Blog Smith

Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

al-Qaeda Slithers to Algeria


Police officers inspect the government palace in Algiers, Algeria, following a car bomb attack on April 11. Mohamed Messara/EPA FILE


The recent suicide bombers in Algeria have all the earmarks of an al-Qaeda operation accoring to counter-terrorism experts. Authorities seem to have uncovered an Iraqi connection once they cracked down on 60 local belligerants in the Saharan city of El Oued. Hamida Ayachi, editor of the Algiers-based daily Djazair News, has noted that contacts between Iraq and Algeria have intensified within the past year.

Who is prepared?

A recent IT study by AT&T ranked U.S. cities for disaster preparedness. In this survey New York and Houston received high marks while the Twin Cities and Cleveland did not.


The results arose from about 1,000 corporate IT managers collectively from 10 cities surveyed.


According to the survey, the rankings were based primarily on three criteria: "the state of a city's business continuity plan; whether the city has adequately educated employees about the plan and installed systems to implement it; and on cybersecurity policies and the use of managed security."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

China Virus First Strike in Cyberwar

No, this is not today's headline, but, it could be. China's military is investigating their information warfare capabilities.


The Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed that China's military has developed cyberwarfare first-strike capabilities that include units charged with developing viruses to attack enemy computer networks.


In 2005, the People's Liberation Army began to incorporate offensive operations into its exercises, "primarily in first strikes against enemy networks," a DoD report stated.


This is the best level of unclassified American thought on China's capabilities.

MRAP to the rescue?



Like many Americans dismayed with the apparent lack of results in Iraq and the deaths of many fine young people, I've wondered if there is any hope. A reason for optimism is the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle). The new vehicles provide much improved protection, specifically against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which cause 70% of all U.S. casualties in Iraq. The IEDs are armor piercing and the MRAP offers some hope that our troops will be better protected. This is a step in the right direction. 58 of the 62 members of the House Armed Services Committee voted on 9 May for a $508.3 billion military authorization bill for fiscal 2008; the MRAP is a part of the new appropriations.


The day after the appropriations, the Pentagon announced plans to phase out its armored Humvees in Iraq and Afghanistan and send in vehicles that better withstand roadside bomb blasts, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.


The shift in appropriations means that modernization plans would be put on hold but given the seriousness of our troops vulnerability, this seems like sound planning.


Friday, May 18, 2007

Review: The Tertullian Project, by Roger Pearse

Revno: 000000547224 The Tertullian Project, by Roger Pearse, http://www.tertullian.org/


Date: Sun 29-05-2005 02:46 PM


The Tertullian Project, by Roger Pearse, http://www.tertullian.org/


In the Wikipedia age we live in Choice editors have wisely chosen
resources that seem likely to be of particular use to undergraduate
students. These are sites mostly likely consulted by the search mavens seeking a quick fix for instant info, i.e., our students. If a site is too flighty this is not reliably for our students but by the same token a too specialized site will be of little value at the undergraduate level.


Keeping these guidelines in mind, I evaluated the Tertullian Project. Pearse openly declares his amateur status, however, Pearse has helpfully assembled an impressive amount of work about this second and third century Christian apologist.


The assembler has artfully collected Tertullian references including more difficult to access textual material. In this type of endeavor, we need more enlightened amateurs such as Pearse because of its utility.


There are a variety of subsections dealing with various aspects of Tertullian’s life, writings and modern scholarship. The author has also conveniently ranked the more academic pages from the more light hearted areas. In addition to a brief historical outline on Tertullian the real strength of this compilation is the wealth of resources and information on Tertullian’s writings. The series of online shots of Tertullian’s pages provides a next best experience to dusting off an original text of Tertullian. The pages load quickly and easily which should be adequate even for slow modems and I found the navigation logically arranged.


Although this site is geared towards the seeking to be enlightened reader, there are a number of features that are useful to more advanced readers and specialists. The age of Wikipedia indeed is constructive in that specialists have not done what the Wikipedias have done so quickly and pleasantly.


Im Wikipedia Alter leben wir in den auserlesenen Herausgebern haben gewählt klug Betriebsmittel, die wahrscheinlich scheinen, vom bestimmten Gebrauch zu den Nichtgraduierten Kursteilnehmern zu sein. Diese sind der Aufstellungsorte meistens beraten durch die Suchemavens wahrscheinliches, die eine schnelle Verlegenheit für sofortiges Info d.h. unsere Kursteilnehmer suchen. Wenn ein Aufstellungsort zu flighty ist, ist dieser nicht zuverlässig für unsere Kursteilnehmer, aber aus dem gleichen Grunde ist ein auch fachkundiger Aufstellungsort von wenig Wert auf dem Nichtgraduiertniveau.


Diese Richtlinien im Verstand halten, wertete ich das Tertullian Projekt aus. Pearse erklärt öffentlich seinen laienhaften Status, jedoch hat Pearse hilfreich eine indrucksvolle Menge Arbeit über diesen zweiten und dritten Jahrhundert Christapologet zusammengebaut.


Der Versammlungsteilnehmer hat artfully Tertullian Hinweise einschließlich schwierigeres, Textmaterial zugänglich zu machen gesammelt.


In dieser Art der Bemühung, benötigen wir mehr erleuchtete Bewunderer wie Pearse wegen seines Dienstprogrammes. Es gibt eine Vielzahl der Unterabschnitte, die verschiedene Aspekte des Tertullian's Lebens beschäftigen, Schreiben und moderne Gelehrsamkeit. Der Autor hat auch bequem die akademischeren Seiten vom mehr Licht hearted Bereiche geordnet. Zusätzlich zu einer kurzen historischen umreiß auf Tertullian ist die reale Stärke dieser Kompilation die Fülle der Betriebsmittel und der Informationen über Tertullian?s Schreiben. Die Reihe der on-line-Schüsse der Tertullian's Seiten stellt eine folgende beste Erfahrung zum Abwischen weg von einem ursprünglichen Text von Tertullian zur Verfügung. Die Seiten laden schnell und leicht, die sogar für langsame Modem ausreichend sein sollten und ich fand die Navigation logisch geordnet.


