Alan Turing: Life and Legacy of a Great Thinker

Book Description

Alan Turing's fundamental contributions to computing led to the development of modern computing technology, and his work continues to inspire researchers in computing science and beyond. This book is the definitive collection of commemorative essays, and the distinguished contributors have expertise in such diverse fields as artificial intelligence, natural computing, mathematics, physics, cryptology, cognitive studies, philosophy and anthropology. The volume spans the entire rich spectrum of Turing's life, research work and legacy. New light is shed on the future of computing science by visionary Ray Kurzweil. Notable contributions come from the philosopher Daniel Dennett, the Turing biographer Andrew Hodges, and the distinguished logician Martin Davis, who provides a first critical essay on an emerging and controversial field termed hypercomputation. A special feature of the book is the play by Valeria Patera which tackles the scandal surrounding the last apple, and presents as an enigma the life, death and destiny of the man who did so much to decipher the Enigma code during the Second World War. Other chapters are modern reappraisals of Turing's work on computability, and deal with the major philosophical questions raised by the Turing Test, while the book also contains essays addressing his less well-known ideas on Fibonacci phyllotaxis and connectionism.

Customer Reviews:

Turing died too soon.......2005-09-18

Teuscher has gathered together a set of thought provoking essays about Turing and the ideas he espoused. The diverse range of the essays is a good reflection of Turing's genius.

The essay on making a self-replicating Turing machine reflects earlier speculations on what might more generally be considered a self-replicating Neumann machine.

There is a palpable sense of loss in the book. Turing died at a relatively young age. What if he had lived decades longer? He could have seen the immense flowering of computing, in hardware and software. With his genius, what other insights might he have given us? If you wish, you can regard the book as speculations into this unknowable.

One of the book's authors, Copeland, has recently edited another book -'The Essential Turing', which has essays by Turing himself, and you may want to look at that text.

Man of many parts.......2004-07-13

This book celebrates the 90th anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing by bringing together a large set of essays on topics as diverse and colourful as the work and life of the man himself. Turing's fundamental contributions to computing kick started the modern computing era. However, he also made early and outstanding contributions to artificial intelligence, artificial neural networks, morphogenesis, cryptology and the philosophy of mind. The book touches on all these areas and includes contributions from luminaries such as Martin Davis, Daniel Dennett, Andrew Hodges, Douglas Hofstadter and Ray Kurzweil. The book also contains some essays on contemporary topics related to Turing's work such as the controversial area of so-called hypercomputation. While many of the essays are advanced, the material remains accessible and interesting. Turing had a strikingly original and whimsical imagination - reflecting this, and unlike many books on technical topics, this one includes some of the kind of speculation that is bound to fire the imagination of readers. Will computers outstrip human intelligence, and when might it happen? Will we become more like computers, or will they become more like us? Ninety years on from the birth of Alan Turing such issues are more relevant and pressing than ever, and this book makes an excellent advanced introduction to the breadth of Turing's work.

Book Description

Freedom From The Press is a very personal true story of libel. On Labor Day Sunday in 1991 the Houston Chronicle ran a front page banner headline story as a favor for a powerful Houstonian embroiled in a lawsuit. Their intent was to destroy the reputation of Douglas Wyatt, son of oil industry giant Oscar Wyatt and international socialite Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt -- and member of a cult known as Eternal Values. In pre-trial haste the Chronicle ran a cutline under a two column wide color photograph of the author of Freedom From The Press indicating that he had once been a member of the cult instead of an unwitting recruit who had gathered information from actual former members in an effort to discredit the organization.

The readership of the largest newspaper in Texas understood the article to mean that Roger Hall had participated in the cult's bizarre membership rites and adherence to virulent neo-Nazi dogma; allegations that even the author of the article openly admitted under oath were not true. Within ten days a reputation and business that had taken ten years to build were in ashes. Freedom From The Press really begins at the point of destruction. The madness had only begun as the author entered a legal war pitting him against the most powerful media organization in the world, and elected judiciary dependent upon newspapers, the law itself, and his own depression.

