New Releases by Michael Harris

Fukushima Rising: The Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster is the definitive account of the worst nuclear catastrophe of the modern era. From the earthquake that shook the ocean floor to the meltdowns that terrified the world, Michael Harris delivers a gripping, meticulously researched narrative of corporate negligence, government failure, and human courage. Covering the ongoing tritium water releases poisoning the Pacific and the century-long decommissioning ahead, this is an essential reckoning with nuclear power''s true cost.

The internet doesn''t live in the cloud — it runs through glass threads on the ocean floor, through satellites controlled by a single billionaire, through cobalt mines in the Congo and lithium flats in the Atacama. The Shadow Cartographers maps the invisible infrastructure that actually powers the modern world: who owns it, who can shut it off, and why most governments don''t yet understand what they''ve surrendered. A landmark work of geopolitical nonfiction for anyone who wants to see the world as it really is.

The next world war won''t begin with missiles. It will begin when a river runs dry. Hydropolitics and the Race for Desalinization plunges into the hidden power struggle reshaping our planet — where China''s eleven dams are strangling Southeast Asia''s greatest river, where Ethiopia''s megadam has Egypt''s generals reaching for military options, and where the Colorado River no longer reaches the sea. From the shrinking Aral Sea to the aquifers bleeding dry beneath America''s breadbasket, fresh water is becoming the most fought over resource on Earth. But a parallel race is underway. Nations that master desalination technology are quietly achieving water independence — and with it, geopolitical dominance. The question isn''t whether this war is coming, it''s whether we''re paying attention.

Our lives are defined by a story of endless growth and consumption. Now a climate crisis demands that we change. Can we write new stories? In All We Want, award-winning author Michael Harris dismantles our untenable consumer culture and delivers surprising, heartwarming alternatives. Drawing on the wisdom of philosophers, scientists, and artists, Harris uncovers three realms where humans have always found deeper meaning: the worlds of Craft, the Sublime, and Care. Past attempts to blunt our impact on the environment have simply redirected our consumption—we bought fuel-efficient cars and canvas tote bags. We cannot, however, buy our way out of this crisis. We need, instead, compelling new stories about life''s purpose. Part meditation and part manifesto, All We Want is a blazing inquest into the destructive and unfulfilling promise of our consumer society, and a roadmap toward a more humane future.

What makes international joint ventures successful? Among other key success factors such as strategic fit, material and political-relational incentives, and the cultural compatibility of the joint venture partners, the role of one factor in the successful establishment and management of joint ventures is critical: the mutual trust among the managers involved. This book explores how to establish, develop, and continue to nurture mutual trust between the managers of German and Chinese joint ventures. A series of guided interviews conducted by the authors reveals assessments of Chinese and European executives about their mutual trust in the context of the cultural differences between the two countries, the worldviews characterizing China and Germany, and their impact on the behavior of their executives. The authors then use these judgements from the interviews to make recommendations for action to build more successful cooperation in German-Chinese business cooperation in future joint enterprises. Trust in German-Chinese Business Cooperation is essential reading for managers of international companies and students of business management, business psychology and intercultural management.

“Farley and Claire is a love story, a biography, a Tale of Two Farleys, or perhaps three: the public one, the private one, and the secret one.”—Margaret Atwood The tumultuous, enduring love story between iconic writer Farley Mowat and his wife Claire, including excerpts from their passionate letters, published here for the first time. When Farley Mowat met Claire Wheeler in August 1960, the attraction was immediate, and within days they were lovers, despite the fact that Farley was already married. Their affair—partly aided and abetted by publisher Jack McClelland—included an extended correspondence until several years later, when Farley finally obtained a Mexican divorce and the two were married in Texas. They were together until Farley’s death 54 years later. Claire, a brilliant diarist, has given author Michael Harris complete access to her journals and letters, as well as Farley’s letters, and Harris has conducted extensive interviews with her and original research. The result is a literary love story for the ages, complete with photos of the couple who defied conventions of their time to be together. Published in partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

