The DEEP and MEANINGFUL way to learn PHILOSOPHY Trying to understand philosophy but feeling a bit skeptical? It's time to listen to reason! Philosophy Demystified helps you grasp both fundamental and complex topics with ease. Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins with an overview of Western philosophy and coverage of correct reasoning and critical thinking. The book goes on to discuss major branches of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. In-depth examples, detailed diagrams, and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Knowledge and the problem of skepticism The problem of induction and the development of externalism Personhood and personal identity over time The question of God's existence Moral decision-making Justice, rights, and government Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Philosophy Demystified helps you master this fascinating subject.

Demystified is your vaccine for tricky subjects like microbiology If you don't know your prokaryotes from your protozoa, or learning about fungi puts you in a funk, look no further--Microbiology Demystified, Second Edition is your cure for learning this topic's fundamental concepts and theories at your own pace. This practical guide eases you into this field of science, starting at the cell level. As you progress, you will master microbiology essentials such as bacteria, algae, viruses, pasteurization, and more. You will understand the difference between friendly and unfriendly microorganisms as well as the microscope's role in shaping microbiology. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Classification of microorganisms Immunology Germ theory Recombinant DNA technology Pathogens E.coli Antiseptics Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Microbiology Demystified. Second Edition, helps you master this essential subject.

A philosophical exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved classic—just in time for the December 2012 release of Peter Jackson's new film adaptation, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is one of the best-loved fantasy books of all time and the enchanting "prequel" to The Lord of the Rings. With the help of some of history's great philosophers, this book ponders a host of deep questions raised in this timeless tale, such as: Are adventures simply "nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things" that "make you late for dinner," or are they exciting and potentially life-changing events? What duties do friends have to one another? Should mercy be extended even to those who deserve to die? Gives you new insights into The Hobbit's central characters, including Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Gollum, and Thorin and their exploits, from the Shire through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain Explores key questions about The Hobbit's story and themes, including: Was the Arkenstone really Bilbo's to give? How should Smaug's treasure have been distributed? Did Thorin leave his "beautiful golden harp" at Bag-End when he headed out into the Wild? (If so, how much could we get for that on eBay?) Draws on the insights of some of the world's deepest thinkers, from Confucius, Plato, and Aristotle to Immanuel Kant, William Blake, and contemporary American philosopher Thomas Nagel From the happy halls of Elrond's Last Homely House to Gollum's "slimy island of rock," this is a must read for longtime Tolkien fans as well as those discovering Bilbo Baggins and his adventures "there and back again" for the first time.

“I’m getting something,” says Shawn, assuming a look of intense concentration and pressing his fingertips to the sides of his head. Shawn Spencer uses lies, pretense, and distraction to get at the truth. But can pseudoscience and fakery really be so helpful? And if they can be, is it ethical to employ them? Psych and Philosophy takes an entertaining tour through the philosophical issues raised by a fake psychic. Can faulty logic get to the truth quicker than good logic? Are other people to blame for Shawn’s deceptions, because they’re more ready to credit him with supernatural powers than with superior natural powers? Is instinct more important than smart thinking—in police work and in life? Is it ethical to tell lies to promote the truth (and protect the public from criminals)? Almost every episode of Psych revolves around a grisly death, treated humorously by the repartee between Shawn and Gus. The show has much to tell us about human ways of coping with death, as well as about the problem of justified knowledge, the ethics of law enforcement, and the interaction of love, friendship, loyalty, and professionalism.

If you think projection operators work in the cinema, or learning about spin-1/2 makes your head, well, spin, Quantum Mechanics DeMYSTiFieD will energize your knowledge of this topic's fundamental concepts and theories, and allow you to learn at your own pace. This thoroughly revised and updated guide eases you into the subject, beginning with wave mechanics then introducing you to the mathematical foundations needed to do modern quantum physics. As you progress, you will learn the fundamentals of matrix mechanics, including how to compute the trace of a matrix, find eigenvalues, and use ladder operators. You will understand the difference between time independent perturbation and time dependent perturbation theory and other oncecomplicated concepts. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: State Space Basis Vectors Functions of Operators The Postulates of Quantum Mechanics Angular Momentum Spin and the Pauli Matrices Scattering Theory Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Quantum Mechanics DeMYSTiFieD, Second Edition is your shortcut to a working knowledge of this engaging science.

