Author: C. Thi Nguyen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190052104
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
Games are a unique art form. Games work in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be and what to care about during the game. Game designers sculpt alternate agencies, and game players submerge themselves in those alternate agencies. Thus, the fact that we play games demonstrates the fluidity of our own agency. We can throw ourselves, for a little while, into a different and temporary motivations. This volume presents a new theory of games which insists on their unique value. C. Thi Nguyen argues that games are an integral part our systems of communication and our art. Games sculpt our practical activities, allowing us to experience the beauty of our own actions and reasoning. Bridging aesthetics and practical reasoning, he gives an account of the special motivational structure involved in playing games. When we play games, we can pursue a goal, not for its own value, but for the value of the struggle. Thus, playing games involves a motivational inversion from normal life. We adopt an interest in winning temporarily, so we can experience the beauty of the struggle. Games offer us a temporary experience of life under utterly clear values, in a world engineered to fit to our abilities and goals. Games also let us to experience forms of agency we might never have developed on our own. Games, it turns out, are a special technique for communication. They are a technology that lets us record and transmit forms of agency. Our games form a "library of agency" and we can explore that library to develop our autonomy. Games use temporary restrictions to force us into new postures of agency.
A Delicate Game
Author: Hana Walker-Brown
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
ISBN: 9781529348088
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A footballer dies of dementia, younger than he should A 14-year old-rugby player is told to play on through multiple blows. He never wakes up from the last one A scientist reveals a pattern of brain disease in NFL players and is discredited A survivor of domestic abuse can't remember details when standing up in court From the creator of the award-winning podcast A Beautiful Brain. This is the story of the degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), concussive and sub-concussive trauma. It is also a story of power, of science and sport, and of the bodies that society deems worth sacrificing. It is an investigation that explores the truth about concussion in sport and beyond it, from the social dynamics that send young men into violent sports, to the scientists searching for truth and the families living with consequences. This story belongs to those families. A Delicate Game explores the passion and fury of sport, truth and justice, violence against women, privilege, love, greed, hope and redemption. It's going to change the way you think about sport forever. Reviews 'Moving...persuasive...timely...absorbing...well-researched...required reading' Sunday Times 'Hana Walker-Brown is a powerful new voice in narrative non-fiction. A Delicate Game is sensitive, crushing, vivid and unforgettable' Will Storr 'A MUST read book for anybody involved in sports, the facts and truth needs to be common knowledge for everyone.' - Alix Popham 'A Delicate Game is a beautifully written, deeply moving and absolutely mind-blowing read. Hana Walker-Brown gives such deep insights that it often feels like you are right next to her in her encounters, privileged enough to be listening. A Delicate Game combines excellent investigative reporting with a uniquely passionate voice that is calling for immediate action. Everyone should read this book!' - Julia Ebner 'A heartbreaking but really important book. I can hugely recommend to all' Fi Glover 'Sharp, smart and vital. Walker-Brown is a super duper mega talent' - Anneka Harry 'It is hard to summarise the level of skill required to execute a multifaceted book like this. A book with real depth that will stay with me for a long time. The literary world of investigative journalism has just gained a new talent' Dr Sophie Mort Praise for The Beautiful Brain 'Thoughtful, compelling and frequently hard-hitting, The Beautiful Brain is a powerful cri-de-Coeur against an industry failure to protect those who keep it afloat' - Fiona Sturgess, Financial Times 'A lovely and painful listen. Lovely because of the care and tenderness Walker-Brown puts into her work; painful because of the subject matter. The Beautiful Brain is essential listening' - Miranda Sawyer, Observer 'I can't stop thinking about its core message - the breadth or argument and depth of detail are remarkable" - Gillian Reynolds, Sunday Times 'It's gripping and essential - if often overwhelmingly poignant and righteously enraging, as much a call-to-arms as a piece of investigative journalism' - Esquire 'Hana's attention to detail and storytelling skills have created something that is having and will continue to have a lot of impact' - Halina Haag, PHD Researcher and Brain Trauma Survivor 'A simple thank you is not reflective of the impact of this story, and it's delivery' - Jodie Marshall, Canadian Council for First Aid Education and British Red Cross
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
ISBN: 9781529348088
