of analysis are presented in such a way that the intimate connections between its various branches are strongly emphasized. The traditionally separate subjects of 'real analysis' and 'complex analysis' are thus united in one volume. Some of the basic ideas from functional analysis are also included. This is the only book to take this unique approach. The third edition includes a new chapter on differentiation. Proofs of theorems presented in the book are concise and complete and many challenging exercises appear at the end of each chapter. The book is arranged so that each chapter builds upon the other, giving students a gradual understanding of the subject.This text is part of the Walter Rudin Student Series in Advanced Mathematics.

    This new edition features an updated art and photo program as well as numerous new and revised homework problems.

    This work includes differential forms and the elegant forms of Maxwell's equations, and a chapter on probability and statistics. It also illustrates and proves mathematical relations.

    He knows that his artifacts aren't all harmless. When a stranger gives him an athame which contains the soul of a powerful local witch, he realizes that it will take his entire arsenal of not-so-harmless curiosities to keep his enemies from destroying him and the city to get it.Jakob is aided by Tempest Balfour, a sassy witch whose brother is the head of the local warlocks, and Gordon Pruitt, a haphazard warlock with a penchant for destruction. The three face factions from the Church, the witches, the warlocks, and forces beyond what Jakob knew existed to keep the athame out of the hands of evil.Join Jakob and his friends as they fight to protect the Shadow Athame. Pre-Order your copy today!Shadow Athame is the first book in The Oddities Emporium series by Kimbra Swain, author of the Fairy Tales of a Trailer Park Queen series and its popular spin-offs. To get a glimpse of Jakob and his friends, read the prequel, Glasswing in the Urban Magic: Power, Magic, and Heart Anthology.