Too Smart

Who benefits from smart technology? Whose interests are served when we trade our personal data for convenience and connectivity? Smart technology is everywhere: smart umbrellas that light up when rain is in the forecast; smart cars that relieve drivers of the drudgery of driving; smart toothbrushes that send your dental hygiene details to the cloud. Nothing is safe from smartification. In Too Smart, Jathan Sadowski looks at the proliferation of smart stuff in our lives and asks whether the tradeoff—exchanging our personal data for convenience and connectivity—is worth it. Who benefits from smart technology? Sadowski explains how data, once the purview of researchers and policy wonks, has become a form of capital. Smart technology, he argues, is driven by the dual imperatives of digital capitalism: extracting data from, and expanding control over, everything and everybody. He looks at three domains colonized by smart technologies' collection and control systems: the smart self, the smart home, and the smart city. The smart self involves more than self-tracking of steps walked and calories burned; it raises questions about what others do with our data and how they direct our behavior—whether or not we want them to. The smart home collects data about our habits that offer business a window into our domestic spaces. And the smart city, where these systems have space to grow, offers military-grade surveillance capabilities to local authorities. Technology gets smart from our data. We may enjoy the conveniences we get in return (the refrigerator says we're out of milk!), but, Sadowski argues, smart technology advances the interests of corporate technocratic power—and will continue to do so unless we demand oversight and ownership of our data.

Explains how self-delusion is part of a person's psychological defense system, identifying common misconceptions people have on topics such as caffeine withdrawal, hindsight, and brand loyalty.

Who benefits from smart technology? Whose interests are served when we trade our personal data for convenience and connectivity? Smart technology is everywhere: smart umbrellas that light up when rain is in the forecast; smart cars that relieve drivers of the drudgery of driving; smart toothbrushes that send your dental hygiene details to the cloud. Nothing is safe from smartification. In Too Smart, Jathan Sadowski looks at the proliferation of smart stuff in our lives and asks whether the tradeoff—exchanging our personal data for convenience and connectivity—is worth it. Who benefits from smart technology? Sadowski explains how data, once the purview of researchers and policy wonks, has become a form of capital. Smart technology, he argues, is driven by the dual imperatives of digital capitalism: extracting data from, and expanding control over, everything and everybody. He looks at three domains colonized by smart technologies' collection and control systems: the smart self, the smart home, and the smart city. The smart self involves more than self-tracking of steps walked and calories burned; it raises questions about what others do with our data and how they direct our behavior—whether or not we want them to. The smart home collects data about our habits that offer business a window into our domestic spaces. And the smart city, where these systems have space to grow, offers military-grade surveillance capabilities to local authorities. Technology gets smart from our data. We may enjoy the conveniences we get in return (the refrigerator says we're out of milk!), but, Sadowski argues, smart technology advances the interests of corporate technocratic power—and will continue to do so unless we demand oversight and ownership of our data.

The beloved bestselling collection of common sense wisdom from a celebrated psychologist and military veteran who proves it's never too late to move beyond the deepest of personal losses After service in Vietnam, as a surgeon for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1968-69, at the height of the war, Dr. Gordon Livingston returned to the U.S. and began work as a psychiatrist. In that capacity, he has listened to people talk about their lives--what works, what doesn't, and the limitless ways (many of them self-inflicted) that people find to be unhappy. He is also a parent twice bereaved; in one thirteen-month period he lost his eldest son to suicide, his youngest to leukemia. Out of a lifetime of experience, Gordon Livingston has extracted thirty bedrock truths, including: We are what we do. Any relationship is under the control of the person who cares the least. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Only bad things happen quickly. Forgiveness is a form of letting go, but they are not the same thing. The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas. Livingston illuminates these and twenty-four other truths in a series of carefully hewn, perfectly calibrated essays, many of which focus on our closest relationships and the things that we do to impede or, less frequently, enhance them. Again and again, these essays underscore that "we are what we do," and that while there may be no escaping who we are, we have the capacity to face loss, misfortune, and regret and to move beyond them--that it is not too late. Full of things we may know but have not articulated to ourselves, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart offers solace, guidance, and hope to everyone ready to become the person they'd most like to be.

Marriage Makers "Cathie Linz's fun and lively romances are guaranteed to win readers' hearts!" —Susan Elizabeth Phillips Anastasia Knight knew better than to fall for a straight-arrow like David Sullivan. Why, he'd even believed she was trying to swindle his sweet grandmother! He was the one at fault—he didn't spend enough time with the dear woman. And Anastasia was about to fix that! Just as she was going to teach Mr. David Sullivan, workaholic, how to loosen up and have fun. Problem was that she was the one having too much fun. She and David together? Like marriage? Nah. Surely, they were both too smart for that…maybe. Marriage Makers—Three bumbling matchmakers mess with matrimony!

As technology continues to advance at an exponential rate, people have begun to express fears about the abilities of smart devices. While these people worry about job security, data security, and the implications for law enforcement, others point out benefits such as streamlined production and exciting new inventions. Through fascinating fact boxes and an informative graphic organizer that enhance the main text, readers learn about the various points of view surrounding this STEM issue. Objective text encourages critical thinking to help the next generation of innovators come to their own conclusions about technology.

'A good night for killing. The Man watched...' 'You've got one evil bastard out there, Matt.' Cop Matt Proctor, investigating a gruesome murder, is accused of drug dealing corruption and kicked out of the police. He fights to clear his name while hunting down a cyberworld cult that brings killing from computer gaming to the streets - who target Proctor and stalk his daughter Sarah as their next victims. Proctor also has relationship issues with police colleague Inspector Azzra Mukherjee...

What good is being a werewolf if you can’t beat the crap out of evildoers? The boy was just trying to help his parents out by getting a part-time job. But he went to the wrong man — a man with a fool-proof way of making a fortune, which he will kill to protect. Newbie-werewolf Sara Flores is attracted to lost causes. And she’s developing a taste for taking on bullies and abusers. A gang of criminals planning to murder one boy sounds like a good cause for her new skills. But… this time Sara may have bitten off more than she can chew. She needs to save the boy, and his parents, and herself. And even if she can do that, how will she hide the body parts — so she doesn’t end up in jail? Come along for the nail-biting ride in this short story — part of the continuing mystery/adventures of the WolfLady.