Systems Science

The issues of poverty, inequality, racial injustice, and climate change have never been more pressing or paralyzing. Current approaches to social change, which rely on linear thinking and traditional power dynamics to "solve" social problems, are not helping. In fact, they may only be entrenching the status quo. This book draws on stories of committed social changemakers to uncover a set of principles and practices for social change that dramatically depart from the industrial approach. Simple yet profound, these stories distill timely lessons for leaders, scholars, and policymakers.

Governments have always struggled to tax in ways that are effective and tolerably fair. Sometimes they fail grotesquely, as when, in 1898, the British ignited a rebellion in Sierra Leone by imposing a tax on huts - and, in repressing it, ended up burning the very huts they intended to tax. Sometimes they succeed astonishingly, as when, in 18th-century Britain, a cut in the tax on tea massively increased revenue. Two leading authorities on taxation provide a fascinating and informative tour through these and many other episodes in tax history, both preposterous and dramatic....

⚔️ Voidscale Origins: A LitRPG Prelude of Collapse and Survival ⚔️ When Dr. Elias Chen activated the Quantum Boundary, he didn’t just shatter scientific barriers—he broke the world. Now, thrust into a collapsing reality where survival means adapting to game-like rules, Chen must battle monsters, rival survivors, and the ticking clock of annihilation. In this high-stakes LitRPG adventure, you’ll encounter: ✅ Complex characters facing impossible odds ✅ Intense survival challenges and leveling systems ✅ A rich world blending sci-fi, RPG mechanics, and post-apocalyptic ...

AlphaGo and the Philosophy of Mind is a thought-provoking exploration of the principles of machine learning and its application in the strategy game of Go. This book takes readers through the history of Go and its importance in the world of AI, looking at the philosophical implications of advancing technology and the implications of AlphaGo’s victory over the world’s Go champion. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the philosophical implications of AI and machine learning.

Transform Your Health with the Power of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Simple Recipes and a 30-Day Plan for Lasting Results! —Including Full-Color Images to Inspire Your Cooking! Are you tired of living with the discomfort and health challenges caused by chronic inflammation? What if you could ease your pain, boost your energy, and improve your overall well-being—all by making simple changes to your diet? With "Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners," you’ll learn how to fight inflammation naturally while enjoying delicious, easy-to-prepare meals. Why This Book is Perfect for You: Easy-to-...

In this Very Short Introduction, Nick Jenkins explores our historic investment in the exploitation of fossil energy resources and their current importance, and discusses the implications of our increasing rate of energy use. He considers the widespread acceptance by scientists and policy makers that our energy systems must reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and looks forward to the radical changes in fuel technology that will be necessary to continue to provide energy supplies in a sustainable manner, and extend access across the developing world.

For decades, James MacGregor Burns has been one of the great masters of the study of power and leadership in America. Now he turns his eye to an institution of government that he believes has become more powerful---and more partisan---than the Founding Fathers ever intended: the Supreme Court. Much as we would like to believe that the Court remains aloof from ideological politics, Packing the Court reveals how often justices behave like politicians in robes.

It’s not easy being a System Traveler. Well, the traveling part is hard, at least. But once Derek got his feet under him, he hit the ground running, saving an entire area from a massive dungeon overflow in the process. He even found some companions to help ease the massive hole inside him formed from spending decades alone in the void.

Nick Vandal faces his greatest challenge yet in the Risen Tower, a place of trials and floors designed to test the survivors' limits. As Nick and his new companions battle through casino mazes—and relentless hordes—they uncover the truth behind the Admin's grand design. Hidden enemies within the survivors' ranks plot to sabotage their progress, and success is far from guaranteed. Nick must use every resource, including his knowledge of the future, to navigate the challenges and forge alliances necessary to reach the top.

