| |
|
|
 Free Download Clara Wong, "Cities Without Ground: A Hong Kong Guidebook" English | 2012 | ISBN: 1935935321 | PDF | pages: 128 | 150.6 mb Hong Kong is a city without ground. This is true both physically (built on steep slopes, the city has no ground plane) and culturally (there is no concept of ground). Density obliterates figure-ground in the city, and in turn re-defines public-private spatial relationships. Perception of distance and time is distorted through compact networks of pedestrian infrastructure, public transport and natural topography in the urban landscape.Without a ground, there can be no figure either. In fact, Hong Kong lacks any of the traditional figure-ground relationships that shape urban space: axis, edge, center, even fabric. Cities Without Ground explores this condition by mapping three-dimensional circulation networks that join shopping malls, train stations and public transport interchanges, public parks and private lobbies as a series of spatial models and drawings. These networks, though built piecemeal, owned by different public and private stakeholders, and adjacent to different programs and uses, form a continuous space of variegated environments that serves as a fundamental public resource for the city. The emergence of the shopping malls as spaces of civil society rather than of global capital- as grounds of resistance- comes as a surprise. This continuous network and the microclimates of temperature, humidity, noise and smell which differentiate it constitute an entirely new form of urban spatial hierarchy. The relation between shopping malls and air temperature, for instance, suggests architectural implications in circulation-differentiating spaces where pedestrians eagerly flow or make efforts to avoid, where people stop and linger or where smokers gather. Air particle concentration is both logical and counterintuitive: outdoor air is more polluted, while the air in the higher-end malls is cleaner than air adjacent to lower value retail programs. Train stations, while significantly cooler than bus terminals, have only moderately cleaner air. Boundaries determined by sound or smell (a street of flower vendors or bird keepers, or an artificially perfumed mall) can ultimately provide more substantive spatial boundaries than a ground. While space in the city may be continuous, plumes of temperature differential or air particle intensity demonstrate that environments are far from equal.  Free Download Francis E. Hutchinson, Jayaratnam Saravanamuttu, "Catching the Wind: Penang in a Rising Asia" English | 2013 | pages: 235 | ISBN: 9814414352, 9814379875 | PDF | 5,4 mb However impressive the economic success of Penang has been over the past four decades, structural conditions in the region call for a fundamental reconfiguration of this Malaysian state's competitive advantage. In the 1970s, the ageing entrepot transformed itself into a manufacturing hub for the electronics industry and a well-known tourist site. This outward-looking model of economic growth has underpinned Penang's economic development up until the present. The question that now arises is whether Penang's present mode of development will continue to be effective, or whether it will have to transform itself.  Free Download Pou Sothirak, Geoff Wade, Mark Hong, "Cambodia: Progress and Challenges Since 1991" English | 2012 | pages: 451 | ISBN: 9814379824 | PDF | 6,0 mb In the 20 years since the Paris accords of 1991 brought peace to Cambodia, the country has undergone what can only be described as astounding change. From apolity where the entire fabric of society had been rent asunder through years of war and genocide, contemporary Cambodia is fast becoming a vibrant stateand assuming a new position in the Asia-Pacific region. The contributions to this volume - many by prominent figures who were intimately connected with the process - describe the diverse strands of mediation and peace-building which went into the creation of the 1991 accords. The subsequent role of UNTAC and the 1993 general elections in the process of Cambodian revival and social rebuilding are also described. While not denying that obstacles and difficulties remain, the contributions outline the evolving economic, political, religious and human resource situations within Cambodia, while also examining the country's contemporary international relations. This book constitutes a particularly fitting testament to the 20 years of Cambodian reconstruction which have followed the 1991 peace accords.  Free Download Daljit Singh, "By Design or Accident: Reflections on Asian Security" English | 2010 | pages: 177 | ISBN: 9814279714 | PDF | 8,5 mb Asia is rising and will wield greater economic and strategic weight in world affairs. However Asia also faces numerous challenges like poverty, domestic instability, deficiencies in governance and the rule of law, inter-state disputes and rivalries, and military build-ups, to name just a few. The celebration of Asia's rise would be premature if it is not accompanied by lasting peace and cooperation between states and justice and prosperity at home. The achievement of this happy state of affairs will require continuation of wise and pragmatic leadership, especially among the major powers. This collection of essays reflects on some of the major political and security issues in the region in recent times, including the balance of power among the major powers, American engagement and policies in Asia, India's rise, the global war on terrorism, the Iraq war, domestic developments in some countries as well as ASEAN's efforts to build regional peace and security.  