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A footballer dies of dementia, younger than he should A 14-year old-rugby player is told to play on through multiple blows. He never wakes up from the last one A scientist reveals a pattern of brain disease in NFL players and is discredited A survivor of domestic abuse can't remember details when standing up in court From the creator of the award-winning podcast A Beautiful Brain. This is the story of the degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), concussive and sub-concussive trauma. It is also a story of power, of science and sport, and of the bodies that society deems worth sacrificing. It is an investigation that explores the truth about concussion in sport and beyond it, from the social dynamics that send young men into violent sports, to the scientists searching for truth and the families living with consequences. This story belongs to those families. A Delicate Game explores the passion and fury of sport, truth and justice, violence against women, privilege, love, greed, hope and redemption. It's going to change the way you think about sport forever. Reviews 'Moving...persuasive...timely...absorbing...well-researched...required reading' Sunday Times 'Hana Walker-Brown is a powerful new voice in narrative non-fiction. A Delicate Game is sensitive, crushing, vivid and unforgettable' Will Storr 'A MUST read book for anybody involved in sports, the facts and truth needs to be common knowledge for everyone.' - Alix Popham 'A Delicate Game is a beautifully written, deeply moving and absolutely mind-blowing read. Hana Walker-Brown gives such deep insights that it often feels like you are right next to her in her encounters, privileged enough to be listening. A Delicate Game combines excellent investigative reporting with a uniquely passionate voice that is calling for immediate action. Everyone should read this book!' - Julia Ebner 'A heartbreaking but really important book. I can hugely recommend to all' Fi Glover 'Sharp, smart and vital. Walker-Brown is a super duper mega talent' - Anneka Harry 'It is hard to summarise the level of skill required to execute a multifaceted book like this. A book with real depth that will stay with me for a long time. The literary world of investigative journalism has just gained a new talent' Dr Sophie Mort Praise for The Beautiful Brain 'Thoughtful, compelling and frequently hard-hitting, The Beautiful Brain is a powerful cri-de-Coeur against an industry failure to protect those who keep it afloat' - Fiona Sturgess, Financial Times 'A lovely and painful listen. Lovely because of the care and tenderness Walker-Brown puts into her work; painful because of the subject matter. The Beautiful Brain is essential listening' - Miranda Sawyer, Observer 'I can't stop thinking about its core message - the breadth or argument and depth of detail are remarkable" - Gillian Reynolds, Sunday Times 'It's gripping and essential - if often overwhelmingly poignant and righteously enraging, as much a call-to-arms as a piece of investigative journalism' - Esquire 'Hana's attention to detail and storytelling skills have created something that is having and will continue to have a lot of impact' - Halina Haag, PHD Researcher and Brain Trauma Survivor 'A simple thank you is not reflective of the impact of this story, and it's delivery' - Jodie Marshall, Canadian Council for First Aid Education and British Red Cross
A Game Of Hide And Seek
Author: Elizabeth Taylor
Publisher: Virago
ISBN: 0748131590
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
'Her stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning-point in one's own experience' - Elizabeth Bowen, author of The Heat of the Day Intelligent and haunting, with echoes of Brief Encounter, this is a love story by one of the best British writers of the 20th century. During summer games of hide and seek Harriet falls in love with Vesey and his elusive, teasing ways. When he goes to Oxford she cherishes his photograph and waits for a letter that never comes. Years pass and Harriet stifles her dreams; with a husband and daughter, she excels at respectability. But then Vesey reappears and her marriage seems to melt away. Harriet is older, it is much too late, but she is still in love with him.
Publisher: Virago
ISBN: 0748131590
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
'Her stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning-point in one's own experience' - Elizabeth Bowen, author of The Heat of the Day Intelligent and haunting, with echoes of Brief Encounter, this is a love story by one of the best British writers of the 20th century. During summer games of hide and seek Harriet falls in love with Vesey and his elusive, teasing ways. When he goes to Oxford she cherishes his photograph and waits for a letter that never comes. Years pass and Harriet stifles her dreams; with a husband and daughter, she excels at respectability. But then Vesey reappears and her marriage seems to melt away. Harriet is older, it is much too late, but she is still in love with him.
Your Career Game
Author: Nathan Bennett
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804771359
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 270
Book Description
Your Career Game demonstrates how game theory can help readers to understand and proactively take charge of their career strategy. Authors Nathan Bennett and Stephen A. Miles teach readers to manage the interdependencies and interconnectedness among coworkers, managers, and others in a manner that supports personal career efforts. Then, they show how readers can become better players. The key to learning how to play the career game is "career agility"—in short, nimble individuals are better game players. Thois book includes conversations with a wide range of successful professionals such as Ursula Burns (Xerox), Stephen Elop (Microsoft), Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton), Ken Frazier (Merck), and Liz McCartney (The St. Bernard Project), and discusses how their career moves demonstrate elements of a game theory approach to career management. This is a must-read strategic guide for anyone who seeks to advance their career and navigate today's job market.