Obgleich dieser Aufstellungsort in Richtung zum Suchen, erleuchteter Leser zu sein übersetzt wird, gibt es eine Anzahl von Eigenschaften, die vorgerücktere Leser und Fachleute nützlich sind. Das Alter von Wikipedia ist in der Tat dadurch konstruktiv, daß Fachleute nicht getan haben, was das Wikipedias so schnell und angenehm getan haben.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

While we slept . . .

One of the most frustrating aspects of understanding our tepid response to Islamism is how America was so slow to react. The distrust between the CIA and the FBI made both agencies less effective and in fact we've made little progress on the IT issues in the meantime. Years after the fact data collection and sharing is still problematic between law enforcement. The handling by law enforcement and political administrations in viewing the original 1993 attack on the World Trade Center as individual criminal issues, and not part of a concerted effort against Western infidels, was wrong-headed. While the American public was dazzled by the O.J. Simpson trial and the Jon Benet Ramsay murder investigation the West was under attack. The blind Sheik Rahman and his fellow terrorists were already conspiring to blow up N.Y. city landmarks and bridges. This nation slept during the Reagan years when we withdrew from Lebanon after the Marine barracks truck bombing right through the Clinton years when we pulled out of Somalia after the downing of a Blackhawk.


It is little wonder that America was viewed as a tepid power. Weakness emboldens the desperate to increase their efforts. The victims on 9/11 paid the price.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Caliphate


The Times of London notes the increasing importance the al Qaeda-affiliated groups on Iraq are placing on establishing a militant Islamist state in the Sunni regions of Iraq.


In particular, al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq emphasizes an important theme, the conquest of specific territory in order to establish the beginnings of God's kingdom on earth.


The jihadists place a physical caliphate on earth. It is to be achieved in conjunction with the divinely-blessed spread of jihad across the globe.


The U.S. military faces insurgents with this conviction and the use of classic Al-Qaeda tactics.

DHS and Privacy vs. Real ID


I have to agree with a privacy committee of the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) assessment: oppose the Real ID bill, which proposes to create a national standard for state driver's licenses and other forms of state-issued identification.


This bill raises too many privacy, security, and logistical concerns.


The Real ID Act of 2005, in the wake of terrorism, sets minimum national standards that states must use when issuing driver's licenses and other identification. For example, this includes a photo ID, documentation of birth date and address, proof of citizenship or immigration status, and verification of Social Security numbers. As proposed, this law would go into effect in about a year.


Individuals would need Read ID-compliant cards for air travel, accessing federal buildings, or for receiving federal benefits. Moreover, all state driver's license databases would be linked.


The act is objectionable on the grounds that this is a de facto national ID system. Eventually, the U.S. government could spy on ordinary, law-abiding citizen.


Also troubling is that there is no plan for securing the stored identity data. The states are not accountable for the data.


"Failure to provide openness and transparency undermines accountability and trust," the DHS committee noted in its comments.


Concerns along these lines have been expressed by the National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.


Several members of Congress have also expressed their objection: Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and John Sununu (R-N.H.), who proposed the Identification Security Enhancement Act of 2007. The bills co-sponsors include Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Lester (D-Mont.).


If the government had thinkers, they would enact a Real ID for criminals and skofflaws. The identification targets the wrong people, the compliant. Of course, people could voluntarily join the program, in fact, this would advantageous for frequent travelers and those who need consistent, easy transit.


As it stands, this is a bad law.


In an update on 6 July 2007, the Governor of New Hampshire signed a bill that rejects federal Real ID law

Sunday, May 13, 2007

On 11 May 2007 a Guilty Verdict was handed down in a U.S. - China Spy Case

This is a troublesome case in that it may be indicative of how difficult it may be to nab spies. After a six-week trial a federal jury convicted a Chinese-born engineer of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China, including information on an electronic propulsion system that would make submarines virtually undetectable.


Chi Mak exploited his low-key lifestyle and his good reputation to hide his real intent: conspiring to pass U.S. secrets to China for over two decades. Mak is a naturalized U.S. citizen who confessed to the crime and revealed that he lied to investigators.


This individual apparently had no warning signs that he was suspect until he finally was found out and revealed his real intent on his own.


How you combat a clever individual like this without infringing upon individual liberties is an open question.

The U.N. next door

America is filled with communities where it appears as though the U.N. lives next door. However, in the case of the recently charged six terrorists in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, were there any signs that perhaps something was amiss? The terrorists might stand out but it was not considered a major point to note their Muslim religious garb. It is common enough in many communities in the U.S., especially in urban areas, that characteristic Muslim garb is not out of the ordinary.


To wit, the six did have minor, but consistent run-ins with the law. The three arrested brothers regularly attended South Jersey Islamic Center in Palmyra, N.J., where, according to U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie, they recruited another alleged conspirator. In short, the accused were no strangers to the police. They were habitual offenders, stopped dozens of times a year for speeding, illegal passing, and driving without a license. One of the accused, Dritan Duka was issued four citations during one five-week period. The three had driving privileges suspended, meaning that they could not even apply for a license, 54 times in less than a decade. Moreover, in 2000, Dritan Duka pled guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and Shain Duka to possession of marijuana.


One characteristic to look for where the U.N. will break down is the flagrant, habitual, and lawless approach of potential troublemakers. The six, despite their protests that their Muslim background attracted attention, is not true. The accused brought about attention upon themselves by their anti-social behavior. America is a great country, too great to allow those who violate community standards unfettered freedom.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Is this war?

Six men arrested as two attempted to buy guns Monday; and, I might add, this is close to home. Apparently, the men laughed as they watched videos of attacks on Americans, including one video where a marine's arm is blown off. The arrested are "Islamic radicals," according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The men were planning to shoot soldiers at Ft. Dix Army base according to the indictment.

