Seven Games: A Human History

Seven Games: A Human History PDF Author: Oliver Roeder
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324003782
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
A group biography of seven enduring and beloved games, and the story of why—and how—we play them. Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against “modern rationalism”; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games—and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.

Seven Games: A Human History

Seven Games: A Human History PDF Author: Oliver Roeder
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324003782
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Get Book Here

Book Description
A group biography of seven enduring and beloved games, and the story of why—and how—we play them. Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against “modern rationalism”; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games—and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.

Golf for Enlightenment

Golf for Enlightenment PDF Author: Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 140005088X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Deepak Chopra has discovered the delights—and frustrations—of golf, and he is passionate about the game. Confronted by the wild ups and downs of his own play, he consulted with golf professionals and developed a new approach to the game that any golfer can follow—from the novice to the expert. The results can be measured not only in increased enjoyment and skill, but also in greater wisdom about life beyond the 18th hole. Chopra’s own game has improved dramatically since incorporating the elements of his program. Instead of focusing on the mechanics of a “perfect” swing, Chopra reveals how golf can be mastered through mindfulness, a form of awareness that combines sharp focus and relaxation at the same time. Expanded awareness, he tells us, can accomplish much more than external mechanics to improve one’s game. But Golf for Enlightenment is also an engrossing story about Adam, an Everyman who is playing a terrible round of golf when he meets a mysterious young teaching pro named Leela. In seven short but profound lessons detailing spiritual strategies, she teaches Adam the essence of a game that has much to explain about life itself. Chopra has spent the last year taking the unique message in Golf for Enlightenment nationwide, teaching the essential tenets of his program at lectures and seminars to golfers everywhere. His message continues to help players turn an obsession into a positive life path.

Seven Times Smarter

Seven Times Smarter PDF Author: Laurel Schmidt
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0307421589
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
What Is Smart? There's evidence of so much more than "reading, writing, and 'rithmetic" in every child -- at least seven distinct intelligences, according to the theory of multiple intelligences, developed by Harvard's Dr. Howard Gardner. In Seven Times Smarter, veteran educator Laurel Schmidt offers a parent-friendly explanation of this theory and of the ways that kids are -- simply put -- word smart, picture smart, music smart, body smart, logic smart, people smart, and self-smart. These intelligences aren't fixed at birth. They can be nurtured and strengthened, meaning that in the right environment, kids get smarter. Seven Times Smarter, an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, and caregivers, provides the perfect way to create this environment. Unlike other craft or activity books that just fill time and keep kids busy, Seven Times Smarter prompts kids aged six to fourteen to work their brains and cultivate new skills using recycled or low-cost materials found in every home -- and enjoy it! It offers an exploration of what it means to be smart, checklists to recognize the seven intelligences in your child, book lists to develop and celebrate all the ways your child is smart, and fifty creative, constructive activities that are good for kids playing alone or in a group, supervised or independently, including: * Memory Tours -- If a memory book is too straightforward for your artistic child, try an un-book, a memory box, or a calendar. * Hanging Gardens -- Indoors or out, even the smallest garden plot can yield a bumper crop of mathematical, linguistic, scientific, and kinesthetic skills. * The Boredom Brigade -- Boredom is a springboard for imagination; imaginary structures, identities, occupations, and friends are just some of the ways kids develop their inter- and intra-personal intelligences. * Junk Yard Genius -- There's an education in junk; in fact, it's easy to turn your broken radio, alarm clock, fan, blow-dryer, or scale into a project that could fascinate kids for days.

Life Games

Life Games PDF Author: Amanda Perry
Publisher: First and Best in Education
ISBN: 1860837182
Category : Health education (Secondary)
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description


The Happiest Life

The Happiest Life PDF Author: Hugh Hewitt
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 159555579X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
What's the secret to a life of happiness? "In this delightful book brimming with humorous and poignant passages, radio personality Hugh Hewitt provides the answer. The starting place is generosity, he says, and there are seven gifts that are sure to improve the lives of both giver and receiver: encouragement, energy, enthusiasm, good humor, graciousness, gratitude, and patience. Anyone can give these gifts, but Hewitt shows that some people are particularly well placed to offer them: parents, spouses, family members, friends, teachers, coworkers, and fellow church members. Channeling his skills as a broadcaster, journalist, lawyer, and teacher, Hewitt weaves stories about these seven gifts and seven givers with inspiring and motivating observations to help readers become generous in the ways that matter most. "The Happiest Life is not simply a delight to read, and not merely a glimpse under the hood of a remarkable man. It’s a map to what Robert Frost once described as the road less traveled—the road that leads to a life of meaning and gratitude and joy.” —Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia "Reading this book is the next best thing to sitting down for a long conversation with my friend Hugh Hewitt.” —Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary “Wanna be a happier person? Know anyone else who does? What if this book could actually help with that? Cutting to the chase—it can. And it will." —Eric Metaxas, New York Times best-selling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and 7 Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness

