Since the emergence of ChatGPT, generative AI has been heralded as a technology poised to revolutionize our world. But beyond the hype and hyperbole, who truly wields power over this transformative technology?In Silicon Empires, Nick Srnicek explores the geopolitical economy of artificial intelligence, revealing how a handful of powerful corporations and states are engaged in a monumental struggle to control its future. Srnicek moves beyond the headlines to lay bare the el...

Meet today's almost fascists and learn the warning signs to intercept them on the road from populism to dictatorship.With The Wannabe Fascists, historian Federico Finchelstein offers a precise explanation of why Trumpism and similar movements across the world belong to a new political breed, the last outcome of the combined histories of fascism and populism: the wannabe fascists. This new type of populist politician is typically a legally elected leader wh...

In their bestselling first book, Prediction Machines, eminent economists Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb explained the simple yet game-changing economics of AI. Now, in Power and Prediction, they go deeper, examining the most basic unit of analysis: the decision. The authors explain that the two key decision-making ingredients are prediction and judgment, and we perform both together in our minds, often without realizing it. The rise of AI is shifting predicti...

This engaging guide is designed to demystify artificial intelligence (AI) in the business world, no advanced math degrees or robotic companions are necessary. It tackles everything from traditional AI to the exciting realm of Generative AI, clearly distinguishing between what is genuinely beneficial and what is merely hype, all while demonstrating how to leverage AI to address real-world business challenges.The first half of the book serves as an essential playbook for businesses e...

Demystify buffer ETFs for equity growth potential with built-in downside protectionBuffer ETFs For Dummies is your essential guide to understanding one of the fastest-growing segments in the ETF marketplace. Also known as "defined outcome ETFs," the popularity of buffer ETFs is projected to explode in the coming years. This book lets you get in on the action, with clear explanations of how investors use buffer ETFs to succeed in uncertain markets. You'll d...

Throughout history, humans have sought power and knowledge from spirits. Learning how to conjure, communicate, and negotiate with these unseen powers is one of the keys to success in magic.This book will teach you different ways of interacting with spirits, from offerings and invitations to forceful conjurations. With these tools in hand, you can work with your spirit allies to achieve any goal, from protection, to wealth, to vast knowledge.Consorting with Spirits ...

For Hitler and the German military, 1942 was a key turning point of World War II, as an overstretched but still lethal Wehrmacht replaced brilliant victories and huge territorial gains with stalemates and strategic retreats. In this major reevaluation of that crucial year, Robert Citino shows that the German army's emerging woes were rooted as much in its addiction to the "war of movement"—attempts to smash the enemy in "short and lively" campaigns—as they were in Hitler's deeply flawed ma...

Every distributed system strives for reliability, performance, and quality, but building such a system is hard. Establishing a set of design patterns enables software developers and system architects to use a common language to describe their systems and learn from the patterns and practices developed by others.The popularity of containers and Kubernetes paves the way for core distributed system patterns and reusable containerized components. This practical guide presents a collect...

When a graffiti artist defaces part of Yosemite National Park, Special Agents Clarence Johnson and Alison Nance expect a straightforward case. But when the suspect falls to her death from Glacier Point—just as another member of her synagogue did years earlier—the investigation takes on a far more ominous meaning.The eerie coincidence hints at a deeper, darker truth behind the artist's final work. As Johnson and Nance unravel the layers, their search points to a historical puzzle st...

The issues around 'climate' range across all aspects of the global system, including the different components that have controlled climate on Earth throughout its history, as well as how solar energy is able to reach the Earth, how it is redistributed around the planet by the ocean-atmosphere system, and the relationship and differences between climate and the weather.This Very Short Introduction examines all this, and further explores the causes and impacts of extreme sto...

What true statecraft consists of, and how to know a statesman when we see oneIn the modern world we yearn for great leaders but resist them when they come along. In this much-needed essay, Steven B. Smith tells us that a statesman is something far different from a demagogue or a technocrat; he or she incorporates many qualities of leadership―persuasiveness, courage, foresight, judgment―to take people where they need to go while hardly seeming to lead them at all. A...

We all keep secrets—from our locker codes to our passwords to our online interactions. And we choose to share those secrets only with those whom we trust. So, too, do organizations, businesses, governments, and armies. In Cryptography, Panos Louridas provides a broad and accessible introduction to cryptography, the art and science of keeping and revealing secrets. Louridas explains just how cryptography works to keep our communications confidential, tracing it back all the way to ...