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Reviews the history of AI and discusses some of the roadblocks that the field has overcome. Weaving disparate threads together in an enlightening manner from cybernetics, computer science, psychology, philosophy of mind, neurophysiology, game theory, and economics, this book provides a glimpse into the possibilities and dilemmas.

Reflects on the happiness and difficulties we encounter at each stage of life, pointing out that all growth requires separation from previous attachments. This book explains what is required for personal growth, details the aspects of life that touch us profoundly, and lays out the choices that can lead to the highest state of humanness possible.

Over the centuries the starry night sky has inspired poets and scientists alike, and though the fruits of these inspirations take very different forms, they often enrich each other. This book celebrates the complementary visions of human wonder and curiosity that are expressed in the separate disciplines of poetry and astronomy.

For over fifty years Dr Robert Spencer (1889-1969) practiced medicine in the small coal-mining town of Ashland, PA. He gained another kind of notoriety for performing safe and reliable abortions. This book presents his biography. It is suitable for those interested in the issue of abortion.

Highlights the problem areas common to the codes that should be changed and recommends ways that seniors can protect themselves to preserve their personal and financial freedom in their retirement years. This book suggests alternatives to conservatorships and guardianships that exist in states to help the elderly with aspects of daily living.

While masturbation is a universal behaviour, there are differences in motivation, frequency, technique, and fantasy patterns between men and women. The author discusses these differences while emphasising that masturbation can be good sex and should be experienced for pleasure not just as a tension release.

Antisocial behavior takes on many forms, from rebellious teens with green hair and pierced skin to the truly dangerous homicidal individuals whose horrible stories fill our newspapers. This work examines the familial and societal causes, and proposes solutions to the problem - including radical changes to our educational system and the mass media.

Michel Foucault''s Force of Light offers a comprehensive, chronological reading of Foucault''s published, and many unpublished, writings. James Bernauer claims that Foucault''s achievement was to have fashioned a series of inquiries that makes it possible to question the activity of thought itself as an ethical practice. Foucault''s ethic historicizes Kant''s great questions on knowledge, obligation, and hope. He asks not "What can I know?" but rather "How have my questions been produced? How has the path of my knowing been determined?" Not "What ought I to know?" or "What may I hope for?" by "How have the parameters of my aspirations been defined?"

Born in Venezuela in 1920, Benacerraf's childhood was spent in Paris, until fear of war with Nazi Germany compelled his family to flee to Venezuela in 1939. By the time he received a Nobel prize in 1980 for his discovery of immune response genes, he had travelled a long way on the road to success. This book presents the story of his life.

Argues that we can reduce alarming rates of sexually transmitted disease, sexual violence and abuse, and unwanted pregnancy through responsible co-operative action. This work provides an analysis of these problems which demonstrates that our sexual malaise emerged from Victorian attitudes, religious intolerance, and misconceptions about sexuality.

Features stories focusing on the development and existence of the male, the trials and tribulations of adolescence, maturity, and old age. This book takes complicated emotional experiences and presents them clarity allowing readers to vicariously share the experience.

From a rural town in Florida to the NFL Hall of Fame, this title tells the story of Deacon's rise to the top of the heap in the National Football League. It refers to the lightning move popularised by Jones in the early days of the game, when a player could rattle the cage (or at least the helmet) of a blocker by belting him alongside the head.

Nearly half of all Americans believe in existence of extraterrestrials, and many are also convinced that aliens have visited Earth at some point in history. This book traces the origins of a belief in these visitors to the work of HP Lovecraft. It also argues that the appeal of such myths is a troubling sign in an age when science is successful.

Representing one-fourth of the population, German-Americans constitute the largest ethnic element, according to the US Census, with over 60 million people claiming German heritage. This book provides a comprehensive record of the essential facts in the history of this group, from its first US settlements in the seventeenth century to the present.

Features essays on religion, free thought, and nationalism.