Imagine being the only human left on an Earth occupied by monsters, aliens, and worse. Sounds terrible? Well...it's not so bad when you are an introverted battle junkie like me. Honestly, I was almost starting to appreciate being left behind while everyone else was given the chance to prepare for the mess Earth had gotten itself into. On a side note, it turns out I'm pretty good at hunting monsters. Though dragons and such are a bit out of my league. Just a bit. I survived dozen-something kobolds that wanted me dead, and now it's time to pay back their leader.

Derek has saved villages and maybe even cities from overflowing dungeons. He later helped with the capture of one of the most despicable noblemen in the entire kingdom. After that, he, at the request of Prince Edgar, helped prevent upcoming danger by clearing a raid dungeon and keeping it from overflowing into the kingdom. Then, he and Silvi joined a war effort that began while he was clearing the dungeon.

Almost every society has professional judges, but from ancient Athens to modern Asia, cultures have wanted ordinary people involved in legal decisions. The use of juries comes with challenges; societies must determine how to select jurors, what cases jurors should decide and by what rules, and how to inform jurors about the law and evidence. This Very Short Introduction shows how and why societies around the world have used juries, charting the spread of the twelve-person jury from England to the British colonies in America, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the Caribbean.

Fool's Play is the first book in a new series in the System Apocalypse universe. Written by David R. Packer in Tao Wong's bestselling post-apocalyptic LitRPG universe, System Apocalypse: Kismet follows a different path through a post-apocalyptic world, one of hope, redemption, and second chances.

You wake up and feel a tickle in your throat. Your head hurts. You’re mildly annoyed as you get the kids ready for school and dress for work yourself. Meanwhile, an epic war is being fought, just below your skin. Millions are fighting and dying for you to be able to complain as you head out the door. So what, exactly, is your immune system? In Immune, Philipp Dettmer, the brains behind the most popular science channel on YouTube, takes listeners on a journey through the fortress of the human body and its defenses.

Andrea Sinclair, a mom, career executive, wife, caregiver and productivity and health expert, knows the struggle firsthand. After years of running on empty, she discovered a science-backed system to recover energy, reduce stress, and regain balance—without quitting her career or making extreme changes. Now, she’s sharing the exact 7-step process that helped her (and countless others) break free from burnout and start thriving again.

The Leviathan is dead. Humanity has won the global mission but the price has been too high. Japan is in ruins, Honshu lies partially underwater, and the capital has been destroyed. The country has been left without leadership and tens of millions have perished, while monsters continue to hunt down the survivors. Ivan Susanin heads to the submerged Toyo as part of an expedition to find the missing raven, help evacuate the civilians and slay as many monsters as possible. And that's only on the surface.

The heroes Terry Fairway once idolized have turned against him, hunting him down at every turn. His grandfather, the ruthless S-ranked necromancer who rules the city, watches from his throne as the people starve and suffer. Vampires stalk the streets unchecked, feeding on the innocent without fear of reprisal. Terry always believed his family were the good guys, but Wichita isn't a city of heroes or villains—it's a city of power. And if power is all that matters, then power is what Terry will seize.

Jeb Trapper tried to kill himself. The gun jammed. Two months later, the vet is now participating in underground trials of ecstasy to treat his PTSD. Everything seems to be going great until Jeb is teleported into a tutorial, along with everyone else on Earth. Now, he has to choose the level of difficulty. There's just one problem: He's high as a kite, and nothing seems impossible.

On a summer night in 1984, 19-year-old UC Berkeley sophomore Karen Thomas leaves her uniformed patrol job at the University of California Police Department and walks home alone in darkness. At the threshold of her apartment a man assaults her at knife point. After a soul chilling struggle she manages to escape and call 911. Police catch her assailant, she identifies him, and he is arrested. Fast forward 2014, 30 years after her assault. Why does the body remember what the mind tries so desperately to forget?

There has always been one last question, one driving motivation for John Lee. Having survived the System Apocalypse on Earth and travelled to the far reaches of the galaxy, the question has always been left unanswered.