On December 5, 2004, the still-developing blogosphere took one of its biggest steps toward mainstream credibility, as Nobel Prize–winning economist Gary S. Becker and renowned jurist and legal scholar Richard A. Posner announced the formation of the Becker-Posner Blog. In no time, the blog had established a wide readership and reputation as a reliable source of lively, thought-provoking commentary on current events, its pithy and profound weekly essays highlighting the value of economic reasoning when applied to unexpected topics. Uncommon Sense gathers the most important and innovative entries from the blog, arranged by topic, along with updates and even reconsiderations when subsequent events have shed new light on a question. Whether it’s Posner making the economic case for the legalization of gay marriage, Becker arguing in favor of the sale of human organs for transplant, or even the pair of scholars vigorously disagreeing about the utility of collective punishment, the writing is always clear, the interplay energetic, and the resulting discussion deeply informed and intellectually substantial. To have a single thinker of the stature of a Becker or Posner addressing questions of this nature would make for fascinating reading; to have both, writing and responding to each other, is an exceptionally rare treat. With Uncommon Sense, they invite the adventurous reader to join them on a whirlwind intellectual journey. All they ask is that you leave your preconceptions behind.

Data Warehousing and Web Engineering covers two pertinent topics that are continuously advancing the effective utilization and management of information technology applications. One objective of this book is to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners to share research about technical and managerial issues associated with data warehousing and mining. The other focus of this book is the concept of Web Engineering, as it addresses how the originally intended use of the Web as a distributed system for knowledge-interchange seems to disappear, compared to the increasing number of e-Commerce Web applications. The Web as a global point of sale seems to be very promising but obviously suffered from its heritage ? the coarse-grained implementation model, which makes it harder and harder to develop, run and maintain still growing E-Commerce applications. Consequently, Web Engineering concepts are applied to Web-Based E-Commerce applications.

"Focused on the latest research on text and document management, this guide addresses the information management needs of organizations by providing the most recent findings. How the need for effective databases to house information is impacting organizations worldwide and how some organizations that possess a vast amount of data are not able to use the data in an economic and efficient manner is demonstrated. A taxonomy for object-oriented databases, metrics for controlling database complexity, and a guide to accommodating hierarchies in relational databases are provided. Also covered is how to apply Java-triggers for X-Link management and how to build signatures."

Claude Lévi-Strauss is probably the most complex anthropological theorist of all time. His work continues to influence present-day thinkers in his field, but he is perhaps even more influential beyond it. As one of the key figures in the development of what is known today as ‘French theory,’ Lévi-Strauss was one of the most important thinkers of the 20th-century. His theories of interpretation, meaning and culture have helped shape the ideas and methodologies of a range of disciplines, above all literature and philosophy. At the heart of Lévi-Strauss’s work are the questions of meaning and where meaning comes from. As an anthropologist, he was primarily interested in what completely different and separate cultures might have in common. Crucially, he saw how common ground resides not on the surface of cultures (i.e., in similar customs), but deep inside invisible background structures of thought. His quest was to peel away the surface of different cultures through careful interpretation, advancing from one layer to another until he discovered the structures that lay behind all of the exterior practices and meanings. Infamously challenging, his work shows interpretative skills working at the highest, most abstract level possible.

Most Americans admire the determination and drive of artists, athletes, and CEOs, but they seem to despise similar ambition in their elected officials. The structure of political representation and the separation of powers detailed in the United States Co

Charleston Icons celebrates the Holy City through full-color photographs and evocative essays highlighting fifty of the best places, foods, buildings, institutions, and inventions that Charleston has to offer. From the four corners of law to sweetgrass baskets, the Spoleto Festival to shrimp, grits, and boiled peanuts, this book showcases what makes Charleston special.

The history of Argentina in the second half of the twentieth century was dominated by the charismatic figures of Juan Pern and his wife Evita. Both within Argentina and in the outside world, it has come to be accepted that the populist revolution which swept through Argentina in the 1940s and profoundly transformed the political, economic and social conditions in the country was spearheaded by and Pern and Evita with little help from anyone else. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. This biography of Domingo A. Mercante profiles not only Perns closest collaborator and a man whom Evita called the heart of Pern, but also an important leader in his own right who was genuinely committed to democratic government. This book documents Mercantes essential contributions to the Peronist movement and to the history of Argentina, accomplishments that have undeservedly been obscured by the shadow cast by Pern and Evita over all other figures with whom they shared the political stage.

Cleanroom Software Engineering is a set of techniques and practices for the development of software-intensive systems. This book brings together concepts, lessons learned and best practices resulting from Cleanroom projects surveyed in the past several years.