Twin Tracks

Twin Tracks
Author: James Burke
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2010-05-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1439128758

Twin Tracks is a landmark book of real-world stories that investigates the nature of change and divines as never before the unlikely origins of many aspects of contemporary life. In each of the work's twenty-five narratives, we discover how the different outcomes of an important historical event in the past often come together again in the future. Each chapter starts with an event -- such as the U.S. attack on Tripoli in 1804 -- that generates two divergent series of consequences. After tracking each pathway as it ranges far and wide through time and space, Burke shows how the paths finally and unexpectedly converge in the modern world. Twin Tracks pinpoints the myriad ways the future is shaped, whether by love, war, accident, genius, or discovery. For instance, in "The Marriage of Figaro to Stealth Fighter," Burke's twin tracks start with the composer of the opera and the French spy from whose play he stole the plot. The tracks then encompass, among other things, freemasonry, the War of Independence, Captain Cook, jellyfish, Jane Austen, and audio tape. Ultimately, the convergence of the two Figaro tracks sets the stage for the development of Gulf War Stealth aircraft. Wonderfully accessible and lucidly written, Twin Tracks offers an amusing and instructive new view of the past and the future.

Twin Tracks

Twin Tracks
Author: Roger Bannister
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2014-04-17
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1849547386

It was a blustery late spring day in 1954 and a young Oxford medical student flung himself over the line in a mile race. There was an agonising pause, and then the timekeeper announced the record: three minutes, fifty-nine point four seconds. But no one heard anything after that first word - 'three'. One of the most iconic barriers of sport had been broken, and Roger Bannister had become the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. To this day, more men have conquered Mount Everest than have achieved what the slender, unassuming student managed that afternoon. Sixty years on and the letters still arrive on Roger Bannister's doormat, letters testifying to the enduring appeal of the four-minute mile and the example it set for the generation of budding athletes who were inspired to attempt the impossible. In this frank memoir, Sir Roger tells the full story of the talent and dedication that made him not just one of the most celebrated athletes of the last century but also a distinguished doctor, neurologist and one of the nation's best-loved public figures. With characteristically trenchant views on drugs in sport, the nature of modern athletics and record breaking, the extraordinary explosion in running as a leisure activity, and the Olympic legacy, this rare and brilliant autobiography gives a fascinating insight into the life of a man who has lived life to the fullest.

Atlas of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery

Atlas of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery
Author: Thomas C. Spoor
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 694
Release: 2009-12-04
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780415374521

Since its inception two generations ago, oculoplastic surgery has constantly evolved. What was once dogma may now be passé. Procedures that were once passé may be resurrected and utilized again. Providing simplified solutions to complex problems, Atlas of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery is a practical, problem-orientated guide to the management of common oculoplastic and orbital disorders. Based on Dr. Spoor’s thirty years of practice, the book emphasizes the more common oculoplastic conditions likely to present to a busy ophthalmologist. The text covers upper and lower eyelid surgery and repair, orbital surgery, and the prevention and treatment of potential complications. The procedures are described with surgical photos and illustrations in a casual, didactic fashion, as a senior doctor would use instructing a resident or fellow. The book is essential reading for ophthalmologists, oculoplastic surgeons, neuro-ophthalmologists and plastic surgeons.

Aphex Twin on track

Aphex Twin on track
Author: Beau Waddell
Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2023-09-05
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1789522129

One of the true musical geniuses of the late 20th and early 21st century, Richard D. James has continued to be a pioneer in the electronic music landscape throughout his prolific, multi-faceted career. James, under his myriad of aliases, laid the foundation for ambient techno, drill ‘n’ bass and dark ambient across the span of six phenomenal studio albums and a multitude of EPs and side projects. Alongside this, he has crafted a unique visual identity, expressed through his iconic logo and video collaborations with Chris Cunningham. If that wasn’t enough, he has become a figurehead for artists as diverse as Thom Yorke and Pharrell Williams. Year by year, the mythos surrounding him continues to grow, ensuring he remains as culturally prevalent as ever. With no new, officially released music since 2020, this book marks the perfect opportunity to track the course of James’ sizeable catalogue. From the well-known to the obscure, the rapid bursts of activity in the 1990s to the so-called ‘hiatus’ in the 2000s, every corner of this formidable discography is examined in vivid detail, providing insightful analysis and an impetus to discover for new listeners and hardcore fans in equal measure. Beau Waddell has been a passionate music lover since a very young age and has adored writing for nearly as long. At 16 years old, he is the youngest On Track author but has already been published in poetry and fiction collections, such as the Generation Lockdown compendium, and furthermore, he has been commissioned by Record Collector magazine. He plays guitar, creating his own music and he also prides himself on his thirst for finding new music in a variety of genres. He is particularly infatuated with rock, electronica and jazz. He lives in Watford, UK.

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 138
Release: 1990-12
Genre:
ISBN:

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech lifestyle.

Underground Space Use. Analysis of the Past and Lessons for the Future, Two Volume Set

Underground Space Use. Analysis of the Past and Lessons for the Future, Two Volume Set
Author: Sören Erdem
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 1384
Release: 2005-06-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0415889316

The 200 papers in this two-volume set are a selection of work by tunnel experts from Europe, Asia, and the USA, and also showcase the work of the host nation, Turkey. As the title implies, the scope of the book is enormous, covering every aspect of tunnelling from contract management to safety. The book is of special interest to researchers, scient

The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2005

The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2005
Author:
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2005
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9789251053843

2015 was the deadline by which world leaders pledged to reduce hunger and extreme poverty by half and to make substantial gains in education, health, social equity, environmental sustainability and international solidarity. This study examines progress towards the World Food Summit goals and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), focusing on the critical importance of reducing hunger, not only as the explicit target of MDG 1 but as an essential condition for reaching the other MDGs. Hunger and malnutrition are major causes of the deprivation and suffering targeted by all of the other MDGs. Progress towards those targets has lagged, particularly in the countries and regions where efforts to reduce hunger have stalled. Most, if not all, of the MDG targets can still be reached, but only if efforts are redoubled and refocused. And only by recognizing and acting on two key points: without rapid progress in reducing hunger, achieving all of the other MDGs will be difficult, if not impossible; and the fight to eliminate hunger and reach the other MDGs will be won or lost in the rural areas where the vast majority of the world's hungry people live.

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II
Author: Marc Weidenbaum
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 98
Release: 2014-02-13
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1623563437

Extravagantly opaque, willfully vaporous - Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II, released by the estimable British label Warp Records in 1994, rejuvenated ambient music for the Internet Age that was just dawning. In the United States, it was Richard D. James's first full length on Sire Records (home to Madonna and Depeche Mode) under the moniker Aphex Twin; Sire helped usher him in as a major force in music, electronic or otherwise. Faithful to Brian Eno's definition of ambient music, Selected Ambient Works Volume II was intentionally functional: it furnished chill out rooms, the sanctuaries amid intense raves. Choreographers and film directors began to employ it to their own ends, and in the intervening decades this background music came to the fore, adapted by classical composers who reverse-engineered its fragile textures for performance on acoustic instruments. Simultaneously, “ambient” has moved from esoteric sound art to central tenet of online culture. This book contends that despite a reputation for being beatless, the album exudes percussive curiosity, providing a sonic metaphor for our technologically mediated era of countless synchronized nanosecond metronomes.