A towering work of history examining the world's most pressing problem--the growing gulf between rich and poor. For the last six hundred years, the world's wealthiest countries have been mostly European. Late in our century, the balance has begun to shift toward Asia, where countries such as Japan have grown at astounding rates. Why have these...

The reason you write sales or pitch letters is simple: You have a message you want to deliver to the letter reader. In today’s electronic world, you may deliver the written word in a format other than ink on paper. Your letter might be delivered via e-mail, or as an open letter on a Website. Some letters are still delivered via fax...

• Everything a new player needs to get started playing D&D

• Details on four fantasy races and four iconic classes

• Explanations of every number and statistic on the character sheet

• ...

If you want to build Web pages that offer real value to your site's visitors, JavaScript and AJAX are top tools for the job. Even if you're new to Web programming, this book helps you create sites any designer will admire. With easy-to-understand steps...

The age of Web 2.0 smart mobile phones and handsets is here. First there was the BlackBerry, then there was the iPhone, and now … there’s Google, with its Android Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK) and platform, and its hardware partners in the Open Handset Alliance. Android works with the HTC G1 and G2 phones, the DROID, and...

MySQL is the most popular open-source database and is also known for its easy set up feature. However, proper configuration beyond the default settings still is a challenge, along with some other day-to-day maintenance tasks such as backing up and restoring, performance tuning, and server monitoring. These tasks have not been covered...

The release of MIDP 2.0 and the introduction of the new Mobile Service Architecture (MSA) are generating momentum for the Java ME platform. As more and more Java-enabled mobile devices become available and more service providers become open to third-party development, the demand for customized applications will grow dramatically. Now,...

Most of the chapters in this book are extended papers from Research Learning in Virtual Environments (reLIVE08), an international conference held by the UK Open University in Milton Keynes in November 2008. Authors of the best papers and presentations from the conferences were invited to contribute to Research Learning in Virtual Worlds, the...

Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1 introduces this open source, portable, interpreted, object-oriented programming language that combines remarkable power with clear syntax. This book enables you to quickly create robust, reliable, and reusable Python applications by teaching the basics so you can quickly develop Web and...

Does linear algebra leave you feeling lost? No worries —this easy-to-follow guide explains the how and the why of solving linear algebra problems in plain English. From matrices to vector spaces to linear transformations, you'll understand the key concepts and see how...

So you finally got a Mac, but you’re not looking forward to figuring out how Office works in a different environment? No worries! All you need is Microsoft Office 2008 For Mac All-in-One For Dummies to learn the fundamentals of Office 2008....