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804771359
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 270
Book Description
Your Career Game demonstrates how game theory can help readers to understand and proactively take charge of their career strategy. Authors Nathan Bennett and Stephen A. Miles teach readers to manage the interdependencies and interconnectedness among coworkers, managers, and others in a manner that supports personal career efforts. Then, they show how readers can become better players. The key to learning how to play the career game is "career agility"—in short, nimble individuals are better game players. Thois book includes conversations with a wide range of successful professionals such as Ursula Burns (Xerox), Stephen Elop (Microsoft), Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton), Ken Frazier (Merck), and Liz McCartney (The St. Bernard Project), and discusses how their career moves demonstrate elements of a game theory approach to career management. This is a must-read strategic guide for anyone who seeks to advance their career and navigate today's job market.
The Biggest Game in Town
Author: Al Alvarez
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1408806630
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
Since its first publication twenty years ago, The Biggest Game in Town has become a sought-after cult classic. Acclaimed writer and critic Al Alvarez delves into the murky and compelling world of high-stakes Vegas poker, where 'the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing'. Uncovering an exotic underground rich in ambiance and eccentricity, The Biggest Game in Town is a real one of a kind, deftly capturing the skewed psyches and peculiar rites of professional poker players who descend every year for the World Series of Poker. It's a world that seems almost too surprising and bizarre to be true. 'A cool, precise, sharply witty, vivid evocation of a place and people, their appearances, behaviour and speech..Mr Alvarez is a shrewd analyst of the psychology of gamblers and a cleverly selective recorder of their bizarre talk with which, directly and indirectly, they reveal their secure grasp of unreality and their insane courage' Sunday Telegraph 'It will have most readers sitting on the edge of their seats' Sunday Times 'A new classic on gambling...it's quite brilliant' Time Out 'This is a magnificent book. Beyond the straights and full houses, Alvarez has written about people who are extremely good at what they do, and about America' San Francisco Chronicle
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1408806630
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
Since its first publication twenty years ago, The Biggest Game in Town has become a sought-after cult classic. Acclaimed writer and critic Al Alvarez delves into the murky and compelling world of high-stakes Vegas poker, where 'the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing'. Uncovering an exotic underground rich in ambiance and eccentricity, The Biggest Game in Town is a real one of a kind, deftly capturing the skewed psyches and peculiar rites of professional poker players who descend every year for the World Series of Poker. It's a world that seems almost too surprising and bizarre to be true. 'A cool, precise, sharply witty, vivid evocation of a place and people, their appearances, behaviour and speech..Mr Alvarez is a shrewd analyst of the psychology of gamblers and a cleverly selective recorder of their bizarre talk with which, directly and indirectly, they reveal their secure grasp of unreality and their insane courage' Sunday Telegraph 'It will have most readers sitting on the edge of their seats' Sunday Times 'A new classic on gambling...it's quite brilliant' Time Out 'This is a magnificent book. Beyond the straights and full houses, Alvarez has written about people who are extremely good at what they do, and about America' San Francisco Chronicle
A Delicate Touch
Author: Stuart Woods
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735219273
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Stone Barrington uncovers a societal minefield in this exhilarating adventure from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods. When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington requesting assistance, the job seems easy enough. She needs an expert in an esoteric field, someone with both the knowledge and careful dexterity to solve a puzzle. But the solution to one small problem blows the lid open on a bigger scandal going back decades, and involving numerous prominent New Yorkers who would prefer the past stay buried. With this explosive information in-hand, Stone Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place, his only options either to play it safe to the detriment of others, or to see justice done and risk fatal exposure. But when it comes to Stone Barrington, danger is usually just around the corner . . . so he may as well throw caution to the wind.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735219273
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Stone Barrington uncovers a societal minefield in this exhilarating adventure from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods. When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington requesting assistance, the job seems easy enough. She needs an expert in an esoteric field, someone with both the knowledge and careful dexterity to solve a puzzle. But the solution to one small problem blows the lid open on a bigger scandal going back decades, and involving numerous prominent New Yorkers who would prefer the past stay buried. With this explosive information in-hand, Stone Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place, his only options either to play it safe to the detriment of others, or to see justice done and risk fatal exposure. But when it comes to Stone Barrington, danger is usually just around the corner . . . so he may as well throw caution to the wind.
