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The reproach of hunger : food, justice, and money in the twenty-first century / by Rieff, David,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The 1990s held up the idea that hunger and poverty were the results of war, mismanagement, and undemocratic societies. The international community, and humanitarian focus, acted to address these threats above all others--instilling democracy and free markets would generate greater wealth for more people. The assumption was that natural disasters were unlikely to constitute a challenge on anywhere near the same level as human rights emergencies, which had created tens of millions of refugees and internally displaced people. The plan didn't work. This is a book about the global crisis we did not expect. Even as the world races to grab and hold energy resources the next great challenge is building in complexity: famine--world hunger. In 2009, unlike in 1999, the most important UN relief agency was not the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) but the World Food Program (WFP), and the most pressing crisis is not resettling refugees, but making sure tens of millions of people--many in countries where there is no war at all--do not starve to death. What the food crisis illustrates for us is one dark side of globalism--not the system that will eventually make everyone prosperous, but rather a zero sum game in which full bellies in one country and empty bellies in another are inextricably linked. An increasing push towards "One world, ready or not," has paradoxically raised the living standards of hundreds of millions of people to previously unachieved levels, but at the same time the prosperity of one is fraught with the potential tragedy for another. The Reproach of Hunger describes the tragedy of the world hunger pandemic, and explains how we continue to struggle to feed the "new hungry" of the world. It is an issue not of availability, but rather of affordability."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Food supply.; Hunger.; Money.; Social justice.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Upworthy good people : stories from the best of humanity / by Knell, Lucia,editor.; Reilich, Gabriel,editor.; VanderPloeg, Libby,illustrator.;
"This heartwarming collection of first-person tales from Upworthy will provide comfort and inspiration to anyone who could use a dose of joy"--
Subjects: Compassion.; Joy.; Kindness.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Genesis : Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit. by Kissinger, Henry A.;
'Genesis' is a radical new look at the future of AI, which has changed significantly since 'The Age of AI' (9780316273800) was written. It argues that humans cannot regulate AI and that only AI programs themselves can keep the technology from destroying us. Kissinger argues that AI could produce a utopia, where products are manufactured automatically, economies expand without human labour, and we will all be liberated to pursue our dreams. 'Genesis' is a posthumous publication of Kissinger's final book, which he was working on right up until the time of his death.Library Bound Incorporated
Subjects: COMPUTERS / Artificial Intelligence / General; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Science & Technology Policy; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Technology Studies; TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Social Aspects;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Wildlife crossing : giving animals the right-of-way / by Galat, Joan Marie,1963-;
Includes bibliographical references and index.What happens when the needs of people and nature collide? More than 13 million miles of roads crisscross landscapes in 222 countries. Roads offer many human benefits, but they also create problems for nature. Their construction leads to a loss of biodiversity through habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Roads isolate wildlife populations, impede migration and allow invasive plant and animal species to spread, while giving rise to pollution from garbage, light, noise and airborne contaminants. With innovative tools, like wildlife overpasses to reconnect landscapes, smart roads and vehicles to maximize safety, and a little hands on help, we can create environmental harmony. And sitting in the passenger seat, young people can play a part in helping highways and habitats coexist.
