New Releases by Milan

A deliciously witty and entertaining "variation" on Diderot''s novel Jacques le Fatalist, written for Milan Kundera''s "private pleasure" in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. When the "heavy Russian irrationality" fell on Czechoslovakia, Milan Kundera explains, he felt drawn to the spirit of the eighteenth century—"And it seemed to me that nowhere was it to be found more densely concentrated than in that banquet of intelligence, humor, and fantasy, Jacques le Fataliste." The upshot was this "Homage to Diderot," which has now been performed throughout the United States and Europe. Here, Jacques and His Master, newly translated by Simon Callow, is a text that will delight Kundera''s admirers throughout the English-speaking world.

“Slender but weighty. . . . What is moving about this novel is its embrace of what has always driven Kundera, the delicate state of living between being and nothingness.”— Boston Globe From the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, an entertaining and enchanting novel—"a fitting capstone on an extraordinary career." (Slate) Casting light on the most serious of problems and at the same time saying not one serious sentence; being fascinated by the reality of the contemporary world and at the same time completely avoiding realism—that’s The Festival of Insignificance. Readers who know Milan Kundera’s earlier books know that the wish to incorporate an element of the “unserious” in a novel is not at all unexpected of him. In Immortality, Goethe and Hemingway stroll through several chapters together talking and laughing. And in Slowness, Vera, the author’s wife, says to her husband: “you’ve often told me you meant to write a book one day that would have not a single serious word in it…I warn you: watch out. Your enemies are lying in wait.” Kundera is finally and fully realizing his old aesthetic dream in this novel that we could easily view as a summation of his whole work. A strange sort of summation. Strange sort of epilogue. Strange sort of laughter, inspired by our time, which is comical because it has lost all sense of humor. What more can we say? Nothing. Just read.

“I can’t imagine reading this book without being challenged and instructed, amused, amazed and aroused, and ultimately delighted.” —John Simon, New York Times Book Review Milan Kundera’s brilliant collection of essays is a passionate defense of art in an era that, he argues, no longer values art or beauty. With the same dazzling mix of emotion and ideas that characterizes his bestselling novels, the internationally acclaimed author revisits the artists whose works help us better understand what it means to be human. Elegant, startlingly original, and provocative, Encounter combines many of the author’s signature themes with personal reflections and stories.

New York Times Bestseller "Inspired. . . . Kundera''s most brilliantly imagined novel. . . . A book that entrances, beguiles and charms us from first page to last." — Cleveland Plain Dealer Milan Kundera''s sixth novel springs from a casual gesture of a woman to her swimming instructor, a gesture that creates a character in the mind of a writer named Kundera. Like Flaubert''s Emma or Tolstoy''s Anna, Kundera''s Agnès becomes an object of fascination, of indefinable longing. From that character springs a novel, a gesture of the imagination that both embodies and articulates Milan Kundera''s supreme mastery of the novel and its purpose: to explore thoroughly the great themes of existence.

A straightforward look at the history and the art of maintaining courteous communication in an increasingly divided world. 2024 Winner, International Book Awards, Current Events Category and Social Change Category 2024 Finalist, International Book Awards, Business: General Category and Business: Motivational Category Have you ever been in a conversation that, after volleying back and forth, ended with the words, “I’m just saying . . .”? Usually, this signals frustration, that the discussion has reached a dead end, that you haven’t made your point, and may even leave you feeling that your relationship with the other person has changed for the worse. Digital interactions, devoid of nuance and understanding, further complicate discussion. We may believe that we are superior because our opinions are the “right” ones, and in the future avoid conversations with those whose opinions differ from ours, sending us into a never-ending echo chamber. In I’m Just Saying, author Milan Kordestani shows us that although challenging conversations can be unpleasant, they can also help us grow. Sometimes, people inspire us to change how we speak, making us better communicators in the process as we search to find common ground with those with whom we disagree. Kordestani uses contemporary case studies and personal experience to teach readers how to have constructive conversations by engaging in civil discourse—the idea that good-faith actors can reach consensus on any opinion-based disagreement. He discusses influential leaders and reflects on his successes and failures in creating The Doe, an online publication focused on civil discourse. He addresses the challenges that digital media consumption presents when seeking common ground—especially when people are only digitally connected. Civil discourse, an essential part of democracy, is becoming rare in today''s digital age. I’m Just Saying examines discourse''s successes and the ways to rebuild it. Drawing from history, popular culture, and personal anecdotes, the book promotes effective civil discourse by providing practical advice and strategies for respect. Through story, I’m Just Saying offers insight and tools for politeness in a divided world.