Raising Your Game
Author: Ethan J. Skolnick and Dr. Andrea Corn
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1475960875
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
America's children are joining and quitting youth sports in record numbers. If kids can't find the fun in an activity, they may try to find the way out. If an adult can't find the right tools, they may not know the right words to say or the right actions to take. In Raising Your Game, authors Ethan J. Skolnick and Dr. Andrea Corn present a guide adults can use to ensure the most enjoyable and enriching youth sports experience for a child. Through a combination of advice from more than 100 elite athletes and time-tested sports psychology concepts, Raising Your Game prompts parents to consider what really matters when it comes to their kids and sports. From LeBron James to Shannon Miller, Brandi Chastain to Jason Taylor, John Smoltz to Mary Joe Fernandez, Sanya Richards-Ross to Torii Hunter, athletes from across the sports spectrum discuss their setbacks and successes what worked for them and what didn't. Raising Your Game discusses the types of guidance that can ignite inspiration and foster participation, practice, and progress, and which methods can create frustration and dejection. It shows the difference a supportive parent can make by showing up, showing interest and, at times, showing restraint.
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1475960875
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
America's children are joining and quitting youth sports in record numbers. If kids can't find the fun in an activity, they may try to find the way out. If an adult can't find the right tools, they may not know the right words to say or the right actions to take. In Raising Your Game, authors Ethan J. Skolnick and Dr. Andrea Corn present a guide adults can use to ensure the most enjoyable and enriching youth sports experience for a child. Through a combination of advice from more than 100 elite athletes and time-tested sports psychology concepts, Raising Your Game prompts parents to consider what really matters when it comes to their kids and sports. From LeBron James to Shannon Miller, Brandi Chastain to Jason Taylor, John Smoltz to Mary Joe Fernandez, Sanya Richards-Ross to Torii Hunter, athletes from across the sports spectrum discuss their setbacks and successes what worked for them and what didn't. Raising Your Game discusses the types of guidance that can ignite inspiration and foster participation, practice, and progress, and which methods can create frustration and dejection. It shows the difference a supportive parent can make by showing up, showing interest and, at times, showing restraint.
Games
Author: C. Thi Nguyen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190052104
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
Games are a unique art form. Games work in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be and what to care about during the game. Game designers sculpt alternate agencies, and game players submerge themselves in those alternate agencies. Thus, the fact that we play games demonstrates the fluidity of our own agency. We can throw ourselves, for a little while, into a different and temporary motivations. This volume presents a new theory of games which insists on their unique value. C. Thi Nguyen argues that games are an integral part our systems of communication and our art. Games sculpt our practical activities, allowing us to experience the beauty of our own actions and reasoning. Bridging aesthetics and practical reasoning, he gives an account of the special motivational structure involved in playing games. When we play games, we can pursue a goal, not for its own value, but for the value of the struggle. Thus, playing games involves a motivational inversion from normal life. We adopt an interest in winning temporarily, so we can experience the beauty of the struggle. Games offer us a temporary experience of life under utterly clear values, in a world engineered to fit to our abilities and goals. Games also let us to experience forms of agency we might never have developed on our own. Games, it turns out, are a special technique for communication. They are a technology that lets us record and transmit forms of agency. Our games form a "library of agency" and we can explore that library to develop our autonomy. Games use temporary restrictions to force us into new postures of agency.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190052104
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
Games are a unique art form. Games work in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be and what to care about during the game. Game designers sculpt alternate agencies, and game players submerge themselves in those alternate agencies. Thus, the fact that we play games demonstrates the fluidity of our own agency. We can throw ourselves, for a little while, into a different and temporary motivations. This volume presents a new theory of games which insists on their unique value. C. Thi Nguyen argues that games are an integral part our systems of communication and our art. Games sculpt our practical activities, allowing us to experience the beauty of our own actions and reasoning. Bridging aesthetics and practical reasoning, he gives an account of the special motivational structure involved in playing games. When we play games, we can pursue a goal, not for its own value, but for the value of the struggle. Thus, playing games involves a motivational inversion from normal life. We adopt an interest in winning temporarily, so we can experience the beauty of the struggle. Games offer us a temporary experience of life under utterly clear values, in a world engineered to fit to our abilities and goals. Games also let us to experience forms of agency we might never have developed on our own. Games, it turns out, are a special technique for communication. They are a technology that lets us record and transmit forms of agency. Our games form a "library of agency" and we can explore that library to develop our autonomy. Games use temporary restrictions to force us into new postures of agency.
