内容简介 本书是关于我们如何从科学的视角重新认识这个世界的科普读物，阐述了宇宙、世界、生命科学视角下，对世界本源的认识，并结合生物学、数学、物理学和计算机科学知识，更加细致入微地解释我们观察到的世界中的各类现象。 在这本书中，作者希望表明我们的宇宙不仅仅是一座没有生命、毫无意义的数学机器。在我们真正了解意识和人类思想的奇迹之前，我们能真正了解宇宙吗？为了做到这一点，作者超越了物理世界去寻找答案。对于对生命、宇宙和一切事物的深层问题感到好奇的读者来说，《世界本身》是一本必不可少的读物。

This original contribution to Indian history, focusing oncontemporary and largely indigenous documents, introduces a set ofconcepts for the analysis of late Mughal rule. More specifically itexamines the origins and development of the Maratha svardjya or'self-rule' within the context of declining Muslim power. It tracesthe expansion of Maratha dominion to a process of fitna, a policyof 'shifting alliances' which was recurrent in the wake of Muslimexpansion throughout its history. The book gives an interestingperspective on Hindu-Muslim relationships in the pre-British periodas well as on the nature of the Indo-Muslim state and its mostimportant successor polity, on its capacity for change anddevelopment in the intermediate sections of society, theland-tenurial system, the monetization of the economy, and on thefiscal system.

From an elite Special Operations physical trainer, aningeniously simple, rapid-results, do-anywhere program for gettinginto amazing shape For men and women of all athletic abilities! As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grownover the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at thefront lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting themlean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, heshares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simpleexercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your ownbodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and lookbetter than ever before. Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training,and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out justthirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your livingroom, yard, garage, hotel room, or office. Lauren’s exercises buildmore metabolism-enhancing muscle than weightlifting, burn more fatthan aerob

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot inHawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaiito investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror thatawaits them. LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own researchinto the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for hisnext bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering thekidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets ashocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist dealwith the devil. A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transportsreaders to a chilling new territory where the collision of beautyand murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakablehorrors.

An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible waythey intersect, from the incomparable, bestselling author HarukiMurakami.While simply training for New York City Marathon would beenough for most people, Haruki Murakami's decided to write about itas well. The result is a beautiful memoir about his intertwinedobsessions with running and writing, full of vivid memories andinsights, including the eureka moment when he decided to become awriter. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich andrevelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly privatewriter and for the exploding population of athletes who findsimilar satisfaction in athletic pursuit.

Tracy Kidder is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the authorof the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, AmongSchoolchildren, and Home Town. He has been described by theBaltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” Thispowerful and inspiring new book shows how one person can make adifference, as Kidder tells the true story of a gifted man who isin love with the world and has set out to do all he can to cureit. At the center of Mountains Beyond Mountains stands Paul Farmer.Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist,anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant,world-class Robin Hood, Farmer was brought up in a bus and on aboat, and in medical school found his life’s calling: to diagnoseand cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools ofmodern medicine to those who need them most. This magnificent bookshows how radical change can be fostered in situations that seeminsurmountable, and it also shows how a meaningful l

People decide about political parties by taking into accountthe preferences, values, expectations, and perceptions of theirfamily, friends, colleagues, and neighbours. As most people livewith others, members of their households influence each other'spolitical decisions. How and what they think about politics andwhat they do are the outcomes of social processes. Applying variedstatistical models to data from extensive German and Britishhousehold surveys, this book shows that wives and husbandsinfluence each other; young adults influence their parents,especially their mothers. Wives and mothers sit at the centre ofhouseholds: their partisanship influences the partisanship ofeveryone else, and the others affect them. Politics in householdsinteracts with competition among the political parties to sustainbounded partisanship. People ignore one of the major parties andvary their preference of its major rival over time. Electioncampaigns reinforce these choices.

