Schaum's A-Z Chemistry

Book Description

From the bestselling name in study guides comes an indispensable new

resource for serious students

Schaum's A-Z handbooks make excellent complements to course textbooks and test preparation guides. Ideal for ambitious high school seniors--especially AP students--and college freshmen, they feature concise, thoroughly cross-referenced definitions of hundreds of key terms and phrases that help students quickly break through the jargon barrier. Clear explanations of key concepts, supplemented with lucid illustrations, help build mastery of theory and provide a ready reference to supplement class work.

Each entry begins with a clear, one-sentence definition and is followed by an explanation and examples.

A-to-Z format for ready reference
Clear definitions and explanations, cross-referenced and enhanced with numerous worked examples and illustrations
Extended explanations of more important concepts
Review lists of entries that relate to main topics in the Appendix aid review

Schaum's A-Z Chemistry (Schaum's A-Z Series)

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Schaum's A-Z Chemistry (Schaum's A-Z Series)
Andrew Hunt
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFX5LM

Book Description

The evolutionary computation approach to music is an exciting new development for composers and musicologists alike. For composers, it provides an innovative and natural means for generating musical ideas from a specifiable set of primitive components and processes. For musicologists, these techniques are used to model the cultural transmission and change of a population's body of musical ideas over time. In both cases, musical evolution can be guided by a variety of constraints and tendencies built into the system, such as realistic psychological factors that influence the way music is expressed, experienced, learned, stored, modified, and passed on among individuals.

This book discusses not only the applications of evolutionary computation to music, but also the tools needed to create and study such systems. These tools are drawn in part from research into the origins and evolution of biological organisms, ecologies, and cultural systems on the one hand, and from computer simulation methodologies on the other. They can be combined to create surrogate artificial worlds populated by interacting simulated organisms in which complex musical experiments can be performed that would otherwise be impossible.

This authoritative book, with contributions from experts from around the globe, demonstrates that evolutionary systems can be used to create and to study musical compositions and cultures in ways that have never before been achieved.

Eduardo Reck Miranda is a Professor in Computer Music at the University of Plymouth, UK, where he heads the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR). He has recently been appointed the Edgard Varèse Guest Professor of Computer Music at the Technical University of Berlin.

Al Biles is a Professor and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Information Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Between performances with GenJam over the last thirteen years, he has been active in helping establish information technology as a recognized academic discipline.

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An excellent introductory text.
A fascinating read
Disappointing
Maybe a good layman introduction to the field.
Fantastic duet of computer science and biology

Digital Biology
Peter J. Bentley
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Modeling & Simulation | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743204476

Amazon.com

Viruses, bugs, bots, ants: the metaphors, language, and realities of the digital world increasingly parallel those of the biological world. This vigorous book shows why those parallels are appropriate, even natural.

By studying the biological world and applying it to cyberspace and by using the natural processes responsible for life within computer systems, evolutionary biologist Peter Bentley writes, "we are overturning all preconceptions of what computers can and cannot do." They can do much, of course. Computers today can grow architectural models from digital "genes," can detect the difference between healthy and malignant cells, can even mimic certain behaviors of living beings. Tucking a handy primer in biological theory among sometimes heady discussions of the digital universe, Bentley focuses closely on the workings of computers today, projecting what might be true of those machines just a few years from now thanks to the workings of evolution--not strictly Darwinian evolution, to be sure, but evolution all the same.

Of interest to a wide range of readers, Bentley's book raises provocative questions as it prowls around inside the "benign cream-colored boxes" that surround us. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Imagine a future world where computers can create universes -- digital environments made from binary ones and zeros. Imagine that within these universes there exist biological forms that reproduce, grow, and think. Imagine plantlike forms, ant colonies, immune systems, and brains, all adapting, evolving, and getting better at solving problems. Imagine if our computers became greenhouses for a new kind of nature. Just think what digital biology could do for us.

Perhaps it could evolve new designs for us, think up ways to detect fraud using digital neurons, or solve scheduling problems with ants. Perhaps it could detect hackers with immune systems or create music from the patterns of growth of digital seashells. Perhaps it would allow our computers to become creative and inventive.

Now stop imagining.

digital biology is an intriguing glimpse into the future of technology by one of the most creative thinkers working in computer science today. As Peter J. Bentley explains, the next giant step in computing technology is already under way as computer scientists attempt to create digital universes that replicate the natural world. Within these digital universes, we will evolve solutions to problems, construct digital brains that can learn and think, and use immune systems to trap and destroy computer viruses.

