The Magic Of Technology

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Technology as Magic

Author : Richard Stivers
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 9780826413673
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (136 download)

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Book Synopsis Technology as Magic by : Richard Stivers

Download or read book Technology as Magic written by Richard Stivers and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2001-08-01 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What gives the mass media, particularly advertising and television, their extraordinary power over our lives, so that even the most jaded and sophisticated among us are troubled and fascinated by their allure? The secret, according to Richard Stivers, in this brilliant new book, lies in the curious relationship between technology and magic. Stivers argues the two are now related to one another in such a way that each has taken on important characteristics of the other. His contention is that our expectations for technology have become magical to the point that they have generated a multitude of imitation technologies that function as magical practices. These imitation technologies flourish in the fields of psychology, management administration, and the mass media, and their paramount purpose in human adjustment and control. Advertising and television programs, in particular, contain the key magical rituals of our civilization.In a fascinating analysis of television programming, Stivers shows how various genres--news, sports, game shows, soap operas, sitcoms, etc.--have their distinct mythological symbols. Through dramatized information, they symbolically connect consumer goods and services to desired outcomes--the utopian goals of success, happiness, and health--thus enveloping technology, both real and imitation, in a magical cocoon.

Trance: from Magic to Technology

Author : Dennis R. Wier
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 1888428392
Total Pages : 223 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (884 download)

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Book Synopsis Trance: from Magic to Technology by : Dennis R. Wier

Download or read book Trance: from Magic to Technology written by Dennis R. Wier and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes a new model for trance as well as practical techniques to analyse and design trances. Writing from his personal experience, Wier suggests that some of these ideas might represent new practical precision tools for psychologists as well as for those who work with the occult. Practical suggestions for meditators, yogis, witches and others are included to deepen trance and to increase the trance force as well as techniques to terminate a trance. Pathological trance and trance abuse are also described with suggestions on how they may be recognized and prevented.

The Magic of Technology

Author : Alf Hornborg
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000686825
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Magic of Technology by : Alf Hornborg

Download or read book The Magic of Technology written by Alf Hornborg and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-10-20 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines our understanding of technology and suggests that machines are counterfeit organisms that seem to replace human bodies but are ultimately means of displacing workloads and environmental loads beyond our horizon. It emphasises that technology is not the politically neutral revelation of natural principles that we tend to think, but largely a means of accumulating, through physically asymmetric exchange, the material means of harnessing natural forces to reinforce social relations of power. Alf Hornborg reflects on how our cultural illusions about technology appeared in history and how they continue to stand in the way of visions for an equal and sustainable world. He argues for a critical reconceptualisation of modern technology as an institution for redistributing human time, resources, and risks in world society. The book highlights a need to think of world trade in other terms than money and raises fundamental questions about the role of human-artifact relations in organising human societies. It will be of interest to a range of scholars working in anthropology, sociology, economics, development studies, and the philosophy of technology.

Too Much Magic

Author : James Howard Kunstler
Publisher : Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN 13 : 0802194389
Total Pages : 247 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (21 download)

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Book Synopsis Too Much Magic by : James Howard Kunstler

Download or read book Too Much Magic written by James Howard Kunstler and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2012-06-19 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of The Long Emergency explains why technology can’t solve all our problems, and how excessive optimism can endanger our future. The Long Emergency quickly became a grassroots hit, offering a shocking vision of our post-oil future and capturing the attention of environmentalists and business leaders alike. As discussion about our dependence on fossil fuels and our dysfunctional financial and government institutions continues, the author returns with Too Much Magic—evaluating what has changed and what has not, and what direction we need to take in this post-financial-crisis world. “Too much magic” is what James Howard Kunstler sees in the bright utopian visions of the future dreamed up by optimistic souls who believe technology will solve all our problems. Their visions remind him of the flying cars and robot maids that were the dominant images of the future in the 1950s. Kunstler’s image of the future is much more sober. With vision, clarity of thought, and a pragmatic worldview, Kunstler argues that the time for magical thinking and hoping for miracles is over—and the time to begin preparing for the long emergency has begun. “A sharp critic of energy-sucking, big-box landscapes.” —Winnipeg Free Press

Magic and Loss

Author : Virginia Heffernan
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501132679
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Magic and Loss by : Virginia Heffernan

Download or read book Magic and Loss written by Virginia Heffernan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-06-27 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A digital-culture expert who writes for The New York Times Magazine discusses the logic, aesthetics, cultural potential and societal impact of the Internet, a medium that favors speed, accuracy, wit, prolificacy and versatility."

