Most Popular Books by Chris Miller

One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023 The Financial Times Business Book of the Year, this epic account of the decades-long battle to control one of the world’s most critical resources—microchip technology—with the United States and China increasingly in fierce competition is “pulse quickening…a nonfiction thriller” (The New York Times). You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil—the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything—from missiles to microwaves—runs on chips, including cars, smartphones, the stock market, even the electric grid. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower, but America’s edge is in danger of slipping, undermined by players in Taiwan, Korea, and Europe taking over manufacturing. Now, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more on chips than any other product, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America’s military superiority and economic prosperity. Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the US became dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America’s victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. Until recently, China had been catching up, aligning its chip-building ambitions with military modernization. Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War is “an essential and engrossing landmark study" (London Times).

Twenty-six years after The Damned Place, Jim Dalton is now chief of police in the formerly sleepy town of Winnsboro, where a series of brutal murders leads him to believe something insidious is lurking just beneath the surface. As he meets with his childhood friends, the scope of what they hoped was left behind in the woods all those years ago begins to come into focus, and they realize they are once more all that stands in the way of a hungry beast from outside of reality and global destruction. Ours isn’t the first world The Glutton has devoured, and if Jim and his friends can’t find the key to destroying it, it won’t be the last. THE DAMNED PLACE left its stain, and now mankind’s only hope rests within THE DAMNED ONES.

A small town with dark secrets. A house hidden in the woods that holds horrors unimaginable. Four friends on summer break fighting off a group of bullies dead set on ruining their summer of fun. The little town of Winnsboro has buried its secrets beneath years of history and faded memories. But, it’s about to be unearthed releasing ancient creatures as a budding psychopath blooms. Will they survive what comes for them and possibly the world or will The Damned Place end it all?

For half a century the Soviet economy was inefficient but stable. In the late 1980s, to the surprise of nearly everyone, it suddenly collapsed. Why did this happen? And what role did Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s economic reforms play in the country’s dissolution? In this groundbreaking study, Chris Miller shows that Gorbachev and his allies tried to learn from the great success story of transitions from socialism to capitalism, Deng Xiaoping’s China. Why, then, were efforts to revitalize Soviet socialism so much less successful than in China? Making use of never-before-studied documents from the Soviet politburo and other archives, Miller argues that the difference between the Soviet Union and China — and the ultimate cause of the Soviet collapse — was not economics but politics. The Soviet government was divided by bitter conflict, and Gorbachev, the ostensible Soviet autocrat, was unable to outmaneuver the interest groups that were threatened by his economic reforms. Miller’s analysis settles long-standing debates about the politics and economics of perestroika, transforming our understanding of the causes of the Soviet Union’s rapid demise.

When Vladimir Putin first took power in 1999, he was a little-known figure ruling a country that was reeling from a decade and a half of crisis. In the years since, he has reestablished Russia as a great power. How did he do it? What principles have guided Putin’s economic policies? What patterns can be discerned? In this new analysis of Putin’s Russia, Chris Miller examines its economic policy and the tools Russia’s elite have used to achieve its goals. Miller argues that despite Russia’s corruption, cronyism, and overdependence on oil as an economic driver, Putin’s economic strategy has been surprisingly successful. Explaining the economic policies that underwrote Putin’s two-decades-long rule, Miller shows how, at every juncture, Putinomics has served Putin’s needs by guaranteeing economic stability and supporting his accumulation of power. Even in the face of Western financial sanctions and low oil prices, Putin has never been more relevant on the world stage.

This book is about the organization and delivery of welfare services, a subject that is currently the focus of hot debate as successive governments seek to ''modernize'' public services in response to recent social, economic and political change. Written specifically for a student readership, it provides a critical and contemporary exploration of the organizational models, processes and structures associated with different approaches to welfare, including traditional post-war approaches and the new right. Particular emphasis is given to the formulation and implementation of policy under the current British Labour government.

The first fully comprehensive, illustrated guide to body art in all its forms. This unique reference source explores every step of the process, making it the definitive guide for choosing the style, placement and the right artist; how to ensure safety and proper care; how to correct or remove unwanted body art; alternative body modification; and much, much more.