Customer Reviews:

A well written tale of one person's victimization........1999-09-16

Mr. Hall did an excellent job sharing his experience with one of Houston's wealthiest families and the press.

Tremendously well written insight into a person & a system........1999-07-07

Roger Hall provides us an extraordinarily well written opportunity to be personally affected by the devastation that befalls an innocent individual judged guilty by a powerful media greatly influenced by wealthy puppeteers. Hall's transitions between chapters challenge you to put the book down. There is a tremendous amount of honesty and intimacy wrapped around this modern man's encounter with the windmills of Texas. You cannot walk away from this book without an altered perception of the media and the games the powerful play. I re-read this book a year ago and it continues to stir the occassional thought and to provide a filter through which the press is processed. It's a great read -- it's an even better story.

one man's arduous legal struggle for justice against libel.......1999-02-19

Freedom from the Press - A Personal Story of Libel by Roger Hall. Maharatha Books, Middleburg, FL. 1998 (new edition). 334 pp. $16.50 trade paper.

Like the popular nonfiction book A Civil Action made into a movie, Roger Hall1s Freedom from the Press is an absorbing account of an involved lawsuit against a corporate powerhouse by an individual with important personal interests at stake. This author1s case was a libel case against the Houston Chronicle, which in 1991 ran a front-page article accompanied by a photograph implying that Hall had once been a bona fide member of a controversial New York cult rather than an unwitting recruit who had ultimately tried to discredit it. Hall came under extraordinary pressure because in a deposition he tied a local wealthy businessperson named Douglas Wyatt to the cult. This was used by enemies of Wyatt to destroy his reputation through the newspaper article. During one phase of his ordeal, Hall felt his life was threatened. Hall1s small business shortly fell into ruins, and he sunk into a severe depression. But he nonetheless managed to carry out his lawsuit until after some setbacks that would have defeated most persons, he prevailed in the end. Hall relates succinctly the legal procedures and issues at stake, and takes you into his own emotional turmoil. The reader holds his breath pulling for Hall against the powerful interests set against him.

review by Henry Berry Book Reviewer Editor/Publisher, The Small Press Book Review

Book Description

Tobacco in History and Culture explores how tobacco became one of the most important commodities in the history of world trade and the source of one of the biggest public health concerns in modern history. Originally used by Native Americans for medicinal, religious and social purposes, tobacco quickly became the biggest export from the American colonies. By the mid-1990s, more than 14 billion pounds of tobacco leaf were grown worldwide each year, with international treaties governing its advertising and distribution. It has affected agriculture, religion, social customs, business and trade, government policy and medicine in many countries. The unique and innovative reference work presents entries on all aspects of tobacco and from a global perspective, providing support for assignments at many levels and in a variety of fields, including history, economics, government and health.

Book Description

Here's a comprehensive reference guide that gives readers the entire story about the volatile issue of smoking in North America from the 1600s to the present. This encyclopedia is the ideal source for understanding today's controversies in a historical context. It offers something for everyone, covering social, legal, medical, science, business, and international issues. The A-Z format offers nearly 600 entries (400-800 words each), plus charts, tables, a list of selected topics, and more than 70 photographs. Its chronology starts with Columbus and continues through recent lawsuits. And its appendixes cover a wide range of information, from Surgeon General's reports, to essays by expert contributors, to landmark legal cases regarding workplace issues.

Customer Reviews:

Good source material on many subjects.......2002-07-10

As one reviewer said, but more vociferously, this encyclopedia covers more Anti-tobacco issues than tobacco issues. It might more properly be entitled A Bibliography of Anti-Tobacco Personalities and Literature. There are some good articles on smoking, cigarettes and tobacco per se, but most deal with the personalities and issues of the tobacco wars.

