In the vast, boundless expanse of Plurality, each life is a unique and precious existence...Regardless of how perilous external circumstances may be...(l)et us take positive action to allow the seeds of shared goodness to break through the earth and blossom into flower of empathy, joy and harmony. — His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV of Tibet In a technologically advanced, politically challenging, and rapidly evolving 21st century, what does a free and open future look like? Glen, Audrey and their coauthors offer a compelling view of a way forward. — Vitalik Buterin, Founder of Ethereum Democracy has been a confrontation between opposing values. In Taiwan, however, it has become a conversation among a diversity of values. Audrey Tang has shown us how to create a "digital democracy" that transcends the constraints of ideology - that is the major contribution of this book. — Tsai Ing-wen, President of the ROC (Taiwan) They offer us a portal into a future where technology supports democracy, pluralism, and broad human flourishing. We know this future is possible because Tang has been building it in Taiwan. The conceptual foundations laid here usher in a much-needed paradigm change for modern life. — Danielle S. Allen, political philosopher, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard, MacArthur Fellow, and author of Our Declaration and Cuz Plurality reads like optimistic sci-fi, already happening in real life! Can democracies around the world follow in Taiwan’s footsteps to upgrade free society for the digital age? Fingers crossed for a happy ending. — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmy-winning artist and founder of HITRECORD Digital technology threatens to tear free and open societies apart through polarization, inequality, and loneliness. But in the decade since the weekslong occupation of their parliament, a diverse island of resilience has shown another way is possible. Taiwan achieved inclusive, technology-fueled growth, overcame the pandemic without lockdowns and the infodemic without takedowns, entrusted its people to tackle shared challenges like environmental protection while capitalizing on a culture of innovation to “hack the government.” Here, the architects of Taiwan’s internationally acclaimed digital democracy share the secret of their success. Plurality (symbolized ⿻) harnesses digital tools not to replace humans or trust, but to channel the potential energy in social diversity that can erupt in conflict instead for progress, growth and beauty. From intimate digitally empowered telepathy to global trade running on social networks rather than money, ⿻ offers tools to radically enrich relationships while leaving no one behind. ⿻ thus promises to transform every sector from healthcare to media, as illustrated by the way it has been written: as a chorus of open, self-governing collaboration of voices from around the globe. Their work in public on this openly available text shows — as well as tells — how everyone from a devout African farmer to a Hollywood celebrity can help build a more dynamic, harmonious and inclusive world. E. Glen Weyl is Founder of RadicalxChange, Microsoft Research's Plural Technology Collaboratory, & Plurality Institute & co-author of Radical Markets. Audrey Tang is the inaugural Minister of Digital Affairs in Taiwan & the inaugural ⚧️ minister in the 🌐. A global ⿻ community of dozens collaborated to create this first-ever open-source self-governed book harnessing tools described within. You are invited to join us at https://www.plurality.net
In this instant New York Times bestseller, renowned economist Thomas Sowell demolishes the myths that underpin the social justice movement “Light on rhetoric, seriously heavy on data, and accessible in style, there is a reason why Sowell has been described as ‘among the most brilliant thinkers in the world today’ by Harvard University’s Steven Pinker and an ‘American sage’ by the Wall Street Journal.” – Washington Examiner The quest for social justice is a powerful crusade of our time, with an appeal to many different people, for many different reasons. But those who use the same words do not always present the same meanings. Clarifying those meanings is the first step toward finding out what we agree on and disagree on. From there, it is largely a question of what the facts are. Social Justice Fallacies reveals how many things that are thought to be true simply cannot stand up to documented facts, which are often the opposite of what is widely believed. However attractive the social justice vision, the crucial question is whether the social justice agenda will get us to the fulfillment of that vision. History shows that the social justice agenda has often led in the opposite direction, sometimes with catastrophic consequences. More things are involved besides simply mistakes. All human beings are fallible, and social justice advocates may not necessarily make any more mistakes than others. But crusaders with an utter certainty about their mission are often undeterred by obstacles, evidence or even fatal dangers. That is where much of the Western world is today. The question is whether we will continue on heedlessly, past the point of no return.