The six include three brothers, all with the last name Duka, who were born in the former Yugoslavia and are illegally residing in the United States. The three are: Eljvir, 23, Shain, 26, and Dritan, 28, and said the three operate businesses known as Qadr Inc., Colonial Roofing and National Roofing.

The other three men charged are Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 22, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a U.S. citizen born in Jordan who is employed as a taxicab driver in Philadelphia; Serdar Tatar, 23, of Philadelphia, born in Turkey, whose last known employment was at a 7-Eleven; and Agron Abdullahu, 24, of Buena Vista Township, born in the former Yugoslavia and employed at a Shop-Rite Supermarket.

One twist to the story is to see if there is any difference in the disposition of the case in that they are illegal, a U.S. citizen, or another classification.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

How Jews, Christians, and Muslims celebrate the Sabbath

The idea to survey this topic came about in preparing a review of: Ringwald, Christopher D. A day apart: how Jews, Christians, and Muslims find faith, freedom, and joy on the Sabbath. Oxford, 2007.

G. Mick Smith, review of Armstrong, Karen, The Great Transformation, Choice, February 2007.

G. Mick Smith, review of Armstrong, Karen, The Great Transformation, Choice, February 2007.

The following review appeared in the February 2007 issue of CHOICE.

44-3239 BL430 2005-47536 CIP
Armstrong, Karen. The great transformation: the beginning of our
religious traditions. Knopf, 2006. 469p bibl index ISBN 0375413170,
$30.00

In this current age of "the great transformation," independent scholar
Armstrong postulates how the sages of the foundational Axial Age would address unspeakable horror, violence, and desperation. The distinctive and historic Axial Age faiths announced the abandonment of selfishness and a spirituality of compassion. They stated that first must come personal responsibility and self-criticism, and that practical, effective action must follow. Herein lie the problematic aspects of Armstrong's work and the reasons why this book can be misleading. Its most serious flaw is its finding evidence for ethical behavior in almost all religious behavior and ritual. Armstrong seems to miss the insights of René Girard and Walter Burkert, who have demonstrated how violence and the sacred are inextricably linked. Another problem is that, oddly, she states that Hitler expressed a "militant exclusion of religion from public policy." In fact, Hitler divided German Christians by founding the Patriotic Church in contrast to the Confessing Church. One other interesting side note is that Armstrong's research is based on older published works (only 36 of 284 works cited in the bibliography were published in 2000 or later). Summing Up: Optional. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates; general readers.

Review: The Forgotten Revolution, Lucio Russo

25 Jan 2006
Computing Reviews

The Forgotten Revolution describes the explosion of science in the third
and second centuries BCE. In the age of Archimedes, Eratosthenes, and
Euclid science as we ordinarily recognize the field began as a category
of human knowledge. The forgotten in the title refers to the Alexandrian texts
that were lost and the notion that the breakthroughs of the Renaissance
were based on these texts. Unfortunately, these texts were lost in the
ancient period and subsequently during the Renaissance as well. The
author, Lucio Russo, notes that both scientific revolutions were also
accompanied by great changes and an invigorated awareness in related
fields, such as art and medicine.

The revolution in science is surveyed in ten chapters, an epilogue, and
a mathematical appendix. In chapters 1-7 there is detailed coverage of the
birth, rise, decline and fall of Hellenistic science and technology:
mathematics, mechanics of solids and fluids, topography and geodesy,
optics, astronomy; civil, mechanical, naval, and military engineering; anatomy,
physiology, biology, and medicine; economics and mass production
techniques; architecture and urban development; psychoanalysis and cognitive
sciences.

An interesting inquiry of Russo¹s is the methodological nature of
Hellenistic mathematics. More important than the discoveries of the
Greeks noted above is the method they introduced, that is, the axiomatic,
deductive manner of argumentation that typifies mathematics. In general, the
deductive method, allied to the experimental method also introduced by the
Hellenistic scientists, is a modern approach to exact sciences.

The brilliance of the Hellenistic scientific revolution was lost in that
scientific method was abandoned in antiquity and its renaissance was
incredibly lax and centuries in coming. As late as the age of Newton,
who was representative Renaissance thinker, scientists worked at a level
still far below the Hellenistic level of rigorous method. This in itself is a
worthwhile point to make. When Russo relies on the philological evidence
alone he makes a convincing argument.

Another key inquiry is the idea that the heliocentric theories of
planetary motions were discovered far before the Hellenistic era. Aristarchus of
Samos and a century later with Hipparchus of Nicea Russo convincingly
demonstrates evidence that some Hellenistic writers knew of heliocentric ideas. They
developed a dynamical theory of planetary motions based on the attractions
of the planets toward the Sun. The work of Hipparchus is unfortunately
no longer extant but in an obscure work of Plutarch, sprinkled throughout
the Natural History of Plinius, the Natural Questions of Seneca, and the
Architecture of Vitruvius, enough philological evidence suggests that
the cultural elites of the early Roman Imperial period knew heliocentric
theories.

Much later Newton, who had the complete works of Plutarch in his
library, apparently included the heliocentric idea but without a credit attached.
Although some may think this an unethical act, it was in fact commonly
done if an author works in an academic field and elsewhere clearly credits
one¹ssources, and Newton does.

One simple reason the tradition of heliocentric theory is lost is that
the commonly cited Principia only included this portion in a Scholia or an
annotation on the original manuscript not appearing in the commonly
printed version.

Russo should be appreciated not only in the detailed transmission of
specific ideas but within a major historical problem of antiquity. The
decline and fall of antique civilization was occurring as Hellenistic
ideaswere pushed to the background as Max Weber thoroughly discussed the
issue of decadence. As trade in antiquity declined, so did the accompanied
flowering of art, literature, and scientific inquiry. The key insights of
Hellenistic thought languished then until the Renaissance and their re-discovery by
modern scientific thought.