An Excellent Resource.......2002-05-30

I was somewhat dismayed when I read the other reviews as well. I have to admit that I am a former smoker myself, but did not find this book as "biased" as some have indicated. I am a librarian by profession and find this an invaluable resource when I have people who are writing research papers. It is chock full of information and very well organized. Certainly, up-to-date topics and statistics are - because of the fact that this is a book and not because of the author - not present. What is found though, are easy to read articles, photographs and a plethora of information that give one an overview on the many aspects of the tobacco industry. I reccomend this book highly and wish the author would update the volume.

Good Resource.......2001-10-03

Looking at the last review, I was somewhat dismayed. Obviously there is a bias present on the part of the reviewer. This is a very coomprehensive resource that provides information not only on tobacco but on persons involved, companies and historical events. I recommend it and also advise a potential buyer to exam the professional reviews that can be found right after the summary. Thank you, have a good day.

WARNING! Crippling anti-smoking bias!.......2000-04-20

Despite the prim "research volume"-type title, this is nothing more than an extensive anti-smoking screed with a scattering of simplistic information about tobacco and smoking. This severe bias unfortunately renders the book almost utterly worthless, and those looking for factual, unbiased, and useful information about smoking and tobacco are recommended to search for a copy of the out-of-print Tobacco Encyclopedia by Voges.

Smoke Screen: Psychological Disorders Related to Nicotine Use (Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders)

Average customer rating:

Smoke Screen: Psychological Disorders Related to Nicotine Use (Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders)
Daniel Partner , and Nancy Peacock
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Philosophy | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

NICOTINE: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior</i>

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NICOTINE: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior
NEAL L. BENOWITZ , and ALICE B. FREDERICKS
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M4QNOQ

Book Description

This second edition of the “Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior” reflects changes in the attitudes about, use, and knowledge of drugs and alcohol since the first edition published in 1995. These changes include the decrease of crack cocaine use and resurgence of heroin use; changes in laws dealing with drug use (on both the state and national levels), and new discoveries leading to a better understanding of how drugs work and what makes them addictive. More than 700 articles, written for both the student and layperson, cover the social, medical and political issues related to drugs and alcohol, as well exploring and explaining types of addiction.

Smoking: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence</i>

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Smoking: An entry from Thomson Gale's Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence
Barbara, Ph.D. Boughton , and Ken Wells
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000M5AT2C

Book Description

Avoiding hard-to-understand medical jargon, the four-volume “Gale Encyclopedia of Children’s Health” uses language that parents can understand, while still providing enough depth to benefit today's health science students. The set provides in-depth coverage of pediatric diseases and disorders, along with issues related to physical and cognitive/behavioral development.

TOBACCO: DEPENDENCE: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior</i>

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TOBACCO: DEPENDENCE: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior
NEAL L. BENOWITZ , ALICE B. FREDERICKS , and LIRIO S. COVEY
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M4QOMC

Book Description

TOBACCO: MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior</i>

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TOBACCO: MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior
JEROME H. JAFFE , DONALD R. SHOPLAND , and REBECCA J. FREY
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Medical | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M4QON6

Book Description

TOBACCO: SMOKING CESSATION AND WEIGHT GAIN: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior</i>

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TOBACCO: SMOKING CESSATION AND WEIGHT GAIN: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior
BETI THOMPSON , and SCOTT J. LEISCHOW
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M4QONQ

Book Description

Book Description

This interactive CD-ROM covers the early developmental stages of fish from three geographical areas: southern India, Thailand and the Philippines. All the essential features necessary for distinguishing the early stages of fish species are dealt with, thus making this CD-ROM extremely useful in practice. Seventy-seven species are included, and for comparison, all species are treated in the same way. After a brief description (with figures) of the early stages of individual species, salient biological, ecological, and aquaculture-related information on the species as a whole is given.

