Someone is trying to resurrect ancient viruses hidden deep within the human genetic code to create a biological weapon so specific that it can target an individual . . . or an entire race. When two young prodigies discover their "medical research" is being used to build this weapon, they seek outside help to destroy it and to flee China. Help comes in the unlikely guise of Jon Gunderson-doctor, bio-weapons expert, and devoted family man whose unsuspecting wife and nine children have unwittingly accompanied him on yet another assignment. Once the truth comes to light, the Gundersons will have to set aside their differences if they hope to rescue the prodigies and escape with their lives. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as the bittersweet dynamics of a large but loving family take center stage against the backdrop of China's breathtaking landscapes.

THE PRODIGY have sold 25 million records and single-handedly reinvented the crossover between dance and rock music, with legendary songs such as 'Firestarter', 'Omen' and 'Breathe'. However, long before they became a stadium-filling rock monster, The Prodigy were prowling the underground of the UK rave scene, first as a blistering demo of tunes by the 'prodigious' teenage Liam Howlett, then latterly with their breakthrough masterpiece, Music For The Jilted Generation.Martin Roach was present throughout the band's early years and documented their rise from the underground into the bright lights of music superstardom. Containing hours and hours of exclusive interviews, the book chronicles the band's early years in minute detail, speaking to each band member and all the key players along the way.With a new introduction by Liam Howlett putting this classic early phase in the context of their historically important career, this book is a must-buy for the millions of Prodigy fans eager to learn about the band's formative days.

From award-winning sportswriter John Feinstein, a YA novel about a teen golfer poised to blaze his way into Masters Tournament history—and he’ll face secrecy, sacrifice, and the decision of a lifetime to get there. Seventeen-year-old Frank Baker is a golfing sensation. He’s set to earn a full-ride scholarship to play at the university of his choice, but his single dad wants him to skip college and turn pro—golf has taken its toll on the family bank account, and his dad is eager to start cashing in on his son’s prowess. Frank knows he isn’t ready for life on the pro tour—regardless of the potential riches—so his swing coach enlists a professional golfer turned journalist to be Frank’s secret adviser. Pressure mounts when, after reaching the final of the U.S. Amateur tournament, Frank wins an automatic invite to the Masters. And when the prodigy, against all odds, starts tearing up the course at Augusta National, sponsors are lined up to throw money at him—and his father. But Frank’s entry in the Masters hinges on maintaining his standing as an amateur. Can he and his secret adviser—who has his own conflicts—keep Frank’s dad at bay long enough to bring home the legendary green jacket?

"A memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop's golden era ... a story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City" --

We all know the autistic genius stereotypes. The absentminded professor with untied shoelaces. The geeky Silicon Valley programmer who writes bullet­proof code but can’t get a date. But there is another set of (tiny) geniuses whom you would never add to those ranks—child prodigies. We mostly know them as the chatty and charming tykes who liven up day­time TV with violin solos and engaging banter. These kids aren’t autistic, and there has never been any kind of scientific connection between autism and prodigy. Until now. Over the course of her career, psychologist Joanne Ruthsatz has quietly assembled the largest-ever research sample of these children. Their accomplishments are epic. One could reproduce radio tunes by ear on a toy guitar at two years old. Another was a thirteen-year-old cooking sensation. And what Ruthsatz’s investigation revealed is noth­ing short of astonishing. Though the prodigies aren’t autistic, many have autistic family members. Each prodigy has an extraordinary memory and a keen eye for detail—well-known but often-overlooked strengths associated with autism. Ruthsatz and her daughter and coauthor, Kim­berly Stephens, now propose a startling possibility: What if the abilities of child prodigies stem from a genetic link with autism? And could prodigies— children who have many of the strengths of autism but few of the challenges—be the key to a long-awaited autism breakthrough? In The Prodigy’s Cousin, Ruthsatz and Stephens narrate the poignant stories of the children they have studied, including that of a two-year-old who loved to spell words like “algorithm” and “confeder­ation,” a six-year-old painter who churned out mas­terpieces faster than her parents could hang them, and a typically developing thirteen-year-old who smacked his head against a church floor and woke up a music prodigy. This inspiring tale of extraordinary children, indomitable parents, and a researcher’s unorthodox hunch is essential reading for anyone interested in the brain and human potential. Ruthsatz and Stephens take us from the prodigies’ homes to the depths of the autism archives to the cutting edge of genetics research, all while upending our under­standing of what makes exceptional talent possible.

One of the largest and most active areas of AI, machine learning is of interest to students of psychology, philosophy of science, and education. Although self-contained, volume III follows the tradition of volume I (1983) and volume II (1986). Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book presents thoroughly arranged tutorial papers corresponding to lectures given by leading researchers at the Second International Summer School on Reasoning Web in Lisbon, Portugal, in September 2006. Building on the predessor school held in 2005 and published as LNCS 3564, the ten tutorial lectures presented provide competent coverage of current topics in semantic Web research and development.

One of the currently most active research areas within Artificial Intelligence is the field of Machine Learning. which involves the study and development of computational models of learning processes. A major goal of research in this field is to build computers capable of improving their performance with practice and of acquiring knowledge on their own. The intent of this book is to provide a snapshot of this field through a broad. representative set of easily assimilated short papers. As such. this book is intended to complement the two volumes of Machine Learning: An Artificial Intelligence Approach (Morgan-Kaufman Publishers). which provide a smaller number of in-depth research papers. Each of the 77 papers in the present book summarizes a current research effort. and provides references to longer expositions appearing elsewhere. These papers cover a broad range of topics. including research on analogy. conceptual clustering. explanation-based generalization. incremental learning. inductive inference. learning apprentice systems. machine discovery. theoretical models of learning. and applications of machine learning methods. A subject index IS provided to assist in locating research related to specific topics. The majority of these papers were collected from the participants at the Third International Machine Learning Workshop. held June 24-26. 1985 at Skytop Lodge. Skytop. Pennsylvania. While the list of research projects covered is not exhaustive. we believe that it provides a representative sampling of the best ongoing work in the field. and a unique perspective on where the field is and where it is headed.

A phone rings in the night. A frantic and familiar voice of a woman who mysteriously disappeared thirteen years ago. Joe Meehan is bewildered, confused and even frightened by her sudden reappearance. He finds Rachel alone on the dark and rainy night, shivering in the cold and wearing only a t-shirt and torn jeans. She is frighteningly thin. Her eyes are haunted with horrible memories. He has no idea of her sinister past or her role in a top secret military initiative, Project Hindsight, when he rescues her from the cold night. As Rachel's secrets catch up to her, Joe soon finds himself in danger unlike any he's ever faced when he uncovers the deadly secrets hidden on the fourth sub-level of Mount Weather. Pursued by relentless operatives who will stop at nothing to keep their secret, Rachel and Joe must hide from an enemy who can see anywhere.

William James Sidis (1898-1944) was born to a psychologist with some unorthodox ideas about child rearing, attended Harvard at an absurdly young age, burned out at 14, and spent most of the rest of his life working menial jobs and living in poverty. Dubbed a ``failed prodigy'' by the popular press, he lived out his years as an eccentric and a recluse. The truth is a lot more complex than this, and the "failure" a matter of perspective, as shown in this remarkable biography. Wallace's book, the only biography of this most enigmatic of prodigies, gives us a balanced look at Sidis' up-bringing and a somewhat revisionist look at his later life. Sidis apparently was hard at work on manuscripts of various sorts even during his later years; this book is to my knowledge the only one that gives an account of that later work, which dealt with American Indians. New manuscripts by Sidis have surfaced since the writing of this book, including a book on traffic accident patterns.