Stack the odds in your favor for mastering probability Don't leave your knowledge of probability to chance. Instead, turn to Probability Demystified, Second Edition, for learning fundamental concepts and theories step-by-step. This practical guide eases you into the subject of probability using familiar items such as coins, cards, and dice. As you progress, you will master concepts such as addition and multiplication rules, odds and expectation, probability distributions, and more. You'll learn the relationship between probability and normal distribution, as well as how to use the recently developed Monte Carlo method of simulation. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Classical probability Game theory Actuarial science Addition rules Bayes' theorem Odds and expectation Binomial distribution Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Probability Demystified, Second Edition, helps you master this essential subject.

Add some SPARK to your study of ELECTRICITY Having trouble understanding the fundamentals of electricity? Problem solved! Electricity Demystified, Second Edition, makes it shockingly easy to learn the basic concepts. Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins by covering direct current (DC), voltage, resistance, circuits, cells, and batteries. The book goes on to discuss alternating current (AC), power supplies, wire, and cable. Magnetism and electromagnetic effects are also addressed. Detailed examples and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material. End-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key concepts. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Ohm's Law, power, and energy Kirchhoff's Laws Electrochemical energy Electricity in the home Protecting electronic equipment Electromagnetic interference Practical magnetism Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Electricity Demystified, Second Edition, powers up your understanding of this essential subject.

As a director, writer, and producer, Christopher Nolan has substantially impacted contemporary cinema through avant garde films, such as Following and Memento, and his contribution to wider pop culture with his Dark Knight trilogy. His latest film, Interstellar, delivered the same visual qualities and complex, thought-provoking plotlines his audience anticipates. The Philosophy of Christopher Nolan collects sixteen essays, written by professional philosophers and film theorists, discussing themes such as self-identity and self-destruction, moral choice and moral doubt, the nature of truth and its value, whether we can trust our perceptions of what’s “real,” the political psychology of heroes and villains, and what it means to be a “viewer” of Nolan’s films. Whether his protagonists are squashing themselves like a bug, struggling to create an identity and moral purpose for themselves, suffering from their own duplicitous plots, donning a mask that both strikes fear and reveals their true nature, or having to weigh the lives of those they love against the greater good, there are no simple solutions to the questions Nolan’s films provoke; exploring these questions yields its own reward.

DeMYSTiFieD is your solution for tricky subjects like trigonometry If you think a Cartesian coordinate is something from science fiction or a hyperbolic tangent is an extreme exaggeration, you need Trigonometry DeMYSTiFieD, Second Edition, to unravel this topic's fundamental concepts and theories at your own pace. This practical guide eases you into "trig," starting with angles and triangles. As you progress, you will master essential concepts such as mapping, functions, vectors, and more. You will learn to transform polar coordinates as well as apply trigonometry in the real world. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Right triangles Circular functions Hyperbolic functions Inverse functions Geometrical optics Infinite-series expansions Trigonometry on a sphere Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Trigonometry DeMYSTiFieD, Second Edition, helps you master this essential subject.

Solve your math troubles with DeMYSTiFieD If you cannot tell the difference between your Roman and Arabic numerals, or if when someone asks 'what is pi' you say "delicious," you need Everyday Math DeMYSTiFieD, Second Edition, to unravel these fundamental concepts and theories at your own pace. This practical guide eases you into basic math, starting with counting and simple operations. As you progress, you will master essential concepts such as division, converting decimals into fractions, determining volume, and more. You will learn to measure capital gains and losses as well as apply percentages in the real world. Detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of- chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Decimals Proportions Prime numbers Surface area Powers of 10 Graphs English vs. metric units Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for an advanced student, Everyday Math DeMYSTiFieD, Second Edition, helps you master this essential subject.