The biological world is the model for the next generation of computer software. By adapting the principles of biology, computer scientists will make it possible for computers to function as the natural world does. In practical terms, this will mean that we will soon have "smart" devices, such as houses that will keep the temperature as we like it and automobiles that will start only for drivers they recognize (through voice recognition or other systems) and that will navigate highways safely and with maximum fuel efficiency. Computers will soon be powerful enough and small enough that they can become part of clothing. "Digital agents" will be able to help us find a bank or restaurant in a city that we have never visited before, even as we walk through the airport. Miniature robots may even be incorporated into our bodies to monitor our health.

Digital Biology is also an exploration of biology itself from a new perspective. We must understand how nature works in its most intimate detail before we can use these same biological processes inside our computers. Already scientists engaged in this work have gained new insights into the elegant simplicity of the natural universe.

This is a visionary book, written in accessible, nontechnical language, that explains how cutting-edge computer science will shape our world in the coming decades.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent introductory text........2004-05-25

It is difficult to read this book and not catch the bug of biologically inspired computing. It is fascinating, inspiring and comprehensive (even my dad read it). It clearly makes the point that by understanding the way nature solves its problems we have discovered a whole new class of computation.

The book takes you smoothly through the basic domains of biologically inspired computing. Starting with the definition of a digital universe (that makes you think twice about our own), it introduces evolutionary computation, neural networks, ant colonies, artificial immune systems and other fascinating computational metaphors. It explains their foundations and underlying theories and describes their practical applications.

My only complaint: there are no references to scientific papers. The motivated reader will have to spent some time searching the web for further reading, other than the books included in the bibliography.

A fascinating read.......2004-05-15

I've got to say that I thought this was a wonderful book. An absolutely fascinating overview of a new and developing field of science. Nicely laid out, elegantly written, very "easy style", lots of detailed material is covered for each of the areas the author touches on, so you get depth aswell as the overview. The author presents some very interesting perspectives on existing ideas about biology and machines. Useful notes at the end and the further reading section is good.

Rather than be another "here is the future" book by yet another science journalist, this is a book with its feet very much in the present and written by a scientist who is active in the field (rather than a journalist). Do not be alarmed! This guy writes well. I'm not going to say it's a one- sitting read (because that would just make me too much of a techno-nerd), however it's definitely a page-turner.

In terms of books available, I think that there is presently only one other non text-book that takes an overview of this field (Moshe Sipper - Machine Nature), though I'm sure there are gonna be a lot more before too long . If you want 2 books - buy both. If you just want the one - I thought Peter Bentley's had detail aswell as breadth whereas Moshe Sippers, whilst still a very good book, stayed more at an overview level.

Disappointing.......2003-09-05

This book did not deliver what I was expecting. I thought there would be detailed examples of the use of biological concepts in computing. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

There are some examples, however they are very vague with little or no detail. Frequently the author asserts a technique has too many applications to go into in any detail without boring the reader. Next he proceeds to rattle off a dozen vague applications such as scheduling, optimization, etc. without giving enough information about the application to be useful.

The center of the book contains a number of pictures that are the result of one technique or another. Unfortunately he does not elaborate on how any of them were created. I enjoyed seeing the coffee table his computer designed. Unfortunately the only explaination he gave on how the program worked was something to the effect that it was complicated. A bit more detail or perhaps even code would have been much better.

Beyond my perceived technical shortcomings, the author's style did not appeal to me. For example he wrote a fairly detailed account of what it might be like (as though a virus could think) to be a virus invading a host. Perhaps this was an attempt to engage the readers' imaginations. If so, the effect was wasted on this reader.

Two stars seemed right as there are worse books in the world. However I doubt most people would gain much from reading it.

Maybe a good layman introduction to the field........2003-06-07

I agree with other reviewers of this book who say that it doesn't deal with any of its topics deeply (as the author says in the book, it's just a summary of conversations he had with the scientists he gives all of about half a page to each, and material he found on the Internet) and that the writing is just a shade above mediocre. The author isn't a bad writer, necessarily, he's just very inconsistent. If he stuck with facts instead of pretending to be a fiction or magazine writer, he'd do well. Also, if he stuck with a British voice and didn't cater to Americans, that would be a good move. If you want to tailor your writing to an American audience, fine--do that and don't make a point of it. Otherwise, stick with your native tendencies, as it tends to make the book more readable.

