What We Are Reading Today: God Save Benedict Arnold by Jack Kelly
Updated 10 January 2024
Arab News
Benedict Arnold committed treason — for more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him.
Yet Arnold was much more than a turncoat—his achievements during the early years of the Revolutionary War defined him as the most successful soldier of the era.
Jack Kelly’s “God Save Benedict Arnold” does not exonerate him for his treason but his insightful exploration of Arnold’s career as a warrior shines a new light on this gutsy, fearless, and enigmatic figure.
In the process, the book offers a fresh perspective on the reasons for Arnold’s momentous change of heart.
What We Are Reading Today: A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central and South America
Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News
Author: Steven Poe
Anoles are highly visible and aesthetically pleasing lizards that are abundant throughout Central and South America.
The subjects of countless evolutionary and ecological studies that have advanced our understanding of basic principles in biology, these colorful reptiles are notoriously difficult to identify, and species names are often confusing and inconsistent.
“A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central and South America” is the first book to enable the identification of all known species of anole in the region while establishing baseline knowledge for further research.
REVIEW: ‘Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’ offers reanimated chaos in 4K
Updated 26 November 2024
James Denselow
LONDON; The “Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster” has arrived, breathing new life into Capcom’s iconic open-world zombie classic.
Almost 20 years after the original’s release, this version strikes a fine balance between a remake and a remaster, modernizing visuals, controls and gameplay while retaining its chaotic charm. With 4K resolution, smoother frame rates and gameplay improvements, “Dead Rising’s” latest iteration has, in a sense, grown up with its audience — although “grown up” might not be the best description for a game where a cactus can be a weapon.
The remaster brings you back to Willamette, Colorado, where you play as the cocky, wise-cracking photojournalist Frank West. His mission? Survive a 72-hour real-time, in-game clock ticking down inside a mall overrun by zombies, with missions to complete, bosses to fight, and absurd items to wield.
The day-night cycle brings shifting challenges and horror-movie ambiance that change the feel of each hour. You’ll often find yourself toggling between planning missions and impulsively grabbing whatever is in sight to fend off the undead. The remaster’s refined graphics and 60fps frame rate make both these approaches more fluid, whether you’re grappling with zombies or sneaking a killer snapshot.
And yes, Frank’s camera skills still matter. In addition to navigating an endless crowd of brain-hungry zombies, the game rewards you for snapping high-quality photos, encouraging you to capture the grotesque and hilarious. This adds an amusing layer of strategy and humor to the game, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. The absurd world of Dead Rising still allows you to dress Frank up in a range of ridiculous costumes, turning him from a somber zombie slayer into a comical hero fighting against the cathedral of consumerism — the mall itself.
As you progress, Frank’s skills evolve, allowing you to transform him into a near-indestructible wrestler, body-slamming zombies and crowd-surfing his way to safety. Missions often involve rescuing NPCs and escorting them to safety, and a roster of larger-than-life “Psychopath” bosses keeps the action intense. Beneath the mindless zombie slaying lies a satirical critique of American consumerism that resonates more with time; the remaster’s updated look adds to the commentary, making the mall’s neon lights and cluttered shelves all the more biting.
Of course, not all issues have been exorcised in this remaster. Some glitches linger, like the odd lift button bug that can render what should be a deadly encounter into an easy escape. Plus, it’s a shame that Capcom didn’t implement a co-op mode — a feature that could have elevated the chaotic fun to new heights.
Ultimately, “Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster” is as humorous as it is brutal, blending laughs with thrilling tension. The game continues to draw players into Frank West’s absurdly dangerous world, now rendered in beautifully gruesome detail. It’s a fantastic journey back to a familiar, zombie-filled playground — ideal for longtime fans and newcomers alike who are ready to face the horde.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Algorithms for the People’ by Josh Simons
Updated 25 November 2024
Arab News
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping our world. Police forces use them to decide where to send police officers, judges to decide whom to release on bail, welfare agencies to decide which children are at risk of abuse, and Facebook and Google to rank content and distribute ads.
In these spheres, and many others, powerful prediction tools are changing how decisions are made, narrowing opportunities for the exercise of judgment, empathy, and creativity.
In “Algorithms for the People,” Josh Simons flips the narrative about how we govern these technologies.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Physical Nature of Information’
Updated 24 November 2024
Arab News
Author: Gregory Falkovich
Applications of information theory span a broad range of disciplines today.
It teaches the tools universally used by physicists working on quantum computers and black holes, engineers designing self-driving cars, traders perfecting market strategies, chemists playing with molecules, biologists studying cells and living beings, linguists analyzing languages, and neuroscientists figuring out how the brain works.
No matter what area of science you specialize in, “The Physical Nature of Information” unlocks the power of information theory to test the limits imposed by uncertainty.
Once recognized, however, the line has seismic repercussions for rethinking foundational concepts such as mark, limit, surface, and edge
Updated 23 November 2024
Arab News
Author: IRENE SMALL
What would it mean to treat an interval of space as a line, thus drawing an empty void into a constellation of art and meaning-laden things? In this book, Irene Small elucidates the signal discovery of the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark in 1954: a fissure of space between material elements that Clark called “the organic line.”
For much of the history of art, Clark’s discovery, much like the organic line, has escaped legibility. Once recognized, however, the line has seismic repercussions for rethinking foundational concepts such as mark, limit, surface, and edge.