Privacy is a puzzling concept. From the backyard to the bedroom, everyday life gives rise to an abundance of privacy claims. In the legal sphere, privacy is invoked with respect to issues including abortion, marriage, and sexuality. Yet privacy is surrounded by a mire of theoretical debate. Certain philosophers argue that privacy is neither conceptually nor morally distinct from other interests, while numerous legal scholars point to the apparently disparate interests involved in constitutional and tort privacy law. By arguing that intimacy is the core of privacy, including privacy law, Inness undermines privacy skepticism, providing a strong theoretical foundation for many of our everyday and legal privacy claims, including the controversial constitutional right to privacy.
"He was the most important scholar of privacy since Louis Brandeis."—Jeffrey Rosen In defining privacy as “the claim of individuals…to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated,” Alan Westin’s 1967 classic Privacy and Freedom laid the philosophical groundwork for the current debates about technology and personal freedom, and is considered a foundational text in the field of privacy law. By arguing that citizens retained control over how their personal data was used, Westin redefined privacy as an individual freedom, taking Justice Louis Brandeis’ 19th century definition of privacy as a legal right and expanding it for use in modern times. Westin’s ideas transformed the meaning of privacy, leading to a spate of privacy laws in the 1970s, as well as prefiguring the arguments over privacy that have come to dominate the internet era. This all new edition of Privacy and Freedom features an introduction by Daniel J. Solove, John Marshall Harlan Research Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School.
“Stasiland demonstrates that great, original reporting is still possible. . . . A heartbreaking, beautifully written book. A classic.” — Claire Tomalin, Guardian “Books of the Year” Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction: a powerfully moving account of people who heroically resisted the communist dictatorship of East Germany, and of people who worked for its secret police, the Stasi. Anna Funder delivers a prize-winning and powerfully rendered account of the resistance against East Germany’s communist dictatorship in these harrowing, personal tales of life behind the Iron Curtain—and, especially, of life under the iron fist of the Stasi, East Germany’s brutal state security force. In thetradition of Frederick Taylor’s The Berlin Wall and Philip Gourevitch’s We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families, Funder’s Stasiland is a masterpiece of investigative reporting, written with novelistic vividness and the compelling intensity of a universal, real-life story.
Let Keanu Reeves melt your heart. Crush and Color: Keanu Reeves is the fantasy coloring book you have been waiting for. Inside you will find a collection of daydreams and alluring scenarios with Hollywood’s brooding sweetheart. Let your imagination run wild with the mystery, benevolence, and quiet magnetism of Keanu in more than 35 completely unique, lifelike drawings. Admire him as he revs his engine on a winding coastline, immerse yourself in his dreamy gaze across a dinner table, and get swept up in his good-natured endeavors. But don't rush in too soon; get to know Keanu and his impressive career with a complete introductory biography, and then you will be ready to color your very own creative utopia of fantasies. Reality is a thing of the past in this dreamy book of fantasies with a charming enigma in Crush and Color: Keanu Reeves. -Let Keanu set you off in this collection of infatuating illustrations -Find out what makes Keanu so magnetic with biographical information about his life and work -Perforated pages make it easy to display the object of your romance or bromance -Find romance, intrigue, and smoldering gazes in 35 hand-drawn reveries
Star Trek fans and collectors will love this one-of-a-kind, mini-size collectible communicator with light and sound. The communicator is used for voice communication and serves as an emergency-signaling device for Starfleet. Kit includes a replica of the iconic communicator, with light and sound, and a 48-page book on the history of communicators, complete with full-color photos.
New (2023) 10th Edition contains many updated techniques, scripts, and tools! It is time to look at OSINT in a different way. For many years, and within previous editions of this book, we have relied on external resources to supply our search tools, virtual environments, and investigation techniques. We have seen this protocol fail us when services shut down, websites disappear, and custom resources are dismantled due to outside pressures. This book aims to correct our dilemma. We will take control of our investigative resources and become self-reliant. There will be no more need for online search tools; we will make and host our own locally. We will no longer seek pre-built virtual machines; we will create and configure our own. This book puts the power back in your hands. The new OSINT professional must be self-sustaining and possess their own tools and resources. You will become a more proficient subject matter expert who will be armed with the knowledge and readiness to articulate the sources of your findings. This new edition contains hundreds of pages which have been updated to keep your OSINT investigative methods fresh, and completely rebuilt digital assets which complement the teachings. Brand-new search methods for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others ensure you have the latest techniques within your online investigation arsenal. This edition presents six new chapters unavailable within previous versions discussing Broadcast Streams, Application Programming Interfaces, and an entire new section containing chapters about Data Leaks, Data Breaches, Stealer Logs, and Ransomware. An entire section is devoted to Methodology, Workflow, Documentation, and Ethics which provides a clear game plan for your next active investigation. All digital files are included via download, and updated often. Today, we start over.
