Satya Nadella

Greg Shaw

Jill Tracie Nichols

Bill Gates

“At the core, Hit Refresh, is about us humans and the unique quality we call empathy, which will become ever more valuable in a world where the torrent of technology will disrupt the status quo like never before.” – Satya Nadella from Hit Refresh

“Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology while also facing up to the hard questions.” – Bill Gates from the Foreword of Hit Refresh

The New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and “hit refresh” in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal. 

Microsoft’s CEO tells the inside story of the company’s continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO—one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul—transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.

“Ideas excite me,” Nadella explains. “Empathy grounds and centers me.” Hit Refresh is a set of reflections, meditations, and recommendations presented as algorithms from a principled, deliberative leader searching for improvement—for himself, for a storied company, and for society.

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Massachusetts

The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone

"At the core, Hit Refresh, is about us humans and the unique quality we call empathy, which will become ever more valuable in a world where the torrent of technology will disrupt the status quo like never before." - Satya Nadella from Hit Refresh

"Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology while also facing up to the hard questions." - Bill Gates from the Foreword of Hit Refresh

The New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives--the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It's about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and "hit refresh" in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal. 

Microsoft's CEO tells the inside story of the company's continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO--one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul--transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.

"Ideas excite me," Nadella explains. "Empathy grounds and centers me." Hit Refresh is a set of reflections, meditations, and recommendations presented as algorithms from a principled, deliberative leader searching for improvement--for himself, for a storied company, and for society.

Hit Refresh

e66c5b27-630d-4147-85a6-7c48c0dd7e9f-1

New Jersey

A Revolutionary Approach to Launching Your Brand Online

"A candid, behind-the-scenes look at how successful direct-to-consumer brands such as Hubble are launching their businesses on platforms like Facebook and Google."--Lisa Sherman, president and CEO, the Ad Council LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD - "A must-read for anyone interested in starting a new business."--Moiz Ali, CEO, Native E-commerce startups have exploded in the marketplace, selling merchandise and services directly to consumers, often through mobile phones. They skip the middlemen, avoid the lower margins of retail channels of distribution, strike deals directly with manufacturers and suppliers, and, in doing so, save consumers money. Among the companies that are part of this e-commerce revolution are Dollar Shave Club, Casper, Quip, Peloton, and Hubble Contacts. In Selling Naked, Hubble Contacts co-founder and co-CEO Jesse Horwitz shows entrepreneurs and enterprise companies alike precisely how to conceive, launch, and grow an e-commerce brand by using paid marketing social media channels. Horwitz shows entrepreneurs how to test consumer interest before spending a dime by placing mock ads on Facebook and other social media. Using this method, Hubble Contacts got an astonishing two thousand signups in four days, and as a result, raised $3.5 million in seed money. Hubble ran a second experiment to see if consumers would actually sign up for the service, which led to a second multimillion-dollar investment. Horwitz shows how startups can cut through the metrics bullshit to focus on the one metric that really matters; how to use third-party tools rather than build everything from scratch; and how to tell a great story to investors and frame your digital offering. In addition to running Hubble, Jesse Horwitz now works with established Fortune 500 enterprises to help build their e-commerce brands within the landscape of a larger retail environment. Selling Naked is the definitive playbook on how to start up a successful direct-to-consumer business.

