Push a button and turn on the television; tap a button and get a ride; click a button and “like” something. The touch of a finger can set an appliance, a car, or a system in motion, even if the user doesn't understand the underlying mechanisms or algorithms. How did buttons become so ubiquitous? Why do people love them, loathe them, and fear them? In Power Button, Rachel Plotnick traces the origins of today's push-button society by examining how buttons have been made, distributed, used, rejected, and refashioned throughout history. Focusing on the period between 1880 and 1925, when “technologies of the hand” proliferated (including typewriters, telegraphs, and fingerprinting), Plotnick describes the ways that button pushing became a means for digital command, which promised effortless, discreet, and fool-proof control. Emphasizing the doubly digital nature of button pushing—as an act of the finger and a binary activity (on/off, up/down)—Plotnick suggests that the tenets of precomputational digital command anticipate contemporary ideas of computer users. Plotnick discusses the uses of early push buttons to call servants, and the growing tensions between those who work with their hands and those who command with their fingers; automation as “automagic,” enabling command at a distance; instant gratification, and the victory of light over darkness; and early twentieth-century imaginings of a future push-button culture. Push buttons, Plotnick tells us, have demonstrated remarkable staying power, despite efforts to cast button pushers as lazy, privileged, and even dangerous.

"A collection of more than 2,000 colorful and artistic pin-back buttons, forming a people's history of American culture and politics that focuses on a range of subjects: advertising, arts and entertainment, historical events, movements and causes, humor, nature, celebrated personalities and organizations, geographical features, sports, transportation, wars and anti-war movements"--

Push a button and turn on the television; tap a button and get a ride; click a button and “like” something. The touch of a finger can set an appliance, a car, or a system in motion, even if the user doesn't understand the underlying mechanisms or algorithms. How did buttons become so ubiquitous? Why do people love them, loathe them, and fear them? In Power Button, Rachel Plotnick traces the origins of today's push-button society by examining how buttons have been made, distributed, used, rejected, and refashioned throughout history. Focusing on the period between 1880 and 1925, when “technologies of the hand” proliferated (including typewriters, telegraphs, and fingerprinting), Plotnick describes the ways that button pushing became a means for digital command, which promised effortless, discreet, and fool-proof control. Emphasizing the doubly digital nature of button pushing—as an act of the finger and a binary activity (on/off, up/down)—Plotnick suggests that the tenets of precomputational digital command anticipate contemporary ideas of computer users. Plotnick discusses the uses of early push buttons to call servants, and the growing tensions between those who work with their hands and those who command with their fingers; automation as “automagic,” enabling command at a distance; instant gratification, and the victory of light over darkness; and early twentieth-century imaginings of a future push-button culture. Push buttons, Plotnick tells us, have demonstrated remarkable staying power, despite efforts to cast button pushers as lazy, privileged, and even dangerous.

The President has the power to end the world in minutes. Right now, no one can stop him. Since the Truman administration, America has been one "push of a button" away from nuclear war—a decision that rests solely in the hands of the President. Without waiting for approval from Congress or even the Secretary of Defense, the President can unleash America's entire nuclear arsenal. Almost every governmental process is subject to institutional checks and balances. Why is potential nuclear annihilation the exception to the rule? For decades, glitches and slip-ups have threatened to trigger nuclear winter: misinformation, false alarms, hacked warning systems, or even an unstable President. And a new nuclear arms race has begun, threatening us all. At the height of the Cold War, Russia and the United States each built up arsenals exceeding 30,000 nuclear weapons, armed and ready to destroy each other—despite the fact that just a few hundred are necessary to end life on earth. From authors William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration and Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in the Carter administration, and Tom Z. Collina, the Director of Policy at Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation in Washington, DC, The Button recounts the terrifying history of nuclear launch authority, from the faulty 46-cent microchip that nearly caused World War III to President Trump's tweet about his "much bigger & more powerful" button. Perry and Collina share their firsthand experience on the front lines of the nation's nuclear history and provide illuminating interviews with former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Congressman Adam Smith, Nobel Peace Prize winner Beatrice Fihn, senior Obama administration officials, and many others. Written in an accessible and authoritative voice, The Button reveals the shocking tales and sobering facts of nuclear executive authority throughout the atomic age, delivering a powerful condemnation against ever leaving explosive power this devastating under any one person's thumb.