This book is just ok. A few parts were downright painful, but mainly just because of the writing. The content was never painful, just boring in many places. For anybody with a background in complex adaptive systems, current computer science research, or any of the in vogue areas like network theory or chaos, this book can easily be put aside for others. If you're a layperson just looking for an introduction to the research being done connecting computers and biology, this book might be good. For serious readers, there are better books like 'At Home in the Universe' by Stuart Kauffman (excellent) and 'Complexity' by Mitchell Waldrop (also excellent). Those books are much older, but much more thought-provoking and well-written. They may not cover some of the newest research, but this book covers everything with such lack of depth you won't really get anything more out of reading it.

In short: not a bad book, but could have been much better in writing and content, and serious readers would do better elsewhere.

Fantastic duet of computer science and biology.......2002-07-31

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Since reading it, I have refocused most of my spare time into studying artificial life, microcosms, complexity, bottom-up organization, etc...
If you have a computer science or programming background you will find the first chapter boring. Everything else is golden!

Book Description

The data of evolutionary biology have changed in a very radical way in recent years, the most significant input to this revolution being the advances made in developmental genetics. Another recent development is a noticeable shift away from extreme specialization in evolutionary biology. In this, we are perhaps to be reminded of George Gaylord Simpson's comments: "evolution is an incredibly complex but at the same time integrated and unitary process." The main objective of this book is to illustrate how natural adaptive systems evolve as a unity--with the particular objective of identifying and merging several special theories of evolution within the framework of a single general theory.
The book provides an interdisciplinary overview of the general theory of evolution from the standpoint of the dynamic behavior of natural adaptive systems. The approach leads to a radically new fusion of the diverse disciplines of evolutionary biology, serving to resolve the considerable degree of conflict existing between different schools of contemporary thought.

Key Features
* The book is a timely volume written by a natural historian with a broad view of biology.
* The author draws examples from a large range of organisms from many different habitats and niches where interesting adaptations have evolved
* Probes deeply into mechanisms of evolution such as developmental genetics, morphogenesis, chromosome structure, and cladogenesis
* Clear definition of terms, with illustrations visualizing the main theoretical structures, and point-by-point summaries clearly stating the principal conclusions

Evolutionary Programming V: Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference on Evolutionary Programming (Complex Adaptive Systems)

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Evolutionary Programming V: Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference on Evolutionary Programming (Complex Adaptive Systems)

Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0262061902

Book Description

February 29-March 3, 1996, San Diego, California

Evolutionary programming, originally conceived by Lawrence J. Fogel in 1960, is a stochastic and optimization method similar to genetic algorithms, but instead emphasizes the behavioral linkage between parents and their offspring, rather than emulating specific genetic operators as observed in nature.

Evolutionary Programming V will serve as a reference and forum for researchers investigating applications and theory of evolutionary programming and other related areas in evolutionary and natural computation. Chapters describe original, unpublished research in evolutionary programming, evolution strategies, genetic algorithms and genetic programming, artificial life, cultural algorithms, and other dynamic models that rely on evolutionary principles.

Topics include the use of evolutionary simulations in optimization, neural network training and design, automatic control, image processing and other applications, as well as mathematical theory or empirical analysis providing insight into the behavior of such algorithms. Of particular interest are applications of simulated evolution to problems in biology and economics.

A Bradfor Book. Complex Adaptive Systems series

Simulated Evolution and Learning: 6th International Conference, SEAL 2006, Hefei, China, October 15-18, 2006, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

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Simulated Evolution and Learning: 6th International Conference, SEAL 2006, Hefei, China, October 15-18, 2006, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Simulated Evolution and Learning, SEAL 2006, held in Hefei, China in October 2006.

The 117 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 420 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on evolutionary learning, evolutionary optimisation, hybrid learning, adaptive systems, theoretical issues in evolutionary computation, and real-world applications of evolutionary computation techniques.

Book Description

Fuzzy technology has emerged as one of the most exciting new concepts available. Fuzzy Logic and its Applications... covers a wide range of the theory and applications of fuzzy logic and related systems, including industrial applications of fuzzy technology, implementing human intelligence in machines and systems. There are four main themes: intelligent systems, engineering, mathematical foundations, and information sciences. Both academics and the technical community will learn how and why fuzzy logic is appreciated in the conceptual, design and manufacturing stages of intelligent systems, gaining an improved understanding of the basic science and the foundations of human reasoning.