Selling Naked

6a59134d-1940-4887-8b48-5bf199089729-1

Delaware

Encounters with Reality and Virtual Reality

The guru of virtual reality looks back at the unique experiences that formed his vision for the future of technology With a singular voice and perspective, Lanier who The New York Times calls "daringly original . . . a major wizard in the futurist circus. He is the father of virtual reality in the gaudy, reputation-burnishing way that Michael Jackson was the king of pop" considers the future of virtual technology in a book that blends memoir with ideas. He tells the wild story of his own relationship with technology by starting from the beginning. The son of Jewish immigrants and concentration camp survivors, raised in the UFO territory of New Mexico, he lost his mother at a young age and built a geodesic dome with his father in the desert. He worked as a goatherd and midwife, attended college before graduating high school, transferred to and failed out of a tony northeast liberal arts college, played music for money on the streets of New York, and eventually landed in Silicon Valley at the dawn of the first tech boom where he suddenly became rich. This crazy course to becoming a world renowned technology guru informs Lanier's optimism about virtual reality--the technology he has been immersed in from its very start. While he has been very critical of social media and other manifestations of technology, he believes that virtual reality can actually make our lives richer and fuller.Dawn of the New Everything is ultimately a look at what it means to be human in the dawn of unprecedented technological possibility.

Dawn of the New Everything

53ace8fe-a644-4f9e-8897-211bc0e691d0-1

Steven Vogel

There is no part of our bodies that fully rotates—be it a wrist or ankle or arm in a shoulder socket, we are made to twist only so far. And yet there is no more fundamental human invention than the wheel—a rotational mechanism that accomplishes what our physical form cannot. Throughout history, humans have developed technologies powered by human strength, complementing the physical abilities we have while overcoming our weaknesses. Providing a unique history of the wheel and other rotational devices—like cranks, cranes, carts, and capstans—Why the Wheel Is Round examines the contraptions and tricks we have devised in order to more efficiently move—and move through—the physical world.

Steven Vogel combines his engineering expertise with his remarkable curiosity about how things work to explore how wheels and other mechanisms were, until very recently, powered by the push and pull of the muscles and skeletal systems of humans and other animals. Why the Wheel Is Round explores all manner of treadwheels, hand-spikes, gears, and more, as well as how these technologies diversified into such things as hand-held drills and hurdy-gurdies.  Surprisingly, a number of these devices can be built out of everyday components and materials, and Vogel’s accessible and expansive book includes instructions and models so that inspired readers can even attempt to make their own muscle-powered technologies, like trebuchets and ballista.

Appealing to anyone fascinated by the history of mechanics and technology as well as to hobbyists with home workshops, Why the Wheel Is Round offers a captivating exploration of our common technological heritage based on the simple concept of rotation. From our leg muscles powering the gears of a bicycle to our hands manipulating a mouse on a roller ball, it will be impossible to overlook the amazing feats of innovation behind our daily devices.

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Texas

Muscles, Technology, and How We Make Things Move

There is no part of our bodies that fully rotates—be it a wrist or ankle or arm in a shoulder socket, we are made to twist only so far. And yet there is no more fundamental human invention than the wheel—a rotational mechanism that accomplishes what our physical form cannot. Throughout history, humans have developed technologies powered by human strength, complementing the physical abilities we have while overcoming our weaknesses. Providing a unique history of the wheel and other rotational devices—like cranks, cranes, carts, and capstans—Why the Wheel Is Round examines the contraptions and tricks we have devised in order to more efficiently move—and move through—the physical world. Steven Vogel combines his engineering expertise with his remarkable curiosity about how things work to explore how wheels and other mechanisms were, until very recently, powered by the push and pull of the muscles and skeletal systems of humans and other animals. Why the Wheel Is Round explores all manner of treadwheels, hand-spikes, gears, and more, as well as how these technologies diversified into such things as hand-held drills and hurdy-gurdies. Surprisingly, a number of these devices can be built out of everyday components and materials, and Vogel’s accessible and expansive book includes instructions and models so that inspired readers can even attempt to make their own muscle-powered technologies, like trebuchets and ballista. Appealing to anyone fascinated by the history of mechanics and technology as well as to hobbyists with home workshops, Why the Wheel Is Round offers a captivating exploration of our common technological heritage based on the simple concept of rotation. From our leg muscles powering the gears of a bicycle to our hands manipulating a mouse on a roller ball, it will be impossible to overlook the amazing feats of innovation behind our daily devices.