TechGnosis

Author : Erik Davis
Publisher : North Atlantic Books
ISBN 13 : 1583949305
Total Pages : 457 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (839 download)

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Book Synopsis TechGnosis by : Erik Davis

Download or read book TechGnosis written by Erik Davis and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TechGnosis is a cult classic of media studies that straddles the line between academic discourse and popular culture; it appeals to both those secular and spiritual, to fans of cyberpunk and hacker literature and culture as much as new-thought adherents and spiritual seekers How does our fascination with technology intersect with the religious imagination? In TechGnosis—a cult classic now updated and reissued with a new afterword—Erik Davis argues that while the realms of the digital and the spiritual may seem worlds apart, esoteric and religious impulses have in fact always permeated (and sometimes inspired) technological communication. Davis uncovers startling connections between such seemingly disparate topics as electricity and alchemy; online roleplaying games and religious and occult practices; virtual reality and gnostic mythology; programming languages and Kabbalah. The final chapters address the apocalyptic dreams that haunt technology, providing vital historical context as well as new ways to think about a future defined by the mutant intermingling of mind and machine, nightmare and fantasy.

The Silvered

Author : Tanya Huff
Publisher : Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1625673809
Total Pages : 630 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (256 download)

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Book Synopsis The Silvered by : Tanya Huff

Download or read book The Silvered written by Tanya Huff and published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 630 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Aurora Award-winning fantasy novel of a lone kingdom struggling to hold on to its freedom, and a pair of untested heroes who must work together to save their people—from the critically-acclaimed author of the Peacekeeper novels. The small, were-ruled kingdom of Aydori has long kept to its own ways, living under the protection of the powerful Hunt Pack and the wisdom of the Mage Pack, who have mastery of the six disciplines—air, fire, water, earth, metals, healing. It is these very gifts that have drawn the wrath of the rapacious Emperor Leopald, whose soothsayer has prophesized a threat to his dominion about to be born from Aydori. Launching an all-out assault against the shapeshifters, he kidnaps five members of the Mage Pack who are with child, including the wife of the Pack Leader. With the Pack engaged by the Emperor’s army, the kidnappers believe they have a clear escape. But they are already being harried by the unlikeliest of hunters—young Mirian Maylin, whose true magical potential has yet to emerge, and Tomas Hagen, the reckless younger brother of the Pack Leader. Both have much to prove to themselves and each other—and both are willing to risk everything to do so. Their pursuit will take them into perils unknown and deep into the black heart of the Empire, where the fate of their people will be decided by the strength of their courage, sacrifice, and loyalty in this “seamless mix of steampunk, epic fantasy, and paranormal romance” (Publishers Weekly). “The Silvered paints a fascinating society based on the symbiosis of mage and wolf-pack, each group partnering and tempering the other.” —San Francisco Book Review “It all adds up to a fun, old-fashioned adventure made new with an interesting magic system.” —Locus “The way that Huff tied all of the strings together from this epic journey was masterful. She paid equal attention to her characters as she did her world-building, resulting in a seamless whole. The melding of science, magic, era-specific technology, superstition, war and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things was captivating.” —The Book Pushers “[Huff] knows not only how to world build, but how to build magic systems and do phenomenal characterizations. Her experience shows on every page of The Silvered....Books this good don’t come along that often. The Silvered is a well-planned, well executed adventure tale. I loved it. Completely.” —The Ranting Dragon

Technologies of Magic

Author : John Potts
Publisher : University of Washington Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 190 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Technologies of Magic by : John Potts

Download or read book Technologies of Magic written by John Potts and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technologies of Magic charts curious territory - a place occupied by both machines and magic. This collection of essays investigates the co-existence of very old forms of thought - belief in ghosts, magic, spirits - and contemporary culture. Refracted through highly technologised societies, magic manifests itself in surprising ways and through a diverse range of practices. Apprehension of the magical - in the world of machines - can give rise to a feeling of uncanny unease. These essays show that ultimately this produces another way of thinking about technology in contemporary culture.

