The reader will find here papers on human-robot interaction as well as human safety algorithms; haptic interfaces; innovative instruments and algorithms for the sensing of motion and the identification of brain neoplasms; even a paper on a saxophone-playing robot.

Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis aims to provide a decisive push to the further development and application of innovative and specific comparative methods for the improvement of policy analysis. To take on this challenge, this volume brings together methodologists and specialists from a broad range of social scientific disciplines and policy fields.The work further develops methods for systematic comparative cases analysis in a small-N research design, with a key emphasis laid on policy-oriented applications. Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis is clearly both a social scientific and policy-driven endeavor; on the one hand, the book engages in an effort to further improve social scientific methods, but on the other hand this effort also intends to provide useful, applied tools for policy analysts and the 'policy community' alike. Though quite a variety of methods and techniques are touched upon in this volume, its focus is mainly laid on two recently developed research methods/techniques which enable researchers to systematically compare a limited number of cases; Qualitative Comparative Analysis(QCA) and Fuzzy-Sets (FS).

This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Simulation and Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, held in Paris and Clos Lucé, France, in August 2010.The articles cover all main areas in animat research, including perception and motor control, action selection, motivation and emotion, internal models and representation, collective behavior, language evolution, evolution and learning. The authors focus on well-defined models, computer simulations or robotic models, that help to characterize and compare various organizational principles, architectures, and adaptation processes capable of inducing adaptive behavior in real animals or synthetic agents, the animats.

'In this book, Benoãit Dubreuil explores the creation and destruction of hierarchies in human evolution. Combining the methods of archeology, anthropology, cognitive neuroscience, and primatology, he offers a natural history of hierarchies from the point of view of both cultural and biological evolution. This volume explains why dominance hierarchies typical of primate societies disappeared in the human lineage and why the emergence of large-scale societies during the Neolithic implied increased social differentiation, the creation of status hierarchies, and, eventually, political centralization'--Provided by publisher.

The physical and conceptual landscape of British Columbia has changed dramatically over the past two centuries and artists have been at the forefront documenting, commenting on and interpreting subtle and dramatic changes to its social and material landscapes. This profusely illustrated publication focuses on works created by artists between 1858 and 1950 and chronicles the views and experiences of some of the country's most accomplished artists.Through their sketches, drawings, watercolours and prints, a sense of the region with its urban and rural constituencies emerges and speaks to the uniqueness and sense of place that has since become known as British Columbia. Artists featured include Jack Shadbolt, Emily Carr, Jock Macdonald, A.Y. Jackson, B.C. Binning, Lawren Harris, Maxwell Bates, Toni Onley, Ann Kipling, Laurence Paul Yuxweluptun and Roy Arden.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?

There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?

You is the riveting story of fifteen-year-old Kyle and the small choices he does and doesn't make that lead to his own destruction.

In his stunning young-adult debut, Charles Benoit mixes riveting tension with an insightful?and unsettling?portrait of an ordinary teen in a tale that is taut, powerful, and shattering.

Advance praise for You:

'You is authentic, ambitious, and gripping. A serious book that reads like a suspense novel, the story it tells?of the ways in which we become imprisoned by our own choices, big and small?is both frightening and frighteningly real.'

?Lauren Oliver, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall

'Charles Benoit has written a shattering, gut-wrenching novel that puts You right in the center of the story. Pick it up and you won't put it down!'

?Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Gone

'I sat down to start this book?and didn't get up until I'd finished it, a riveting three hours later. You is pitch-perfect: funny, real, touching, brimming with tension and foreboding?and still surprising right up to the last page. one of the best ya novels I've read in years.'

?Patricia McCormick, National Book Award finalist, author of Sold and Purple Heart

'A sandstorm of a novel, as harshly real as hell or high school. I loved it.'

?Robert Lipsyte, Margaret A. Edwards Award?winning author of The Contender and Center Field

'Wanna know who the real bad guys in your school are? Read You. This book will keep you reading, and then it will start you thinking. And talking. You is good stuff.'

?Chris Crutcher, Margaret A. Edwards Award?winning author of Deadline

Biographer and historian Lemay presents this first full biography on Erich Von Manstein, one of the most successful commanders of the German army during World War II. Manstein was responsible for the German invasion of France and many other German victories during this period. Although Manstein is considered one of the greatest military commanders of the 20th century, very little information on the man has been published. This work was translated from the original French by Pierce Heyward. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

The grand duchy of Luxembourg is a showcase example for the constructed nature of national identities. This book explores this construction process from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century, focusing on representations of the past, space and language.