Why the Wheel Is Round

3268ea22-6f42-4eef-a1be-02876d06d801-0

How the Aggregate System Turned Microchip Technology from a Failing Company to a Market Leader

Praise for DRIVING EXCELLENCE

"A well-organized compendium of immense common sense. [The authors'] values-based, walk-the-talk approach recognizes the fast-changing environment we live in. It shows the importance of aggregating and integrating knowledge and experience on a continuing basis. Finally, it demonstrates the significance of creating a culture that reinforces those values and takes pride in thriving on the complexity."
--John E. Abele, founder and Director, Boston Scientific Corporation

"The Aggregate System is a powerful blend of strategic formula, exceptional culture, and human systems combined into a complete self-perpetuating system to produce exceptional performance. Anyone interested in improving the performance of his or her company should read this book."
--Jerry Colangelo, CEO and Chairman, Phoenix Suns

"This is not another 'silver bullet' piece of academic advice on how to do a quick fix to some imaginary business. Driving Excellence is a serious and detailed insight into how a real CEO, Steve Sanghi, has transformed a real company, Microchip, into a world-class enterprise. Anyone interested in understanding the realities of implementing and sustaining an enterprise-wide constant improvement plan should read this book."
--Dean Kamen, founder and President, DEKA Research & Development Corporation, inventor of the Segway HT, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee

"Driving Excellence is the first book to deal with the integration of all the core elements that are essential to running a business. It should be required reading for all executives and venture firms looking to boost return on invested capital and add some consistency to their growth. High praise is due to Michael Jones and Steve Sanghi for developing a blueprint that works in the real world."
--Ed Sperling, Editor in Chief, Electronic News

"This book provides a nicely developed framework to understand organizational effectiveness and performance, drawing upon Sanghi's managerial skills, perfected in his significant turnaround performance at Microchip. Importantly, the reader benefits from insight and experience about building an organizational culture productive to performance and competitiveness."
--Steven Stralser, PhD, author of MBA in a Day

Driving Excellence

4bd9363c-8fdf-4403-bbd2-c05e155f4b24-1

Louis V. Gerstner

Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround

In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the computer industry had changed so rapidly the company was on its way to losing $16 billion and IBM was on a watch list for extinction -- victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.

Then Lou Gerstner was brought in to run IBM. Almost everyone watching the rapid demise of this American icon presumed Gerstner had joined IBM to preside over its continued dissolution into a confederation of autonomous business units. This strategy, well underway when he arrived, would have effectively eliminated the corporation that had invented many of the industry's most important technologies.

Instead, Gerstner took hold of the company and demanded the managers work together to re-establish IBM's mission as a customer-focused provider of computing solutions. Moving ahead of his critics, Gerstner made the hold decision to keep the company together, slash prices on his core product to keep the company competitive, and almost defiantly announced, "The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision."

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? tells the story of IBM's competitive and cultural transformation. In his own words, Gerstner offers a blow-by-blow account of his arrival at the company and his campaign to rebuild the leadership team and give the workforce a renewed sense of purpose. In the process, Gerstner defined a strategy for the computing giant and remade the ossified culture bred by the company's own success.

The first-hand story of an extraordinary turnaround, a unique case study in managing a crisis, and a thoughtful reflection on the computer industry and the principles of leadership, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement. Taking readers deep into the world of IBM's CEO, Gerstner recounts the high-level meetings and explains the pressure-filled, no-turning-back decisions that had to be made. He also offers his hard-won conclusions about the essence of what makes a great company run.

In the history of modern business, many companies have gone from being industry leaders to the verge of extinction. Through the heroic efforts of a new management team, some of those companies have even succeeded in resuscitating themselves and living on in the shadow of their former stature. But only one company has been at the pinnacle of an industry, fallen to near collapse, and then, beyond anyone's expectations, returned to set the agenda. That company is IBM.