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly. In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results: • The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients • The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping • The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Protect your business and family against cyber attacks Cybersecurity is the protection against the unauthorized or criminal use of electronic data and the practice of ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information. Being "cyber-secure" means that a person or organization has both protected itself against attacks by cyber criminals and other online scoundrels, and ensured that it has the ability to recover if it is attacked. If keeping your business or your family safe from cybersecurity threats is on your to-do list, Cybersecurity For Dummies will introduce you to the basics of becoming cyber-secure! You’ll learn what threats exist, and how to identify, protect against, detect, and respond to these threats, as well as how to recover if you have been breached! The who and why of cybersecurity threats Basic cybersecurity concepts What to do to be cyber-secure Cybersecurity careers What to think about to stay cybersecure in the future Now is the time to identify vulnerabilities that may make you a victim of cyber-crime — and to defend yourself before it is too late.

In early reviews, geeks raved about Windows 7. But if you're an ordinary mortal, learning what this new system is all about will be challenging. Fear not: David Pogue's Windows 7: The Missing Manual comes to the rescue. Like its predecessors, this book illuminates its subject with reader-friendly insight, plenty of wit, and hardnosed objectivity for beginners as well as veteran PC users. Windows 7 fixes many of Vista's most painful shortcomings. It's speedier, has fewer intrusive and nagging screens, and is more compatible with peripherals. Plus, Windows 7 introduces a slew of new features, including better organization tools, easier WiFi connections and home networking setup, and even touchscreen computing for those lucky enough to own the latest hardware. With this book, you'll learn how to: Navigate the desktop, including the fast and powerful search function Take advantage of Window's apps and gadgets, and tap into 40 free programs Breeze the Web with Internet Explorer 8, and learn the email, chat, and videoconferencing programs Record TV and radio, display photos, play music, and record any of these to DVD using the Media Center Use your printer, fax, laptop, tablet PC, or smartphone with Windows 7 Beef up your system and back up your files Collaborate and share documents and other files by setting up a workgroup network

A comprehensive guide for IT administrators deploying Windows 7 Using a task-focused approach and clear, no-nonsense instructions, this book delivers all the information you'll need to deploy and manage Windows 7 efficiently and securely. Learn how to install, configure, run, and troubleshoot Windows 7; explore advanced networking, security, and other advanced topics. Delivers the information IT administrators need to deploy and manage Windows 7 successfully Explains topics in the thorough, step-by-step style of all books in the Mastering series, providing you ample instruction, tips, and techniques Covers how to install, configure, run, and troubleshoot Windows 7 and also explores advanced networking, security, and more Uses a task-based approach, so you have plenty of real-world examples and exercises to help you understand concepts All the books in the Sybex Mastering series feature comprehensive and expert coverage of topics you can put to immediate use. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Master Windows Phone 8 through quick, friendly, easy-to-follow tasks - all presented step-by-step, in vivid full colour!

The fast and easy way to get up and running with a laptop Are you new to the world of laptops? You've come to the right place! Laptops For Dummies covers the many topics and issues unique to laptops, including synchronizing with the desktop, coordinating email pick-up between two machines, remotely accessing the desktop, networking, power management, storage, security, and more. This new edition also provides updates to cover the latest technology, current processors, and steps to update memory and hard drive capacities. In business—while they spend most of their time in a desktop docking station—laptops are absolutely essential for providing mobility to professionals. In the home, they've begun to replace desktop PCs, as they now offer larger displays, longer battery power, and speeds equal to desktop computers. Plus, you can do just about everything with a laptop that you can do with a traditional desktop, minus the big, bulky machine and multiple cords. If you're just making the switch over to a laptop, this hands-on, easy-to-follow guide makes the transition easy! Covers the latest hardware and technology updates you need to get up and running with your laptop Includes updates on the new Windows 10 operating system, wireless networking, smartphone tethering, and using productivity applications on laptops Walks you through everything you need to deal with add-ons, networking procedures, and connectivity and communication Presents complex material in a way that makes it simple and accessible Whether you've never logged onto a laptop or are just looking to stay up-to-date with the latest information on operating systems and software, Laptops For Dummies has you covered.