Young readers can’t get enough of the action-packed and side-splitting Diary of a Roblox Noob series! Set in the beloved world of Roblox, the Diary of a Roblox Noob stories take kids on a journey—along with good-hearted and hilarious Noob and a cast of wacky characters—to escape gaming-centric scenarios full of peril and thrills! A world they already love… Is your house full of chatter about Roblox games? Does your child wish for new Roblox games for every holiday? Add Roblox story books to the mix with these epic adventure stories featuring familiar Roblox games that keep kids in the world of Roblox—without a keyboard or controller. Perfect for reluctant readers… Propulsive plots and silly humor make the Diary of a Roblox Noob stories surefire page-turners. Take a break from your endless search for engaging stories for young readers and give them a series they won’t be able to put down—especially if they love chapter books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Perfect for holiday gifting, this boxed set contains 5 full-length Diary of a Roblox Noob story books! Spend less than you would buying each title individually—and at over 580 pages, this omnibus will keep even the most voracious reader busy! 5 ADVENTURE STORY BOOKS: 1. PIGGY: A spooky tale (perfect for Halloween!) with just the right mix of chills, humor, and—of course—adventure! 2. BEE SWARM SIMULATOR 3. MAD CITY 4. RO-GHOUL 5. CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Noob is thrown into a race against time to save Christmas! More than 10,000 Goodreads reviewers can’t be wrong! Get your copy now, and combine reading and gaming with this immersive and exciting series! [NOT An Official Roblox Product]
Early in the year 1789 the French nation found itself in deep financial embarrassment; and this was speedily followed by calls for an issue of paper money. By August 1, 1795, some six years later, the gold 25 francs coin was worth in paper, 920 francs; on September 1st, 1,200 francs; on November 1st, 2,600 francs; on December 1st, 3,050 francs. In February, 1796, it was worth 7,200 francs or one franc in gold was worth 288 francs in paper. Prices of all commodities went up nearly in proportion. This story, of how a first world nation turned to paper money and destroyed itself, its people and its economy in the process, even arguably setting in motion the rise to power of Napoleon Bonaparte, is told in this book by Andrew Dickson White, academic, ambassador and author. As ever, history remains our best guide of what the future holds, and, considering our Fiat money system today, sounds a warning call that should be heeded.
A bold and eye-opening exposé on how power and propaganda distort the news, now more relevant than ever • With an updated introduction “[A] compelling indictment of the news media’s role in covering up errors and deceptions in American foreign policy.”—The New York Times Book Review Renowned scholars Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky reveal how U.S. news media, far from being independent watchdogs, often function as tools of elite influence. With probing analysis, they present their Propaganda Model, a framework that explains how systemic bias shapes the stories we’re told, the voices we hear, and the truths that remain hidden. Through deeply researched case studies, from the Vietnam War to coverage of “worthy” vs. “unworthy” victims, Manufacturing Consent exposes the structural forces that drive news organizations to reinforce power rather than question it. It’s a sobering portrait of a media system more interested in maintaining order than informing the public. This edition includes an introduction updating key examples and expanding the Propaganda Model’s relevance to issues like the coverage of NAFTA, the media’s treatment of global protests, and environmental regulation. Manufacturing Consent is a powerful assessment of how propagandistic the U.S. mass media are, how they systematically fail to live up to their self-image as providers of the kind of information that people need to make sense of the world, and how we can understand their function in a radically new way. Whether you’re a student, activist, or citizen looking to see beyond the headlines, this book will transform how you understand the media—and the world around you.
BLACK & WHITE VERSION Peercoin (PPC) is a decentralised cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin. It was the first cryptocurrency to introduce a new form of timestamping (proof of stake) that allows users of the wallet to receive a 1% rate of return on their holdings per year. This book is a detailed history of the first year of Peercoin up to the 19th of August 2013 (the time at which the blockchain had been usable for one year by the general public).