Lou Gerstener, Jr., served as chairman and chief executive officer of IBM from April 1993 to March 2002, when he retired as CEO. He remained chairman of the board through the end of 2002. Before joining IBM, Mr. Gerstner served for four years as chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco, Inc. This was preceded by an eleven-year career at the American Express Company, where he was president of the parent company and chairman and CEO of its largest subsidiary. Prior to that, Mr. Gerstner was a director of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., Inc. He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?

b40c7fb5-28a3-4e9f-b6ae-ca4c59cbf918-1

Technological Literacy for the 1990's

A lively survey of the horizons of modern technology. Provides easy-to-read summaries of the state of the art in space science, biotechnology, computer science, exotic energy sources and materials engineering as well as life-enhancing medical advancements and environmental, transportation and defense/weapons technologies. Each chapter explains how a current or future technology works and provides an understanding of the underlying scientific concepts. Includes an extensive self-test to review your knowledge.

Levitating Trains and Kamikaze Genes

1af19b19-052b-4520-a68a-4f3599e005b4-1

New York

The Story of Man's Search for Speed and Distance

How Fast, How Far?

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

The History of Fire Engines

#hardcover #nonfiction #iphone #apple #technology

Maryland

The Secret History of the IPhone

The secret history of the invention that changed everything-and became the most profitable product in the world.

"The One Device is a tour de force, with a fast-paced edge and heaps of analytical insight."-Ashlee Vance, New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk

"A stunning book. You will never look at your iPhone the same way again." -Dan Lyons, New York Times bestselling author of Disrupted

Odds are that as you read this, an iPhone is within reach. But before Steve Jobs introduced us to "the one device," as he called it, a cell phone was merely what you used to make calls on the go.

How did the iPhone transform our world and turn Apple into the most valuable company ever? Veteran technology journalist Brian Merchant reveals the inside story you won't hear from Cupertino-based on his exclusive interviews with the engineers, inventors, and developers who guided every stage of the iPhone's creation.

This deep dive takes you from inside One Infinite Loop to 19th century France to WWII America, from the driest place on earth to a Kenyan pit of toxic e-waste, and even deep inside Shenzhen's notorious "suicide factories." It's a firsthand look at how the cutting-edge tech that makes the world work-touch screens, motion trackers, and even AI-made their way into our pockets.

The One Device is a roadmap for design and engineering genius, an anthropology of the modern age, and an unprecedented view into one of the most secretive companies in history. This is the untold account, ten years in the making, of the device that changed everything.

The One Device

c51e39ac-ac13-4001-9e6b-9165c4c19800-1

Greg Schwem

What does a Dad do when his eight year old asks Santa for a Wii Fit and a 4G iPhone? The answer is simple: laugh! In Text Me If You're Breathing, stand-up comedian and technically challenged dad Greg Schwem accounts his mishaps and struggles with parenting in today's digital world Whether accompanying his daughter to the New York City Apple store, purchasing a high-tech swing set, tweeting while coaching Little League or trying to lay down cell phone rules, Schwem shows readers that technology, while complicated, can be hilarious. Along the way, Schwem also aims his barbs at Tiger Woods, the Consumer Electronics Show, in vitro fertilization, the National Spelling Bee and the movie Avatar. Insightful, heartfelt and always funny, Text Me If You're Breathing is proof that parenting will never come with technical support. .

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons from a Low-Tech Dad

A technologically challenged father faces struggles such as accompanying his daughter to the New York City Apple store, purchasing a "high-tech" swing set, and tweeting while coaching Little League Games. Recounting mishaps and struggles with parenting in today's digital world, this humorous book considers everything from Dr. Huxtable and Tiger Woods to the Consumer Electronics Show and the National Spelling Bee along the way, leaving few things without a barb. The anecdotes show readers that technology, while complicated, can be hilarious and that parenting unfortunately will never come with technical support.

