Product Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Intelligent Data Analysis, IDA 2010, held in Tucson, AZ, USA in May 2010. The 21 revised papers presented together with 2 invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected from more than 40 submissions. All current aspects of intelligent data analysis are addressed, particularly intelligent support for modeling and analyzing complex, dynamical systems. Topics covered are end-to-end software systems; modeling complex systems such as gene regulatory networks, economic systems, ecological systems, resources such as water, and dynamical social systems such as online communities; and robustness, scaling properties and other usability issues. ... Read more

Product Description
By one of the leading experts on modern Chinese history and historiography, thisvolume argues for fresh ways of approaching the Chinese past, spotlighting Western historians, Chinese historians, and the history itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cohen in a reflective mood
This book is a continued discussion of Cohen's "China centered" approach to the study of Chinese history that he laid out in his "Discovering History in China:American Historical Writing on the Recent Chinese Past"(1984).Where as "Discovering History in China" was a probe into the Western-centric biases of three conceptual frameworks - the "impact/response" approach, the "modernization" approach, and the "imperialism" approach - "China Unbound" is a review of the author's previous works, and through this he explores a wide range of issues.

Chapter one is a reproduction of sections from Cohen's book on Wang Tao, titled, "Between Tradition and Modernity:Wang Tao and Reform in late Ch'ing China"(1974).In this chapter Cohen touches on a number of "broad change- related issues as they pertained to the subject of his book, Wang Tao(1828-97)"(p.3).

Chapter two is also a reproduction of sections from another of Cohen's works, "Discovering History In China"(1984)(See my Amazon review of this book; also see Chapter seven of the work being reviewed here(China Unbound) for a reproduction of the preface of "Discovering History in China", 1997 - second edition.)

Chapter three and four explore further the events surrounding the Boxer uprising of 1900.Cohen first explored this topic in his 1997 book "History in Three Keys:The Boxers as Event, Experience, and Myth" (Also see chapter eight of China Unbound for more dicussion of "History in Three Keys").Where the 1997 book drew on many disciplines(sociology, comparitive religion, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology) to describe this episode in Chinese history and how it has been viewed at certain times during the past hundred years, Cohen, in chapters three and four of "China Unbound" is primarily concerned with exploring the issue using an anthropological perspective and then looking at the role religion played in the conflict.

Chapter five deals with "the ambiguities of a watershed date", 1949.In this section Cohen looks at this topic by taking into account events leading up to the communist victory, the intervening Mao years(1949-1976)and the subsequent reforms that followed Maoism's demise.Here he offers a way at viewing 1949, not as a "single point in time", but as a "long-term political and social process made up of multiple revolutionary transformations"(p.132).While reading this section I could not help but think about the different dates given to historical themes such as the May Fourth Movement in 1919 (some scholars refer to the actual date when discussing this episode, while others expand it to include the New Cultural Movement in 1915), and the term "modern China" (some scholars begin this periodization as far back as the late Ming[see Jonathan Spence,1990], while others use the Opium War of 1842 and some chosing the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912 or the May Fourth Movement in 1919.I have even heard suggestions by some scholars that "modern China" did not materialize until after 1949 or even as late as 1978, the year that is usually given as the date for the start of economic reforms).

Chapter six, "Remembering and forgetting national humiliation in twentieth century China", analyses the ways in which Chinese have dealt with the dramatic events that have occurred throughout the 20th century.A majority of the chapter deals with the 'humiliation' felt by the Chinese over the twenty-one demands Japan presented to China in 1915.Cohen uses this episode to discuss the different ways humiliating events (all caused by foreigners of course) have been remembered (or forgotten), used to spark nationalistic pride, or manipulated by companies to make money on a myriad of products (from cigarettes to banking services).

