Most Popular Books by Milan

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.

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

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.

Morphogeny of the nasal skull was investigated in 92 embryos of 13 species of Cetacea. Compared to the original nasal capsule of land mammals, the nasal structures of Cetacea show many weighty transformations. As a result, the nostrils are translocated from the tip of the snout to the vertex of the head. Several structures of the embryonic nasal skull remain preserved even in adult cetaceans. The translocation of the nostrils to the highest point of the surfacing body is among the most perfect adaptations of cetaceans to the aquatic life habits. The morphogeny of the nasal skull suggests that all cetaceans are of common origin and form a single monophyletic order. The hitherto usual division of this order into two suborders, Mysticeti and Odontoceti, appears to be unsubstantiated. Rather, at least three closely related superfamilies should be distinguished within the order Cetacea, viz., Balaenopteroidea, Physeteroidea, and Delphinoidea. The results are in a

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...

This book focuses positively on a particular kind of `politics of scarcity'': how human service groups can join forces and work together in coalitions in order to manoeuvre government resources more effectively, generate new non-governmental resources and find substitute funds. The book briefly reviews the experiences of thirteen coalitions and describes how to organize, develop and maintain a coalition. Exercises give readers the opportunity to apply the knowledge presented in each chapter.

Who do business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals learn from? The movers and shakers who’ve successfully charted the same waters. Author Milan Topolovec introduces such pioneers in The 10 People You Meet in Business, his compilation of like-minded innovators and leaders who’ve contributed personal anecdotes of building, owning, and running businesses. When Topolovec started his company, he had no mentors; now, in this book, he provides them to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Ten colleagues, collaborators, and close friends narrate their challenges and accomplishments as prominent Canadian entrepreneurs—from the visionary director of an esteemed college to the chief financial officer of an international communications conglomerate. Every story is a chapter that delves into what it takes to be a business leader through trials and tribulations to triumph, offering practical take-aways and inspiration. For up-and-coming innovators, current business owners looking for fresh inspiration, and anyone in search of guidance, The 10 People You Meet in Business is a chronicle of self-made, engaging entrepreneurs. Topolovec says the key is being surrounded with the right people—gathered here.

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

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 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.

Milan C. Edson''s ''Solaris Farm'' is a captivating work of fiction that seamlessly blends elements of magical realism with themes of nature, identity, and healing. The narrative unfolds on a mystical farm where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, inviting readers to ponder the interconnectedness of all living beings. Edson''s prose is poetic and evocative, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience that transports the audience to a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The novel''s unique blend of mysticism and introspection challenges readers to explore the complexities of the human experience within the framework of a mystical setting, making it a thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating read. Set against the backdrop of a sprawling farm teeming with life, ''Solaris Farm'' is a transcendent exploration of the power of nature and the human spirit. Milan C. Edson''s background in environmental studies and passion for storytelling likely influenced the creation of this mesmerizing novel, which offers a fresh perspective on the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. I highly recommend ''Solaris Farm'' to any reader seeking a deeply moving and intellectually engaging literary experience that will leave a lasting impact.

Annotation Applies an alternative, sociological approach to exchange and related economic phenomena.

In socialist economies, profitable firms are taxed to subsidize unprofitable ones, and productive workers subsidize unproductive workers. Yugoslav firms, Vodopivec concludes, produce less because of both types of redistribution.

Human Brain in Standard MNI Space: A Comprehensive Pocket Atlas is a thorough pocket atlas designed for easy reference and interpretation of medical and scientific MR-images. It is intended for both early career and advanced medical students, for residents in radiology and neurology, and those involved in neuroscience research, emphasizing anatomy''s relationship to radiology. In addition, the book is ideal for non-specialists interested in issues relating to the brain or the determination of imaging features. - Provides gyral/sulcal designations (in the MNI figures), as well as cortical (Brodmann''s areas) delineations (in the diagrams) - Contains a three page section with (small) diagrams, providing 3D reconstruction of the MNI brain with definition of the cortex gyri and sulci - Includes a section that explains the Brodmann areas, along with a list of abbreviations, structures, and a hierarchical tree of structures

A reference to more than six hundred minerals, with color photographs of each type and an explanation of their forms and properties.

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.

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.

During one of his several adventurous voyages in the 1600s, an Englishman becomes the sole survivor of a shipwreck and lives on a deserted island for more than twenty-eight years.

The short eventful life of a Czechoslovakian Marxist poet who deludes himself about the meaning of duty.

A man and a woman meet by chance while returning to their homeland, which they had abandoned 20 years earlier when they chose to become exiles. Will they manage to pick up the thread of their strange love story, interrupted as soon as it began and then lost in the tides of history?

''This book is a novel in the form of variations. The various parts follow each other like the various stages of a voyage leading into the interior of a theme, the interior of a thought, the interior of a single, unique situation the understanding of which recedes from my sight into the distance. It is a book about laughter and about forgetting, about forgetting and about Prague, about Prague and about the angels.'' The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is the most secret of Kundera''s novels. This new translation is the first to be fully authorized by Milan Kundera. ''An urgent, stunning book; it teaches us that when we die, what we lose is not the future but the past. I think of Kundera as the great modern descendant of Gogol and Kafka.'' Carlos Fuentes

In the course of nine sections, this book examines the major situations of our time in the light of the wisdom of the great novelists: Kafka; Stravinsky; Hemingway; Rabelais; and Janacek. Ultimately, this brings about the question of the betrayed testaments of Europe, art and the novel.