When The Hunger Games series began in 2008, many commentators lumped it in with other young adult genre fiction. But The Hunger Games was always more political. It’s since become the defining story for a generation that’s grown up with economic crisis and never ending war. An uber-rich ruling class gorge themselves in their gleaming high-tech Capitol, while working people are left behind to survive in exploited districts. Revolution is a forgotten hope kept at bay by brutal policing, aching poverty, and rigid class segregation. Suzanne Collins'' dark vision has only become more relevant as The Hunger Games generation are thrown into an arena of increasingly brutal competition from which it seems like there is no escape, amid the climate crisis, global pandemics, rampant inequality, authoritarianism, media misinformation, and violence and cruelty as TV spectacle. It''s no wonder the story continues to resonate. Stay Alive uses the story to shed light on our own age of extreme inequalities and climate collapse, in which elites use state power, compliant media, and violent spectacle to pacify their populations. The elite endgame is leading us towards our own version of Panem, an authoritarian state order we’ll call Capitolism. The world is catching fire. Elites have no intention of burning with us. And yet there is hope, which Michael Harris finds for his readers in revolution and radical solidarity, in the anti-authoritarian, empathetic, cooperative politics of a generation that has no choice but to rebel.

Contains all you need to know to understand statistics in medicine. Medical Statistics Made Easy has been a perennial bestseller since the first edition was published (it is consistently a #1 bestseller in medical statistics/biostatistics on Amazon). It is recommended and required worldwide on a variety of courses and programmes, from undergraduate medicine, through to professional medical qualifications. It is a book of key statistics principles for anyone studying or working in medicine and healthcare who needs a basic overview of the subject. It is ideal for non-statisticians who need to understand how statistics are used and applied in medicine and medical research. Using a consistent format, the authors describe the most common statistical methods in turn and then rate them on how difficult they are to understand and how common they are. The worked examples that demonstrate the statistical method in action include current articles from the medical literature and now feature a wider range of medical journals. This fourth edition continues with the same structure as the previous editions, with new sections on cut-off points and ROC curves, as well as a new chapter on choosing the right statistical test. It also features a completely revised and updated ''Statistics at work'' section.

What does it mean that our most popular modern myth is a radical left story about fighting corporate authoritarianism? From its roots in the 1960s new left, Star Wars still speaks to millions of people today. By design, the saga mirrors our own time and politics. A real empire of corporate domination has arisen within weakened and corrupted republics. Now it threatens our existence on a planetary scale. But the popularity of Star Wars also suggests that if we tell the right stories, we can welcome many more people to the rebellion and the fight for a better world...