A woman planning a dinner party calls a gourmet caterer and learns that "Chateaubriand" can be ordered. To which she responds, "No, thanks. We're going to take care of the wine ourselves." The dead silence at the end of the phone is her first clue that something is amiss. A CEO attempts to put an end to complaints from employees about the demeaning behavior of certain managers by berating the managers before the staff ¿ thus reinforcing the very behavior he's trying to correct. We often criticize such incidents with remarks like "How dumb!" or "What was he thinking?" But psychologist Madeleine L. Van Hecke argues that much of what we label stupidity can better be explained as blind spots. Just as the blind spot in the driver's side mirror can swallow up a passing car, patterns in the way we think can likewise become blind spots, sifting out information and observations that to other people seem obvious. Drawing on research in creativity, cognitive psychology, critical thinking, child development, education, and philosophy, Dr. Van Hecke shows how our assets as thinkers create the very blind spots that become our worst liabilities. She devotes a chapter to each of ten mental blind spots that afflict even the smartest people: not stopping to think, jumping to conclusions, my-side bias, getting trapped by categories, and much more. At the end of each chapter she offers tactics for overcoming that specific blind spot, so we can become more creative and competent thinkers.Full of funny, poignant stories about human foibles, Blind Spots offers many insights for improving our social and political lives while giving us fresh slants into the minds of people who are poles apart from ourselves.

Presents a systematic critique of Edward Said's work "Orientalism". This book looks at the destructive influence of Said's study on the history of Western painting, especially of the 19th century, and shows how the epigones of Said have succeeded in relegating thousands of first-class paintings to the lofts and storage rooms of major museums.

Contains the principal texts of the sceptical tradition from its origins in antiquity to contemporary philosophy. This work includes the writings of influential philosophers of the Western tradition who either advanced sceptical views or dealt with sceptical issues for other philosophical or religious purposes.

Brings together non-technical articles by leading scientific researchers and clinicians to help answer questions concerning mental health care such as: How should I select a therapist? How can I tell the difference between scientifically valid and questionable psychotherapy? Can I trust the diagnosis I have received?

Describes how Buffalo has been battered by the tides of history. This work tells the story of twentieth-century Buffalo, New York. It also covers developments such as: the rise and decline of the city's downtown and ethnic neighbourhoods; the impact of racial change and suburbanisation; urban politics, urban design, and city planning; and more.

A worker for the only US plant licensed to produce anthrax dies, the victim of a heart attack. But what caused his heart to stop beating? Written by a veteran medical examiner, this book takes readers into the world of forensic pathology, as he solves these and many other cases.

Talks about Einstein's theory of relativity and its paradigm-shifting implications for philosophy and common-sense notions of reality. Explaining both the special and general theories of relativity, this book introduces readers to Einstein's theories and the importance of the physicist's contributions.

New treatments and advances in therapy for the ravages of Parkinson's disease are constantly being researched and perfected for patients. This second edition covers a variety of topics, providing information and suggestions for patients, families, and caregivers to aid them as they grapple with this chronic, debilitating neurological disorder.

Contains three debates - "Rome of Reason", "Controversy on Christianity", and "The Limits of Toleration" - between the great American freethinker Robert G Ingersoll (1833-1899) and leading Christian churchmen and statesmen of his own day, including Cardinal Edward Manning and William Gladstone.

On the morning of April 16, 1988, the emergency squad was called to the office of Dr Richard P Boggs, a neurologist in California. On the floor of the examining room was the body of Melvin E Hanson, the vice president of the Just Sweats athletic clothing store chain, based in Columbus, Ohio. This investigative report reveals a deadly con game.

Argues that modern feminism grew out of the 19th-century Woman Movement which, like 19th-century thinking, became a battleground between individualist and collectivist ideas. This book examines this history, gives an overview of the contemporary scene, and analyses the campaign to pass and ratify an equal rights amendment - and its failure.

Most people are quick to note the profound influence that religion has played in African-American history. But few are aware of the role humanism played in shaping the black experience. This work demonstrates the strong influence that humanism and free-thought had in developing the history and ideals of black intellectualism.

Tackles the questions concerning the existence of universals, the nature of causation, understanding personal identity, the tangled web of free will, and the challenges posed by the advent of artificial intelligence.