Subjects: Instructional and educational works.; Animals; Wildlife crossings; Roads; Automobiles; Nature; Wildlife conservation; Environmental protection;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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The battle for your brain : defending the right to think freely in the age of neurotechnology / by Farahany, Nita A.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A rock star academic explores the final frontier of personal privacy: your mind. Imagine a world where your brain can be interrogated to learn your political beliefs, thought crimes are punishable by law, and your own feelings can be used against you. Where perfumers create customized fragrances to perfectly suit your emotions, and social media titans bypass your conscious mind to hook you to their products. A world where people who suffer from epilepsy receive alerts moments before a seizure, and the average person can peer into their own mind to eliminate painful memories or cure addictions. Neuroscience has already made all of the above possible today, and neurotechnology will soon become the "universal controller" for all of our interactions with technology. This can benefit humanity immensely, but without safeguards, it can severely threaten our fundamental human rights to privacy, freedom of thought, and self-determination. Companies, governments, and militaries are all in: from contemplative neuroscience to consumer-based EEG technology, there have never been more ways to hack and track our brains. But access is just the beginning. Our brains can be changed with performance-boosting drugs, electrical stimulation, and even surgical interventions. Soon neuro-cinema, neuro-monitoring, and even cognitive warfare will be commonplace-the brain is the next battleground for humanity. The Battle for Your Brain by Nita A. Farahany dives deeply into the promises and perils of the coming dawn of brain access and alteration. Written by one of the world's foremost experts on neuroscience as it intersects with law and ethics, this highly original book offers a pathway forward to navigate the complex ethical dilemmas that neurotechnology presents, which will fundamentally impact our freedom to understand, shape, and define ourselves"--
Subjects: Neurosciences; Neurotechnology (Bioengineering);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Defiant dreams : the journey of an Afghan girl who risked everything for education / by Mahfouz, Sola,1996-author.; Kapoor, Malaina,author.;
"A searing, deeply personal memoir of a tenacious Afghan girl who educated herself behind closed doors and fought her way to a new life. Sola Mahfouz was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1996. That same year, the Taliban took over her country for the first time. They banned television and photographs, presided over brutal public executions, and turned the clock backwards on women's rights, practically imprisoning women within their own homes and forcing them to wear cruel, tent-like burqas. At age eleven, Sola was forced to stop attending school after a group of men threatened to throw acid in her face if she continued. After that she was confined to her home, required to cook and clean and prepare for an arranged marriage. She saw the outside world only a handful of times each year. As time passed, Sola began to understand that she was condemned to the same existence as millions of women in Afghanistan. Her future was empty. The rest of her life would be controlled entirely by men, fathers and husbands and sons who would never allow her to study, to earn money, or even to dream. Driven by this devastating realization, Sola began a years-long fight to change the trajectory of her life. She decided that education would be her way out. At age sixteen, without even a basic ability to add or subtract, she began secretly to teach herself math and English. She progressed rapidly, and within just two years she was already studying topics such as philosophy and physics. Faced with obstacles at every turn, Sola still managed to sneak into Pakistan to take the SAT. In 2016, she escaped to the United States, where she is now a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University. An engrossing, dramatic memoir, co-written with young Indian American human rights activist Malaina Kapoor, Defiant Dreams is the story of one girl, but it's also the untold story of a generation of women brimming with potential and longing for freedom"--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Mahfouz, Sola, 1996-; Girls; Sex discrimination in education; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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1000 years of joys and sorrows : a memoir / by Ai, Weiwei,author.; Barr, Allan Hepburn,translator.;
"In his widely anticipated memoir, Ai Weiwei--one of the world's most famous artists and activists--tells a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own extraordinary life and the legacy of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet. Hailed as "the most important artist working today" by the Financial Times and as "an eloquent and unsilenceable voice of freedom" by The New York Times, Ai Weiwei has written a sweeping memoir that presents a remarkable history of China over the last 100 years while illuminating his artistic process. Once an intimate of Mao Zedong, Ai Weiwei's father was branded a rightist during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were banished to a desolate place known as "Little Siberia," where Ai Qing was sentenced to hard labor cleaning public toilets. Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in exile, and his difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America, where he befriended Allen Ginsberg and was inspired by Andy Warhol. With candor and wit, he details his return to China and his rise from artistic unknown to art world superstar and international human rights activist-and how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. Ai Weiwei's sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the globe, and his architectural achievements include helping to design the iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing. His political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Here, for the first time, Ai Weiwei explores the origins of his exceptional creativity and passionate political beliefs through his own life story and that of his father, whose own creativity was stifled. At once ambitious and intimate, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the myriad forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Ai, Weiwei.; Ai, Weiwei; Artists; Dissenters, Artistic; Expatriate artists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Code dependent : living in the shadow of AI / by Murgia, Madhumita,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A riveting story of what it means to be human in a world changed by artificial intelligence, revealing