Text Me If You're Breathing

17ee898d-e8f9-4810-91d1-fba7d9ebe7ae-1

#hardcover #computers #internet #technology #politics #government #economics

Wisconsin

Dreams and Nightmares along the Information Highway

"Gaining extraordinary access to some of the most powerful CEOs and visionary architects of the Information Highway, Daniel Burstein and David Kline take readers on a gripping tour of what is perhaps the greatest business battle in history: the fight for supremacy in the new media and information markets of tomorrow."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Road Warriors

f3ff0289-2c00-4aa1-b2fd-f18f6c40713e-1

Digital World - How to Connect, Share, Play, and Keep Yourself Safe

Digital devices put a whole world at a girl's fingertips. Play a game, listen to music, do research for school, read a story or make a video - anywhere, anytime. Connect with friends and family in fast and easy ways. Post photos and share ideas and inspiration. And that's only a small part of it. Just like the real world, the digital world is full of exciting, helpful and even life-changing benefits. And just as in the real world, you need to know how to navigate it wisely and keep yourself safe. This book will get you started.

A Smart Girl's Guide

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George Gilder

This book is a clean copy with a good spine and binding. The contents and Graphics are in good condition. There is minimal wear inside. There is slight wear on the hard back cover. Will ship within hours after your order is received. Thanks for stopping by and please stay safe.

The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: "Nothing Mr. Gilder says or writes is ever delivered at anything less than the fullest philosophical decibel... Mr. Gilder sounds less like a tech guru than a poet, and his words tumble out in a romantic cascade." “Google’s algorithms assume the world’s future is nothing more than the next moment in a random process. George Gilder shows how deep this assumption goes, what motivates people to make it, and why it’s wrong: the future depends on human action.” — Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies and author of Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future The Age of Google, built on big data and machine intelligence, has been an awesome era. But it’s coming to an end. In Life after Google, George Gilder—the peerless visionary of technology and culture—explains why Silicon Valley is suffering a nervous breakdown and what to expect as the post-Google age dawns. Google’s astonishing ability to “search and sort” attracts the entire world to its search engine and countless other goodies—videos, maps, email, calendars….And everything it offers is free, or so it seems. Instead of paying directly, users submit to advertising. The system of “aggregate and advertise” works—for a while—if you control an empire of data centers, but a market without prices strangles entrepreneurship and turns the Internet into a wasteland of ads. The crisis is not just economic. Even as advances in artificial intelligence induce delusions of omnipotence and transcendence, Silicon Valley has pretty much given up on security. The Internet firewalls supposedly protecting all those passwords and personal information have proved hopelessly permeable. The crisis cannot be solved within the current computer and network architecture. The future lies with the “cryptocosm”—the new architecture of the blockchain and its derivatives. Enabling cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether, NEO and Hashgraph, it will provide the Internet a secure global payments system, ending the aggregate-and-advertise Age of Google. Silicon Valley, long dominated by a few giants, faces a “great unbundling,” which will disperse computer power and commerce and transform the economy and the Internet. Life after Google is almost here. For fans of "Wealth and Poverty," "Knowledge and Power," and "The Scandal of Money."

Life after Google

1638112a-b333-48f5-a7f1-a807b1705930-1

M. M. Buckner

Minnesota

When flood waters cause a convergence of illegally dumped technology pieces, pharmaceuticals, and genetically modified seed, a self-organized, malicious neural net emerges from the Louisiana delta and threatens the world, prompting a daring response by self-destructive MIT dropout CJ Reilly and her lover, Max.

