A philosopher/mechanic's wise (and sometimes funny) look at the challenges and pleasures of working with one's hands “This is a deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real, hands-on knowledge. The book is also quirky, surprising, and sometimes quite moving.” —Richard Sennett, author of The Craftsman Called “the sleeper hit of the publishing season” by The Boston Globe, Shop Class as Soulcraft became an instant bestseller, attracting readers with its radical (and timely) reappraisal of the merits of skilled manual labor. On both economic and psychological grounds, author Matthew B. Crawford questions the educational imperative of turning everyone into a “knowledge worker,” based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing. Using his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, Crawford presents a wonderfully articulated call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live concretely in an ever more abstract world.

Chris Crawford on Game Design is all about the foundational skills behind the design and architecture of a game. Without these skills, designers and developers lack the understanding to work with the tools and techniques used in the industry today. Chris Crawford, the most highly sought after expert in this area, brings an intense opinion piece full of personality and flare like no other person in this industry can. He explains the foundational and fundamental concepts needed to get the most out of game development today. An exceptional precursor to the two books soon to be published by New Riders with author Andrew Rollings, this book teaches key lessons; including, what you can learn from the history of game play and historical games, necessity of challenge in game play, applying dimensions of conflict, understanding low and high interactivity designs, watching for the inclusion of creativity, and understanding the importance of storytelling. In addition, Chris brings you the wish list of games he'd like to build and tells you how to do it. Game developers and designers will kill for this information!

The hidden costs of artificial intelligence, from natural resources and labor to privacy and freedom What happens when artificial intelligence saturates political life and depletes the planet? How is AI shaping our understanding of ourselves and our societies? In this book Kate Crawford reveals how this planetary network is fueling a shift toward undemocratic governance and increased inequality. Drawing on more than a decade of research, award-winning science, and technology, Crawford reveals how AI is a technology of extraction: from the energy and minerals needed to build and sustain its infrastructure, to the exploited workers behind "automated" services, to the data AI collects from us. Rather than taking a narrow focus on code and algorithms, Crawford offers us a political and a material perspective on what it takes to make artificial intelligence and where it goes wrong. While technical systems present a veneer of objectivity, they are always systems of power. This is an urgent account of what is at stake as technology companies use artificial intelligence to reshape the world.

As a game designer or new media storyteller, you know that the story is critical to the success of your project. Telling that story interactively is an even greater challenge, one that involves approaching the story from many angles. Here to help you navigate and open your mind to more creative ways of producing your stories is the authority on interactive design and a longtime game development guru, Chris Crawford. To help you in your quest for the truly interactive story, Crawford provides a solid sampling of what works and doesn't work, and how to apply the lessons to your own storytelling projects. After laying out the fundamental ideas behind interactive storytelling and explaining some of the misconceptions that have crippled past efforts, the book delves into all the major systems that go into interactive storytelling: personality models, actors, props, stages, fate, verbs, history books, and more. Crawford also covers the Storytron technology he has been working on for several years, an engine that runs interactive electonic storyworlds, giving readers a first-hand look into practical storytelling methods.

This book presents in a single volume the basic essentials of the properties and processing behaviour of plastics and composites. The aim is to give engineers and technologists a sound understanding of basic principles without the introduction of unduly complex levels of mathematics or chemistry and thereby set plastics in their proper context as engineering materials. This textbook pioneered the approach whereby both properties and processing of reinforced and unreinforced plastics are covered in a single volume. It assumes no prior knowledge of plastics, and emphasises the practical aspects of the subject. In this third edition over half the book has been re-written and the remainder has been updated and re-organised. Early chapters give an introduction to the types of plastics which are currently available and describe how a designer goes about the selection of a plastic for a particular application. Later chapters lead the reader into more advanced aspects of mechanical design and analysis of polymer melt flow. All techniques developed are illustrated by numerous worked examples, and problems are given at the end of each chapter - the solutions to which form one of the appendices.

In Gullah Spirituals musicologist Eric Crawford traces Gullah Geechee songs from their beginnings in West Africa to their height as songs for social change and Black identity in the twentieth century American South. While much has been done to study, preserve, and interpret Gullah culture in the lowcountry and sea islands of South Carolina and Georgia, some traditions like the shouting and rowing songs have been all but forgotten. This work, which focuses primarily on South Carolina's St. Helena Island, illuminates the remarkable history, survival, and influence of spirituals since the earliest recordings in the 1860s. Grounded in an oral tradition with a dynamic and evolving character, spirituals proved equally adaptable for use during social and political unrest and in unlikely circumstances. Most notably, the island's songs were used at the turn of the century to help rally support for the United States' involvement in World War I and to calm racial tensions between black and white soldiers. In the 1960s, civil rights activists adopted spirituals as freedom songs, though many were unaware of their connection to the island. Gullah Spirituals uses fieldwork, personal recordings, and oral interviews to build upon earlier studies and includes an appendix with more than fifty transcriptions of St. Helena spirituals, many no longer performed and more than half derived from Crawford's own transcriptions. Through this work, Crawford hopes to restore the cultural memory lost to time while tracing the long arc and historical significance of the St. Helena spirituals.

From traditional Native American music through rock, this book explores what it is that makes American music. Crawford (U. Michigan) believes music in the United States can be split into three categories: folk or traditional music, which emphasizes continuity and preservation of community custom; popular, which seeks mostly to find paying audiences; and classical, which prioritizes the music itself over all else. This book sets each work, group or composer in its time, juggling political, social and musical history to emphasize influences on the music, and how it was perceived by its listeners. Everything from slave songs, Duke Ellington and Janis Joplin are in this text. Contains bandw photographs. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

In F. Marion Crawford's 'Whosoever Shall Offend,' readers are transported to the bustling streets of Italy, where a complex tale of love, betrayal, and redemption unfolds. Crawford's unique blend of gothic atmosphere and romantic themes sets this novel apart as a literary gem of the late 19th century. The vivid descriptions of Italian landscapes and the intricately woven plot make it a captivating read for those interested in historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. The book's exploration of morality and human nature adds depth to the narrative, inviting readers to ponder the consequences of their actions. F. Marion Crawford's elegant prose and attention to detail illuminate the characters' inner struggles, making 'Whosoever Shall Offend' a compelling and thought-provoking read. F. Marion Crawford's background as a student of folklore and history is evident in the rich tapestry of cultural references and mythological motifs woven throughout 'Whosoever Shall Offend.' His deep understanding of Italian customs and traditions lends authenticity to the setting, enhancing the reader's immersion in the story. Crawford's passion for storytelling and gift for creating vivid imagery shine through in this classic work of fiction. For fans of gothic literature and historical romance, 'Whosoever Shall Offend' is a must-read. Filled with suspense, intrigue, and moments of profound introspection, this novel offers a captivating glimpse into the complexities of human relationships and the enduring power of redemption. F. Marion Crawford's masterful storytelling and compelling narrative make this book a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today.