An illuminating account of Russia’s attempts—and failures—to achieve great power status in Asia. Since Peter the Great, Russian leaders have been lured by opportunity to the East. Under the tsars, Russians colonized Alaska, California, and Hawaii. The Trans-Siberian Railway linked Moscow to Vladivostok. And Stalin looked to Asia as a sphere of influence, hospitable to the spread of Soviet Communism. In Asia and the Pacific lay territory, markets, security, and glory. But all these expansionist dreams amounted to little. In We Shall Be Masters, Chris Miller explores why, arguing that Russia’s ambitions have repeatedly outstripped its capacity. With the core of the nation concentrated thousands of miles away in the European borderlands, Russia’s would-be pioneers have always struggled to project power into Asia and to maintain public and elite interest in their far-flung pursuits. Even when the wider population professed faith in Asia’s promise, few Russians were willing to pay the steep price. Among leaders, too, dreams of empire have always been tempered by fears of cost. Most of Russia’s pivots to Asia have therefore been halfhearted and fleeting. Today the Kremlin talks up the importance of “strategic partnership” with Xi Jinping’s China, and Vladimir Putin’s government is at pains to emphasize Russian activities across Eurasia. But while distance is covered with relative ease in the age of air travel and digital communication, the East remains far off in the ways that matter most. Miller finds that Russia’s Asian dreams are still restrained by the country’s firm rooting in Europe.

The creator of Animal House at last tells the real story of the fraternity that inspired the iconic film -- a story far more outrageous and funny than any movie could ever capture.

Before its founding by white settlers, Winona, Minnesota, was the home of a band of Sioux led by the great Wapasha dynasty. After white settlement began in 1851, the city''s growth was fueled by the Mississippi riverboat trade. Groups of immigrants passed through the "Gate City," and many stayed, founding enduring ethnic communities and building a city that for a brief time rivaled Minneapolis. The settlement covered the sandy flats with houses, churches, colleges, and factories, and carved the hill "Wapasha''s Cap" into the landmark now known as Sugar Loaf. Yesterday''s riverboats have given way to today''s recreational vehicles, but Winona''s factories and businesses still sell products to the national market, and the colleges-now universities-are a significant part of the city''s life. Through their combined collections of rare postcards, authors Chris Miller and Mary Pendleton take readers on a visual tour of Winona''s history, exploring the city''s Native American heritage, natural scenery, development, historic landmarks, and long relationship with the Mississippi River.

What would you do if you could live forever? Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck family does she get more than she could have imagined. When Winnie learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s immortality, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life, or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey. Based on the best-selling children’s classic by Natalie Babbitt, adapted for the stage by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle, and featuring a soaring score from Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen, the TYA edition of Tuck Everlasting is a condensed 70-minute version of the Broadway production, re-conceived by the authors to be performed by nine actors.

Only 57 percent of incoming college freshmen will graduate over the next six years. Your freshman year is critical! Learn time-tested strategies to help ensure that you won’t become the next dropout statistic. Discover how to: Strengthen your resilience to anxiety, depression, and stress by cultivating an impenetrable thought-life. Become a better time and money manager—”handle your business” easier. Implement the goal-setting strategies of top academic, entrepreneurial, and professional performers. Quickly realize your true purpose for college (and life)—graduate faster! Easily connect with peers to form friendships that will last a lifetime. Identify mentors who will help foster your inner genius. And much more!

Sophie Fields is a little girl tortured by her memories of Damien Smith, a much-loved and respected church elder with a secret lust for the unmentionable. After his misdeeds are covered up by church leaders, she climbs to the roof of her house and jumps to her death, right in front of her shocked brother, Charlie. Twenty years later, detective Harry Fletcher is still haunted by the personal demons associated with the church cover-up. After losing his faith, his wife, and now his partner, Fletcher learns that Charlie Fields has come back to town with one mission: to kill everyone responsible for his sisters death. It is Fletchers job to track and stop the crazed killer. But as it becomes clear who the main targets are, Fletcher finds himself in the midst of a moral quagmire. Although he sees justice in Charlies crusade, the killer seems to be taking out others not responsible for his family''s destruction. As Fletcher and his new partner battle each other in a test of ideology and limits of the law, the real demons show up and change everything. In this chilling tale of suspense, revenge, and evil, a police detective wrestles with his moral conscience while attempting to stop a serial killer avenging his sisters death.

Cade Samson has left his past behind as an enforcer for the local mob in rural East Texas. After promising his dying mother he would protect his younger brother from the world he was a part of, he went on a final, brutal spree, eliminating any competition for the Blackshear family. It was his ticket out, and for years now, he’s been laying low with his brother in peace. But when Waylon Blackshear’s son Ash shows up at his house, putting a gun to his head and taking his little brother hostage, Cade is suddenly thrust back into the life, his mission to take out his old partner on the force whose about to turn state’s evidence against the family. Left with no choice, he arms up, prepared for a double-cross he’s sure is coming, and does the job. With the Feds involved, it would be a suicide mission for anyone else. But the Devil knows how to roll his dice. On the run from the police and the Blackshears after turning the tables on them, Cade sets in motion a plan to get his brother back and bring down all those who stand in his way of the peaceful life he’s come to appreciate. Heads will roll, lives will be cut short, and the Devil will have his due. After all, when you dance with the Devil, you don’t get to pick the tune. Critical Acclaim for WAKING UP THE DEVIL: “Chris Miller is one of the best kept secrets in crime fiction. But he won’t be a secret anymore once readers get ahold of this masterful new offering.” —Andy Rausch, author of Hell To Pay “A knuckleduster of a racing-against-the-clock thriller, with loads of balls to the wall action. Miller''s Cade Samson makes most tough-guy protagonists look as menacing as Dylan Mulvaney slurping on a Bud Light. To quote from the book: ‘Forget rock and roll; it''s time for heavy metal.’” —Michael Bruce Blackwell, author of Wildlife on the Serengeti

