Laser shock peening (LSP) is a relatively new surface treatment for metallic materials. LSP is a process to induce compressive residual stresses using shock waves generated by laser pulses. LSP can greatly improve the resistance of a material to crack initiation and propagation brought on by cyclic loading and fatigue. This pioneering book was the first of its kind to consolidate scattered knowledge into one comprehensive volume. It describes the mechanisms of LSP and its substantial role ...

This book is a practitioner's guide to digital business models for entrepreneurs, business executives, MBA and undergraduate students. Balancing both frameworks and real-life case studies, it provides readers with the tools for creating successful businesses in the digital age, while at the same time serving as a cautionary tale for those who value businesses by the technology they wield and not the strategies they execute.The business landscape in the last decade was surreal — exhilaratio...

The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) is a biennial university startup challenge in Singapore which is organized by the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) at Singapore Management University. The LKYGBPC derives its name from Singapore's founding Prime Minister, who developed the country's defining business plan bringing Singapore onto the global stage. It is this spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and ambition that the competition enshrines.

Edgar Award Finalist: The gripping account of an assassination on US soil and the violent foreign conspiracy that stretched from Pinochet's Chile to the streets of Washington, DC, with a new introduction by Ariel Dorfman.On September 10, 1976, exiled Chilean leader Orlando Letelier delivered a blistering rebuke of Augusto Pinochet's brutal right-wing regime in a speech at Madison Square Garden. Eleven days later, while Letelier was on Embassy Row in Washington, DC, ...

A "compelling and shocking account" of a brutal campaign of repression in Latin America, based on interviews and previously secret documents ( The Miami Herald).Throughout the 1970s, six Latin American governments, led by Chile, formed a military alliance called Operation Condor to carry out kidnappings, torture, and political assassinations across three continents. It was an early "war on terror" initially encouraged by the CIA—which later backfired on th...

A "carefully researched" account of the rise and fall of notorious dictator Manuel Noriega—and America's role in both ( The Washington Post).Written by a prize-winning NPR veteran who spent years covering Latin America, this blend of biography, history, and political reporting details the events that lead to the American invasion of Panama."Describes in considerable detail the fascinating and appalling relationship between Noriega and the U.S. govern...

This novel explores themes of creation, responsibility, and the courage to let go. It suggests that the greatest act of love is not to protect those we care about from all challenges, but to give them the tools and freedom to overcome their own obstacles. The story celebrates the resilience of life, the beauty of growth, and the profound mystery of existence itself.

What if the development of life, the birth of the earth, and the emergence of humanity were all part of an intricate cosmic design--timed with precision across billions of years? In The Rational Universe Evolving for Humans, the author explores the profound connections between the physical universe and the natural forces that shaped it. From the Big Bang to the emergence of modern civilization, this book uncovers the hidden patterns that have governed the cosmos from its earliest moments. ...

Explore the inner workings of AI along with its limitations and future developments and create your first transparent and trustworthy neuro-symbolic AI system Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookKey FeaturesUnderstand symbolic and statistical techniques through examples and detailed explanationsExplore the potential of neuro-symbolic AI for future developments using case studiesDiscover the benefits of combining symbol...

Set against the romance of revolution and the terror of a military coup, this arresting mystery is also a reckoning with the callousness of U.S. foreign policy.In 1972 two idealistic young Americans, Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi, arrived in Chile to participate in President Salvador Allende's socialist and democratic revolution. A year later they were secretly executed as Chile's military, with U.S. backing, deposed Allende. Following a sham investigation and c...

A novel theory of how technological revolutions affect the rise and fall of great powersWhen scholars and policymakers consider how technological advances affect the rise and fall of great powers, they draw on theories that center the moment of innovation—the eureka moment that sparks astonishing technological feats. In this book, Jeffrey Ding offers a different explanation of how technological revolutions affect competition among great powers. Rather than focusing...

Perovskite Materials and DevicesA comprehensive overview of the important scientific and technological advances in commercialization of this important mineralPerovskite has held much interest for scientists and industrialists, as the mineral is abundantly available in nature. Due to the intriguing and unusual physical properties of perovskite materials—the high-absorption coefficient, low exciton-binding energy, and high dielectric constant...