Immediately after the Second World War, the radio was the best-preserved medium of mass communication in Germany. This book explores the implications of this dominance by asking how everyday broadcasting constructed ideas of 'normal' times, people and places in the destroyed, divided and occupied zones of what would become the Federal Republic.

Besides its obvious destructive potential, military R&D also serves to protect human lives, equipment and facilities against the effects of weapons. Concepts have therefore been developed that improve safety of stationary and mobile facilities against pressure waves, thermal radiation and fire. Effective, fast fire extinguishing equipment has been designed for tank compartments and motors. Closed buildings are demolished and landmines are removed with gas and dust explosions. Stringent safety requirements have been developed for the production of ammunition and explosives. Military and related industries have accumulated a vast knowledge and sophisticated experience that are very valuable in a variety of civil applications. The knowledge is based on theoretical and experimental research work, the origin of which sometimes dates back many centuries. It has often been classified and therefore has remained unknown to the civilian population, until now.

The Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.) was a transformational period in ancient Egypt, during which older artistic conventions, cultural principles, religious beliefs, and political systems were revived and reimagined. Ancient Egypt Transformed presents a comprehensive picture of the art of the Middle Kingdom, arguably the least known of Egypt’s three kingdoms and yet one that saw the creation of powerful, compelling works rendered with great subtlety and sensitivity. The book brings together nearly 300 diverse works— including sculpture, relief decoration, stelae, jewelry, coffins, funerary objects, and personal possessions from the world’s leading collections of Egyptian art. Essays on architecture, statuary, tomb and temple relief decoration, and stele explore how Middle Kingdom artists adapted forms and iconography of the Old Kingdom, using existing conventions to create strikingly original works. Twelve lavishly illustrated chapters, each with a scholarly essay and entries on related objects, begin with discussions of the distinctive art that arose in the south during the early Middle Kingdom, the artistic developments that followed the return to Egypt’s traditional capital in the north, and the renewed construction of pyramid complexes. Thematic chapters devoted to the pharaoh, royal women, the court, and the vital role of family explore art created for different strata of Egyptian society, while others provide insight into Egypt’s expanding relations with foreign lands and the themes of Middle Kingdom literature. The era’s religious beliefs and practices, such as the pilgrimage to Abydos, are revealed through magnificent objects created for tombs, chapels, and temples. Finally, the book discusses Middle Kingdom archaeological sites, including excavations undertaken by the Metropolitan Museum over a number of decades. Written by an international team of respected Egyptologists and Middle Kingdom specialists, the text provides recent scholarship and fresh insights, making the book an authoritative resource.

Much has been written about the vast scientific importance of space exploration, but very little about the human side of being a member of an astronaut crew. In this book, with the help of journalist Susan Okie, Sally Ride shares the personal experience of traveling into space.America's first woman astronaut answers questions most frequently asked about a journey through space.