https://arab.news/2dh9f
Edited by Ann Blair, Paul Duguid, Anja-Silvia Goeing and Anthony Grafton
Thanks to recent advances, we now enjoy seemingly unlimited access to information.
How did information become so central to our everyday lives? This book traces the global emergence of information practices and technologies across pivotal epochs and regions, providing invaluable historical perspectives on the ways information has shaped and been shaped by societies.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) never signed a painting, and none of his supposed self-portraits can be securely ascribed to his hand.
Addressing the ethical stakes involved in studying past lives, Stephen J. Campbell shows how this invented Leonardo has invited speculation from figures ranging from art dealers and curators to scholars, scientists, and biographers, many of whom have filled in the gaps of what can be known of Leonardo’s life with claims to decode secrets, reveal mysteries of a vanished past, or discover lost masterpieces of spectacular value.
The mystery of clouds has captivated scientists and artists alike.
This unique book shows you how to use the meteorological techniques of nephology to identify these elusive and transmutable shapes.
“Clouds” blends a lively and engaging narrative by one of today’s leading meteorologists with an essay on historic cloud art, and includes a wealth of breathtaking cloud studies by some of the greatest artists ever to look skyward.
Author: BRIAN W. KERNIGHAN
In this updated edition of “Understanding the Digital World,” Brian Kernighan explains how computer hardware, software, and networks work.
Topics include how computers are built and how they compute; what programming is; how the Internet and web operate; and how all of these affect security, privacy, property, and other important social, political, and economic issues.
Kernighan touches on fundamental ideas from computer science and some of the inherent limitations of computers, and new sections in the book explore Python programming, big data, and much more.
Author: Franz Kafka
“A Hunger Artist” is a novella by Franz Kafka, which was published in 1922.
The narrative follows a professional hunger artist whose act is to fast for extended periods, presenting his art as a spectacle for an audience.
Initially, his performances drew significant attention, and he became a celebrated figure, embodying the artist’s struggle against societal norms and expectations.
As the story progresses, the artist’s popularity wanes, and he becomes increasingly alienated.
The public’s fascination shifts to more modern forms of entertainment, and the hunger artist becomes a relic of a bygone era.
The hunger artist’s ultimate fate is tragic. Despite his dedication to his craft, he becomes a victim of societal indifference.
The book is a poignant 14-page short story that delves into themes of art, isolation, and the quest for meaning.
Kafka’s exploration of the artist’s suffering is a metaphor for the broader human experience — where the search for authenticity and recognition often leads to despair and isolation.
He masterfully captures the conflict between the artist’s inner world and external interpretations, demonstrating the need to understand and appreciate real creative expression.
The story culminates in the realization that true artistry is frequently unrecognized and undervalued.
In “A Hunger Artist,” Kafka crafts a powerful commentary on the complexities of identity, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the often lonely path of the artist, making it a compelling and thought-provoking work that resonates with anyone grappling with the meaning of creativity and existence.
His prose is spare yet evocative, employing a surreal tone that enhances the existential themes.
The story challenges readers to consider the nature of art, the role of the audience, and the sacrifices artists make for their craft.
Kafka is renowned for his surreal and existential narratives that still resonate with readers more than a century later. His best-known works include “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial,” and “The Castle.”
Author: Shana Kushner Gadarian, Sara Wallace Goodman and Tomas B. Pepinsky
COVID-19 has killed more people than any war or public health crisis in American history, but the scale and grim human toll of the pandemic were not inevitable. Pandemic Politics examines how Donald Trump politicized COVID-19, shedding new light on how his administration tied the pandemic to the president’s political fate in an election year and chose partisanship over public health, with disastrous consequences for all of us.
Health is not an inherently polarizing issue, but the Trump administration’s partisan response to COVID-19 led ordinary citizens to prioritize what was good for their “team” rather than what was good for their country.
Democrats, in turn, viewed the crisis as evidence of Trump’s indifference to public well-being. At a time when solidarity and bipartisan unity were sorely needed, Americans came to see the pandemic in partisan terms, adopting behaviors and attitudes that continue to divide us today.