Gesù ha insegnato ai discepoli a rivolgersi a Dio come al Padre, e la Chiesa a sua volta ci ha trasmesso il Padre Nostro, preghiera che ci fa entrare nella preghiera stessa di Gesù. In essa è raccolta tutta la ricchezza liturgica della chiesa, l'intero suo patrimonio ascetico e spirituale, segno del nostro incontro con Cristo e della nostra vita in lui. Olivier Clément, teologo ortodosso, e Benoît Standaert, monaco benedettino, entrambi famosi per i loro lavori esegetici e spirituali, ma soprattutto due uomini di preghiera, animati dal medesimo Spirito: sono loro a introdurci a una lettura orante del Padre Nostro, attraverso due itinerari avvincenti per la loro forza interiore e per l'apertura del cuore che producono. Il Padre Nostro cessa di essere una semplice formula di preghiera e diventa il gemito dello Spirito in noi, la chiave di lettura dell'intera vicenda umana alla luce della volontà di Dio.

AMERICA ANONYMOUS is the unforgettable story of eight men and women struggling with addictions. For nearly three years acclaimed journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis immersed himself in their lives as they battled drug and alcohol abuse, overeating, and compulsive gambling and sexuality. Alternating with their stories is Denizet-Lewis's candid account of his own recovery from sexual addiction and his compelling examination of our culture of addiction, where we obsessively search for new and innovative ways to escape the reality of the present moment and make ourselves “feel better.”Addiction is arguably this country's biggest public-health crisis, triggering and exacerbating many of our most pressing social problems, from crime to child abuse and neglect. But while cancer and AIDS survivors have taken to the streets and to the halls of Congress demanding to be heard, millions of addicts talk only to one another in the confines of anonymous Twelve Step meetings. Through the riveting stories in this book, Denizet-Lewis shines a spotlight on addiction and breaks through the shame and denial that still shape our understanding of it—and hamper our ability to treat it.As these eight addicts stumble, fall, and try again to make a different and better life, Denizet-Lewis records their struggles, and his own, with honesty and empathy.

Tutti noi abbiamo avuto modo di osservare che numerosi problemi si ripetono di generazione in generazione in seno alla stessa famiglia, un po' come un tamponamento a catena. Le ripetizioni possono riguardare difficoltà a conseguire il successo economico, dipendenze di Qualunque tipo, malattie psicosomatiche, fino a casi estremi quali incesto, crimini o incidenti, come se ogni famiglia fosse 'geneticamente' alle prese con determinati problemi ricorrenti. La psicogenealogia è una disciplina che studia il mondo dei nostri antenati. Attraverso l'analisi dell'albero genealogico, Questo nuovo approccio terapeutico offre una miglior comprensione della famiglia, delle sue opportunità e del suo impatto sull'esistenza, permettendo in particolar modo di porre fine alle ripetizioni familiari negative e superare gli ostacoli che impediscono di essere pienamente se stessi. Joe-Ann Benoit vi farà vedere la vostra famiglia come non l'avevate mai vista prima!

A partire dalle vacanze estive degli anni '70, Benoit Duteurtre ci racconta, estate dopo estate, nello stesso luogo di villeggiatura, la continua trasformazione di una borghesia in bilico tra smania di libertà e ossessione di attenersi alle regole, in un affresco sociale sottilmente agrodolce.

Constat Abeels censisce con pazienza le pietre che misteriosamente si materializzano nelle varie stanze del suo appartamento. In un immobile vicino, una casalinga si accorge, allo stesso modo, che della sabbia si accumula con regolarità nel suo appartamento, mentre un po' più lontano il proprietario ed il cuoco della celebre brasserie Maurice scoprono che perdono peso senza tuttavia dimagrire. E questi strani fenomeni si accentuano con il passare del tempo. Per indagare su questi viene chiamata Mary Von Rathen, conosciuta un tempo come 'la bambina inclinata'.

There is now widespread agreement that innovation holds the key to future economic and social prosperity in developed countries. Experts studying contemporary capitalism also agree that the battle against unemployment and relocations can only be won through innovation. But what kind of innovation is required and what is the best way to manage, steer and organize it? Grounded on experiences of innovative firms and based on the most recent design theories, this book argues that, instead of relying on traditional R&D and project management techniques, the strategic management of innovation must be based on innovative design activities. It analyses and explains new management principles and techniques that deal with these activities, including innovation fields, lineages, C-K (Concept-Knowledge) diagrams and design spaces. The book is ideal for advanced courses in innovation management in industrial design schools, business schools and engineering schools, as well as managers looking to improve their practice.