Real Games
Author: Mia Consalvo
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262042606
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
How we talk about games as real or not-real, and how that shapes what games are made and who is invited to play them. In videogame criticism, the worst insult might be “That's not a real game!” For example, “That's not a real game, it's on Facebook!” and “That's not a real game, it's a walking simulator!” But how do people judge what is a real game and what is not—what features establish a game's gameness? In this engaging book, Mia Consalvo and Christopher Paul examine the debates about the realness or not-realness of videogames and find that these discussions shape what games get made and who is invited to play them. Consalvo and Paul look at three main areas often viewed as determining a game's legitimacy: the game's pedigree (its developer), the content of the game itself, and the game's payment structure. They find, among other things, that even developers with a track record are viewed with suspicion if their games are on suspect platforms. They investigate game elements that are potentially troublesome for a game's gameness, including genres, visual aesthetics, platform, and perceived difficulty. And they explore payment models, particularly free-to-play—held by some to be a marker of illegitimacy. Finally, they examine the debate around such so-called walking simulators as Dear Esther and Gone Home. And finally, they consider what purpose is served by labeling certain games “real."
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262042606
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
How we talk about games as real or not-real, and how that shapes what games are made and who is invited to play them. In videogame criticism, the worst insult might be “That's not a real game!” For example, “That's not a real game, it's on Facebook!” and “That's not a real game, it's a walking simulator!” But how do people judge what is a real game and what is not—what features establish a game's gameness? In this engaging book, Mia Consalvo and Christopher Paul examine the debates about the realness or not-realness of videogames and find that these discussions shape what games get made and who is invited to play them. Consalvo and Paul look at three main areas often viewed as determining a game's legitimacy: the game's pedigree (its developer), the content of the game itself, and the game's payment structure. They find, among other things, that even developers with a track record are viewed with suspicion if their games are on suspect platforms. They investigate game elements that are potentially troublesome for a game's gameness, including genres, visual aesthetics, platform, and perceived difficulty. And they explore payment models, particularly free-to-play—held by some to be a marker of illegitimacy. Finally, they examine the debate around such so-called walking simulators as Dear Esther and Gone Home. And finally, they consider what purpose is served by labeling certain games “real."
The CRPG Book: A Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games
Author: Felipe Pepe
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781999353308
Category : Computer games
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
Reviews over 400 seminal games from 1975 to 2015. Each entry shares articles on the genre, mod suggestions and hints on how to run the games on modern hardware.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781999353308
Category : Computer games
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
Reviews over 400 seminal games from 1975 to 2015. Each entry shares articles on the genre, mod suggestions and hints on how to run the games on modern hardware.
Locally Played
Author: Benjamin Stokes
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262043483
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
How games can make a real-world difference in communities when city leaders tap into the power of play for local impact. In 2016, city officials were surprised when Pokémon GO brought millions of players out into the public space, blending digital participation with the physical. Yet for local control and empowerment, a new framework is needed to guide the power of mixed reality and pervasive play. In Locally Played, Benjamin Stokes describes the rise of games that can connect strangers across zip codes, support the “buy local” economy, and build cohesion in the fight for equity. With a mix of high- and low-tech games, Stokes shows, cities can tap into the power of play for the good of the group, including healthier neighborhoods and stronger communities. Stokes shows how impact is greatest when games “fit” to the local community—not just in terms of culture, but at the level of group identity and network structure. By pairing design principles with a range of empirical methods, Stokes investigates the impact of several games, including Macon Money, where an alternative currency encouraged people to cross lines of socioeconomic segregation in Macon, Georgia; Reality Ends Here, where teams in Los Angeles competed to tell multimedia stories around local mythology; and Pokémon GO, appropriated by several cities to serve local needs through local libraries and open street festivals. Locally Played provides game designers with a model to strengthen existing networks tied to place and gives city leaders tools to look past technology trends in order to make a difference in the real world.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262043483
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
How games can make a real-world difference in communities when city leaders tap into the power of play for local impact. In 2016, city officials were surprised when Pokémon GO brought millions of players out into the public space, blending digital participation with the physical. Yet for local control and empowerment, a new framework is needed to guide the power of mixed reality and pervasive play. In Locally Played, Benjamin Stokes describes the rise of games that can connect strangers across zip codes, support the “buy local” economy, and build cohesion in the fight for equity. With a mix of high- and low-tech games, Stokes shows, cities can tap into the power of play for the good of the group, including healthier neighborhoods and stronger communities. Stokes shows how impact is greatest when games “fit” to the local community—not just in terms of culture, but at the level of group identity and network structure. By pairing design principles with a range of empirical methods, Stokes investigates the impact of several games, including Macon Money, where an alternative currency encouraged people to cross lines of socioeconomic segregation in Macon, Georgia; Reality Ends Here, where teams in Los Angeles competed to tell multimedia stories around local mythology; and Pokémon GO, appropriated by several cities to serve local needs through local libraries and open street festivals. Locally Played provides game designers with a model to strengthen existing networks tied to place and gives city leaders tools to look past technology trends in order to make a difference in the real world.