Players Two


Book Description

Rick Day's opulent co ffee-table books Players and Players Two both became instant bestsellers. At first glance, the photographs are all about sports, about immaculate and trained bodies in rugby wear, tight trunks or nothing at all. But Rick Day doesn't just take pictures of masculine sex appeal. His work impresses with an almost corporeal tension. The interaction of straightforwardness and intimacy keeps us wondering: Who is the subject and who is the object? Rick Day's photographs are perfectly staged. All Players is a 288-page collection of all new material.




Ready Player Two


Book Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The thrilling sequel to the beloved worldwide bestseller Ready Player One, the near-future adventure that inspired the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • “The game is on again. . . . A great mix of exciting fantasy and threatening fact.”—The Wall Street Journal AN UNEXPECTED QUEST. TWO WORLDS AT STAKE. ARE YOU READY? Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday’s vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous—and addictive—than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest—a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who’ll kill millions to get what he wants. Wade’s life and the future of the OASIS are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance. Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action-packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again.




Bruce Nauman


Book Description

"From the beginning I was trying to see if I could make art that did that. Art that was just there all at once. Like getting hit in the face with a baseball bat. Or better yet, like getting hit in the back of the neck. You never see it coming; it just knocks you down. I like that idea very much: the kind of intensity that doesn't give you any trace of whether you're going to like it or not."—Bruce Nauman "Bruce Nauman's art is about heightened awareness, awareness of spaces we usually don't notice (the one under the chair, out of which he made a sculpture) and sounds we don't listen for (the one in the coffin), awareness of emotions we suppress or dread... It's hard to feel indifferent to work like his."—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times One of America's most important artists, Bruce Nauman has worked in a dazzling variety of media since the mid-1960s: sculpture, photography, performance, installation, sound, holography, film, and video. What has been a constant throughout his career, however, is his persistence in exploring both art as an investigation of the self and the power of language to define that self. The latest volume in the acclaimed Art + Performance series is the first book to combine the key critical writings on Nauman with the artist's own writings and interviews with him, as well as images of his work. Bruce Nauman offers a multifaceted portrait of an artist whose determination to experiment with style and form has created a body of work as eclectic and perhaps more influential than that of any other living American artist.




Nim


Book Description

Educational title for gifted and advanced learners.




Videogame, player, text


Book Description

Videogame, player, text examines the playing and playful subject through a series of analytical essays focused on particular videogames and playing experiences. With essays from a range of internationally renowned game scholars, the major aim of this collection is to show how it is that videogames communicate their meanings and provide their pleasures. Each essay focuses on specific examples of gameplay dynamics to tease out the specificities of videogames as a new form of interaction between text and digital technology for the purposes of entertainment. That modes of engagement with the videogame text are many and varied, and construct the playing subject in different ways, provides the central theme of Videogame,player, text. Online play, clan membership, competitive or co-operative play, player modification of game texts, and the solo play of a single player are each addressed through individual analyses of the gameplay experiences produced by, for example, The Sims, Grand Theft Auto, Prince of Persia, Doom, Quake, World of Warcraft, StreetFighter and Civilisation.




Algorithmic Game Theory


Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Algorithmic Game Theory, SAGT 2020, held in Augsburg, Germany, in September 2020.* The 21 full papers presented together with 3 abstract papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 53 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections named: auctions and mechanism design, congestion games and flows over time, markets and matchings, scheduling and games on graphs, and social choice and cooperative games. * The conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.




Algorithmic and Architectural Gaming Design: Implementation and Development


Book Description

Video games represent a unique blend of programming, art, music, and unbridled creativity. To the general public, they are perhaps the most exciting computer applications ever undertaken. In the field of computer science, they have been the impetus for a continuous stream of innovations designed to provide gaming enthusiasts with the most realistic and enjoyable gaming experience possible. Algorithmic and Architectural Gaming Design: Implementation and Development discusses the most recent advances in the field of video game design, with particular emphasis on practical examples of game development, including design and implementation. The target audience of this book includes educators, students, practitioners, professionals, and researchers working in the area of video game design and development. Anyone actively developing video games will benefit from the practical application of fundamental computer science concepts demonstrated in this book.




An Inquiry Into Vigilance and Corruption


Book Description

This book is a treatise on vigilance; compliance and anti-corruption. It is based on empirical and realistic approach to the subject; with some interpretations from ancient wisdoms. The book will be of interest to bureaucrats and senior managers in government; public and private sectors; and to political practitioners and policy-makers. Vigilance is founded on the premise that honesty is the best policy. But; at times; it appears counter intuitive and not borne out from the real-life experiences. If vigilance were so easy to comprehend and unconditionally acceptable; then perhaps there would have been no need to teach vigilance; or write any book on it. It would have been instinctive. All of us would have just followed the dogma. There are four types of corruption: 1. Tribute 2. Coercive corruption 3. Collusive corruption 4. Mass indoctrination Vigilance authorities concentrate on curbing tributes and coercive corruptions; but collusive corruptions and mass indoctrinations are far more lethal and damaging. The book emphasizes on these two later forms of corruption. AN INQUIRY INTO VIGILANCE AND CORRUPTION by BARUN KUMAR SAHU (IAS): Authored by Barun Kumar Sahu, an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, this book delves into the critical issues of vigilance and corruption. It explores the complexities and challenges related to these issues, drawing upon the author's extensive experience and expertise in the field of governance. The book offers insights into strategies to combat corruption and promote vigilance in public administration. Key Aspects of the Book "AN INQUIRY INTO VIGILANCE AND CORRUPTION by BARUN KUMAR SAHU (IAS)": Expert Perspective: The book is authored by Barun Kumar Sahu, an IAS officer, and draws upon his deep knowledge and experience in matters related to vigilance and corruption. Exploring Key Issues: It delves into the complexities of vigilance and corruption, providing readers with a deeper understanding of these critical challenges in public administration. Strategies for Change: The book offers insights into strategies and approaches to combat corruption and promote vigilance, making it a valuable resource for policymakers and administrators. Author Barun Kumar Sahu, an IAS officer, contributes his expertise to shed light on the important issues of vigilance and corruption, offering valuable insights and strategies for addressing these challenges.




Playing for Dollars


Book Description

Fans of professional sports have been forced to pay attention to labor relations in the last five years. The 1994—1995 season reminded baseball enthusiasts that a player's strike can mean something more than a swing and a miss, and the fans of other sports have experienced similar frustrations. In Playing for Dollars, Paul D. Staudohar analyzes the business dimension of sports with a timely assessment of the interactions among labor, management, and government in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Author of The Sports Industry and Collective Bargaining, an earlier version of the current volume, Staudohar describes the mechanics of contract and salary negotiations, including the pivotal issue of free agency. He explains how unions became established in sports, how the balance of power shifted between owners and players, and how the salaries of stars escalated. He investigates the gambling controversies and changing drug policies that have sometimes alienated fans and comments, as well, on the impact AIDS has had on professional sports. Sports events are media events and Staudohar takes a look at the effects of television contracts and international expansion. He also considers the future of team sports, discussing league expansion, prospects for growth, and the issue of franchise relocation.




Teaching


Book Description