Technology

Accident investigation and risk assessment have for decades focused on the human factor, most notably in the form of "human error". Countless books and papers have been written about how to identify, classify, eliminate, prevent and compensate for "human error". This preoccupation with failure is near universal and can be found in all fields of application.One consequence of this has been a bias towards the study of performance failures, leading to a neglect of normal or "error-free" performance. The common, unspoken assumption is that failures and successes have different origins and that therefore there is little to be gained from studying the latter. Erik Hollnagel feels strongly that this assumption is false and that safety cannot be attained only by eliminating risks and failures. The alternative is to understand why things go right, and to find ways to support and amplify that. The aim of this book is to present a single, simple but powerful principle for human performance that can be used to understand both positive and negative outcomes. The ETTO Principle reflects the common trait that people in their work naturally adjust what they do to match the conditions - to what has happened, to what happens, and to what may happen. It proposes that it is normal for people in work situations to adjust their performance by means of an efficiency-thoroughness trade-off (ETTO) - usually by sacrificing thoroughness for efficiency. The trade-off can be due to a lack of time, lack of resources, work and company pressures, lack of information, etc. The ability of people mutually to adjust their performance is the reason why things go right. Yet in some cases the adjustments may combine in an unforeseen way and lead to adverse outcomes. These outcomes are nevertheless due to the very same processes that produce successes, rather than to errors and malfunctions.The ETTO Principle obviates the need for specialised theories and models of failure an more...

Price: $39.95

The only book that teaches Bluetooth programming basics for a range of languages and platforms. more...

Price: $32.00

Here's the sure cure for CIRCUIT PARALYSIS!. Need to learn circuit analysis but experiencing some resistance in your brain waves?  No stress! Circuit Analysis Demystified will give you the jolt you need to understand this complex subject--without getting your circuits crossed. In the first part of the book, you'll learn the fundamentals such as voltage and current theorems, Thevenin and Norton's theorems, op amp circuits, capacitance and inductance, and phasor analysis of circuits. Then you'll move on to more advanced topics including Laplace transforms, three-phase circuits, filters, Bode plots, and characterization of circuit stability. Featuring end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam, this book will have you in a steady state when it comes to circuit analysis in no time at all. This fast and easy guide offers: Numerous figures to illustrate key concepts; Sample equations with worked solutions; Coverage of Kirchhoff's laws, the superposition theorem, Millman's theorem, and delta-wye transformations; Quizzes at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning; A time-saving approach to performing better on an exam or at work. Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Circuit Analysis Demystified will transform you into a master of this essential engineering subject.   more...

Price: $19.95

Here is the bestselling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This revised and updated edition provides new insights into the realities of high-tech marketing, with special emphasis on the Internet. It's essential reading for anyone with a stake in the world's most exciting marketplace. more...

Price: $13.99

Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? Until now their identity has remained a tantalizing mystery to linguists, archaeologists, and even Nazis seeking the roots of the Aryan race. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language lifts the veil that has long shrouded these original Indo-European speakers, and reveals how their domestication of horses and use of the wheel spread language and transformed civilization. Linking prehistoric archaeological remains with the development of language, David Anthony identifies the prehistoric peoples of central Eurasia's steppe grasslands as the original speakers of Proto-Indo-European, and shows how their innovative use of the ox wagon, horseback riding, and the warrior's chariot turned the Eurasian steppes into a thriving transcontinental corridor of communication, commerce, and cultural exchange. He explains how they spread their traditions and gave rise to important advances in copper mining, warfare, and patron-client political institutions, thereby ushering in an era of vibrant social change. Anthony also describes his fascinating discovery of how the wear from bits on ancient horse teeth reveals the origins of horseback riding. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries--the source of the Indo-European languages and English--and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past. more...

Price: $35.00