Book Description

The global water crisis is expected to become more severe in the near future. In its 1997 annual report, the German Government's Advisory Council on Global Change presents an analysis of specific regions that are presently most affected by water shortages, and regions that will be particularly threatened by future water crises. In line with its past reports on global change, the Council examines three major "syndromes of global change" that are strongly linked to the worldwide water crisis. Based on this research, explicit recommendations for future research and for political action are presented.

Book Description

This book explains in detail the technical and physical basic principles of solid-state lasers for material processing. The characteristic parameters of laser beams, such as beam quality, power and efficiency, are related to parameters of practical use. Conventional applications of high power lasers, such as laser welding, cutting and scribing, as well as the basics of laser-matter interactions, are also discussed in the book. The types of lasers considered include: high power Nd, Yb:YAG, Nd-glass lamp- or laserdiode-pumped. Data on potential materials for solid-state lasers such as alexandrite, GGG, YVO, YLF and others are presented. Aspectys of laser device design, for example, beam optics and beam guiding by fiber, are discussed. Many tables and graphics make this a useful handbook for scientists, process engineers, laser physicists and advanced students.

Average customer rating:

A delightful read

good clean fun

Great stuff

Hurray for the Moosepath League!!

"Ever in the fore!" as Eagleton would say

Daniel Plainway: Or The Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League
Van Reid
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Mollie Peer: or, The Underground Adventure of the Moosepath League

Mrs. Roberto : Or the Widowy Worries of the Moosepath League

Cordelia Underwood: Or the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League

Fiddler's Green

Peter Loon: A Novel

ASIN: 0141001909
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Book Description

"What makes Reid's novels so enjoyable is that they seamlessly combine a time and place . . . with characters whose innocent appreciation of that world turns conventional thinking on its head." (The Washington Post)

Daniel Plainway, the third novel in this charming series, is Van Reid's best tale yet. In this wonderfully written adventure, Reid introduces Daniel Plainway, a good-hearted country lawyer who sets off on an odyssey that changes his life and the lives of an orphaned child, a big-hearted ballplayer, and an extraordinary woman whom he meets along the way. Filled with lighthearted comedy and touching drama and populated by a rich panoply of memorable characters, Daniel Plainway is a delightful example of magnificent, old-fashioned storytelling that will have readers of all ages enthralled, amused, and curled up in their favorite reading chairs.

Customer Reviews:

A delightful read.......2007-01-14

This is the third in the Moosepath series of books by Van Reid and it maintains his exemplary standard of good writing and is a delight. The story makes a great winter read as it uses all the atmosphere of the season - winter snowstorms, crackling log fires, spooky deserted houses. It follows on from the previous novel Mollie Peer although this story is complete and can stand on its own; but if I you intend to read Mollie Peer (and I recommend it most hightly) it would be best to read this novel after Mollie Peer or you will know what happens in Mollie Peer. This really is good wholesome storytelling at its best - not a watered-down-to-not-offend wholesomeness; but a rich, life-affirming novel of loveable characters in a rollicking laughter-filled old-fashioned tale that will bring tears of joy and sadness. READ THESE BOOKS!

good clean fun.......2003-01-18

if, like me, you're a bit plugged up from reading irvine welsh, noam chomsky, dave eggers, etc. van reid's "daniel plainway" might just do the trick.

i picked this up on a whim and afterward was scared i had gotten myself into something that was going to be a bit "precious and old-people-y", though i held on to a glimmer of hope due to the fact that "the onion" had read and liked the book.

in the end i couldn't put the thing down -- partly due to the author's way of jumping from storyline to storyline on a chapter by chapter basis, but mainly due to the fact that it was a delightful read. it reminded me more than a little bit of a rural american sherlock holmes adventure (the story is set in 1890s maine), but with tongue planted firmly in cheek (never irritatingly so though).

i won't divulge any details of the storyline, but i will say that i thought the book peaked about 2/3 in (when all the various threads finally came together) and after that it slowed down a bit. not bad, but perhaps mildly disappointing after such a fantastic build-up. one other point of note: if like me, you find yourself wanting to read the first two books in the series after finishing this one, you'll realise you've been given too many spoilers about book 2. will this affect your enjoyment of book 2? dunno. i haven't started that one yet... but i know how it ends.

i don't think you can go wrong with this one. regardless of your age or interests, a bit of good clean old-time book reading fun is coming your way.