Catch-22 with radiation. Area 51 meets Dr. Strangelove. Except it really happened. The Atomic Times is the absolutely insane, incredibly f*cked-up, but true, eyewitness story of what happened in 1956 on a tiny island in the South Pacific when over 1600 young soldiers (including me) were turned into atomic guinea pigs by the US Army. We were sent there to “observe” this nuclear test series, called Operation Redwing. Wearing only T-shirts and shorts and without any other protective gear while Army brass and nuclear scientists wore Hazmat suits, we were exposed to radiation and fallout. Operation Redwing, the biggest and baddest of America''s atmospheric nuclear weapons test series, mixed saber rattling with mad science, while overlooking the cataclysmic human, geopolitical and ecological effects. But mostly, it just messed with guys'' heads. Major Maxwell, who put Safety First, Second and Third. Except when he didn''t. Berko, the wise-cracking Brooklyn Dodgers fan forced to cope with the H-bomb and his mother''s cookies. Tony, who thought military spit and polish plus uncompromising willpower made him an exception. Carl Duncan, who clung to his girlfriend''s photos and a dangerous secret. Major Vanish, who did just that. In THE ATOMIC TIMES, Michael Harris welcomes readers into the U.S. Army''s nuclear family where the F-words were Fallout and Fireball. In a distinctive narrative voice, Harris describes his H-bomb year with unforgettable imagery and insight into the ways isolation and isotopes change men for better—and for worse. A New York Times bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize nominee, THE ATOMIC TIMES was originally published in hardcover by Random House. "A gripping memoir leavened by humor, loyalty and pride of accomplishment. A tribute to the resilience, courage and patriotism of the American soldier." —Henry Kissinger "Harris'' frank and disturbing descriptions of the criminally irresponsible proceedings on Eniwetok, and the physical and mental pain he and others endured, constitute shocking additions to atomic history. Amazingly enough, given his ordeal, Harris remains healthy." --Booklist "An entertaining read in the bloodline of Catch-22, Harris achieves the oddest of victories: a funny, optimistic story about the H-bomb. Harris uses a chatty, dead-pan voice that highlights the horrifying absurdity of life on the island: the use of Geiger counters to monitor scrambled eggs'' radiation level, three-eyed fish swimming in the lagoon, corroded, permanently open windows that fail to keep out the radioactive fall-out and men whose toenails glow in the dark." --Publisher''s Weekly From the author: Three-eyed fish swimming in the lagoon. Men whose toenails glow in the dark. Operation Redwing where the F words were Fallout and Fireball. In 1956, I was an army draftee sent to the Marshall Islands to watch 17 H-bomb tests. An "observer," the Army called it. In plain English: a human guinea pig. I knew at the time that the experience could make a fascinating book, and I wrote a novel based on it while I was still there. The problem was that Eniwetok was a security post. There were signs everywhere impressing on us that the work going on (I mopped floors, typed, filed requisitions and wrote movie reviews for the island newspaper “All the news that fits we print”) was Top Secret. “What you do here, what you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here leave it here.” I was afraid they would confiscate the manuscript if they found it but a buddy who left Eniwetok before I did concealed the pages in his luggage. When he got back to the States, he mailed those pages to my father so I had what turned out to be a very rough draft. What was wrong with the book? Let me count the ways. I didn’t know how to write action, plot and character. I did know how to leave out everything interesting that was happening around me. Back in the States after my discharge, I thought about writing Version #2 but for ten years, I had nightmares about the H-bomb almost every night. I survived the radiation (unlike some of my friends), but the memories were also a formidable foe. I tried to forget and more or less succeeded. My perspective gradually changed over the years and I began to remember what I had tried to forget: We were told we had to wear high density goggles during the tests to avoid losing our sight but the shipment of goggles never arrived—the requisition was cancelled to make room for new furniture for the colonel''s house. We were told we had to stand with our backs to the blast—again to prevent blindness. But the first H-bomb ever dropped from a plane missed its target, and the detonation took place in front of us and our unprotected eyes. Servicemen were sent to Ground Zero wearing only shorts and sneakers and worked side by side with scientists dressed in RadSafe suits. The exposed military men developed severe radiation burns and many died. The big breakthrough came when enough years had passed and I had overcome the anger and the self-pity resulting from the knowledge that I and the men who served with me had been used as guinea pigs in a recklessly dangerous and potentially deadly experiment. At last I had the perspective to understand my nuclear year in its many dimensions and capture the tragedy and the black humor that came along with 17 H-bomb explosions. In addition, certain significant external realities had changed. Top Secret documents about Operation Redwing had been declassified. I learned new details about the test known as Tewa: the fallout lasted for three days and the radiation levels exceeded 3.9 Roentgens, the MPE (Maximum Permissible Exposure). Three ships were rushed to Eniwetok to evacuate personnel but were ordered back after the military raised the MPE to 7. That, they reasoned, ensured everyone''s safety. I made contact with other atomic veterans who told me about their own experiences and in some cases sent me copies of letters written to their families during the tests. As we talked, we also laughed: about officers who claimed Eniwetok was a one year paid vacation; about the officer who guarded the political purity of the daily island newspaper by deleting "pinko propaganda," including a speech by President Eisenhower. By now, Ruth knew the material almost as well as I did and provided crucial perspective and detailed editing expertise. At last, I was able to pull all the strands together. After 50 years, I was able write the book I had wanted to in the beginning. Having struggled to write a memoir for so long and having been asked for advice by others contemplating writing a memoir, I can pass along a bit of what I learned along the way. Make sure you have enough distance from the experience to have perspective on what happened. Exposure to radiation and the resulting reactions—anger, terror, incredulity—produce powerful emotions that take time to process. Figure out how to use (or keep away) from your own intense feelings. In the case of the H-Bomb tests, anger and self-pity were emotions to stay away from. So was the hope of somehow getting “revenge.” Sometimes the unexpected works. For me, finding humor in a tragic situation— the abject military incompetence in planning and executing the H-Bomb tests—freed my memory and allowed me to write about horrific experiences. Figure out (most likely by trial and error) how much or how little of yourself you want to reveal. Keywords: memoir, veterans, H-bomb, US Army, black humor, dark humor, military memoir, nuclear bombs, radiation, fission, fusion, fallout, danger, suspense, atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, H-bomb, South Pacific, Eniwetok, Marshall Islands