Game for Life: Troy Aikman

Game for Life: Troy Aikman PDF Author: Clarence Hill, Jr.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1635652537
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
Join the Pro Football Hall of Fame in celebrating this legendary quarterback and football commentator! It's a new biography based on interviews with Troy Aikman himself! Troy Aikman has always been a winner. In high school, he won the state championship—in typing! Of course, he was a football star in high school, too. And in college. And he was a number-one draft pick. As a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Troy won three Super Bowls—and was once the Super Bowl MVP. Then, he became a football analyst for Fox Sports, where millions of fans watch and listen to his Super Bowl commentary. He's even been nominated for four Emmys for sportscasting! What will Troy Aikman win next? Game for Life biographies support the Pro Football Hall of Fame's mission to honor the heroes of the game, preserve its history, promote its values, and celebrate excellence everywhere. Don't miss the other books in the series, John Madden and Michael Strahan!

Seven Signs of Life

Seven Signs of Life PDF Author: Aoife Abbey
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473555833
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 155

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Book Description
'Heartfelt, honest, illuminating and wise' Julia Samuel, author of This Too Shall Pass. Perfect for fans of This Is Going to Hurt. Grief. Anger. Joy. Fear. Distraction. Disgust. Hope. All emotions we expect to encounter over our lifetime. But what if this was every day? And what if your ability to manage them was the difference between life and death? For Aoife Abbey, a doctor in intensive care, these experiences are part of the job - from grief when you make a potentially fatal mistake to joy when the ward unexpectedly breaks into song. Seven Signs of Life is Abbey's extraordinary account of what it means to be alive and how it feels to care for a living. An insightful, tender and inspiring memoir that explores the reality of life on the NHS front line. 'Brilliant, compelling... A hugely life-affirming book' Mail on Sunday

The Game of Life

The Game of Life PDF Author: Bolton Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description


The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World

The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World PDF Author: Lucinda Robb
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 153621454X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Do you have a cause you’re passionate about? Take a few tips from the suffragists, who led one of the largest and longest movements in American history. The women’s suffrage movement was decades in the making and came with many harsh setbacks. But it resulted in a permanent victory: women’s right to vote. How did the suffragists do it? One hundred years later, an eye-opening look at their playbook shows that some of their strategies seem oddly familiar. Women’s marches at inauguration time? Check. Publicity stunts, optics, and influencers? They practically invented them. Petitions, lobbying, speeches, raising money, and writing articles? All of that, too. From moments of inspiration to some of the movement’s darker aspects—including the racism of some suffragist leaders, violence against picketers, and hunger strikes in jail—this International Literacy Association Young Adult Book Award winner takes a clear-eyed view of the role of key figures: Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frances Willard, Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, and many more. Engagingly narrated by Lucinda Robb and Rebecca Boggs Roberts, whose friendship goes back generations (to their grandmothers, Lady Bird Johnson and Lindy Boggs, and their mothers, Lynda Robb and Cokie Roberts), this unique melding of seminal history and smart tactics is sure to capture the attention of activists-in-the-making today.

The Seven Stages of Money Maturity

The Seven Stages of Money Maturity PDF Author: George Kinder
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 0307814076
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
"A vital, seminal breakthrough work... Kinder penetrates money's enigmas and mythologies with the artist's delicate touch, the critic's discriminating eye . . . and the insightful sensitivity of a good human being. This book is a gift." --Richard Wagner, former chairman, Institute of Certified Financial Planners Replace anxiety, self-sabotage, and self-doubt around money with the sense of ease and freedom you deserve in The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, a one-of-a-kind guide in the life-changing tradition of The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom and Your Money or Your Life. A renowned Buddhist teacher as well as a Harvard-trained, nationally prominent certified financial planner, George Kinder draws on both disciplines to guide us toward a full understanding of the spiritual and psychological issues that surround money. Although many of us may assume that issues of money and spirit are separate, incompatible questions, George Kinder shows us that we must explore them together to attain true peace, freedom, and security in our money lives. Tracing the same path to transformation on which he has led his clients and lectured audiences for years, Kinder leads us through the Seven Steps of a journey to the profound liberation of awakening to a world of abundance and possibility. Revealing practical, market-tested wealth-building skills as well as the wisdom that contributes to understanding and enriching the role money plays across our lives from the surface to the soul, Kinder teaches us how to: Understand feelings that impact taking financial action Develop understanding and knowledge about money Eliminate stress and anxiety around money Let go of old patterns and painful habits Approach money tasks with energy and optimism Design a money life that is fulfilling both financially and spiritually A powerful new way to look at your money and at your life, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity will help us experience each encounter with money as a step toward awakening and a powerful lesson in understanding the relationships we share with others and with ourselves.