Overall and compared to "Discovering History In China" I found "China Unbound" to be a disappointment. To me it did not have the detailed insights that Cohen's past works have contained.
... Read more

Product Description
The notion of the learning organization--popularized by management thinkers and extolled by leaders of today's most progressive companies--is finally made practical for modern managers in Working Wisdom. Robert Aubrey and Paul M. Cohen offer a unique blAnd of historical context and contemporary examples from such worldwide companies as Dun & Bradstreet, LifeScan, Spectra-Physics, and Raychem to demonstrate how the new role of manager as learning guide can help build the capacity for competitive advantage. The authors show managers how to use existing resources and the age-old skills of providing capable guidance and nurturing personal experiences to make the learning organization a reality."Learning is the most valuable benefit we can offer employees, and our ability as a company to learn faster and better than competitors is our most valuable competitive resource.Working Wisdom is about how to help people and organizations get smarter--or wiser--every day.No management-speak here; just time-tested strategies for mentoring people and accelerating learning.Nowhere have I found such a thoughtful, practical approach."--Douglas McKenna, general manager, executive and management development, Microsoft Corporation ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Amy Nicol's Review
The subject of adult learning as it relates to a job situation or employer situation is a very important subject to dissect.Aubrey and Cohen in their book, "Working Wisdom" have conducted an excellent analysis of adult education and its impact on an organization.
Their analysis began with helping readers to understand how learning has changed over time for adults.Findings of the initial analysis determined that individuals got involved in educational opportunities for three reasons: survival in the workplace, developing wisdom to pass on to others, and finally, using the career as a means for personal development.Learning for survival, the renewal of wisdom, and the reinvention of careers are three facets of a revolution sweeping the workplace.Yet in most organizations, even as the need for learning grows, valuable learning resources are left fallow. (Aubrey and Cohen, p. 34)
Secondly, the analysis focused on how organizations could impart wisdom on and provide learning opportunities for employees through the use of: accompanying, sowing, catalyzing, showing and harvesting.Finally Aubrey and Cohen focused their attention on implementing their theories in learning organizations through: leadership, managers, networks, technology, policy and partnerships.
Some learning theories contain concepts which are difficult to understand.In Aubrey and Cohen's book the authors spent much time in developing their thoughts, sharing them logically with readers and based much of their thought on the work of other theorists and researchers in adult learning.Many business and organizations involved with adult learning were documented and created credibility with the theories and practices introduced.When theories are put into practice, unquestionable evidence is created for the readers and users of the practices included in the book.
The most valuable portion of the book was the second portion of the analysis of how organizations impart wisdom on and provide learning opportunities for employees through the use of: accompanying, sowing, catalyzing, showing and harvesting.The value comes from the ability of the reader to ingest the information and use it right away in a learning organization or place of employment.The concepts introduced are easy to read, easy to follow and easy to implement.Readers are not bogged down with unnecessary information or too much theory and not enough practicality.The use of recognizable company names such as Swissotel, Motorola and Xerox enable readers to gain more credibility as opposed to the learning practices being used in "no name" companies all around the world.The more readers can relate to the application of the practice, the more likely they will be to adopt the practices suggested.
Another positive spin of this book is the fact that the authors used straight-forward wording and no nonsense application of practices and theories introduced.As mentioned before, readers can easily implement the suggestions of the authors.The book is a quick read as the language selected suits the straight-forward thinking of the authors.It does not contain large amounts of theoretical "in the clouds" wording or ideas of which readers can not see the practical application.
Logically, Working Wisdom can be incorporated step by step into any learning organization or place of employment.The authors's step by step approach for implementation makes sense to the reader and places an emphasis on logical, well organized material.
The largest weakness of Working Wisdom is the fact that it is very generalized with regard to audience age level.Of course, the beginning of the book is clear that the audience with which to use these theories is adult based.However, how adults learn at different stages of adulthood is not addressed.Therefore, the practices, however useful in learning organizations or places of employment, may be skewed toward favoring one stage of adulthood over another.In fact, only two stages of adulthood are given attention.At the risk of oversimplification, the authors focus on two stages of learning development: apprenticeship, where one first engages in new learning, and championship, where one begins to master the work at hand.(Aubrey and Cohen, p. 33)
Special attention should not only have been given to stages of learning, but also to how those stages should be taken into account when planning programs for adults.The Interactive Model addresses this issue.This model differs, however, in four primary ways: by design, it is interactive and comprehensive; people and place are acknowledged as important in the planning process; differences among cultures are taken into account in the planning process; and practitioners find the model useful and therefore a practical tool. (Caffarella, p.20) Not only are phases of learning important for learning organizations to focus on, but also life transitions and major life events, which are taken into account in the Interactive Model.
Theoretically though, the book is very accurate by basing learning theories on many different sources of research, especially those of Knowles, Kouzes and Posner, Senge and many others.Using the research and theories of others and building upon those theories and research can only increase the credibility of the authors and adoptability of new theories and practices by readers.
Solid literary works are sometimes difficult to access.Working Wisdom is a quick and easy read for those adults who need some focus and direction in terms of adult learning theory and practice.A good mix of theory and practicality make this book a credible resource for any adult learning situation.
The authors state that Working Wisdom is intended for a wide spectrum of readers...corporate leaders, adult educators, human resources specialists, and mangers responsible for developing others.Still other readers will be more interested in how to develop their own potential and take responsibility for their careers.The book is also recommended for students embarking on their careers, employees preparing for a career change, and a growing mass of individuals who are self-managing their work as a long term enterprise. (Aubrey and Cohen, p. xvi)The straight-forward theories and suggested practices presented are easy for the aforementioned audiences to implement into their own situation, whether it is for personal benefit or the benefit of those around them.The relevance of the material presented can be used in many situations making this book very adaptable to many situations.Working Wisdom is heavy in practical application based on solid theory.Adults in many situations can benefit from such a resource in their personal and professional library.