The author of The End of Absence shares a "gorgeously written and fascinating" inquiry into the transformative power of being alone (Michael Finkel, New York Times best-selling author of True Story). The capacity to be alone, properly alone, is one of life''s subtlest skills. Real solitude is a crucial ingredient for a rich interior life. It inspires reflection, allows creativity to flourish, and improves our relationships with ourselves and, unexpectedly, with others. Yet, in our modern world of mobile devices and social media, we have forgotten the joys of silence, and undervalued how profoundly it can revolutionize our lives. This book is about discovering stillness inside the city, inside the crowd, inside our busy lives. With wit and energy, award-winning author Michael Harris weaves captivating true stories with reporting from the world''s foremost brain researchers, psychologists, and tech entrepreneurs to guide us toward a state of measured connectivity that balances quiet and companionship. Foreword by Nicholas Carr, author of the Pulitzer Prize–finalist The Shallows.

The ever-popular blue jean originated in the Old West frontier of San Francisco in the late 1800s, and here is an extensive look at the entire era of Old West denim. Gathered from collections around the world, it presents never-before-seen pictures of antique "miner''s denim" worn in the frontier communities of Nevada and California, including Levi denim that is over 120 years old. More than a dozen other brands that helped make blue jeans what they are today include Greenebaum Brothers, Neustadter Brothers, S. R. Krouse, A. B. Elfelt & Co., Heynemann & Co., Harman Adams, W. & I. Steinhart & Co., Toklas, Brown, and others. Many of these innovative blue-jean designs have been lost in the dust of history and were inaccessible to the public until now. Over 300 color photos and illustrations chronicle examples, patent drawings, and the histories of the manufacturers. This is invaluable information for fashion historians and collectors alike.

Only one generation in history (ours) will experience life both with and without the Internet. For everyone who follows us, online life will simply be the air they breathe. Today, we revel in ubiquitous information and constant connection, rarely stopping to consider the implications for our logged-on lives. Michael Harris chronicles this massive shift, exploring what we''ve gained--and lost--in the bargain. In this eloquent and thought-provoking book, Harris argues that our greatest loss has been that of absence itself--of silence, wonder and solitude. It''s a surprisingly precious commodity, and one we have less of every year. Drawing on a vast trove of research and scores of interviews with global experts, Harris explores this "loss of lack" in chapters devoted to every corner of our lives, from sex and commerce to memory and attention span. The book''s message is urgent: once we''ve lost the gift of absence, we may never remember its value.

An insightful reflection on the mathematical soul What do pure mathematicians do, and why do they do it? Looking beyond the conventional answers—for the sake of truth, beauty, and practical applications—this book offers an eclectic panorama of the lives and values and hopes and fears of mathematicians in the twenty-first century, assembling material from a startlingly diverse assortment of scholarly, journalistic, and pop culture sources. Drawing on his personal experiences and obsessions as well as the thoughts and opinions of mathematicians from Archimedes and Omar Khayyám to such contemporary giants as Alexander Grothendieck and Robert Langlands, Michael Harris reveals the charisma and romance of mathematics as well as its darker side. In this portrait of mathematics as a community united around a set of common intellectual, ethical, and existential challenges, he touches on a wide variety of questions, such as: Are mathematicians to blame for the 2008 financial crisis? How can we talk about the ideas we were born too soon to understand? And how should you react if you are asked to explain number theory at a dinner party? Disarmingly candid, relentlessly intelligent, and richly entertaining, Mathematics without Apologies takes readers on an unapologetic guided tour of the mathematical life, from the philosophy and sociology of mathematics to its reflections in film and popular music, with detours through the mathematical and mystical traditions of Russia, India, medieval Islam, the Bronx, and beyond.