This volume would not be of interest for most computing professionals
because the only closely related topic are analog computational aids. It
would however be of note for a general educated audience with an
interest in history of science, mathematics, physics, engineering, astronomy,
medicine and classical civilizations.

Four works read in tandem with Russo¹s would be instructive: The
Mathematics of Plato's Academy, by David H. Fowler (Oxford, 1999), and
The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics, by Reviel Netz
(Cambridge, 1999), Otto Neugebauer, Exact Sciences in Antiquity, and Sir Thomas
Heath, A History of Greek Mathematics. In addition, these four works are often on
sounder ground than Russo¹s volume.

Review: Dis/integrating animals, Warkentin

Date: Mon 26-06-2006 11:14 AM

Computing Reviews:

"Dis/integrating animals: ethical dimensions of the genetic engineering of animals for human consumption" Warkentin T. AI & Society 20(1): 82-102, 2005

IT professionals should be reflecting on this piece to answer questions of identity. What we are as humans is more typically posed to technologists by thinkers such as George Dyson who argues that machines, specifically computers, will evolve beyond humans. On the other hand, Warkentin provocatively claims that we become less human by genetically altering animal bodies.

The question is: are we becoming something beyond human because of our machines or is genetic engineering robbing us of our humanity?

Warkentin ranges over feminism, biology, and philosophy to lament that genetic technologies engineer impure food and ending the suffering of animals through genetic modification diminishes both animals and humans.

Warkentin reveals a secular sensibility for long-standing religious issues of identity, purification, and suffering.

Religions generally maintain that food or anything that enters the body may pollute. Indeed, contamination by polluted food is a pervasive danger, typically involving intricate avoidance principles which Orthodox Judaism, particularly kosher rules, artfully articulates.

In the classic work Purity and Danger (1966) Mary Douglas focuses on pollution with a cogent analysis of food taboos. Religions outline an agenda for congregants to follow maintaining their sense of identity.

Warkentin maintains that human identity is diminished or defiled by eating genetically engineered food, what Douglas introduces as “dirt.”

But that ingesting a given food which has a spiritually polluting quality independent of our post-modern cultural context does not seem to be based on an objective fact. Warkentin ultimately does not demonstrate how genetically modified food pollutes us.

No response from democracynow.org

Date:
Tue 11-07-2006 04:16 PM

I object to McCarthyism

I happened to view your broadcasting today (democracynow.org) for the first time and I am
writing to express how appalled I am by your abysmal ethics. The anchor,
Ms. Goodman, sequed into a story with the line, "we go now from a story
of an American soldier raping and murdering Iraqi civilians to a story
of a soldier who went AWOL." I am horrified that a broadcaster would try
and convict an individual on live television a la' McCarthy. Correct me
if I'm wrong but does not this individual, as reprehensible as many
people would find him if he is in fact quilty, have the right to due
process and a jury of his peers to convict him? This has not happened.
Perhaps it will, perhaps it will not but this person has the right in a
democracy to his day in court and you have no right to convict anyone on
television. Ms. Goodman had the perfect opportunity to instruct the
Iraqi journalist--employed by the L.A. Times--in the rules of evidence
and how democracy works but she squandered the moment and uncritically
accepted the hearsay evidence presented by the journalist. I object to
McCarthyism and the fraud that is entitled "Democracy Now." Indeed,
democracy works and your broadcasting should attempt to live out the
ideals, ethics, and the objective journalist responsibility that it
entails.
Regards,
G. Mick Smith, PhD

Review: A Companion to Nietzsche, ed. Keith Ansell Pearson

The following review appeared in the July 2006 issue of CHOICE.

A Companion to Nietzsche, ed. by Keith Ansell Pearson. Blackwell
Publishing, 2006. 600p bibl index (Blackwell companions to philosophy,
33) ISBN 1405116226, $149.95

This worthwhile collection portrays many of the most preeminent
Nietzschean scholars in Europe and the US. The volume adds to an
excellent series in philosophy by Blackwell. It offers a moving array
of Nietzsche scholars who represent a plethora of approaches. Following
the two practical introductions to Nietzsche's life, philosophy, and
style, the varied essays address the most familiar Nietzschean themes,
as well as important but more neglected ones such as Nietzsche's notion
of science. The major sections include "Art, Nature, and
Individuation," "Nietzsche's Philosophy of the Future," "Philosophy of
Mind," "Philosophy and Genealogy," "Ethics," "Politics," "Aesthetics,"
and "Evolution and Life." Moreover, contributors offer innovative
treatments of Nietzsche's core and enigmatic ideas such as eternal
recurrence, the will to power, and the "overhuman." Interestingly woven
together are Nietzsche's published and unpublished Nachlass. Among the
contributors are a stimulating selection of scholars and new writers on
Nietzschean themes. They include Jill Marsden, Babette E. Babich,
Volker Gerhardt, Kathleen Marie Higgins, Laurence Lampert, Richard
Schacht, Andreas Urs Sommer, and Paul van Tongeren. Summing Up:
Recommended. Graduate students and above.

Review: Evolutionary Scheduling

"Evolutionary Scheduling: A Review," Hart, E., Ross P., Corne D. Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines 6(2): 191-220.

Date: Wed 13-09-2006 08:33 AM

ComputingReviews.com

Review Number: 54703

Evolutionary Scheduling

“Evolutionary Scheduling: A Review” Hart E., Ross P., Corne D. Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines 6(2): 191-220.

This review article is of substantial value for those who need an update on research material that applies evolutionary computing methods to scheduling problems. The last major survey has not been performed since 1999, when a major statement emerged from the European Network of Excellence on Evolutionary Computing (EVONET). The three co-authors here have done an admirable overview and report on “current trends, achievements, and suggesting the way forward” (191) in this regard. In particular, this article is of wide interest since the ideas can be applied to many common scheduling issues such as job-shop scheduling problems, an area much discussed in academic literature. The authors point out that algorithms today are capable of tackling enormous and difficult real-world problems, a major advance over earlier surveys such as the EVONET report.

