Systems Science

For thirty years, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse chronicled the activities of the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices as a correspondent for the New York Times. In this Very Short Introduction, she draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history and of its written and unwritten rules to show listeners how the Supreme Court really works.

Captain Sulu must quiet a world on the brink of civil war...without violating the prime directive. Created solely for audio, Cacophony takes off in an explosion of 3-D sound, in an adventure starring George Takei and enhanced with sound effects and an original score!

Crimes and violations of the law require punishment, and our legal system is set up to punish, but what if the system was recalibrated to also weigh grounds for forgiveness? What if something like bankruptcy - a fresh start for debtors - were available to people convicted of crimes? Martha Minow explores the complicated intersection of the law, justice, and forgiveness, asking whether the law should encourage people to forgive, and when courts, public officials, and specific laws should forgive.

After carving out a foothold in this odd new world, Long Fang must now defend it. Enemies swarm when the System calls for war, but cultivators thrive on the brink of disaster. As foes of incredible strength gear up to destroy Lonely Mountain, Long Fang pulls out all stops in his quest for power. But can he make it in time, or will the sect fall? Fortunately, he is no longer alone. The world's most inventive kobolds are about to turn the System on its head.

Tout commence par un mail d’alerte, en février 2022, quelques mois avant le drame qui a coûté la vie à une fillette dans une crèche à Lyon. Deux ans et demi d’investigations, 200 témoins, des lanceurs d’alerte qui risquent leur vie professionnelle, des documents explosifs démontant l’enfer du décor. Ce récit saisissant révèle les secrets de People&Baby, le "premier gestionnaire indépendant français de crèches". Un groupe qui pèserait un milliard d’euros. Mais un ogre peut en cacher bien d’autres. Un secteur qui fait bloc, des mairies complices, le sommet de l’État impliqué.

What will it take to restore balance to our world, repair past injustices, and support future generations' survival? Looking deeply into the web of life that created and supports us, and drawing inspiration from diverse cultural traditions and perspectives, spirited thinkers Michael Pawlyn and Sarah Ichioka propose a bold set of regenerative principles with potential to transform how we design, make, and manage our buildings; infrastructure; and communities.

Hear it before you see the film! The wedding celebration for Will Riker and Deanna Troi is interrupted when Captain Picard and crew are called to Romulus for an emergency diplomatic mission. They face a threat that could lead to the destruction of the planet Earth, and Picard comes face to face with a man who may prove to be his most dangerous adversary yet...and a surprisingly personal nemesis.

The Short Story of the Universe is a new introduction to the subject of the universe. Covering 130 key components that make it up - from dwarf galaxies and spiral arms to red giants and the planets of the solar system - and linking these to the universe's structure and the theories that help us understand it, this book simplifies this riveting yet mind-boggling subject, telling the story of how it came into being and how it will eventually be no more.

Jeff Alt takes you along every step of his 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail adventure. This entertaining journey includes bears, bugs, blisters, captivating characters, skunk bedmates, and hilarious food cravings. Alt walked more than five million steps in tribute to his brother, who has cerebral palsy and lives in a home called Sunshine. This trail adventure has inspired an annual event that has raised more than $200,000 for Sunshine. It includes hiking tips for the whole family.

As Starfleet diplomat Captain Sulu speeds alone across the galaxy, he is abducted by powerful, frightening dreams that return him to Sigma Cameron Four - where, 20 years earlier, he discovered traces of the ancient Shalakai, a ruthless culture with the secret to eternal life. Now, Sulu must race to stop an archaeologist before she unleashes a disastrous chain of events! Starring George Takei and recorded in 3-D sound with an original score!

Because about four weeks ago, the world simply turned. One day we had iPhones and GoPros, Mickey Mouse and hamburgers. The next day we had magic and monsters. And us humans? We became players with levels, items, and classes. Pretty ironic considering how many times my parents told me to “quit gaming and experience real life” while I was growing up. And then real life grabbed us by the balls, and it was the gamers who were prepared.

What if you died, only to wake up in a new body, in a world where magic is real and battles are fought like in a video game? That's what happens to James Thompson, who finds himself reincarnated as Talon Nightstrider, a young man with a destiny to become a powerful member of the Blackfang Guild. But Talon is not just any member; he is connected to the System, an advanced interface that displays his stats and powers, and allows him to level up like in an RPG.

A space cloud of unknown composition is on a collision course with Earth as the world holds its breath. The anomaly sails through the solar system, and the International Space Station, along with three astronauts and one cosmonaut, are thrown back to the Cretaceous period, where dinosaurs roam Earth hunting prey and great pterosaurs patrol the skies.

Who are the children of foster care? What, as a country, do we owe them? Cris Beam, a foster mother herself, spent five years immersed in the world of foster care looking into these questions and tracing firsthand stories. The result is To the End of June, an unforgettable portrait that takes us deep inside the lives of foster children in their search for a stable, loving family. Beam shows us the intricacies of growing up in the system - the back-and-forth with agencies, the rootless shuffling between homes, the emotionally charged tug between foster and birth parents.

Electronic monitoring. Locked-down drug treatment centers. House arrest. Mandated psychiatric treatment. Data-driven surveillance. Extended probation. These are some of the key alternatives held up as cost-effective substitutes for jails and prisons. But many of these so-called reforms actually widen the net, weaving in new strands of punishment and control, and bringing new populations, who would not otherwise have been subject to imprisonment, under physical control by the state.

In Formerly Known as Food, Kristin Lawless argues that, because of the degradation of our diet, our bodies are literally changing from the inside out. The billion-dollar food industry is reshaping our food preferences, altering our brains, changing the composition of our microbiota, and even affecting the expression of our genes. Lawless chronicles how this is happening and what it means for our bodies, health, and survival. An independent journalist and nutrition expert, Lawless is emerging as the voice of a new generation of food thinkers.

Imagine taking a hike along the windswept red plains of Mars to dig for signs of life or touring one of Jupiter's 64 moons, where you can photograph its swirling storms. For a shorter trip on a tight budget, the moon is quite majestic and very quiet if you can make it during the off-season. Packed with real-world science, The Vacation Guide to the Solar System is the must-have planning guide for the curious space adventurer, covering all of the essentials for your next voyage, how to get there, and what to do when you arrive.

War dawns on the Asuria continent, and Long Fang will participate. He will forge himself through blood and shed off immaturities. He will rise higher and faster than anyone—or at least try. In this war, there is no right or wrong, only victory or death. Everything is on the line. Can the Lonely Mountain sect grow, adapt, and thrive? Can Long Fang reach the peak before his enemies? The entire world watches with bated breath. This is Cultivator vs. System, and only one can triumph.

All Vanessa Williams wanted for the holidays was to escape the demands of her parents’ social schedules and find a comfortable place to work on her book. Having the opportunity to do so while enjoying the comforts of a cabin on an alien world seemed like the perfect way to pass the season. Plans change, however, when her shuttle crashes in the inhospitable mountains and she finds herself waiting out the storm in an alien castle with a male whose burning gold eyes promise forbidden pleasures.

Peter Kraemer, a physics teacher with a passion for astronomy, makes a discovery that he himself can hardly believe: Stars disappear from one day to the next, with nothing left of them. The researchers he contacts provide reassuring and logical explanations for every single case. But when Peter determines that the mysterious process is approaching our home system, he becomes more and more anxious. He alone perceives the looming catastrophe. When he believes he has found a way to avert the impending disaster, he chooses to pull out all the stops.