Georgia''s oldest city plays hostess to a bevy of ghostly guests whose stories are wrapped up in its rich southern history. As one of America''s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, has a long list of stories of the supernatural, such as the story of the first two people hanged in colonial Savannah for the murder of their abusive master. Or James Stark, a tempestuous planter, and Dr. Philip Minis, who settled their dispute with a duel and still hang around the old building at Moon River Brewing Co. Or the terrifying "boy-giant," Rene Rhondolia, who preys on young girls and animals. Join authors Michael Harris and Linda Sickler as they navigate the chilling world of those who refuse to leave their Savannah homes. Includes photos! "Story-loving Sickler and research-savvy Harris dug behind the ghost stories of what''s called one of America''s most haunted cities." — Savannah Now

The northern cod have been almost wiped out. Once the most plentiful fish on the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland, the cod is now on the brink of extinction, and tens of thousands of people in Atlantic Canada have been left without work by a 1992 moratorium on fishing the stock. Today, the Pacific salmon stocks are in similar trouble – victims of the same blind, stupid greed. Angry, accusatory fingers have been pointed at various possible culprits for the collapse of the cod – at the Spanish and Portuguese, who for hundreds of years sent ever-bigger fleets to the Grand Banks; at the factory-freezer trawlers, which “vacuumed” the ocean floor for the prized fish; at those inshore fishermen who circumvented the rules governing the fishery; at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which is responsible for managing the fishery; at the harp seal, the cod’s competitor for food, whose numbers have exploded in recent years; even at Nature, for lowering the temperature of the ocean. In Lament for an Ocean, the award-winning true-crime writer Michael Harris investigates the real causes of the most wanton destruction of a natural resource in North American history since the buffalo were wiped off the face of the prairies. The story he carefully unfolds is the sorry tale of how, despite the repeated and urgent warnings of ocean scientists, the northern cod was ruthlessly exploited.

Sam was born of a male coyote and female golden retriever, and as soon as possible, was dropped off at a local shelter. The puppy mill had no use for him and treated him accordingly. He had no sense of belonging, and for the first 18 months of his life, Sam was shuttled between different owners and the shelter. He spent days at a time living with strangers, when he wasn''t living off the land after a successful escape. Sam spent much of his life abandoned and left to live outside by those who adopted him. He became an expert at chewing through ropes and jumping over walls and fences in order to escape captivity. Most of his life during this period was spent living on his own near a running creek in Sedona, where he became adept at hunting and fending for himself, a gift he inherited from his father. We met Sam at the ideal time. Sam was just recovering from a water-borne illness he acquired from the creek, his favorite home until now. We were just recovering from the loss of a favorite canine companion. This book is the story of how Sam saved us and how we, in turn, saved him. It is a story of love and adaptability. Please enjoy this look into our lives and the miracle of Sam.

This title includes 12 thematic modules for pre-intermediate and 10 thematic modules for elementary and upper intermediate, each divided into sections such as grammar skills, writing workshops, speaking workshops and more.

THE LEARNER-CENTERED CURRICULUM “If an institution is to be truly learner-centered, all processes and practices need to be learner-centered, and the curriculum is no exception.”—From the Preface The Learner-Centered Curriculum is for educators and administrators who envision an educational environment that produces students who are creative and autonomous learners. By encouraging an appreciation and adoption of learner-centered practices, educators can transform their curricula to become more focused on the learner. The book presents a framework for curriculum design based on learner-centered principles while at the same time offering technical advice on implementation as well as the strategic use of assessment, technology, and physical spaces to support innovative design. The authors include several examples of existing curricula that illustrate their framework in practice. Throughout the book, they emphasize the need for assessment, both formative and summative, stressing the point that assessment is an effective driver of change. The book includes a wide variety of options both for individual classroom practice and for programmatic assessment. The Learner-Centered Curriculum explores the current technology and tools available to educators that can support learner-centered practices and foster autonomous learning and demonstrates how technology can assist in removing some of the obstacles to achieving a learner-centered design. In addition, the authors explain the importance of physical spaces in relation to learner-centered curricular design and show how to tie renovation to curricular implementation to foster incentive to innovate and provide a physical manifestation of learner-centered principles.