A short collection of brilliant early essays that offers a fascinating context for the Milan Kundera''s subsequent career and holds a mirror to much recent European history. It is also remarkably prescient with regard to Russia''s current aggression in Ukraine and its threat to the rest of Europe. Milan Kundera''s early nonfiction work feels especially resonant in our own time. In these pieces, Kundera pleads the case of the "small nations" of Europe who, by culture, are Western with deep roots in Europe, despite Russia imposing its own Communist political regimes in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Kundera warns that the real tragedy here is not Russia but Europe, whose own identity and culture are directly challenged and threatened in a way that could lead to their destruction. He is sounding the alarm, which chimes loud and clear in our own twenty-first century. The 1983 essay translated by Edmund White ("The Tragedy of Central Europe"), and the 1967 lecture delivered to the Czech Writers'' Union in the middle of the Prague Spring by the young Milan Kundera ("Literature and the Small Nations"), translated for the first time by Linda Asher, are both written in a voice that is at once personal, vehement, and anguished. Here, Kundera appears already as one of our great European writers and truly our contemporary. Each piece is prefaced by a short presentation by French historian Pierre Nora and Czech-born French political scientist Jacques Rupnik.

In "Solaris Farm," Milan C. Edson masterfully intertwines themes of technology, ecology, and human relationships within an evocative narrative set in a near-future dystopia. The novel employs a lyrical yet accessible prose style, seamlessly merging speculative fiction with philosophical inquiry. Through its vivid descriptions and richly drawn characters, "Solaris Farm" examines the implications of advanced agricultural technology on societal structures and individual identity, reflecting contemporary concerns about sustainability and the human-nature connection. Edson''s context draws from a growing literary movement that challenges the boundaries of traditional genres, engaging readers in a profound exploration of our planet''s future. Milan C. Edson, an esteemed author and environmental advocate, has a background in agronomy and a passion for ecological sustainability. His experiences working on experimental farms and engaging with communities affected by climate change have informed the narrative''s compelling critique of modern agricultural practices. Drawing from his own encounters and insights, Edson''s work offers both an imaginative escape and a needed reflection on the ethical dilemmas facing humanity today. "Solaris Farm" is a must-read for those who delight in speculative fiction that provokes thought and discussion. Engaging and thought-provoking, this novel invites readers to question their own relationship with the environment while providing a compelling story that resonates long after the last page is turned. Whether you are a fan of dystopian literature or simply curious about the intersection of technology and nature, Edson''s work will captivate and inspire.

A philosophical masterpiece by the author of modern classic The Unbearable Lightness of Being. ''An artist, clearly one of the best to be found anywhere.'' Salman Rushdie ''Kundera designs fictions of the highest order.'' Ian McEwan Chantal awaits her partner in a hotel on the Normandy coast, struggling to find him on a crowded beach. After mistaking him for a stranger, they reunite, and she reveals her fears of men no longer turning to look at her. Soon, she begins to receive mysterious love letters, which she hides in her underwear drawer - but as the border between fantasy and reality blurs, perhaps the secret correspondent is someone closer to her than she realises? In this disquieting love story, Kundera reveals our shifting perceptions of selfhood over time, especially within the intimacy of a relationship - and makes us question our own existence.

This volume contains examples of Milan''s highly original work in plant photography and still life. Some of the early work dates from 1972 to 1976 and was originally exhibited at London''s Photographers'' Gallery, in 1977, with the later work dating from 2007 to 2016. In particular, Milan has been interested to explore those botanical structures that are often characterized by what at first sight might appear to be a random arrangement of spines, leaves or flowers but which, upon closer scrutiny, are actually revealed to be highly structured patterns and mathematically correct symmetries - even in the repetition of asymmetry, there is a regularity and natural order. By observing the tiniest details and enlarging them substantially, Milan found that there was often an extraordinary, almost abstract, beauty to be enjoyed. In a number of his stunning still life images, Milan has captured what is perhaps the more obvious and conventional beauty of plants and flowers, his ''table top'' arrangements capturing for all time the innate stillness and richness of natural beauty. The Photographer, Milan Svanderlik, is a veteran observer of the extraordinary diversity and beauty of nature, people and life in general. Milan Svanderlik Photography: Plants & Still Life, comprising photographs taken from 1972 to 2016, is the first of three volumes illustrating his work. Over the years, Milan''s highly original and well-regarded photographs have been exhibited in a number of art galleries, both here in London and ''over the pond, in New York.