At the beginning of thetwentieth century, the South Pole was the most coveted prize in thefiercely nationalistic modern age of exploration. In this brilliantdual biography, the award-winning writer Roland Huntford reexaminesevery detail of the great race to the South Pole between Britain'sRobert Scott and Norway's Roald Amundsen. Scott, who died along theway with four of his men only eleven miles from his next cache ofsupplies, became Britain's beloved failure, while Amundsen, who notonly beat Scott to the Pole but returned alive, was largelyforgotten. This account of their race is a gripping, highlyreadable history that captures the driving ambitions of the era andthe complex, often deeply flawed men who were charged with carryingthem out. The Last Place on Earth is the first of Huntford's masterly trilogyof polar biographies. It is also the only work on the subject inthe English language based on the original Norwegian sources, towhich Huntford returned to revise and update this edition.

Penis envy? P'shaw.From the bestselling author of How to Make Your Man Behave In 21Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers comes (ahem) The Clitourist , a witty and empowering guide tothe hottest spot on a woman's body. For something so important toso many, there is a shocking lack of information available on theclitoris. An intimate biography of a gal's best friend, TheClitourist boldly attempts to fill that void, educating andentertaining the reader on every level, from structure and functionto care and upkeep, not to mention handy dandy arousal methods. Andthough funny, The Clitourist is not afraid to tackle thereally tough questions like, if we can put a man on the moon, whynot on a woman's clitoris during intercourse? As revolutionary insubject matter as The Vagina Monologues , as frank as Sexand the City, The Clitourist is a celebration of the femalebody as well as just a plain hoot that women will delight in buyingfor themselves, their sisters, and their friends (and heck, m

Supermodels are a new breed of celebrity who have eclipsed pop stars and movie stars as today's modern icons. Today, such models as Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer are household names whereas, only a decade ago, models were anonymous outside the circuit. These superstars have expanded their careers beyond the runways, as modelling has given them the recognition required to conquer the world. The new renaissance models are astute business women, having built their names into international brands and multi-million-dollar empires.

An excellent,reassuring book for women and their partners. It carries the womanalong step-by-step in the rediscovery of her own sexuality and thepleasure it will bring her. Liberated or not, single or married,young or old, all women will find this book accessible andsupportive.

In this classic work of economic history and social theory,Karl Polanyi analyzes the economic and social changes brought aboutby the "great transformation" of the Industrial Revolution. Hisanalysis explains not only the deficiencies of the self-regulatingmarket, but the potentially dire social consequences of untemperedmarket capitalism. New introductory material reveals the renewedimportance of Polanyi's seminal analysis in an era of globalizationand free trade.

Tourists, armchair travelers, and historians will all delightin this fluid narrative that can be read straight through, dippedinto over time, or used as a reference guide to each period inSicily’s fascinating tale. Emigration of people from Sicily oftenovershadows the importance of the people who immigrated to theisland through the centuries. These have included several whobecame Sicily’s rulers, along with Jews, Ligurians, and Albanians.Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Byzantines, Muslims, Normans,Hohenstaufens, Spaniards, Bourbons, the Savoy Kingdom of Italy andthe modern era have all held sway, and left lasting influences onthe island’s culture and architecture. Sicily’s character has alsobeen determined by what passed it by: events that affected Europegenerally, namely the Crusades and Columbus’s discovery of theAmericas, remarkably had little influence on Italy’s most famousisland. Maps, biographical notes, suggestions for further reading,a glossary, pronunciation keys, and much more ma

The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine.The tragedy is that my story could have been his. Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year ofeach other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimoreneighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on streetcorners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police.How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decoratedveteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the otherended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore,the author of this fascinating book, sets out to answer thisprofound question. In alternating narratives that take readers fromheart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, TheOther Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys tryingto find their way in a hostile world.

The Touch of Healing offers readers the means togreater health, vitality, and self-understanding through thepractice of an ancient oriental healing art and practical holisticphilosophy called Jin Shin Jystsu. Gentle touching similar toacupressure is used to release tension that accumulates and is atthe root of dysfunction, disease, and imbalance. The authorsexplain the natural life force that runs through the body anddemonstrate with case studies, detailed analysis, and more than 30illustrations, how to integrate this system into one's life. Thekey healing points and body flows, known as "Safety Energy Locks,"are presented with step-by-step instructions on how to utilize themfor healing and greater self-awareness. Many self-help practicesare also offered that address a wide array of common ailments,including headaches, digestive disorders, fatigue, depression, andarthritis along with pre*ive exercises for relief of emotionalailments such as loss of confidence, anxiety, and depression.

Sniper is the behind-the-scenes story of one of the mostfrightening rampages to occur in U.S. history—and how it wasstopped. For more than three weeks, the nation watched in disbelief asWashington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs were held hostage byanonymous gunmen shooting innocent civilians at random. Sniper isthe de?nitive account of those alleged gunmen, John Muhammad andLee Boyd Malvo, and the massive manhunt that ended with theircapture by a heavily armed SWAT team in an early-morning raid at aninterstate highway rest stop. Two Washington Post reporters, Sari Horwitz and Michael E. Ruane,retrace the steps of Muhammad and Malvo from their ?rst meeting onthe island of Antigua to Malvo’s de?ant confession in a Virginiajail. Drawing on exclusive reporting about that confession,internal police documents, and a wide range of law-enforcementsources, Horwitz and Ruane track in remarkable detail the murderoustrail Muhammad and Malvo are accused of having followed to theWashington area a

A collection of studies in which Arendt, from the standpointof a political philosopher, views the crises of the 1960s and early1970s as challenges to the american form of government. Index.

An intimate account of the Royal couple, featuringbreathtaking photos from the April 29th Royal Wedding. LIFE has covered all of the lavish royal weddings since evenbefore Queen Elizabeth II wed in 1947, and of course the magazinedocumented in splendid, intimate detail the "wedding of thecentury," that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, years later. NowLIFE celebrates the royal engagement of Prince William and KateMiddleton. This book includes intimate pictures of William and Kate as theygrew to be the splendid adults they are today. The best photographs of royal weddings that have already been,including those of Charles and Diana, Grace Kelly and Rainier ofMonaco, Fergie and Andrew, and many others. A detailed look at the Middletons and the Windsors-thelatter,royal family dating back to Queen Victoria. Photography from Buckingham Palace insiders, including picturesfrom Litchfield and Lord Snowdon.

This highly interdisciplinary book highlights many of the waysin which chemistry plays a crucial role in making life anevolutionary possibility in the universe. Cosmologists and particlephysicists have often explored how the observed laws and constantsof nature lie within a narrow range that allows complexity and lifeto evolve and adapt. Here, these anthropic considerations arediversified in a host of new ways to identify the most sensitivefeatures of biochemistry and astrobiology. Celebrating the classic1913 work of Lawrence J. Henderson, The Fitness of the Environmentfor Life, this book looks at the delicate balance between chemistryand the ambient conditions in the universe that permit complexchemical networks and structures to exist. It will appeal to abroad range of scientists, academics, and others interested in theorigin and existence of life in our universe.

Gr 8 Up-In this gritty novel of World War II, 16-year-old Erik Brandt is forced to fight for the emaciated German army, and because of his knowledge of the Russian language, he is sent to the Russian front. The train trip that Erik and the other young men take is symbolic of their transition from child to man. These boys are sent to the front with only a few weeks of basic training and the directions to kill or be killed. After the first battle, Erik makes the life-altering decision to take the uniform of a dead Russian soldier and pretends to be Russian for most of his remaining time as a soldier, surviving serious wounds and finding the love of his life while he recuperates in a war hospital. There he pretends to have amnesia and takes the moniker "Soldier X." When the hospital is attacked, Erik and his girlfriend escape. After a harrowing journey filled with enemy encounters, they find a safe house in Czechoslovakia and eventually make their way to Berlin. The story is framed with a prologue and epilogue f

A clear, simple guide for students of anatomy as well as anexcellent resource for athletes, massage therapists, and anyoneinterested in the workings of the human body, this user-friendlybook is organized around six muscle groups. They include muscles ofthe face head, and neck; the trunk; the shoulder and upper arm; theforearm and hand; the hip and thigh; and the leg and foot. Each ofthe groups is given a distinctive color to make it easy toidentify, and each muscle is shown in its relationship to theskeleton. Each gets a complete profile, including origin/insertion,action of the muscle, which nerve controls it, movements that useit, and exercises and stretches that strengthen it. The ConciseBook of Muscles shows students exactly how to locate andidentify specific muscles, highlighting those that are heavily usedand therefore subject to injury in a variety of sports andactivities. This expanded edition of a leading anatomy referencebook includes 20 muscles not previously covered, adding greaterdepth t