Paradise or trap? In the novella "Canyon," set in the 1950s, the Hiller family lives in some of the most beautiful country in California, on the Upper Sacramento River near Mt. Shasta. The father, Frank, is an intelligent but frustrated man without enough education to escape a blue-collar railroad job. The mother, Connie, and the three children live in the shadow of his anger, just as their home town, Dunsmuir, lies in the shadow of the mountains. In the story "Sump," set a decade later, the oldest son, John, gets his chance to leave - but it may already be too late. Fear has become a habit, and how can he hope to love any other place as much as he loves this one?

New Reading and Listening Texts motivate students to speak and think in English. New exam zones in the Powerbook build students'' exam skills and confidence. New comprehensive testing programme provides total evaluation for students Grammar and skills development give students a solid base for learning. Training in independent study skills ensures good learning habits. Cross curricular and cross cultural topics motivate students and engage their interest in the wider world.

This book is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to voice user interface (VUI) design. The VUI is perhaps the most critical factor in the success of any automated speech recognition (ASR) system, determining whether the user experience will be satisfying or frustrating, or even whether the customer will remain one. This book describes a practical methodology for creating an effective VUI design. The methodology is scientifically based on principles in linguistics, psychology, and language technology, and is illustrated here by examples drawn from the authors'' work at Nuance Communications, the market leader in ASR development and deployment. The book begins with an overview of VUI design issues and a description of the technology. The authors then introduce the major phases of their methodology. They first show how to specify requirements and make high-level design decisions during the definition phase. They next cover, in great detail, the design phase, with clear explanations and demonstrations of each design principle and its real-world applications. Finally, they examine problems unique to VUI design in system development, testing, and tuning. Key principles are illustrated with a running sample application. A companion Web site provides audio clips for each example: www.VUIDesign.org The cover photograph depicts the first ASR system, Radio Rex: a toy dog who sits in his house until the sound of his name calls him out. Produced in 1911, Rex was among the few commercial successes in earlier days of speech recognition. Voice User Interface Design reveals the design principles and practices that produce commercial success in an era when effective ASRs are not toys but competitive necessities.

The emergence and impact of the modern term limits movement is a unique story of political development and transformation. Despite its significant impact on politics and policy making, the 1990s implementation of term limits at the state level has received limited scholarly attention. This book, divided in two parts, presents an overview and detailed analysis of the origins and effects of the movement. The first part analyzes the political concept of term limits and its theoretical foundations. The second part focuses on the modern process of implementation at the state level. Term Limits will be of significant interest to leglislators, government officials, lobbyists, members of the judicial branch of state government and anyone who seeks an explication of this movement within its full political, economic, judicial, and historical context.

Annotation Harris (Jewish studies, Harvard U.) describes the fragmentation of modern Judaism in terms of interpretative foundations of classical Judaism, and presents a study of rabbinic legal interpretation (midrash) in Judaism''s rabbinic, medieval, and modern periods, demonstrating how the rise of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism in the modern period is tied to attitudes toward classical Jewish heritage, and, specifically, toward rabbinic midrash halakah. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

"For nearly thirty years, the Spector Group has been creating architecture that has redefined the suburban landscape. Anticipating corporate America''s move to greener environments, the Spector Group''s early architecture set the precedent for today''s innovative work spaces. The following pages represent the design and planning of 400 corporate campuses and headquarters buildings, mixed-use facilities, institutional spaces, hospitality projects, retail centers, and multi-family residences. The single thread that unites this firm''s work is the creation of energetic spaces they have termed Lifespaces. The architecture featured here in full-color presents structures of energy and flexibility where the textures of the outside come in to allow the user a welcome freedom to participate in and enjoy the space. This collection highlights the Spector Group''s broad scope of design capabilities, their unique understanding of business, and a partnership approach that looks to the next century for uninterrupted expansion."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved