This unprecedented anthology asks thirty-six leading literary and cultural critics to elaborate on the nature of their profession. With the humanities feeling the pinch of financial and political pressures, and its disciplines resting on increasingly uncertain conceptual ground, there couldn't be a better time for critics to reassert their widespread relevance and purpose. These credos boldly defend the function of criticism in contemporary society and showcase its vitality in the era after theory. Essays address literature and politics, with some focusing on the sorry state of higher education and others concentrating on teaching and the fate of the humanities. All reflect the critics' personal, particular experiences. Deeply personal and engaging, these stories move, amuse, and inspire, ultimately encouraging the reader to develop his or her own critical credo with which to approach the world. Reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future, and committed to the power of productive critical thought, this volume proves the value of criticism for today's skeptical audiences. Contributors: Andrew Ross, Amitava Kumar, Lisa Lowe, Vincent B. Leitch, Craig Womack, Jeffrey J. Williams, Marc Bousquet, Katie Hogan, Michelle A. Massé, John Conley, Heather Steffen, Paul Lauter, Cary Nelson, David B. Downing, Barbara Foley, Michael Bérubé, Victor Cohen, Gerald Graff, William Germano, Ann Pellegrini, Bruce Robbins, Kenneth Warren, Diana Fuss, Lauren Berlant, Toril Moi, Morris Dickstein, Rita Felski, David R. Shumway, Mark Bauerlein, Devoney Looser, Stephen Burt, Mark Greif, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Mark McGurl, Frances Negrón-Muntaner, Judith Jack Halberstam

This unprecedented anthology asks thirty-six leading literary and cultural critics to elaborate on their profession, reasserting its widespread relevance and purpose. These credos boldly defend the function of criticism in contemporary society and showcase its vitality in the era after theory. Essays address literature and politics, with some focusing on the sorry state of higher education and others concentrating on teaching and the fate of the humanities. All reflect the critics' personal, particular, and deeply engaging experiences. Their stories move, amuse, and inspire the reader to develop his or her own critical credo for approaching the world. Reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future, and committed to the power of productive critical thought, this volume proves the value of criticism for today's skeptical audiences.

There are many conferences, workshops and meetings annually around the world, each emphasizing a specialty area for scientific exploration and research. Yet in very few instances, if at all, do the multidisciplinary aspects of science get presented so one may see the diversity of dependencies these seemingly disparate disciplines actually have. The Explorers Club and the U. S. National Park Service collaborated to make a first attempt at what will continue to be an "ocean pulse'" effort; conferences combining the aquaculture sciences; the search for underwater antiquities and the marinelbio-technologies utilized to explore these areas. The purpose has been to bring together not just academicians to talk about their finding in the field or the laboratory, but to provide a forum for the practical applications of "technology" to expanding our worlds fisheries as well as to continue to explore our world's oceans; the earth's truly last frontier. After everything is said and done, we still know precious little about our ocean environments. Their influences on our lives are monumental and yet we continue to be very parochial and conservative in our dedication to exploring their depths and resources. We feel confident that this initial effort by our respective groups to awaken a realization in the public and private sectors of the need for a cross-disciplinary approach to scientific research in the marine environment, is a necessity as we approach the 21 st century. Kevin C.

Understanding business performance and financial data in terms of trends and forecasts changes everything. Even though the science of predictive analytics is complex, the Corelytics Financial Dashboard makes the power of this information easy to use by all business owners and managers. When the dashboard is combined with a management process, and even better when assisted by a professional advisor, business leaders can achieve a much greater precision in setting and achieving goals. Corelytics uses business intelligence (BI) concepts, combining external market metrics and benchmarks in combination with internal ratios, trends and metrics to show business leaders exactly how their company or organization is performing in comparison to market averages and to internal goals. Corelytics uses data directly from the company?s accounting system so that no data entry is required. Corelytics is used by small and medium-sized businesses in North America, Europe, Australia, and in approximately 30 other countries around the world. Corelytics is used by service companies, retailers, not for profit organizations, manufactures, in a large and growing list of industries. The goal of this book is to help business owners and managers take advantage of new financial management tools and disciplines in order to improve their survival rate and to build economic value that will benefit business owners and the general public.

Unlike other fields of medicine, with their occasional “oddities,” the Intensive Care Unit sets the stage for a steady stream of unique medical challenges and patients who don’t fit a standard profile. Fainting Pulse is a compelling compilation of stories based on these real-life cases—and told by the doctor who lived them. While some patients come and go from critical care quickly and uneventfully, others leave a permanent mark on their caregiver’s souls. Among the dramatic stabbings, shootings, and freak car crashes, there are stories of exceptional patients and exceptional circumstances. Fainting Pulse shares some of these stories—from a woman struck by lightning to a man whose toothpick habit is nearly fatal; from swine flu to maggot therapy—with compassion, respect, and a healthy dose of humor.