Digital and Smart Cities presents an overview of how technologies shape our cities. There is a growing awareness in the fields of design and architecture of the need to address the way that technology affects the urban condition. This book aims to give an informative and definitive overview of the topic of digital and smart cities. It explores the topic from a range of different perspectives, both theoretical and historical, and through a range of case studies of digital cities around the world. The approach taken by the authors is to view the city as a socially constructed set of activities, practices and organisations. This enables the discussion to open up a more holistic and citizen- centred understanding of how technology shapes urban change through the way it is imagined, used, implemented and developed in a societal context. By drawing together a range of currently quite disparate discussions, the aim is to enable the reader to take their own critical position within the topic. The book starts out with definitions and sets out the various interpretations and aspects of what constitutes and defines digital cities. The text then investigates and considers the range of factors that shape the characteristics of digital cities and draws together different disciplinary perspectives into a coherent discussion. The consideration of the different dimensions of the digital city is backed up with a series of relevant case studies of global city contexts in order to frame the discussion with real world examples.

This book contains the contributions presented at the 2nd international KES conference on Smart Education and Smart e-Learning, which took place in Sorrento, Italy, June 17-19, 2015. It contains a total of 45 peer-reviewed book chapters that are grouped into several parts: Part 1 - Smart Education, Part 2 – Smart Educational Technology, Part 3 – Smart e-Learning, Part 4 – Smart Professional Training and Teachers’ Education, and Part 5 – Smart Teaching and Training related Topics. This book can be a useful source of research data and valuable information for faculty, scholars, Ph.D. students, administrators, and practitioners - those who are interested in innovative areas of smart education and smart e-learning.

In the seventh grade, Todd Rose was suspended-not for the first time-for throwing six stink bombs at the blackboard, where his art teacher stood with his back to the class. At eighteen, he was a high school dropout, stocking shelves at a department store for $4.25 an hour. Today, Rose is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Square Peg illuminates the struggles of millions of bright young children -- and their frustrated parents and teachers--who are stuck in a one-size-fits-all school system that fails to approach the student as an individual. Rose shares his own incredible journey from troubled childhood to Harvard, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge research in neuroscience and psychology along with advances in the field of education, to ultimately provide a roadmap for parents and teachers of kids who are the casualties of America's antiquated school system. With a distinguished blend of humor, humility, and practical advice for nurturing children who are a poor fit in conventional schools, Square Peg is a game-changing manifesto that provides groundbreaking insight into how we can get the most out of all the students in our classrooms, and why today's dropouts could be tomorrow's innovators.

"Unleash the hidden power of trust and change lives and impact organization with proven, patented techniques. In a compelling and reader-friendly style, Stephen M.R. Covey and long-time business partner Greg Link share enlightening principles from people and organizations that are achieving unprecedented prosperity from high-trust relationships and--even more inspiring--also attaining elevated levels of energy and joy. With penetrating insights about the world's most successful leaders and organizations, the authors lay out a practical and actionable formula that makes trust a performance multiplier for leaders, teams, organizations, and even countries. They show why trust is fast becoming the most consequential life and leadership skill of our time--a career-critical competency required to navigate and compete in this perilous twenty-first-century interdependent, global economy. Covey and Link teach how to cut through traditional either/or thinking to extend Smart Trust, enabling you to exercise sound judgment in a low-trust world by minimizing risk and maximizing possibilities."--Publisher description.

Building Smart Teams is an essential guide to creating a smart team fast. Based on research results from close to 2,000 individuals organized in more than 250 teams, Building Smart Teams identifies the three critical skill sets that teams need and shows how to transfer these skills to a group. The authors′ research and experience shows that, by concentrating on these three critical skills sets, a group is almost certain to become a high performing team quickly. High-functioning teams are increasingly important to organizational success, but just throwing a team together will not give the desired results. Building Smart Teams gives you the theory and rationale behind high performance teams, but, in addition, it is packed with exercises, diagnostic tools, tips, and techniques to use with groups. The exercises are time-tested with the more than 100 groups trained by the authors. The approach is not to dictate the one best way for teams to behave, but, rather, to help team members build skills and implement processes to increase success. Within this model, there is ample room for teams to discover their own unique culture, performance strategies, and paths to success. Key Features: Team Effectiveness Model was developed from research into the factors that lead to team success—over 250 teams were studied Provides both theory and tools to get smart, fast results Identifies the three critical success factors for high team performance and provides a diagnostic tool to assess levels of team functioning for each Many targeted processes and exercises that team leaders can apply to enhance team functioning Provides both the road map for creating effective teams (the Team Effectiveness Model) as well as the vehicles for getting there (exercises and process tools)

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships. Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include: * customs, values, and traditions * historical, religious, and political background * life at home * leisure, social, and cultural life * eating and drinking * do's, don'ts, and taboos * business practices * communication, spoken and unspoken

The sensing, adapting, responding, multifunctionality, low energy, small size and weight, ease of forming, and low-cost attributes of smart textiles and their multidisciplinary scope offer numerous end uses in medical, sports and fitness, military, fashion, automotive, aerospace, the built environment, and energy industries. The research and development on these new and high-value materials cross scientific boundaries, redefine material science design and engineering, and enhance quality of life and our environment. “Novel Smart Textiles” is a focused Special Issue that reports the latest research of this field and facilitates dissemination, networking, discussion, and debate.

This book provides a thorough treatment of privacy and security issues for researchers in the fields of smart grids, engineering, and computer science. It presents comprehensive insight to understanding the big picture of privacy and security challenges in both physical and information aspects of smart grids. The authors utilize an advanced interdisciplinary approach to address the existing security and privacy issues and propose legitimate countermeasures for each of them in the standpoint of both computing and electrical engineering. The proposed methods are theoretically proofed by mathematical tools and illustrated by real-world examples.