Basic Czech III is a sequel to Basic Czech I and Basic Czech II. It consists of six units (approx. 2000 words and phrases) and it is based on communicative and comparative approach. The textbook can be used in intensive as well as two-semester and other types of classes. It is also suitable for self-study. It provides the key to all exercises. All words and phrases are included in the Czech-English word list at the end of each unit. The grammatical and lexical topics covered in this volume exceed the level we commonly call basic. Nevertheless to preserve the formal continuity of all three volumes, we have kept the title "Basic Czech." Grammar and vocabulary covered corresponds with level B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Second edition.

It’s tempting to think that we live in an unprecedentedly fertile age for conspiracy theories, with seemingly each churn of the news cycle bringing fresh manifestations of large-scale paranoia. But the sad fact is that these narratives of suspicion—and the delusional psychologies that fuel them—have been a constant presence in American life for nearly as long as there’s been an America. In this sweeping book, Thomas Milan Konda traces the country’s obsession with conspiratorial thought from the early days of the republic to our own anxious moment. Conspiracies of Conspiracies details centuries of sinister speculations—from antisemitism and anti-Catholicism to UFOs and reptilian humanoids—and their often incendiary outcomes. Rather than simply rehashing the surface eccentricities of such theories, Konda draws from his unprecedented assemblage of conspiratorial writing to crack open the mindsets that lead people toward these self-sealing worlds of denial. What is distinctively American about these theories, he argues, is not simply our country’s homegrown obsession with them but their ongoing prevalence and virulence. Konda proves that conspiracy theories are no harmless sideshow. They are instead the dark and secret heart of American political history—one that is poisoning the bloodstream of an increasingly sick body politic.

This comprehensive treatise covers in detail practical methods of analysis as well as advanced mathematical models for structures highly sensitive to creep and shrinkage. Effective computational algorithms for century-long creep effects in structures, moisture diffusion and high temperature effects are presented. The main design codes and recommendations (including RILEM B3 and B4) are critically compared. Statistical uncertainty of century-long predictions is analyzed and its reduction by extrapolation is discussed, with emphasis on updating based on short-time tests and on long-term measurements on existing structures. Testing methods and the statistics of large randomly collected databases are critically appraised and improvements of predictions of multi-decade relaxation of prestressing steel, cyclic creep in bridges, cracking damage, etc., are demonstrated. Important research directions, such as nanomechanical and probabilistic modeling, are identified, and the need for separating the long-lasting autogenous shrinkage of modern concretes from the creep and drying shrinkage data and introducing it into practical prediction models is emphasized. All the results are derived mathematically and justified as much as possible by extensive test data. The theoretical background in linear viscoelasticity with aging is covered in detail. The didactic style makes the book suitable as a textbook. Everything is properly explained, step by step, with a wealth of application examples as well as simple illustrations of the basic phenomena which could alternate as homeworks or exams. The book is of interest to practicing engineers, researchers, educators and graduate students.

Did you know the last fight you had with your spouse began long before you even met? Are you tired of falling into frustrating relational patterns in your marriage? Do you and your spouse fight about the same things again and again? Relationship experts Milan and Kay Yerkovich explain why the ways you and your spouse relate to each other go back to before you even met. Drawing on the powerful tool of attachment theory, Milan and Kay explore how your childhood created an “intimacy imprint” that affects your marriage today. Their stories and practical ideas help you: * identify your personal love style * understand how your early life impacts you and your spouse * break free from painful patterns that keep you stuck * find healing for the source of conflict, not just the symptoms * create the close, nourishing relationship you dream about Revised throughout with all-new material and additional visual diagrams, this expanded edition of How We Love will bring vibrant life to your marriage. Are you ready for a new journey of love? Note: The revised and expanded How We Love Workbook is available separately.

This book focuses on speech signal phenomena, presenting a robustification of the usual speech generation models with regard to the presumed types of excitation signals, which is equivalent to the introduction of a class of nonlinear models and the corresponding criterion functions for parameter estimation. Compared to the general class of nonlinear models, such as various neural networks, these models possess good properties of controlled complexity, the option of working in “online” mode, as well as a low information volume for efficient speech encoding and transmission. Providing comprehensive insights, the book is based on the authors’ research, which has already been published, supplemented by additional texts discussing general considerations of speech modeling, linear predictive analysis and robust parameter estimation.