Watermind

85d6785c-8739-4e78-9b93-c8e143368f39-1

Alex Tapscott

Charting the Internet's Next Economic and Cultural Frontier

An essential introduction and guide to navigating the next Internet revolution--everything from the metaverse and NFTs to DAOs, decentralized finance, and self-sovereign identity--from the co-author of the international bestseller Blockchain Revolution. The Web, and with it the Internet, are entering a new age. We've moved from the "Read-only Web," which had little functionality for interacting with content, to the "Read-Write Web," which offered seemingly endless collaborative opportunities, from sharing with our favorite people to shopping at our favorite brands. But the profusion of cyberattacks, data hacks, and online profiling have left many of us to view digital life as a Faustian bargain in need of a major rethink. That rethink is Web3, the "Read-Write-Own Web"--a decentralized Internet where individuals own their own identities and can securely trade assets like money, securities, intellectual property, and art peer to peer. Made possible by blockchains, the foundational technology of bitcoin, Web3 promises the biggest shake up of business since the invention of double-entry bookkeeping in the Middle Ages. It is the Internet's new frontier. In Web3, award-winning author and technology investor Alex Tapscott provides a cutting-edge guide to the Internet's next era. Covering everything from the metaverse and non-fungible tokens to DAOs, decentralized finance, and self-sovereign identity, this indispensable, forward-thinking book describes the building blocks and often hidden technologies that will be foundational to our cultural and economic progress.

Web3

8a663ee6-a3bb-4180-810d-fb468916081b-1

From the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of Op-Center comes a different kind of law enforcement.

 

In the year 2010, computers are the new superpowers.  Those who control them control the world.  To enforce the Net Laws, Congress creates the ultimate computer security agency within the FBI: Net Force®.

 

Minor viruses are eating away at the Net Force computers. The e-mail shut-downs and flickering monitors are hardly emergencies--but they've been keeping the tech department hopping. Same with the sudden rash of time-consuming lawsuits. No one in Net Force has a moment to spare, which is exactly the way Mitchell Townsend Ames wants it. Because when the shadowy mastermind launches his master plan, he wants Net Force to be looking the other way...

 

Tom Clancy's Net Force: State of War

494ed94e-5810-4b8a-bcf6-00faabc59f7b-1

How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture

Explains how Google became one of the world's leading IPOs and reveals how it contributed to changes in information searching and viral marketing.

The Search

2fdb513e-5cd0-465f-a357-2764ff0cbf73-1

Fred Stetson

Making Your Own Motor Fuel

224bc01c-2911-4703-969d-629655ce11fd-0

Mark Frauenfelder

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

75 Projects from the Pages of Make

After two years, MAKE has become one of most celebrated new magazines to hit the newsstands, and certainly one of the hottest reads. If you're just catching on to the MAKE phenomenon and wonder what you've missed, this book contains the best DIY projects from the magazine's first ten volumes -- a surefire collection of fun and challenging activities going back to MAKE's launch in early 2005.



Find out why MAKE has attracted a passionate following of tech and DIY enthusiasts worldwide with one million web site visitors and a quarter of a million magazine readers. And why our podcasts consistently rank in the top-25 for computers and technology. With the Best of MAKE, you'll share the curiosity, zeal, and energy of Makers -- the citizen scientists, circuit benders, homemakers, students, automotive enthusiasts, roboticists, software developers, musicians, hackers, hobbyists, and crafters -- through this unique and inspiring assortment of DIY projects chosen by the magazine's editors.



Learn to:

 * Hack your gadgets and toys
 * Program micontrollers to sense and react to things
 * Take flight with rockets, planes, and other projectiles
 * Make music from the most surprising of things
 * Find new ways to take photos and make video
 * Outfit yourself with the coolest tools

Put together by popular demand, the Best of MAKE is the perfect gift for any maker, including current subscribers who missed early volumes of the magazine. Do you or someone you know have a passion for the magic of tinkering, hacking, and creation? Do you enjoy finding imaginative and unexpected uses for the technology and materials in your life? Then get on board with the Best of MAKE!

The Best of Make:

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Chris Dancy

California

How Technology Saved My Life and Can Save Yours Too

Chris Dancy, the world's most connected person, inspires readers with practical advice to live a happier and healthier life using technology

In 2002, Chris Dancy was overweight, unemployed, and addicted to technology. He chain-smoked cigarettes, popped pills, and was angry and depressed. But when he discovered that his mother kept a record of almost every detail of his childhood, an idea began to form. Could knowing the status of every aspect of his body and how his lifestyle affected his health help him learn to take care of himself? By harnessing the story of his life, could he learn to harness his own bad habits?