Free Download Blockchain in a Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous World by Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan, V. Raja Sreedharan, Deepak Mathivathanan English | December 23, 2022 | ISBN: 0323899633 | 300 pages | PDF, EPUB | 38 Mb Blockchain in a Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous World examines the role blockchain brings in supply chain management. The book explores the theoretical foundations and empirical frameworks for using Blockchain for the logistical transportation of goods and examines how blockchain applications, barriers and opportunities of numerous technologies, describing how each converge into feasible integration. Covering policymaking and regulatory issues from a research perspective, this book is a key reference for supply chain management scholars, students and practitioners.Uses the Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous (VUCA) framework for analyzing blockchain supply chain managementIncludes numerous case studies from a variety of industriesConsolidates research of machine learning, IoT, and signal processing technologies for supply chain management  Free Download Kee Beng Ooi, "Between Umno and a Hard Place: The Najib Razak Era Begins" English | 2010 | pages: 159 | ISBN: 9814311286 | PDF | 7,8 mb Enough time has passed, and enough key events have taken place for the contours of the administration of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be apparent. While it has flirted openly with reforms, and has used phrases otherwise used by the opposition, its sincerity - and its capability - is still in doubt. More that that, it is not as yet clear how convinced the government actually is about of the need for institutional reforms, especially when the institutions in need of reform include the police, the anti-corruption agency, the judiciary and the dominant party, UMNO. With a new coalition opposing him in parliament, Najib comes to power wedged between his own coalition's aged traditions and the restive spirit of the times. Whether he can squeeze his way into a comfortable spot and stay in power is the question the coming years will answer.  Free Download Barefoot Wisdom: Better Health through Grounding by Sharon Whiteley, Ann Marie Chiasson English | July 28, 2018 | ISBN: 0764355449 | 176 pages | PDF | 7.64 Mb Discover how to reconnect with nature's energy and step into better health by grounding. Grounding means tapping into the Earth's freely available, always accessible, and ever-powerful natural energy to rebalance your body and restore your health. Among its many health benefits, grounding reduces inflammation, improves sleep, and restores energy. This indispensable primer gives you all the tips and tools you need to start grounding now. Find out how connecting to the Earth can counteract opportunistic ailments caused by nature deficiencies prevalent in modern society. Learn what our forefathers knew about natural healing and the Earth. Get the inside dirt on the myths and misconceptions, the facts and the fallacies. Read stories, studies, and testimonials that will inspire you to take that first life-changing step to getting grounded. By using the Earth as a treatment table - sole to soil - you can walk your way to a healthier future today.  Free Download Awkward Intelligence: Where AI Goes Wrong, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do about It by Katharina A. Zweig, Noah Harley English | October 25, 2022 | ISBN: 0262047462 | 288 pages | PDF | 6.78 Mb An expert offers a guide to where we should use artificial intelligence-and where we should not.  Free Download Vijay Sakhuja, "Asian Maritime Power in the 21st Century: Strategic Transactions China, India and Southeast Asia" English | 2011 | pages: 378 | ISBN: 981431109X, 8182745934 | PDF | 5,1 mb Maritime power has been a key defining parameter of economic vitality and geostrategic power of nations. The first decade of the twenty-first century has witnessed the rise of China and India as confident economic powers pivoting on high growth rates, exponential expansion of science, technology and industrial growth.  Free Download Jonathan Tran, "Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism" English | 2021 | ISBN: 0197617913, 0197587909 | PDF | pages: 369 | 2.8 mb Any serious consideration of Asian American life forces us to reframe the way we talk about racism and antiracism. There are two contemporary approaches to antiracist theory and practice. The first emphasizes racial identity to the exclusion of political economy, making racialized life in America illegible. This approach's prevalence, in the academy and beyond, now rises to the level of established doctrine. The second approach views racial identity as the function of a particular political economy-what is called "racial capitalism>-and therefore analytically subordinates racial identity to political economy. |
:
