Japan is arguably today's most successful industrial economy, combining almost unprecedented affluence with social stability and apparent harmony. Japanese goods and cultural products are consumed all over the world, ranging from animated movies and computer games all the way through to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques. In many ways, Japan is an icon of the modern world, and yet it remains something of an enigma to many, who see it as a confusing montage of the alien and the fa...

the most comprehensive guide I have ever read for solving any conceivable trying scenario!"--Julie Jansen, bestselling author of You Want Me to Work with Who? and I Don't Know What I Want, but I Know It's Not This You can't stop office madness, but you can stop the madness from getting to you.Gossipy coworkers, unmanageable managers, and cranky clients have got you pulling your hair out and gnawing your nails down to nubs. From teammates who drop the ball on deadlines to corporate bullies who...

This third volume of the best-selling "Data Model Resource Book" series revolutionizes the data modeling discipline by answering the question "How can you save significant time while improving the quality of any type of data modeling effort?" In contrast to the first two volumes, this new volume focuses on the fundamental, underlying patterns that affect over 50 percent of most data modeling efforts. These patterns can be used to considerably reduce modeling time and cost, to jump-start data ...

Basic Dutch: A Grammar and Workbook comprises an accessible reference grammar and related exercises in a single volume. This Workbook presents twenty-five individual grammar points in realistic contexts, providing a grammatical approach which will allow students not already familiar with these structures to become accustomed to their use. Grammar points are followed by examples and exercises allowing students to reinforce and consolidate their learning.

Suitable for class use or self-study, B...

This is the first book to explore all central issues surrounding the relationship between the film-image and philosophy. It tackles the work of particular philosophers of film (Zizek, Deleuze and Cavell) as well as general philosophical positions (Cognitivist and Culturalist), and analyses the ability of film to teach and create philosophy.

The Challenge of Change is everyones favorite phrase these days. And for good reason. Never has the need been greater in education for reform that results in both individual and societal benefits." —From the Introduction A cohesive, multi-level approach for sustainable educational reform!With practical insights and critical analysis, this completely revised edition of The Challenge of School Change sheds new light on the widely discussed topic of school change and analyzes the concept ...

Islamic Central Asia is the first English-language anthology of primary documents for the study of Central Asian history. Scott C. Levi and Ron Sela draw from a vast array of historical sources to illustrate important aspects of the social, cultural, political, and economic history of Islamic Central Asia.

These documents—many newly translated and most not readily available for study—cover the period from the 7th-century Arab conquests to the 19th-century Russian colonial era and provide ...

Presents the research in media psychology, bridging selective exposure into a larger framework of choice in media usage. Considering the myriad media options available to use, this work seeks to answer such questions as: what mechanisms guide an individual's exposure to/choice of media and how can researchers model them.

Here is an intellectual extravaganza, a dazzling history of the key institutions that have shaped and channeled knowledge in the West from the classical period to the present. Fashioned with elegance and wit, this exhilarating survey carries us through the pivotal points of institutional change and cultural transformation. It is full of memorable characters, from the flamboyant founder of the great library at Alexandria and the arrogant medieval logician Peter Abelard to the dashing global ad...

Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens.

Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens.

We all had the basic rules of punctuation drilled into us at school, but punctuation pedants have g...