È il 1155 quando Federico I Hohenstaufen, detto il Barbarossa, incontra a San Quirico gli inviati di Papa Adriano IV. L'uomo più potente del tempo vuole il lasciapassare da Roma per l'incoronazione a sovrano del Sacro Romano Impero. Per ottenerlo il Barbarossa consegna nelle mani dei Cardinali l'eretico Arnaldo da Brescia. Per ricordare lo storico incontro, dal 1962 San Quirico d'Orcia celebra la Festa del Barbarossa. Nata dall'intuizione di un uomo di cultura come il professor Orfeo Sorbellini, in mezzo secolo ha coinvolto generazioni di uomini e donne che alla metà di giugno si sfidano in gare di archi e bandiere, divisi nei quattro quartieri di Borgo, Canneti, Castello e Prato. Ma la Festa è molto di più. È la sintesi di una comunità che vuole raccontare la propria diversità e l'orgoglio delle proprie radici per affrontare meglio il futuro. Questo volume, il primo interamente dedicato alla manifestazione, racconta le 50 edizioni ininterrotte con resoconti puntuali e tante immagini, le cronache ed i protagonisti ma anche i luoghi, la cucina ed il divertente glossario barbarossiano che si è andato formando negli anni.

Sacerdote e mistico della materia nasce a Sarcenat nel 1881. Laureatosi in scienze naturali, Compie diversi viaggi in Cina, India Giava. Alle sue intuizioni si deve il ritrovamento di 'Lucy'.

Il ritrovamento dell'epistolario del cardinale Giovanni Francesco Gambara ha consentito di delineare il clima politico e religioso che indirizza il prelato a realizzare la villa di Bagnaia, vero e proprio manifesto della Chiesa sorta dal Concilio di Trento e del percorso di salvazione di ogni buon cattolico. Parente dei cardinali Carlo Borromeo ed Alessandro Farnese, Gambara propone ai due personaggi un modello diverso di giardino storico, ripreso e sviluppato nel Seicento con diversi orientamenti dal cardinale Alessandro Peretti Montalto, di cui sono riportati per la prima volta in modo completo i conti relativi al completamento della villa.

Palestinian Civil Society examines the development of civil society in the Arab Middle East and the impact of western donors, with particular reference to the Palestinian case. Looking at the evolution of Palestinian civil society organizations from sociological, historical, legal, and institutional perspectives, the book sheds light on the involvement of donors in Palestine, and the effect that aid has had on Palestinian civil society at a social, political and ideological level.

Drawing on Arabic texts, political theory and a detailed survey of donors and local organizations, this book challenges culturalist views that there cannot be a ‘vibrant civil society’ in the Arab world and examines the issues of depoliticization of civil society, the rise of the Islamist sector, and the gradual defeat of the left in the Occupied Territories. The author looks at how the interaction between donors and NGOs is not only centred on a western model of civil society, but also evolves around institutional mechanisms and disciplinary discourses, affecting the ability of local NGOs to adapt to the institutional requirements set by international donors.

Accessible to non-specialists, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, Middle Eastern studies and development studies.

Clint Eastwood (USA, 1930) è un veterano fra i grandi registi contemporanei americani, la cui ascesa nel firmamento del cinema ha seguito un percorso davvero inusuale. Negli anni '60 Eastwood diventa l'icona del western all'italiana di Sergio Leone per poi incarnare, tornato a Hollywood, il brutale e controverso ispettore Harry Callaghan. A partire dagli anni '70, Clint Eastwood approda alla regia e, nello stile dei grandi maestri del passato, realizza capolavori di generi diversi, dal western {Gli spietati, 1992) al film noir {Mystic River, 2003), dall'epica bellica {Lettere da Iwo Jima, 2006) al tributo a un musicista (Bird, 1988), dal melodramma (I ponti di Madison County, 1995) all'affresco sportivo (Million Dollar Baby, 2004). Il suo film più recente, Invictus (2009), dedicato al Sudafrica post-apartheid e alla figura storica di Nelson Mandela, affronta ancora una volta l'interrogativo sotteso in tutti i suoi film: può un essere umano sconfiggere l'esperienza della violenza e del male?

Il volume, curato da Carla Benocci, prende in esame volta tutto il percorso di progettazione e sviluppo dei due principali insediamenti che hanno dato origine alla villa della famiglia Ludovisi, la villa di Francesco del Nero e la villa Orsini, analizzando le innovazioni introdotte dal cardinale Ludovico Ludovisi nell.unificazione delle preesistenze e nella configurazione di un nuovo insieme, straordinario per contenuti politici, religiosi e culturali. La fama della villa è legata soprattutto alle eccezionali pitture, quali i capolavori di Caravaggio e di Guercino, e dalla collezione di sculture antiche e moderne.

This best-selling introductory sociology reader provides classical, contemporary and cross-cultural readings on each key sociological topic. Seeing Ourselves strives to showcase the different perspectives sociology offers and the complexity of the social world.

 

This reader has 72 readings composed of 26 Classic articles, 26 Contemporary articles, and 20 Cross-cultural articles.