New Releases by Sam Williams

Piggy, Ducky, and Bunny all love their dummies. When they cry, it’s the only thing that makes them stop. But one day, Bunny doesn’t need his dummy because he’s too busy playing. Then Ducky doesn’t need her dummy, because she wants to be a grown-up. But will there be no more dummy for Piggy?

When Piggy can not come out to play because he is using the potty, Ducky decides it is time for him to learn to use the potty too.

Illustrations and simple rhyming text describe the subtle feelings that are love.

Join in with the bunnies as they travel back to school on their very own school bus! Together you can recite the rhythmical text – ‘Here comes the school bus, school bus, bunny bus, big bus, yellow bus, time-to-go-to-school bus’ – and pull the tabs to see the bunnies and their bus move along on this all too familiar journey.

Illustrations and easy-to-read text call for all people of the world, wherever they are and whatever they are doing, to talk peace.

Simple rhythmic text and illustrations depict a big yellow school bus taking bunnies to and from school.

“…there''s a beast in our midst that preys upon our minds, traverses through our souls, and ultimately separates us from who we truly are. It is then that we give up the fight. It is then that we lose control. It is then that we lose ourselves.” “There is a major piece of the puzzle missing. The picture is not clear. It is still an unfinished product. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Why couldn''t he stop it? Why couldn''t anybody stop it? It is hard to ignore those unanswered questions and yet it is pointless to allow them to hold us captive. What''s done is done.” “…We have to deal with what''s happening now. We have to continue to live for them, with them, and we have to continue to live through them. They need a support system.” “…They will always need somebody like you and me.”

As we awake, we wonder what each new day has in store for us. It is not uncommon to let our imaginations run wild, to paint the perfect setting of events. We are often prepared to accept change and be flexible when things don''t go as planned. But what we are never prepared for is the chaos that comes about when something dark and ugly throws our lives into a catastrophic imbalance. When someone takes away from you something precious and irreplaceable-something deeply connected to your soul-you realize that your life, your whole being, will never be the same again. How do you fight your way out of such a whirlwind? What do you do when you finally regain some degree of normalcy, and then it happens to you again?

Whatever the weather, every day is a playful day for these two friends. With rhyming text and appealing illustrations, this second title in the ''Bunny and Bee'' range is perfect for bedtime.

Wake up, ears. Wake up, eyes. No more lazy, sleepy sighs. It''s morning and a toddler is getting ready for another new day. Mornings are such a special time - there are tickles and cuddles from Daddy and garden birds to watch from the window. There''s crunchy cereal to eat with Mummy and, of course, there''s Bear - to share everything with. Marni McGee''s lyrical, calming text is perfect to read aloud at any time of day.

Bunny and Bee peer over a hedge to watch a fawn drink at the water''s edge.

Liftable flaps and simple text portray over one hundred trucks en route to Hollywood, California, each carrying an unusual load. On board pages.

Few scientific topics since the theory of biological evolution have inspired as much controversy as artificial intelligence has. Even now, fifty years after the term first made its appearance in academic journals, many philosophers and more than a few prominent scientists and software programmers dismiss the pursuit of thinking machines as the modern-day equivalent of medieval alchemists’ hunt for the philosopher’s stone-a pursuit based more on faith than on skeptical inquiry. In Arguing A.I., journalist Sam Williams charts both the history of artificial intelligence from its scientific and philosophical roots and the history of the A.I. debate. He examines how and why the tenor of the debate has changed over the last half-decade in particular, as scientists are struggling to take into account the latest breakthroughs in computer science, information technology, and human biology. For every voice predicting machines like 2001’s HAL within the next twenty to thirty years, others have emerged with more pessimistic forecasts. From artificial intelligence’s pioneers John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky, to futurist authors Ray Kurzweil and Hans Moravec, to software architects Bill Joy and Jaron Lanier, Arguing A.I. introduces readers to the people participating in the current debate, both proponents and critics of A.I. who are changing the way computers “think” and the way we think about computers. Ultimately, Arguing A.I. is as much a history of thought as it is a history of science. Williams notes that many of the questions plaguing modern scientists and software programmers are the same questions that have concerned scientists and philosophers since time immemorial: What are the fundamental limitations of science and scientific inquiry? What is the nature of intelligence? And, most important, what does it really mean to be human?

Free as in Freedom interweaves biographical snapshots of GNU project founder Richard Stallman with the political, social and economic history of the free software movement. It examines Stallman''s unique personality and how that personality has been at turns a driving force and a drawback in terms of the movement''s overall success.Free as in Freedom examines one man''s 20-year attempt to codify and communicate the ethics of 1970s era "hacking" culture in such a way that later generations might easily share and build upon the knowledge of their computing forebears. The book documents Stallman''s personal evolution from teenage misfit to prescient adult hacker to political leader and examines how that evolution has shaped the free software movement. Like Alan Greenspan in the financial sector, Richard Stallman has assumed the role of tribal elder within the hacking community, a community that bills itself as anarchic and averse to central leadership or authority. How did this paradox come about? Free as in Freedom provides an answer. It also looks at how the latest twists and turns in the software marketplace have diminished Stallman''s leadership role in some areas while augmenting it in others.Finally, Free as in Freedom examines both Stallman and the free software movement from historical viewpoint. Will future generations see Stallman as a genius or crackpot? The answer to that question depends partly on which side of the free software debate the reader currently stands and partly upon the reader''s own outlook for the future. 100 years from now, when terms such as "computer," "operating system" and perhaps even "software" itself seem hopelessly quaint, will Richard Stallman''s particular vision of freedom still resonate, or will it have taken its place alongside other utopian concepts on the ''ash-heap of history?''

Elf wants is to snow so-o-o-o bad. Angel wants to help; so she makes some magic snow, but soon there is too much snow and she can''t make it stop. What will they do?

When Angel and Elf make cookie ornaments for Christmas Tree, the delicious smell attracts a baby snowbear, who takes more than just the cookies.

Teaches children about colors as they move colored spots through tubes.