With a little tech know-how combined with a healthy dose of reality, every app, sensor, and data point in Dancy's life was turned upside down and examined. Now he's sharing what he knows. That knowledge includes the fact that changing the color of his credit card helps him to use it less often, and that nostalgia is a trigger for gratitude for him.

A modern-day story of rebirth and redemption, Chris' wisdom and insight will show readers how to improve their lives by paying attention to the relationship between how we move, what we eat, who we spend time with, and how it all makes us feel. But Chris has done all the hard work: Don't Unplug shows us how we too can transform our lives.

Don't Unplug

eada2d2d-340c-4152-aec0-1f6d08599781-1

Michigan

From mechanical automata to modern-day androids, explore more than 100 robots and discover how they work, who made them, and how they affect the lives of humans around the world. 

From drones used in battle to robot helpers taking care of hospital patients, Robot shows how robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming part of everyday life. Each robot, including service robots packing food and rescue robots finding people after a disaster, has its own profile to explain its features and uses. 

The book is divided into clear sections by the jobs a robot might do, so it's easy to compare and find out about robots from different areas of science and life. There are also focused articles on specific features of robotics, such as the ability to learn, which will help you learn more about the technology behind these fascinating machines.

Packed with vibrant graphics and a mind-bending array of information, this book makes one thing clear: the robot revolution is here to stay!

Robot

12dc2b4a-18e4-4b25-b224-b98bded60462-1

Ann Droyd

Colorado

A Parody for the Next Generation

A parody of the children's classic and a hilarious gift for anyone that finds modern life funny and absurd. In a bright buzzing room, in the glow of the moon-and iPhones and Androids and Blackberries too-it is time to say goodnight... Modern life is abuzz. There are huge LCD WiFi HD TVs and Facebook requests and thumbs tapping texts and new viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn't it be nice to say goodnight to all that? Like the rest of us who cannot resist just a few more scrolls and clicks, you may find yourself ready for bed while still clinging to your electronics long after dark. This book, which is made of paper, is a reminder for the child in all of us to power down at the end of the day. This hilarious parody not only pokes loving fun at the bygone quiet of the original classic, but also at our modern plugged-in lives. It will make you laugh, and it will also help you put yourself and your machines to sleep. Don't worry, though. Your gadgets will be waiting for you, fully charged, in the morning.

Goodnight IPad

3b8a14c0-ecf0-4d97-ba84-1eb069c9aa2a-1

Discovering Value and Creating Growth in a Disrupted World

The proven, effective strategy for reinventing your business in the age of ever-present disruption

Disruption by digital technologies? That's not a new story. But what is new is the "wise pivot," a replicable strategy for harnessing disruption to survive, grow, and be relevant to the future. It's a strategy for perpetual reinvention across the old, now, and new elements of any business.

Rapid recent advances in technology are forcing leaders in every business to rethink long-held beliefs about how to adapt to emerging technologies and new markets. What has become abundantly clear: in the digital age, conventional wisdom about business transformation no longer works, if it ever did.

Based on Accenture's own experience of reinventing itself in the face of disruption, the company's real world client work, and a rigorous two-year study of thousands of businesses across 30 industries, Pivot to the Future reveals methodical and bold moves for finding and releasing new sources of trapped value-unlocked by bridging the gap between what is technologically possible and how technologies are being used. The freed value enables companies to simultaneously reinvent their legacy, and current and new businesses.

Pivot to the Future is for leaders who seek to turn the existential threats of today and tomorrow into sustainable growth, with the courage to understand that a wise pivot strategy is not a one-time event, but a commitment to a future of perpetual reinvention, where one pivot is followed by the next and the next.



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Satya Nadella; Greg Shaw; Jill Tracie Nichols; Bill Gates