Grunts

Author : Mary Gentle
Publisher : Gateway
ISBN 13 : 0575128798
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (751 download)

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Book Synopsis Grunts by : Mary Gentle

Download or read book Grunts written by Mary Gentle and published by Gateway. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is an orc? An orc is an 18 stone fighting machine, made of muscle, hide, talon and tusk, with a villainous disposition and a mean sense of humour. And, of course, an orc is a poor dumb grunt - the much abused foot soldier of the Evil Horde of Darkness. The usual last battle of Good against Evil is about to begin. Orc Captain Ashnak and his war-band know exactly what they can expect. The forces of Light are outnumbered, full of headstrong heroes devoid of tactics - but the Light's still going to win. Orcs - the sword fodder in the front line - will die by the thousands. Life's a bitch.

Global Magic

Author : Alf Hornborg
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137567872
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (375 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Magic by : Alf Hornborg

Download or read book Global Magic written by Alf Hornborg and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern thought on economics and technology is no less magical than the world views of non-modern peoples. This book reveals how our ideas about growth and progress ignore how money and machines throughout history have been used to exploit less affluent parts of world society. The argument critically explores a middle ground between Marxist political ecology and Actor-Network Theory.

Indistinguishable from Magic

Author : Robert L. Forward
Publisher : Baen Books
ISBN 13 : 9780671876869
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis Indistinguishable from Magic by : Robert L. Forward

Download or read book Indistinguishable from Magic written by Robert L. Forward and published by Baen Books. This book was released on 1995 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Antigravity Machines ! (six kinds) Space Warps! Black Holes! Strange Matter! Time Machines! Reactionless Drives! Faster than Light Drives! All the known ways to build real starships! Finally, someone who puts the "science" back in science fiction! Robert L. Forward, Ph.D. and physicist to the stars, gives us a tour of the "real" far-out physics theory being discussed by scientists today - and then shows us what it's all "for" in his science fiction stories showing people utilizing those theories, and the impact they will have on a future that is - "INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM MAGIC"

Hell's Gate (Book 1 in New MULTIVERSE Series)

Author : David Weber
Publisher : Baen Books
ISBN 13 : 1416509399
Total Pages : 634 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (165 download)

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Book Synopsis Hell's Gate (Book 1 in New MULTIVERSE Series) by : David Weber

Download or read book Hell's Gate (Book 1 in New MULTIVERSE Series) written by David Weber and published by Baen Books. This book was released on 2006-10-31 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Union of Arcana has become the most powerful civilization in human history, expanding through the portals linking parallel universes and laying claim to one uninhabited planet after another. But now the Union's scouts have discovered a new portal, on the far side of which lies a shattering revelation.

Triumph of the Darksword

Author : Margaret Weis
Publisher : Spectra
ISBN 13 : 0307434680
Total Pages : 381 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Triumph of the Darksword by : Margaret Weis

Download or read book Triumph of the Darksword written by Margaret Weis and published by Spectra. This book was released on 2010-07-21 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume III in the heroic saga of magic, betrayal and adventure, The Darksword Trilogy. In the realm where magic is life, Joram was one of the Dead. Born without power, he was denies his royal birthright and sentenced to the Turning—his mind to be imprisoned inside a husk of living stone. Yet at the last moment, Saryon took his place, suffering the eternal torment for his young master, And joram and his wife Gwendolyn vanished into the mists that marked the Border of the World. . . . Now, ten years later, Joram and Gwendolyn have returned to reclaim their rightful place in Merilon. Wielding one last time the terrible, magic-thirsting Darksword, Joram must confront the evil sorcerer Menju and his army of Technologists from beyond the Border in a final apocalyptic battle. Rejoined by Saryon, the mage Mosiah and Simkin, Joram will fulfill the ancient prophecy of the Darksword—the prophecy that puts in his hands the power to destroy the world . . . or save it.

