Broken Machines is a gritty mystery in the tradition of Robert Parker and Elmore Leonard. James Joseph Donovan stares out his own window, watching as the rain soaks Manhattan and puts a damper on his thirty-ninth birthday. J.J. Donovan is a private consultant - an expert people turn to when they've run out of options. Before the day is out, Janet Fein, a social worker friend, will ask Donovan to help a little boy named Clifford Brice. Clifford's mother Ruby - a prostitute and a heroin addict - has been brutally murdered. The police have a suspect in custody, but Janet and Clifford don't think it's the right man. The police don't seem to care. Janet wants Donovan and his eccentric partner, Doctor Boris Koulomzin, to find out the truth. Neither man can abandon the bright young boy. As they are formulating a plan, there is a second murder... and an attempt on Clifford himself. Donovan finds himself going undercover at a dank manufacturing plant in Brooklyn, where the rats, the criminals, and the immigrant laborers all struggle to make ends meet. It is a place where the people, like the machines, are broken. In this place, there is little room for repair or redemption, but Donovan pushes on. In the process, he and Boris expose a fraud, catch a murderer, and manage to blow up the better part of a city block.

Beneath Broken Machines is a cup of cold water to a dry, parched, and weary soul. In ministry, its easy to portray that I ONCE was lost...but now Ive got it all together. PC writes this book with humility and openness, which gives permission to confess that your machine is broken as well. - Travis Osborne, Pastor at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA As someone who has left the church, this book spoke to me. Im not talking about an awakening with pomp and circumstance, but something more simple, beautiful, and powerful. PC has always been a guiding force in my life, and this incredibly powerful book is no different. - Kyle Lacy, 3x Author and National Speaker We have a propensity to build machines out of our faith. We like to put in the right things in hopes it will churn out the right product. We become proud of the manufactured machines of faith we have built. The troubles with machines are they have no hearts and they break down. If your machine has broken down, you may have no idea what to do. Embark on a search for the heart that still beats for you. Embrace the wonder and awe of the ridiculous love of God that has always been for you. Encounter the heart of the gospel, which is the heart of Jesus beneath all of your pain, failure, and shame.

This is a heart ripping fictional story of how a young boy was sexually and physically abused by his parents, foster parents, probation officers and even his pastor. He then turned out to be a psychopathic killer and everyone wondered why. This is the story of how he ended up on death row and how Jesus reached down and changed his life in a way that enabled him to reach millions of people with the Gospel from within a maximum security prison.

"The poet Patrick Phillips joins our list with a stunning collection of elegies that bear witness to the small beauties and inevitable losses of our transient life"--

Broken Time Machines: Daisy Patton, designed by Joshua Gamma and edited by Yasmeen Siddiqui, is comprised of writings by award-winning Irish poet and novelist Elaine Feeney; celebrated American poet Sommer Browning; British scholar Salma Ahmad Caller; French feminist literary critic Adèle Cassigneul; American historian William Max Nelson; and American critic Kealey Boyd. Together these contributors have created a sensitively designed book that behaves as a way-finding device for interpreting the work of emerging artist Daisy Patton.

Emphasizes a hands-on approach to learning statistical analysis and model building through the use of comprehensive examples, problems sets, and software applications With a unique blend of theory and applications, Simulation Modeling and Arena®, Second Edition integrates coverage of statistical analysis and model building to emphasize the importance of both topics in simulation. Featuring introductory coverage on how simulation works and why it matters, the Second Edition expands coverage on static simulation and the applications of spreadsheets to perform simulation. The new edition also introduces the use of the open source statistical package, R, for both performing statistical testing and fitting distributions. In addition, the models are presented in a clear and precise pseudo-code form, which aids in understanding and model communication. Simulation Modeling and Arena, Second Edition also features: Updated coverage of necessary statistical modeling concepts such as confidence interval construction, hypothesis testing, and parameter estimation Additional examples of the simulation clock within discrete event simulation modeling involving the mechanics of time advancement by hand simulation A guide to the Arena Run Controller, which features a debugging scenario New homework problems that cover a wider range of engineering applications in transportation, logistics, healthcare, and computer science A related website with an Instructor’s Solutions Manual, PowerPoint® slides, test bank questions, and data sets for each chapter Simulation Modeling and Arena, Second Edition is an ideal textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate courses in modeling and simulation within statistics, mathematics, industrial and civil engineering, construction management, business, computer science, and other departments where simulation is practiced. The book is also an excellent reference for professionals interested in mathematical modeling, simulation, and Arena.

Describing how to avoid common vendor traps, Buying, Supporting, Maintaining Software and Equipment: An IT Manager's Guide to Controlling the Product Lifecycle will help readers better control the negotiation of their IT products and services and, ultimately, better manage the lifecycle of those purchases. The book supplies an inside look at the methods and goals of vendors and their contracts—which are almost always in conflict with end-user goals. The text is set up to follow the way most people experience technology products and contracting decisions. It begins by explaining the significance of the decisions made at the time of product selection. It details what you need to focus on when negotiating service and support agreements and describes how to use purchase orders to negotiate more favorable agreements. Covers product acquisition, support, and maintenance Examines hardware and software warranty and support models Considers finance and accounting issues for maintenance and support Spells out technology product details Explains postwarranty support and maintenance Provides the understanding to better negotiate with vendor sales teams Illustrating the types of problems typically experienced during product use, the book describes how to better control the useful life of your equipment. It supplies tips on how to avoid excessive charges from predatory vendors and concludes by delving into issues of product end of life. Explaining how to manage support and maintenance issues for the long term, this book provides the understanding you need to make sure you are more knowledgeable about the products and services your organization needs than the vendor teams with whom you are negotiating.