Review: Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump

The following review appeared in the July 2007 issue of CHOICE.

CHOICE: 000000561309

Hempel, Sandra. The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera, University of California Press, Berkeley: 2007.

Reviewed: 03/20/2007

In this well-written medical history the author, Sandra Hempel,
fascinatingly portrays the mysterious transmission of cholera in 1831
London. Although written at the level of sound academic standards,
Hempel relates a ripping yarn by demonstrating how the monk-like
physician John Snow alone methodically, but insightfully, investigated
how cholera proliferated through drinking water. Snow disregarded
conventional medical wisdom while scientifically identifying the origin, conveyance, and contagious nature of the cholera pandemic. Still this work is not for the faint of heart. In excruciating detail Hempel recounts how the most vulnerable, in one poor unfortunate case, three-year old William Somerville, underwent an alleged cure that was far more barbaric than the cholera itself which may have cleared up on its own. However, the pandemic necessitated a scientific cure as cholera bafflingly seized millions from the squalor of Soho to the elite confines of the Royal Medical College and the Privy Council. In her masterful hands, Hempel is to be commended for writing an intriguing account of an historic plague, sprinkled with a vibrant cast of actors offering instructive and timely insights for current challenges of infectious diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and cholera.


Hempel, Sandra. The strange case of the Broad Street pump: John Snow
and the mystery of cholera. California, 2007. 321p bibl index afp
ISBN 0520250494, $24.95

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Review: Dickheiser, M. Game Programming Gems 6, Charles River Media, Boston: Massachusetts, 2006.

This is the sixth volume of the popular and practical Game Programming Gems series. The series from the 1st volume has addressed timely issues as they have emerged; currently, teams are growing larger and developers are increasingly specialists. The Gems series addresses this need by providing state-of-art, readily available material for the specialist and handy resources that may be outside your bailiwick. Also timely is that current machines and player expectations are requiring higher-fidelity models and animations, fancier physics and graphics effects, and more intelligent AI. With these rising expectations on the work of programmers and the greater level of sophistication required, these demands entail flexible teams and longer production schedules, especially in light of scripting and data-driven systems (p. 319). Of course, the biggest issue is cost (p. xi). Helpfully, the over 50 articles in the volume address these demands and expectations.

An important fact is the collaborative reach of the game technology experts in that they arise from sundry backgrounds and over twenty countries. The experts are not only gaming experts but some are from outside the industry. Moreover, collaboration is truly global: from every part of the world, encompassing such diverse places as Eastern Europe, Latin America, North America, Singapore, and Japan.

This volume is not recommended for a faint of heart newer game programmer since this does not really function as a primer although it is very readable nonetheless. More likely is that the specialist will pick and choose their topics of interest and the dedicated programmer will learn a great deal of interest by reading more thoroughly. The series is aptly named Gems and there are nuggets galore.

A pragmatic way to find the needed gems is to peruse the seven parts for something of interest: Section 1 General Programming; Section 2 Mathematics and Physics; Section 3 Artificial Intelligence; Section 4 Scripting and Data-Driven Systems; Section 5 Graphics; Section 6 Audio; and Section 7 Network and Multiplayer. Most programmers would benefit by finding their particular areas of interest and then look for handy tools in other sections.

General Programming is not for the novice, as the name may imply but rather involves multiprocessor techniques, unit testing, and security fingerprinting. Mathematics and Physics is a constant and involves all things FPU, CPU, and GPU. Artificial Intelligence is always popular, and in this volume demonstrates current work in cognitive science and machine intelligence, with a strong representation from academia. AI techniques shown here can be applied in “other systems in the engine” (p. xvii). The inaugural appearance of Scripting and Data-Driven Systems is a worthwhile addition to the Gems series. The most popular and emerging languages (with the main core C++: Python, Lua, GameMonkey, and AngelScript) provide a starting point for your engine with a flexible backbone. Graphics combines old and new technologies with numerous sharp techniques. Audio includes insightful ideas for advanced uses of the audio system. Finally, Network and Multiplayer is another emerging area as global players, Massively Multiplayer Online Prototype (MMOP), plug in to play. As the gaming content has increased so too has the multiplicity of players and now, across networks.

The Editor notes that gaming is not just for game developers anymore. Game-based Learning, Edutainment, commercial and military training simulations, academics, and other "serious games" have all made their mark (p. xv). The upshot of this new found attention is that the "noobs" (p. xvi, a slang insult for newbies) are starting to feed back their input into gaming. At this point, the implications of this feed back is not at all clear but what is obvious is that gaming will be transforming into new and potentially very excitingly complex areas.

The focus in this volume accounts for gaming complexity focusing as it does on providing cutting-edge development that is of interest to those outside the gaming industry. Another sign of gaming maturity is the rise of growth and complexity issues related to the size and intricacy of games. The section on Scripting and Data-Driven Systems, along with Network and Multiplayer, converge in the two emerging areas of interest to those outside gaming. Some of the most exciting topics are these two, especially when converged. A related area of convergence is how AI is of interest to those inside gaming and outside it as well. If well coded, AI can provide the behavior of characters that are seemingly more intelligent, more human-like, hence yielding a more involving game.

This volume, although replete with complex topics, is readable, current, and just about the best in its field. The enclosed CD has source code illustrating points in the articles. The Index is really handy as well, including as it does information on all six volumes in the series. The illustrations are well done and add desirable visual examples.