Into the Magic Shop

Author : James R. Doty, MD
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0698404025
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (984 download)

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Book Synopsis Into the Magic Shop by : James R. Doty, MD

Download or read book Into the Magic Shop written by James R. Doty, MD and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the extraordinary things that can happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart Growing up in the high desert of California, Jim Doty was poor, with an alcoholic father and a mother chronically depressed and paralyzed by a stroke. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, of which the Dalai Lama is a founding benefactor. But back then his life was at a dead end until at twelve he wandered into a magic shop looking for a plastic thumb. Instead he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Her final mandate was that he keep his heart open and teach these techniques to others. She gave him his first glimpse of the unique relationship between the brain and the heart. Doty would go on to put Ruth’s practices to work with extraordinary results—power and wealth that he could only imagine as a twelve-year-old, riding his orange Sting-Ray bike. But he neglects Ruth’s most important lesson, to keep his heart open, with disastrous results—until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him. Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us how we can fundamentally change our lives by first changing our brains and our hearts.

The Magic of Reality

Author : Richard Dawkins
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451675046
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis The Magic of Reality by : Richard Dawkins

Download or read book The Magic of Reality written by Richard Dawkins and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-09-11 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author addresses key scientific questions previously explained by rich mythologies, from the evolution of the first humans and the life cycle of stars to the principles of a rainbow and the origins of the universe.

How Software Works

Author : V. Anton Spraul
Publisher : No Starch Press
ISBN 13 : 1593277172
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (932 download)

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Book Synopsis How Software Works by : V. Anton Spraul

Download or read book How Software Works written by V. Anton Spraul and published by No Starch Press. This book was released on 2015-08-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We use software every day to perform all kinds of magical, powerful tasks. It's the force behind stunning CGI graphics, safe online shopping, and speedy Google searches. Software drives the modern world, but its inner workings remain a mystery to many. How Software Works explains how computers perform common-yet-amazing tasks that we take for granted every day. Inside you'll learn: –How data is encrypted –How passwords are used and protected –How computer graphics are created –How video is compressed for streaming and storage –How data is searched (and found) in huge databases –How programs can work together on the same problem without conflict –How data travels over the Internet How Software Works breaks down these processes with patient explanations and intuitive diagrams so that anyone can understand—no technical background is required, and you won't be reading through any code. In plain English, you'll examine the intricate logic behind the technologies you constantly use but never understood. If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind your computer screen, How Software Works will give you fascinating look into the software all around you.

The Magic of Computer Science

Author : Donald Kossmann
Publisher : vdf Hochschulverlag AG
ISBN 13 : 3728140562
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis The Magic of Computer Science by : Donald Kossmann

Download or read book The Magic of Computer Science written by Donald Kossmann and published by vdf Hochschulverlag AG. This book was released on 2021-05-10 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are living in the era of digital transformation. Computers are rapidly becoming the most important tool for companies, science, society, and indeed our everyday life. We all need a basic understanding of Computer Science to make sense of the world, to make decisions, and to improve our lives. Yet there are many misunderstandings about Computer Science. The reason is that it is a nascent discipline that has evolved rapidly and had to reinvent itself several times over the last 100 years – from the beginnings of scientific computing to the modern era of smartphones and the cloud. This book gives an intuitive introduction to the foundations and main concepts of Computer Science. It describes the basic ideas of solving problems with algorithms, modern data-driven approaches, and artificial intelligence (AI). It also provides many examples that require no background in technology. This book is directed toward teenagers who may wonder whether they should major in Computer Science, though it will also appeal to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the art of Computer Science and modern information technology. Of course, not everyone must become a computer expert, but everyone should take advantage of and understand the innovations and advances of modern technology.