Contract killers have long been a point of interest for readers of crime fiction and action film fans. Dead-End Jobs: A Hitman Anthology offers up eighteen works of short fiction from some of the hottest writers in the business. While the stories all depict professional killers, they are wildly different in their tone and the styles in which they are written, as well as the way they are depicted and the point-of-view from which they''re told. Some of these killers are seasoned professionals and others are new to the killing game. Some stories find their settings in urban locales such as New York City or Los Angeles and others in backwater rural locations. There are also contract killers of every stripe. Some stories depict the traditional organized crime gunmen while others feature corner boys doing the bidding of neighborhood drug dealers and the like. The stories in this collection are fast-paced and action-packed. Just as there are contract killers of varying pedigrees here, Dead-End Jobs features the writing of veteran wordsmiths such as Joe R. Lansdale, Max Allan Collins, and Stephen Spignesi, as well as new but equally exciting writers. Each author in this collection is as skilled as the hitters depicted in the stories. But their weapons are words instead of rifles and pistols, and every one absolutely kills here. Praise for DEAD-END JOBS: “An incredible collection of powerful and haunting stories that exist in that shadowy realm between tragedy, nihilism and noir.” —S.A. Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland

u200bThis volume was produced in conjunction with the Thematic Program in o-Minimal Structures and Real Analytic Geometry, held from January to June of 2009 at the Fields Institute. Five of the six contributions consist of notes from graduate courses associated with the program: Felipe Cano on a new proof of resolution of singularities for planar analytic vector fields; Chris Miller on o-minimality and Hardy fields; Jean-Philippe Rolin on the construction of o-minimal structures from quasianalytic classes; Fernando Sanz on non-oscillatory trajectories of vector fields; and Patrick Speissegger on pfaffian sets. The sixth contribution, by Antongiulio Fornasiero and Tamara Servi, is an adaptation to the nonstandard setting of A.J. Wilkie''s construction of o-minimal structures from infinitely differentiable functions. Most of this material is either unavailable elsewhere or spread across many different sources such as research papers, conference proceedings and PhD theses. This book will be a useful tool for graduate students or researchers from related fields who want to learn about expansions of o-minimal structures by solutions, or images thereof, of definable systems of differential equations. u200b

Environmental Rights offers new perspectives on contemporary debates over rights and environmental issues. It draws on key theories of contemporary philosophers and jurists and case reports from decisions in English, European and US courts. It also examines recent developments within environmental law and policy in the UK and the EU. Specific rights of the individual are examined - the right to clean air and water, access to information, the right to participate in environmental decisions - as well as the practical obstacles to the exercising of these rights.

If you find yourself in the Bow Valley for only a few days, or even an afternoon or evening, you can climb good rock a short walk from the road. The outskirts of Canmore offer some of the best-developed sport climbing in the Canadian Rockies, and you can be tying-in minutes from the parking areas. This book is perfect for when you are weathered off the high peaks or are travelling to or from more distant destinations. Grassi Lakes, the East End of Mount Rundle (EEOR) and Ha Ling Peak, along with the accessible amenities of this active mountain town, make for a perfect stopover.

At a time when neoliberal and conservative politics are again in the ascendency and social democracy is waning, Australian public policy re-engages with the values and goals of progressive public policy in Australia and the difficulties faced in re-affirming them. It brings together leading authors to explore economic, environmental, social, cultural, political and indigenous issues. It examines trends and current policy directions and outlines progressive alternatives that challenge and extend current thinking. While focused on Australia, the contributors offer valuable insights for people in other countries committed to social justice and those engaged in the ongoing contest between neo-liberalism and social democracy. This is essential reading for policy practitioners, researchers and students as well those with an interest in the future of public policy.

This text is concerned with the nature of public-service white-collar trade unions, particularly those within local government. It argues that the human product of the labour of public-service workers gives the production process a heightened significance, uneasy with capitalist labour relations.

This text emphasizes a departure from conventional teaching methods - the learning of microbial taxonomy - to clinically oriented study of important pathogens. It is divided into three sections: basic principles of microbiology and host-parasite relationships; coverage of the aetiology and pathogenesis of both oral, localized and systemic diseases with discussions of the methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention; and clinical practice, relating a knowledge of the mechanisms of diseases to the problems of sepsis, sterilization techniques and cross-infection control for those conditions the dentist most frequently has to deal with.