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Reading since summer 2006 (some of the classics are re-reads): including magazine subscriptions

  • Abbot, Edwin A., Flatland;
  • Accelerate: Technology Driving Business Performance;
  • ACM Queue: Architecting Tomorrow's Computing;
  • Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome;
  • Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations;
  • Ali, Tariq, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads, and Modernity;
  • Allawi, Ali A., The Crisis of Islamic Civilization;
  • Alperovitz, Gar, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb;
  • American School & University: Shaping Facilities & Business Decisions;
  • Angelich, Jane, What's a Mother (in-Law) to Do?: 5 Essential Steps to Building a Loving Relationship with Your Son's New Wife;
  • Arad, Yitzchak, In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany;
  • Aristotle, Athenian Constitution. Eudemian Ethics. Virtues and Vices. (Loeb Classical Library No. 285);
  • Aristotle, Metaphysics: Books X-XIV, Oeconomica, Magna Moralia (The Loeb classical library);
  • Armstrong, Karen, A History of God;
  • Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236);
  • Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy);
  • Auletta, Ken, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It;
  • Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice;
  • Bacevich, Andrew, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism;
  • Baker, James A. III, and Lee H. Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach;
  • Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy;
  • Barnett, Thomas P.M., Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating;
  • Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century;
  • Barron, Robert, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith;
  • Baseline: Where Leadership Meets Technology;
  • Baur, Michael, Bauer, Stephen, eds., The Beatles and Philosophy;
  • Beard, Charles Austin, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Sony Reader);
  • Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America;
  • Bergen, Peter, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader;
  • Berman, Paul, Terror and Liberalism;
  • Berman, Paul, The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press;
  • Better Software: The Print Companion to StickyMinds.com;
  • Bleyer, Kevin, Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America;
  • Boardman, Griffin, and Murray, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Roman World;
  • Bracken, Paul, The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics;
  • Bradley, James, with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers;
  • Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre;
  • Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights;
  • Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 10 1974-1984: The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
  • Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 8 The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
  • Brown, Nathan J., When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics;
  • Bryce, Robert, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence";
  • Bush, George W., Decision Points;
  • Bzdek, Vincent, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled;
  • Cahill, Thomas, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter;
  • Campus Facility Maintenance: Promoting a Healthy & Productive Learning Environment;
  • Campus Technology: Empowering the World of Higher Education;
  • Certification: Tools and Techniques for the IT Professional;
  • Channel Advisor: Business Insights for Solution Providers;
  • Chariton, Callirhoe (Loeb Classical Library);
  • Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Productivity;
  • Christ, Karl, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization;
  • Cicero, De Senectute;
  • Cicero, The Republic, The Laws;
  • Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 1 (Loeb Classical Library);
  • Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 2 (Loeb Classical Library);
  • CIO Decisions: Aligning I.T. and Business in the MidMarket Enterprise;
  • CIO Insight: Best Practices for IT Business Leaders;
  • CIO: Business Technology Leadership;
  • Clay, Lucius Du Bignon, Decision in Germany;
  • Cohen, William S., Dragon Fire;
  • Colacello, Bob, Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House, 1911 to 1980;
  • Coll, Steve, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century;
  • Collins, Francis S., The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ;
  • Colorni, Angelo, Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat;
  • Compliance & Technology;
  • Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management;
  • Connolly, Peter & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome;
  • Conti, Greg, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?;
  • Converge: Strategy and Leadership for Technology in Education;
  • Cowan, Ross, Roman Legionary 58 BC - AD 69;
  • Cowell, F. R., Life in Ancient Rome;
  • Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own;
  • Cross, Robin, General Editor, The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare from Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts;
  • CSO: The Resource for Security Executives:
  • Cummins, Joseph, History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World;
  • D'Amato, Raffaele, Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500;
  • Dallek, Robert, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963;
  • Daly, Dennis, Sophocles' Ajax;
  • Dando-Collins, Stephen, Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome;
  • Darwish, Nonie, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror;
  • Davis Hanson, Victor, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene;
  • de Blij, Harm, Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America, Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism;
  • Defense Systems: Information Technology and Net-Centric Warfare;
  • Defense Systems: Strategic Intelligence for Info Centric Operations;
  • Defense Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Military and Aerospace;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Consciousness Explained;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Darwin's Dangerous Idea;
  • Devries, Kelly, et. al., Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC - AD 451 : From Kadesh to Catalaunian Field;
  • Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations;
  • Digital Communities: Building Twenty-First Century Communities;
  • Doctorow, E.L., Homer & Langley;
  • Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational;
  • Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The House of the Dead (Google Books, Sony e-Reader);
  • Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Idiot;
  • Douglass, Elisha P., Rebels and Democrats: The Struggle for Equal Political Rights and Majority Role During the American Revolution;
  • Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear;
  • Dr. Dobb's Journal: The World of Software Development;
  • Drug Discovery News: Discovery/Development/Diagnostics/Delivery;
  • DT: Defense Technology International;
  • Dunbar, Richard, Alcatraz;
  • Education Channel Partner: News, Trends, and Analysis for K-20 Sales Professionals;
  • Edwards, Aton, Preparedness Now!;
  • EGM: Electronic Gaming Monthly, the No. 1 Videogame Magazine;
  • Ehrman, Bart D., Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scriptures and the Faiths We Never Knew;
  • Ehrman, Bart D., Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why;
  • Electronic Engineering Times: The Industry Newsweekly for the Creators of Technology;
  • Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson;
  • Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency: George Washington;
  • Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
  • Emerson, Steven, American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us;
  • Erlewine, Robert, Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion);
  • ESD: Embedded Systems Design;
  • Everitt, Anthony, Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor;
  • Everitt, Anthony, Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician;
  • eWeek: The Enterprise Newsweekly;
  • Federal Computer Week: Powering the Business of Government;