Characterized by new research, this much-needed investigation into the undeveloped field of the sociology of diplomacy offers important new conclusions and suggestions, as well as many new ideas gained from practical diplomatic experience. The book examines the establishment of diplomacies of the new small states that emerged in Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The sociological and organizational application is combined with concepts from the fields of international relations, diplomatic studies, security studies and international public law. A systematic, stringent approach to the subject matter makes this book a substantial contribution to the field, suited to scholars, diplomats, students, civil servants and journalists alike.

Atlas of Human Body: Central Nervous System and Vascularization is a multidisciplinary approach to the technical coverage of anatomical structures and relationships. It contains surface and 3D dissection images, native and colored cross sectional views made in different planes, MRI comparisons, demonstrations of cranial nerve origins, distribution of blood vessels by dissection, and systematic presentation of arterial distribution from the precapillary level, using the methyl metacrylate injection and subsequent tissue digestion method. Included throughout are late prenatal (fetal) and early postnatal images to contribute to a better understanding of structure/relationship specificity of differentiation at various developmental intervals (conduits, organs, somatic, or branchial derivatives). Each chapter features clinical correlations providing a unique perspective of side-by side comparisons of dissection images, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Created after many years of professional and scientific cooperation between the authors and their parent institutions, this important resource will serve researchers, students, and doctors in their professional work.

In the insatiable quest for natural resources, humans are searching further and deeper into the earth, threatening to unleash monsters thought to be long gone...

Working at Whole Foods had been good to Milan Ross. It not only allowed him to earn a decent living but also provided his family the medical insurance his family so desperately needed. But it wasn’t until Milan was offered the opportunity to attend Dr. Stoll’s Immersion program that his life totally changed. This is the story of how Milan Ross lost two hundred and twenty-five pounds of excess weight and found the passion his life had been missing. Since 2010, Dr. Scott Stoll, a medical doctor and past Olympic athlete, has conducted a week-long intensive health program. The seven-day course provides the most up-to-date information on nutrition, achievable exercise, and culinary education, as well as encouragement, coaching, and vision casting. While food is the centerpiece of the program, it is meant to be a transformational experience that forever changes the attitudes, habits, and lives of those who attend the program—all in just one week. It was to this program that Whole Foods sent Milan Ross. The Change not only tells the personal story of Milan Ross and what he experienced during that crucial week of his life but also provides the voice of Dr. Stoll, who takes the reader through the very same program Milan experienced. Unlike weight-loss books that offer quick fixes to lose the pounds, The Change is designed to look within each individual and see what is driving him or her to eat food that is known to be unhealthy. Based on science and inner strength, which is the true seed of change, this book is meant to have its readers lose weight and be healthy not for just a month or a year but for a lifetime.

This book focuses on the key naval strategic objectives of obtaining and maintaining sea control. During times of war, sea control, or the ability of combatants to enjoy naval dominance, plays a crucial role in that side’s ability to attain overall victory. This book explains and analyzes in much greater detail sea control in all its complexities, and describes the main methods of obtaining and maintaining it. Building on the views of naval classical thinkers, this book utilizes historical examples to illustrate the main methods of sea control. Each chapter focuses on a particular method, including destroying the enemy forces by a decisive action, destroying enemy forces over time-attrition, containing enemy fleet, choke point control, and capturing important enemy''s positions/basing area, The aim is to provide a comprehensive theory and practice of the struggle for sea control at the operational level. It should therefore provide a guide to practitioners on how to plan and conduct operational warfare at sea. The book will be of much interest to students of naval strategy, defence studies and security studies.