Using your knowledge is Working Wisdom
This book is especially helpful for managers, with training employees to use knowledge effectively in group projects, team building and project management. Within intercultural work teams the book is indispensable to assist all members in moving forward with goals, projects and targets.Hands-on techniques are highlighted and several case studies show proof.Easy to read and glean the salient facts.Companion book for Individual Human Development is available in French, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, called Enterprise of Self, also by Bob Aubrey.Timely stuff to get the team going!! ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses career possibilities as private investigators, police, and in the field of law enforcement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good book
A very good book, it portrays a realistic picture of the jobs in law enforcement.I recomend reading it. ... Read more

Product Description
Powerful cross-currents of both decline and resurgence have been affecting American political parties over the past several decades. Is the era of decline that began in the late 1960s over and are the parties in a new era of rebuilding? In what direction are the parties headed and what does it mean for a healthy and well-functioning democracy?

American Political Parties brings together a distinguished team of contributors to explore these questions. Students are exposed to original, “state-of-the-art” research on the parties that is written to be accessible and engaging.

Presenting both historical and contemporary material on the changing U.S. parties, the book offers a balanced portrait and a wide variety of views concerning the continuing weaknesses of the parties and their concurrent signs of revitalization. Essays examine three important elements of parties—the parties in the mass public, the parties as electoral and political organizations, and the parties as governing groups. Two themes recur throughout—the first deals with party change (specifically realignment and dealignment) and the second with party responsibility in a democratic government. The concluding chapter places the contibutors’ various findings and viewpoints in perspective. It offers several theories to help explain why the parties seem to be following their dual paths of development and considers the implications of this state of affairs for the future of American democracy. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of more than eighty riddles about assorted space subjects, including popular space movies, UFOs, astronauts, and celestial bodies. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of jokes and riddles about cows, such as "How do cattle defend themselves? Cow-a-ti." ... Read more

Product Description

John King Fairbank (1907-1991) was best known to the public as the dean of Chinese studies in the United States. John Hersey, Hanu Reischauer, Harrison Salisbury, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., are among the more than 125 friends, students, and colleagues to contribute to this volume. Each author attempts to capture the essence of the Fairbank he or she knew. The resulting pieces are alternately incisive, affectionate, intimate, deeply affecting, and hilariously funny. Fairbank Remembered is an endearing and moving portrait of America's doyen on China.

Product Description
A collection of more than 100 riddles about medical care and diseases both real and imagined, including "What do you call it when you break out in tiny wristwatches? Small clocks." ... Read more

Product Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Intelligent Data Analysis, IDA-97, held in London, UK, in August 1997. The volume presents 50 revised full papers selected from a total of 107 submissions. Also included is a keynote, Intelligent Data Analysis: Issues and Opportunities, by David J. Hand. The papers are organized in sections on exploratory data analysis, preprocessing and tools; classification and feature selection; medical applications; soft computing; knowledge discovery and data mining; estimation and clustering; data quality; qualitative models. ... Read more

Product Description
A clandestine hunt for the source of heroin in the Golden Triangle. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of over one hundred sports riddles, including "What's the most talkative sport? Kayakking." ... Read more

Product Description
Includes more than 130 humorous riddles involving a variety of familiar characters from the Bible, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, comic strips, songs, TV cartoons, and well-known books. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes one hundred riddles about a wide variety of major and minor holidays both religious and secular. ... Read more