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A Girl Named Zippy

I liked reading a memoir that was just plain fun

A bit lacking in zip...

Just What I Needed ....

Delightful and witty!

A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana (Today Show Book Club #3)
Haven Kimmel
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana

The Solace of Leaving Early

Orville: A Dog Story (Bccb Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards))

The Glass Castle: A Memoir

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio : How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less

ASIN: 0767915054
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Book Description

When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana, was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this witty and lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town America was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period–people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.

Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel's straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.

Download Description

Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel's straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.

Customer Reviews:

A Girl Named Zippy.......2007-10-01

Cute and thoughtful. An easy read that makes you remember how things were different way back when.

I liked reading a memoir that was just plain fun.......2007-08-29

I was able to laugh through this memoir..I have since picked up her second memoir and I am saving that for a rainy (or snowy) day when I can kick back and read it all day long-

A bit lacking in zip..........2007-08-07

It seems as though everyone these days feels compelled to write an autobiography, and Kimmel was no exception. Born in 1965 in small-town Indiana, the author recalls her childhood, when she was known as "Zippy" for her talent at racing from place to place.

While some of Kimmel's story is intriguing -- her best friend Julie, strangely mute; her friend Dana, who arrives from L.A. in the second grade, wearing a black leather jacket -- much of her recollections are just run-of-the-mill little-girl recollections. While most of us can relate to lazy summer afternoons, browsing comics at the store or visiting friends, there's usually got to be some compelling reason to want to read about others' experiences doing the same. As far as I could see, there was really no unique "hook," or anything that made me think, "Wow, this person is worthy of a book!"

Don't get me wrong; it's not a BAD book. It's just not likely to stay in your memory for more than a day.

Just What I Needed ...........2007-06-27

I just picked this book up at a rummage sale. Whoever donated it to the sale has my undying gratitude because this book was the sweetest and funniest book I have read in quite some time. I am a fan of memoirs and biographies but this one is so unlike any others that I am now hooked on Kimmel's writings. I want more Zippy!

Like Zippy, who is four years older than I am by the way, I grew up in a small midwestern town but not as small as hers! I would be considered big city girl in comparison! But the midwestern attitude is so familiar that reading this book was like traveling down memory lane for me! She's the youngest in a family of three kids. Her older brother and sister were already in Junior high by the time she arrived. Her mother refers to her lovingly as an "after thought." That is how the book started out (well, almost). Named Haven at birth, her dad decided to call her Zippy since she could never sit still. You can say that her memories of childhood reeked of love, laughter and cigarettes.

Zippy is precocious. Zippy is curious. Zippy is Zippy, a character that you will never forget. My favorite part is the scene where her sister told her that she's adopted. Outraged, she stomps in and asks her mother if that's true. Her mother stops reading for a moment and says, yes, you are. A band of roving gypsies with a pack of wolves that stand up and preach during a full moon came through the area. The whole conversation had me repeating it to my husband as it was so hilarious and something exactly like what my father would spin out to me when I was a child.

I haven't raved about a book in a real long time though I have read lots of really good books ~~ but this book is something I am going to urge my book club to read sometime in the next year. It is something I think we'll enjoy because not only is it funny and engaging, but it talks about a childhood that is now lost in the mists of time. Building your own bike? Who does that anymore? There are many instances in this book that I remember doing as a kid or have heard my parents do when they were kids. I know that Christmas is more different today than it was in the early 70s. It seems to be a simpler time back then even though it was harder especially after the Vietnam War ended. It was a time of change but Zippy had a happy childhood and those memories are funny and bittersweet.

This book comes highly recommended. If you need a laugh, this book is a good place to get one! It is just a really good read and perfect for a summer read!

6-28-07

Delightful and witty! .......2007-06-04

This book is a fascinating escape; it brings the reader back to childhood and also reminds us of questions we have long since given up asking. A great hammock swinging summer read!

A Girl Named Zippy - Growing Up Small In Mooreland, Indiana

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A Girl Named Zippy - Growing Up Small In Mooreland, Indiana
Haven Kimmel
Manufacturer: Broadway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1OASW

Girl Named Zippy, A: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana

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Girl Named Zippy, A: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana
Haven Kimmel
Manufacturer: Ebury Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0091882966

Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana

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Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana
Haven Kimmel
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K376S6

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