the perils and inequities of our growing reliance on automated decision-making. On the surface, a British poet, an UberEats courier in Pittsburgh, an Indian doctor, and a Chinese activist in exile have nothing in common. But they are in fact linked by a profound common experience -- unexpected encounters with artificial intelligence. In Code Dependent, Murgia shows how automated systems are reshaping our lives all over the world, from technology that marks children as future criminals, to an app that is helping to give diagnoses to a remote tribal community. AI has already infiltrated our day-to-day, through language-generating chatbots like ChatGPT and social media. But it's also affecting us in more insidious ways. It touches everything from our interpersonal relationships, to our kids' education, work, finances, public services, and even our human rights. By highlighting the voices of ordinary people in places far removed from the cozy enclave of Silicon Valley, Code Dependent explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often-exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society. Murgia exposes how AI can strip away our collective and individual sense of agency, and shatter our illusion of free will. The ways in which algorithms and their effects are governed over the coming years will profoundly impact us all. Yet we can't agree on a common path forward. We cannot decide what preferences and morals we want to encode in these entities -- or what controls we may want to impose on them. And thus, we are collectively relinquishing our moral authority to machines. In Code Dependent, Murgia not only sheds light on this chilling phenomenon, but also charts a path of resistance. AI is already changing what it means to be human, in ways large and small, and Murgia reveals what could happen if we fail to reclaim our humanity"--
Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Decision making; Human-computer interaction.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Marriott cell : an epic journey from Cairo's Scorpion Prison to freedom / by Fahmy, Mohamed Fadel,author.; Shaben, Carol,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."The revealing, widely anticipated story by the internationally award-winning journalist is as riveting as a political thriller: it opens an astonishing window onto the closed world of geo-political power brokering as he takes us behind his headline-generating seizure and 438-day imprisonment in Cairo's notorious Scorpion Prison with leading terrorists; through the love story that made front-page news; to the profoundly personal drama of one man's fight for freedom, supported by Canadians across the country and media world-wide. With a foreword by international human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney. On the night of December 29, 2013, the Egyptian government's anti-terror forces led a dramatic raid on the Marriott Hotel, seizing Fahmy, Canadian-Egyptian bureau chief for the independent English Al Jazeera, and two fellow journalists in what quickly became an international cause célèbre condemned as a travesty of justice. Inside the maximum-security Scorpion Prison, Fahmy found himself with some of the most hardened Al Qaeda and ISIS extremists and Muslim Brotherhood leaders: always intrepid, he never stopped being a journalist, courageously taking advantage of his unexpected proximity to "interview" them and gain insight into their goals, into the feuds between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE on the one hand, and Qatar and its allies, including Turkey, on the other, and surfacing shocking details of torture inside military camps. Thrown into the toxic mix is the complex geo-political power brokering of our Western governments also, which left three men, wrongly convicted of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood and "fabricating news," struggling in a terrifying web he describes as "Global McCarthyism" and a war on journalism. Threaded through it all is an inspiring love story, as Fahmy's fiancée, Marwa, used every means at her disposal to fight for his release and his health, even to risking her own freedom smuggling cell phones and messages in and out of prison."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Fahmy, Mohamed Fadel; Fahmy, Mohamed Fadel.; False arrest; False imprisonment; Journalists; Journalists; Prisons;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Black ghost of empire : the long death of slavery and the failure of emancipation / by Manjapra, Kris,1978-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The 1619 Project illuminated the ways in which every aspect of life in the United States was and is shaped by the existence of slavery. Black Ghost of Empire focuses on emancipation and how this opportunity to make right further codified the racial caste system-instead of obliterating it. To understand why the shadow of slavery still haunts society today, we must not only look at what slavery was, but also the unfinished way it ended. One may think of "emancipation" as a finale, leading to a new age of human rights and universal freedoms. But in reality, emancipations everywhere were incomplete. In Black Ghost of Empire, acclaimed historian and professor Kris Manjapra identifies five types of emancipation--explaining them in chronological order--along with the lasting impact these transitions had on formerly enslaved groups around the Atlantic. Beginning in 1770s and concluding in 1880s, different kinds of emancipation processes took place across the Atlantic world. These included the Gradual Emancipations of North America, the Revolutionary Emancipation of Haiti, the Compensated Emancipations of European overseas empires, the War Emancipation of the American South, and the Conquest Emancipations that swept across Sub-Saharan Africa. Tragically, despite a century of abolitions and emancipations, systems of social bondage persisted and reconfigured. We still live with these unfinished endings today. In practice, all the slavery emancipations that have ever taken place reenacted racial violence against Black communities, and reaffirmed commitment to white supremacy. The devil lurked in the details of the five emancipation processes, none of which required atonement for wrongs committed, or restorative justice for the people harmed. Manjapra shows how, amidst this unfinished history, grassroots Black organizers and activists have become custodians of collective recovery and remedy; not only for our present, but also for our relationship with the past. Timely, lucid, and crucial to our understanding of the ongoing "anti-mattering" of Black people, Black Ghost of Empire shines a light into the deep gap between the idea of slavery's end and its actual perpetuation in various forms--exposing the shadows that linger to this day"--
Subjects: Liberty; Race relations; Slavery;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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