A team of top-notch physicists, mathematicians and engineers sets out to build the ultimate calculation engine, a quantum computer. However, what starts as a series of rather esoteric experiments in quantum physics soon develops into a terrifying threat for the team and escalates rapidly to a conflict of global proportions, challenging the world's mightiest powers.

What horrors will the twenty-first century bring? For many people, a clash of civilizations and a perilous return to great power rivalries are the dominant visions of things to come. Fueled by daily headlines, overwhelming majorities of people from all walks of life consider the world to be a far more chaotic, frightening, and ultimately more dangerous place than ever before. Christopher J. Fettweis argues that these impressions, however widespread, are wrong. Dangerous Times? is an examination of international politics that reveals both theoretical logic and empirical data that support the vision of a future where wars between great powers are unlikely and transnational threats can be contained. Despite popular perception, today a far greater percentage of the world’s population lives in peace than at any time in history, and the number and intensity of all types of warfare have dropped steadily since the early 1990s. Terrorism, though reprehensible, can be combated and can actually increase international cooperation among states fighting a common threat. World wars like those of the twentieth century—the true clash of civilizations—are unlikely to be repeated in the close-knit world of the twenty-first century. In this sharp and insightful book, Fettweis discusses this revolution in human history and its ramifications for international relations theory. He suggests a new vision for a more restrained U.S. grand strategy and foreign policy and reveals how, despite pessimistic perceptions to the contrary, the world is more likely entering a golden age of peace and security.

In this book, philosopher Seumas Miller analyzes the various moral justifications and moral responsibilities involved in the use of lethal force by police and military, relying on a distinctive normative teleological account of institutional roles. Miller covers a variety of urgent and morally complex topics, including police shootings of armed offenders, police shooting of suicide-bombers, targeted killing, autonomous weapons, humanitarian armed intervention, and civilian immunity.

Bacterial Physiology focuses on the physiology and chemistry of microorganisms and the value of bacterial physiology in the other fields of biology. The selection first underscores the chemistry and structure of bacterial cells, including the chemical composition of cells, direct and indirect methods of cytology, vegetative multiplication, spores of bacteria, and cell structure. The text then elaborates on inheritance, variation, and adaptation and growth of bacteria. The publication reviews the physical and chemical factors affecting growth and death. Topics include hydrogen ion concentration and osmotic pressure; surface and other forces determining the distribution of bacteria in their environment; dynamics of disinfection and bacteriostasis; bacterial resistance; and types of antibacterial agents. The text also ponders on the anaerobic dissimilation of carbohydrates, bacterial oxidations, and autotrophic assimilation of carbon dioxide. The selection is a dependable reference for readers interested in bacterial physiology.

This sourcebook provides complete, up-to-date coverage of all aspects of performance management -- communication, coaching, measuring, rating, reviewing, and developing. It is a collection of articles from today's most authoritative sources which have been pre-selected and organized by experts to make it easy for you to get the best information on current trends in the field. This is an invaluable resource for those who are designing, managing, and evaluating performance management systems. It links performance management to strategy, and discusses it as an organizational culture change mechanism. The articles and other resources have been carefully selected to emphasize application, which makes this a practical how to sourcebook on all aspects of performance. Also included are ready-to-use, fully reproducible handouts, questionnaires, transparency masters, and other materials to use in presentations and training.

Exclusive City of Heroes Artwork • Complete maps for all Zones featuring massive amounts of exclusive info • Strategy for building the ideal Archetypes • Complete power lists with full stats • Strategy covering the all-new Base building elements • Appendices containing Badge locations, Task Force info, and more Includes a Complete Binder System: • Customizable — Color-coded sections for custom organization • Simple — Individual 3-hole-punched pages of clearly organized information make this binder a snap to use • Organized — Keep all of your City of Heroes information in one place for easy reference