Want to amaze and astound party guests with witty repartee, dazzling erudition, and conversational savvy? "The Portable Pundit" covers questions like: What is that whole Director's Cut thing about? Into which Circle of Hell might you place Homer Simpson? How can I use adjectives like "Proustian" and "Joycean"? What influence did Plato have on the film The Matrix? From Art History to Philosophy, Wall Street to the Internet, "The Portable Pundit" has it covered.

The main themes of this conference are experimental investigations into deformation properties - from very small strains to beyond failure, laboratory, in-situ and field observation interpretations, and behaviour characterization and modelling. Emphasis is placed on exploring recent investigations into time-related stresses, and on applying advanced geotechnical testing to real engineering problems.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the techniques involved in testing concrete in structures, Testing of Concrete in Structures discusses both established techniques and new methods, showing potential for future development, and documenting them with illustrative examples. Topics have been expanded where significant advances have taken place in the field, for example integrity assessment, sub-surface radar, corrosion assessment and localized dynamic response tests. This fourth edition also covers the new trends in equipment and procedures, such as the continuation of general moves to automate test methods and developments in digital technology and the growing importance of performance monitoring, and includes new and updated references to standards. The non-specialist civil engineer involved in assessment, repair or maintenance of concrete structures will find this a thorough update.

This new handbook fills the need for in-depth coverage of concrete construction engineering and technology. It features discussions on what design engineers and contractors need to know about concrete materials and systems - one of the most versatile materials available. The Concrete Construction Engineering Handbook focuses on these important topics:

Named the Dolman Travel Book of the Year, The Dead Yard paints an unforgettable portrait of modern Jamaica. Since independence, Jamaica has gradually become associated with twin images--a resort-style travel Eden for foreigners and a new kind of hell for Jamaicans, a society where gangs control the areas where most Jamaicans live and drug lords like Christopher Coke rule elites and the poor alike. Ian Thomson's brave book explores a country of lost promise, where America's hunger for drugs fuels a dependent economy and shadowy politics. The lauded birthplace of reggae and Bob Marley, Jamaica is now sunk in corruption and hopelessness. A synthesis of vital history and unflinching reportage, The Dead Yard is "a fascinating account of a beautiful, treacherous country" (Irish Times).

What does it mean to think, believe, and act like an American? Get the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important United States historical documents all in one book! The soul of America is far more than a concept—it is a people. Even the most sacred principles mean very little unless lived out passionately by an informed citizenry. In The Portable Patriot you’ll find a carefully assembled sampling of American history’s most formative words, written by the people who made that extraordinary history—George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and many more of America's Founding Fathers. Speeches and sermons, essays and extracts, poems and proclamations illumine such values as independence, virtue, humility, bravery, thrift, prayer, enterprise, liberty, and reliance on God. While peering back to the cradle of America’s national identity, The Portable Patriot also points a way forward, compelling us to heed poet John Dickinson’s plea to “rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty’s call.” “Nothing ignites a patriot’s heart—or the hope that the truths of our founding era will prevail again—like the documents assembled in The Portable Patriot. How grateful we should be, and how quick to make these historic words our own.” ?Stephen Mansfield, author, The Forgotten Founding Father and The Faith of the American Soldier “Our current struggles over taxation, federal debt, and limited government are part of a larger American story. Kudos to Miller and Parrish for highlighting these essential passages.” ?Hon. Andrew P. Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst, Fox News Channel