Water (R718) Turbo Compressor and Ejector Refrigeration/Heat Pump Technology provides the latest information on efficiency improvements, a main topic in recent investigations of thermal energy machines, plants, and systems that include turbo compressors, ejectors, and refrigeration/heat pump systems. This, when coupled with environmental concerns, has led to the application of eco-friendly refrigerants and to a renewed interest in natural refrigerants. Within this context, readers will find valuable information that explores refrigeration and heat pump systems using natural refrigerants, polygeneration systems, the energy efficiency of thermal systems, the utilization of low temperature waste heat, and cleaner production. The book also examines the technical, economic, and environmental reasons of R718 refrigeration/heat pump systems and how they are competitive with traditional systems, serving as a valuable reference for engineers who work in the design and construction of thermal plants and systems, and those who wish to specialize in the use of R718 as a refrigerant in these systems. - Describes existing novel R718 turbo compressor and ejector refrigeration/heat pump systems and technologies - Provides procedures calculating and optimizing cycles, system components, and system structures - Estimates the performance characteristics of the thermal systems - Exposes the possibilities for wider applications of R718 systems in the field of refrigeration and heat pumps

Book of Artistic Nudes photographed with Kim Weston in August 2015 at his studio in Carmel, CA

The history of surgical approaches to many diseases spans several centuries. However, the last century, and particularly its second half, witnessed an establishment of specialized surgical fields, such as urology surgery, neurosurgery and thoracic surgery, as a result of the rapidly growing knowledge of physiology, pathophysiology, blood transfusion, infection control as well as thanks to excellent new diagnostic methods and technological discoveries. After the Second World War, successful cardiac surgeries were carried out and later, in the 1960s, these were followed by vascular surgeries. The progress in sonography and arteriography, along with the development of new instruments, extracorporeal circulation, vascular substitutes and artificial valves, and last but not least, significant progress in the medicine in general, gradually resulted in the development of one of the pillars of modern surgery – cardiovascular surgery. Although this publication is primarily intended to help prepare foreign students at Czech universities for the demanding state examination in surgery, the arrangement of the text also makes it useful for further, special exams in cardiac and vascular surgery. after the graduation from the university.

Learning how to write C/C++ code is only the first step. To be a serious programmer, you need to understand the structure and purpose of the binary files produced by the compiler: object files, static libraries, shared libraries, and, of course, executables. Advanced C and C++ Compiling explains the build process in detail and shows how to integrate code from other developers in the form of deployed libraries as well as how to resolve issues and potential mismatches between your own and external code trees. With the proliferation of open source, understanding these issues is increasingly the responsibility of the individual programmer. Advanced C and C++ Compiling brings all of the information needed to move from intermediate to expert programmer together in one place -- an engineering guide on the topic of C/C++ binaries to help you get the most accurate and pertinent information in the quickest possible time.

This book provides a systematic analysis, modeling and evaluation of the performance of advanced transport systems. It offers an innovative approach by presenting a multidimensional examination of the performance of advanced transport systems and transport modes, useful for both theoretical and practical purposes. Advanced transport systems for the twenty-first century are characterized by the superiority of one or several of their infrastructural, technical/technological, operational, economic, environmental, social and policy performances as compared to their conventional counterparts. The advanced transport systems considered include: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems in urban area(s), electric and fuel cell passenger cars, high speed tilting trains, High Speed Rail (HSR), Trans Rapid Maglev (TRM), Evacuated Tube Transport system (ETT), advanced commercial subsonic and Supersonic Transport Aircraft (STA), conventionally- and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2)-fuelled commercial air transportation, advanced Air Traffic Control (ATC) technologies and procedures for increasing the airport runway capacity, Underground Freight Transport (UFT) systems in urban area(s), Long Intermodal Freight Train(s) (LIFTs), road mega trucks, large advanced container ships and freight/cargo aircraft and advanced freight/goods collection distribution networks. This book is intended for postgraduates, researchers, professionals and policy makers working in the transport industry.

This book, first published in 1990, considers the uneasy relationship between Russia and Soviet Central Asia. Chapters examine both the significance of Asia to the Russian mind and the place that Asia has occupied in Russian geopolitical thinking in the last hundred years, showing that outbreaks of violence are simply a manifestation of a long-standing tension. This is a remarkable and comprehensive study, which will be of great value to those concerned with the history and future of Central Asia and Siberia.

"First Published in 1999, Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company."

Larry is a night guard at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He is also late for work. In his hurry to get out of the bathtub and to his job, he forgets things. Things like shutting off the faucet. . . . What would happen if Larry''s bathtub caused the city to flood? What would become of the museum, particularly the fabulous creatures in the Ocean Room like the blue octopus and giant whale? Join Milan Trenc, the creator of The Night at the Museum, for more adventures inside a world that few ever get to experience—the mysterious world of a museum after the lights go out. It''s Another Night at the Museum!