  • Ferguson, Niall, Civilization: The West and the Rest;
  • Ferguson, Niall, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power;
  • Ferguson, Niall, The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000;
  • Ferguson, Niall, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Decline of the West;
  • Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity (Sony eReader);
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117;
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Punic Wars 264-146 BC;
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army: the Civil Wars 88-31 BC;
  • Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire;
  • Fisk, Robert, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East;
  • Forstchen, William R., One Second After;
  • Fox, Robin Lane, The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian;
  • Frazer, James George, The Golden Bough (Volume 3): A Study in Magic and Religion (Sony eReader);
  • Freeh, Louis J., My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
  • Freeman, Charles, The Greek Achievement: The Foundations of the Western World;
  • Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Further Updated and Expanded/Release 3.0;
  • Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization;
  • Frontinus: Stratagems. Aqueducts of Rome. (Loeb Classical Library No. 174);
  • Fuller Focus: Fuller Theological Seminary;
  • Fuller, Graham E., A World Without Islam;
  • Gaubatz, P. David and Paul Sperry, Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America;
  • Ghattas, Kim, The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power;
  • Gibson, William, Neuromancer;
  • Gilmour, Michael J., Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music;
  • Global Services: Strategies for Sourcing People, Processes, and Technologies;
  • Glucklich, Ariel, Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers-Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also It's Most Dangerous;
  • Goldberg, Jonah, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning;
  • Goldin, Shmuel, Unlocking the Torah Text Vayikra (Leviticus);
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus;
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian, How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower;
  • Goodman, Lenn E., Creation and Evolution;
  • Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln;
  • Gopp, Amy, et.al., Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?);
  • Gordon, Michael R., and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq;
  • Government Health IT: The Magazine of Public/private Health Care Convergence;
  • Government Technology's Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
  • Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age;
  • Grant , Michael, The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161 - 337;
  • Grant, Michael, The Classical Greeks;
  • Grumberg, Orna, and Helmut Veith, 25 Years of Model Checking: History, Achievements, Perspectives;
  • Halberstam, David, War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals;
  • Hammer, Reuven, Entering Torah Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Between War and Peace: Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security (Encounter Broadsides);
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, The End of Sparta: A Novel;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Wars of the Ancient Greeks;
  • Harnack, Adolf Von, History of Dogma, Volume 3 (Sony Reader);
  • Harris, Alex, Reputation At Risk: Reputation Report;
  • Harris, Sam, Letter to a Christian Nation;
  • Harris, Sam, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason;
  • Hayek, F. A., The Road to Serfdom;
  • Heilbroner, Robert L., and Lester Thurow, Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going;
  • Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of The Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera;
  • Hinnells, John R., A Handbook of Ancient Religions;
  • Hitchens, Christopher, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything;
  • Hogg, Ian V., The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare;
  • Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
  • Humphrey, Caroline & Vitebsky, Piers, Sacred Architecture;
  • Huntington, Samuel P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
  • Info World: Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security;
  • Information Week: Business Innovation Powered by Technology:
  • Infostor: The Leading Source for Enterprise Storage Professionals;
  • Infrastructure Insite: Bringing IT Together;
  • Insurance Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
  • Integrated Solutions: For Enterprise Content Management;
  • Intel Premier IT: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
  • Irwin, Robert, Dangerous Knowledge: Orientalism and Its Discontents;
  • Jeffrey, Grant R., The Global-Warming Deception: How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom;
  • Jewkes, Yvonne, and Majid Yar, Handbook of Internet Crime;
  • Johnson, Chalmers, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire;
  • Journal, The: Transforming Education Through Technology;
  • Judd, Denis, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947;
  • Kagan, Donald, The Peloponnesian War;
  • Kansas, Dave, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time--and How to Survive It;
  • Karsh, Efraim, Islamic Imperialism: A History;
  • Kasser, Rodolphe, The Gospel of Judas;
  • Katz, Solomon, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe: (The Development of Western Civilization);
  • Keegan, John, Intelligence in War: The Value--and Limitations--of What the Military Can Learn About the Enemy;
  • Kenis, Leo, et. al., The Transformation of the Christian Churches in Western Europe 1945-2000 (Kadoc Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 6);
  • Kepel, Gilles, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam;
  • Kiplinger's: Personal Finance;
  • Klein, Naomi, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism;
  • KM World: Content, Document, and Knowledge Management;
  • Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon: A Novel;
  • Kostova, Elizabeth, The Historian;
  • Kuttner, Robert, The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity;
  • Lake, Kirsopp, The Text of the New Testament, Sony Reader;
  • Laur, Timothy M., Encyclopedia of Modern US Military Weapons ;
  • Leffler, Melvyn P., and Jeffrey W. Legro, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine;
  • Lendon, J. E., Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity;
  • Lenin, V. I., Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism;
  • Lennon, John J., There is Absolutely No Reason to Pay Too Much for College!;
  • Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror;
  • Lewis, Bernard, What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East;
  • Lifton, Robert J., Greg Mitchell, Hiroshima in America;
  • Limberis, Vasiliki M., Architects of Piety: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Cult of the Martyrs;
  • Lipsett, B. Diane, Desiring Conversion: Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth;
  • Livingston, Jessica, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days;
  • Livy, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation (Penguin Classics);
  • Louis J., Freeh, My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
  • Mackay, Christopher S., Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History;
  • Majno, Guido, The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World;
  • Marcus, Greil,Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes;
  • Marshall-Cornwall, James, Napoleon as Military Commander;
  • Maughm, W. Somerset, Of Human Bondage;
  • McCluskey, Neal P., Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education;
  • McCullough, David, 1776;
  • McCullough, David, John Adams;
  • McCullough, David, Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt;
  • McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius: A Life;
  • McManus, John, Deadly Brotherhood, The: The American Combat Soldier in World War II ;
  • McMaster, H. R., Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam;
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 1: Origins and Destinies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 2: Persons and Groups (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 3: Religions and Controversies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • Meacham, Jon, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House;
  • Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy;
  • Meier, Christian, Caesar: A Biography;
  • Menzies, Gaven, 1421: The Year China Discovered America;
  • Metaxas, Eric, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy;
  • Michael, Katina and M.G. Michael, Innovative Automatic Identification and Location-Based Services: From Barcodes to Chip Implants;
  • Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology;
  • Military & Aerospace Electronics: The Magazine of Transformation in Electronic and Optical Technology;
  • Millard, Candice, Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt;
  • Mommsen, Theodor, The History of the Roman Republic, Sony Reader;
  • Muller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop: Volume III: Essays On Language And Literature;
  • Murray, Janet, H., Hamlet On the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace;
  • Murray, Williamson, War in the Air 1914-45;
  • Müller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop;
  • Nader, Ralph, Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender;
  • Nagl, John A., Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam;
  • Napoleoni, Loretta, Terrorism and the Economy: How the War on Terror is Bankrupting the World;
  • Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science;
  • Negus, Christopher, Fedora 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
  • Network Computing: For IT by IT:
  • Network World: The Leader in Network Knowledge;
  • Network-centric Security: Where Physical Security & IT Worlds Converge;
  • Newman, Paul B., Travel and Trade in the Middle Ages;
  • Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence;
  • Nixon, Ed, The Nixons: A Family Portrait;
  • O'Brien, Johnny, Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel;
  • O'Donnell, James J., Augustine: A New Biography;
  • OH & S: Occupational Health & Safety
  • Okakura, Kakuzo, The Book of Tea;
  • Optimize: Business Strategy & Execution for CIOs;
  • Ostler, Nicholas, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin;
  • Parry, Jay A., The Real George Washington (American Classic Series);
  • Paton, W.R., The Greek Anthology, Volume V, Loeb Classical Library, No. 86;
  • Pausanius, Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece;
  • Perrett, Bryan, Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare;
  • Perrottet, Tony, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Olympic Games;
  • Peters, Ralph, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy;
  • Phillips, Kevin, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush;
  • Pick, Bernhard; Paralipomena; Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ (Sony Reader);
  • Pimlott, John, The Elite: The Special Forces of the World Volume 1;
  • Pitre, Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper;
  • Plutarch's Lives, X: Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus (Loeb Classical Library®);
  • Podhoretz, Norman, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism;
  • Posner, Gerald, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK;
  • Potter, Wendell, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans;
  • Pouesi, Daniel, Akua;
  • Premier IT Magazine: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
  • Price, Monroe E. & Daniel Dayan, eds., Owning the Olympics: Narratives of the New China;
  • Profit: The Executive's Guide to Oracle Applications;
  • Public CIO: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector;
  • Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community;
  • Quintus of Smyrna, The Fall of Troy;
  • Rawles, James Wesley, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse;
  • Red Herring: The Business of Technology;
  • Redmond Channel Partner: Driving Success in the Microsoft Partner Community;
  • Redmond Magazine: The Independent Voice of the Microsoft IT Community;
  • Renan, Ernest, The life of Jesus (Sony eReader);
  • Richler, Mordecai (editor), Writers on World War II: An Anthology;
  • Roberts, Ian, The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness in an Overheating World;
  • Rocca, Samuel, The Army of Herod the Great;
  • Rodgers, Nigel, A Military History of Ancient Greece: An Authoritative Account of the Politics, Armies and Wars During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, shown in over 200 color photographs, diagrams, maps and plans;
  • Rodoreda, Merce, Death in Spring: A Novel;
  • Romerstein, Herbert and Breindel, Eric,The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
  • Ross, Dennis, Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World;
  • Roth, Jonathan P., Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization);
  • SC Magazine: For IT Security Professionals;
  • Scahill, Jeremy, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated];
  • Schama, Simon, A History of Britain, At the Edge of the World 3500 B.C. - 1603 A.D.;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War On Terror;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Osama Bin Laden;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America;
  • Scholastic Instructor
  • Scholastic Parent & Child: The Joy of Family Living and Learning;
  • Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World As Will And Idea (Sony eReader);
  • Schug-Wille, Art of the Byzantine World;
  • Schulze, Hagen, Germany: A New History;
  • Schweizer, Peter, Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy---and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them;
  • Scott, Sir Walter, Ivanhoe;
  • Seagren, Eric, Secure Your Network for Free: Using Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, Nessus, and MRTG;
  • Security Technology & Design: The Security Executive's Resource for Systems Integration and Convergence;
  • Seibel, Peter, Coders at Work;
  • Sekunda N., & S. Northwood, Early Roman Armies;
  • Seneca: Naturales Quaestiones, Books II (Loeb Classical Library No. 450);
  • Sewall, Sarah, The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual;
  • Sheppard, Ruth, Alexander the Great at War: His Army - His Battles - His Enemies;
  • Shinder, Jason, ed., The Poem That Changed America: "Howl" Fifty Years Later;
  • Sidebottom, Harry, Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction;
  • Sides, Hampton, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West;
  • Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan;
  • Sinchak, Steve, Hacking Windows Vista;
  • Smith, RJ, The One: The Life and Music of James Brown;
  • Software Development Times: The Industry Newspaper for Software Development Managers;
  • Software Test Performance;
  • Solomon, Norman, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death;
  • Song, Lolan, Innovation Together: Microsoft Research Asia Academic Research Collaboration;
  • Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, tr. Robert Fagles;
  • Sound & Vision: The Consumer Electronics Authority;
  • Southern, Pat, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History;
  • Sri, Edward, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy;
  • Sri, Edward, Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility;
  • Stair, John Bettridge, Old Samoa; Or, Flotsam and Jetsam From the Pacific Ocean;
  • Starr, Chester G., The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study in Survival;
  • Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture;
  • Stauffer, John, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln;
  • Steyn, Mark, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika;
  • Strategy + Business;
  • Streete, Gail, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity;
  • Sullivan, James, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America;
  • Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (1) 100 BC-AD 200;
  • Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (2) AD 200-400;
  • Suskind, Ron, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11:
  • Swanston, Malcolm, Mapping History Battles and Campaigns;
  • Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
  • Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
  • Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels;
  • Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution;
  • Talley, Colin L., A History of Multiple Sclerosis;
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