"Awe-inspiring . . . a masterly synthesis." --The New York Times Book Review"Deeply penetrating, intensely thought-provoking and thoroughly informed . . . one of the most important general surveys of
Computer graphics is a vast field that is becoming larger every day. It is impossible to cover every topic of interest, even within a specialization such as CG rendering. For many years, Noriko Kurachi has reported on the latest developments for Japanese readers in her monthly column for CG World. Being something of a pioneer herself, she selected topics that represented original and promising new directions for research. Many of these novel ideas are the topics covered in The Magic of Computer Graphics.Starting from the basic behavior of light, the first section of the book introduces the most useful techniques for global and local illumination using geometric descriptions of an environment. The second section goes on to describe image-based techniques that rely on captured data to do their magic. In the final section, the author looks at the synthesis of these two complementary approaches and what they mean for the future of computer graphics.
Hirohito's War offers a new and original interpretation of the pacific war, balancing the existing Western-centric view with attention to the Japanese perspective on the conflict. Francis Pike offers many challenges to the standard narrative, in particular questioning popular assumptions about the origins and causes of the conflict and asking whether or not US victory was inevitable.This book represents the most comprehensive one volume narrative of the conflict to date. This is a comprehensive and balanced synthesis, with a wealth of detail on the conflict and the key individuals involved. It provides a valuable synthesis of the literature for students of the conflict and will fascinate anyone with an interest in the Second World War.
Photoelectrochemical Engineering for Solar Harvesting provides an up-to-date appraisal of the photon engineering of innovative catalysts for solar energy harvesting. Sunlight-driven fuel synthesis is the most sustainable and potentially economical option for producing energy vectors through water splitting. Thus this book focuses on the design of photocatalysts and water oxidation catalysts, as artificial photosynthesis and hydrogen fuel production via water oxidation (in place of fossil fuels) are two promising approaches towards renewable energy. The book critically analyzes the overall progress, potential challenges, and the possibility of industrialization of new catalysts in the near future. The primary emphasis of the discussion is on experimental approaches from materials synthesis to device applications, however, there will also be some introduction to relevant photochemistry concepts. Photoelectrochemical Engineering for Solar Harvesting is suitable for materials scientists an
View a collection of videos on Professor Wilson entitled "On the Relation of Science and the Humanities"Harvard University Press is proud to announce the re-release of the complete original version of
What can ecological science contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the natural systems that underpin human well-being? Bridging the natural, physical and social sciences, this book shows how ecosystem ecology can inform the ecosystem services approach to environmental management. The authors recognise that ecosystems are rich in linkages between biophysical and social elements that generate powerful intrinsic dynamics. Unlike traditional reductionist approaches, the holistic perspective adopted here is able to explain the increasing range of scientific studies that have highlighted unexpected consequences of human activity, such as the lack of recovery of cod populations on the Grand Banks despite nearly two decades of fishery closures, or the degradation of Australia's fertile land through salt intrusion. Written primarily for researchers and graduate students in ecology and environmental management, it provides an accessible discussion of some of the most import
What can ecological science contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the natural systems that underpin human well-being? Bridging the natural, physical and social sciences, this book shows how ecosystem ecology can inform the ecosystem services approach to environmental management. The authors recognise that ecosystems are rich in linkages between biophysical and social elements that generate powerful intrinsic dynamics. Unlike traditional reductionist approaches, the holistic perspective adopted here is able to explain the increasing range of scientific studies that have highlighted unexpected consequences of human activity, such as the lack of recovery of cod populations on the Grand Banks despite nearly two decades of fishery closures, or the degradation of Australia's fertile land through salt intrusion. Written primarily for researchers and graduate students in ecology and environmental management, it provides an accessible discussion of some of the most import
Intelligent agents are employed as the central characters in this new introductory text. Beginning with elementary reactive agents, Nilsson gradually increases their cognitive horsepower to illustrate
Tourism is an intensely geographic phenomenon. It stimulates large-scale, global movement of people and forges distinctive relationships between people and the places they visit. It shapes processes o
Tourism is an intensely geographic phenomenon. It stimulates large-scale, global movement of people and forges distinctive relationships between people and the places they visit. It shapes processes o
The origins of rock art in Australia are probably as old as that of the hunter-gatherers of Western Europe, well-known for the prehistoric caves of Altamira and Lascaux. That the practice of painting and engraving on rocks continues in parts of northern and central Australia emphasises the importance of this art as a source of visual information for Australia's indigenous communities, Rock art can be 'read' to determine cultural processes and provides a durable record of thousands of years of cultural change. This book is an extensive survey of Australian rock art, presenting detailed case studies revealing the significance of both recent and ancient art for Australia's living indigenous communities. Archaeological data provides evidence of the ways in which rock art traditions have changed over 15,000 or more years in response to changes in the environment, the development of new forms of social organisation and the impact of European colonial settlement.
A new framework for the neuroscientific study of emotions in humans and animalsThe Neuroscience of Emotion presents a new framework for the neuroscientific study of emotion across species. Written b
Attachment and bonding are evolved processes; the mechanisms that permit thedevelopment of selective social bonds are assumed to be very ancient, based on neural circuitryrooted deep in mammalian evol
This volume is a sequel to the landmark work that established an exciting new field of study, Stress, Appraisal and Coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). The author now explores the newest trends in re
THE NEW EMPHASIS ON SPIRITUALITY in the workplace has been widely discussed in recent years and reported in major publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Fortune. Spirituality seems to be a b
Invasive alien species are among today's most daunting environmental threats, costing billions of dollars in economic damages and wreaking havoc on ecosystems around the world. In 1997, a consortium
The Zuni are a Southwestern people whose origins have long intrigued anthropologists. This volume presents fresh approaches to that question from both anthropological and traditional perspectives, exp