Great stuff.......2002-11-14

Van Reid is just a great story teller. This is the best (so far) in his Moosepath trilogy.

Hurray for the Moosepath League!!.......2002-01-01

Hurray for the Moosepath League!! Maine novelist Van Reid now has published a series of his comic, sweet novels, each more pleasurable than the last, featuring Tobias Walton and his companions Ephram, Eagleton and Thump. His most recent offering, Daniel Plainway: Or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League, is the perfect Christmastime or winter fireside book. Woven with so many pleasurable amiable asides and subplots, the main story about a kidnaped boy and ancient Norse writings seems almost an afterthought. To take one example, Walton, whom Reid describes as "himself a pearl, and good things did seem to surround him", starts the novel losing his hat in a sudden wind; the peregrinations of that topper itself, and the goodwill it seems to bear from its owner, flow delightfully through the story. In another delightful scene, Reid waxes rhapsodically on the perfect qualities of snow for snowballs, leading to a delightful snowfall fight involving the novel's heros, villains, and local youngsters. A particularly pleasurable turn for me, a former classicist, is that the interpretation of the writings depends on hearing the Greek spoken in a seemingly nonsensical English phrase, "she'll bust her feeding." Although always lighthearted, Reid's novel is not without serious purpose, as expressed in the dialogue as to whether "there are so many people in the world willing to drive tragedy" or whether "there are as many, more, really, who are willing to put things right." In Reid's world, those who good-heartedly "put things right" - most especially the comical Moosepath League - predominate. I finished his book with a fair certainty that the same prevailed in my own place and time.

"Ever in the fore!" as Eagleton would say.......2001-08-02

'Daniel Plainway' is the third foray into the adventures of The Moosepath League for Van Reid, following 'Cordelia Underwood' and 'Mollie Peer'. If you have not read those volumes, do so now.

In this episode, the charter members of The Mossepath League encounter their alter egos in the form of the Dash-it-All Boys, while the other members of the league match themselves against a secret society, obsessed with discovering lost Viking riches, known as the Broumnage Club.

These adventures, however, are once again woven into the fabric of the continuing story of Bird, a small boy whose story has been heretofore a mystery, in great Van Reid style. That is to say brilliantly. Reid's talent for intertwining story threads is unmatched by any author in my eclectic library, and it is a singular pleasure to find recurring, peripheral characters scattered about the pages of 'Daniel Plainway', as well as 'Mollie Peer'. When these characters appear, it is sometimes to deliver a funny anecdote or story, or to be merely a small participant in an ongoing conversation; and whether identified by name, or left for me to surmise their identity myself, I always feel like a participant in an inside joke.

I would love to apprise you as to the identity of Daniel Plainway, or hint at how he is connected to young Bird, but I feel I would be diminishing your reading pleasure, not enhancing it. The best turn I could do for you, in regards to this review, is stress upon you the joy you will have in reading Van Reid's chronicles of The Moosepath League, starting with 'Cordelia Underwood', then 'Mollie Peer' and ending with 'Daniel Plainway'.

I feel confident when you are finished with this trio, you will be anticipating the fourth installment in this saga as eagerly as I am.

Average customer rating:
Daniel Plainway: Or, the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League
Van Reid
Manufacturer: Viking Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NVEMAA

Average customer rating:
Daniel Plainway: Or The Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League
Van Reid
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJA0AM

Average customer rating:
Daniel Plainway: Or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417684089

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