From the internationally acclaimed author of North of Dawn, Links is a novel that will stand as a classic of modern world literature. Jeebleh is returning to Mogadiscio, Somalia, for the first time in twenty years. But this is not a nostalgia trip—his last residence there was a jail cell. And who could feel nostalgic for a city like this? U.S. troops have come and gone, and the decimated city is ruled by clan warlords and patrolled by qaat-chewing gangs who shoot civilians to relieve their adolescent boredom. Diverted in his pilgrimage to visit his mother’s grave, Jeebleh is asked to investigate the abduction of the young daughter of one of his closest friend’s family. But he learns quickly that any act in this city, particularly an act of justice, is much more complicated than he might have imagined.

When a group of middle-class buddies obsessed with golf set up a bet to see who can finagle their way onto the nearby private course, their friendship is tested in ways they had never expected in this humorous novel from Rick Reilly, one of America’s most popular sportswriters. Missing Links is the story of four middle class buddies who live outside of Boston and for years have been 1) utterly obsessed with golf and 2) a regular foursome at Ponkaquoque Municipal Course and Deli, not so fondly known as Ponky, the single worst golf course in America. Just adjacent to these municipal links lies the Mayflower Country Club, the most exclusive private course in all of Boston and a major needle in their collective sides. Frustrated by the Mayflower's finely manicured greens and snooty members, three of Ponky's finest and most courageous—Two Down, Dannie, and Stick—set up a bet: $1,000.00 apiece, and the first man to somehow finagle his way on to the Mayflower course takes all. Lying, cheating, and forgery are encouraged, to put it mildly, and with the constant heckling and rare aid of Chunkin' Charlie, Hoover, and Bluto--a few more of Ponky's elite--the games begin. One of the three will eventually play the Mayflower's course, but their friendships--and everything else--will change as various truths unravel and the old Ponky starts looking like the home they never should have left.

The most challenging, most invigorating holes a golfer can tackle. In this beautiful book, Peper and Campbell, two writers who know golf inside and out, provide a concise and entertaining tour of the world's best links courses. Full color.

In 2003, the Columbia Space Shuttle exploded on re-entry, resulting in the loss of life for all seven astronauts, and leaving NASA with a huge problem. But this problem wasn't easily identified--the investigation revealed that the organizational culture was as much to blame for the explosion as technical difficulties. Enter Drs. Phillip Meade and Laura Gallaher--experts in the psychology of organizational culture and the owners of Gallaher Edge. Drs. Gallaher and Meade apply their vast expertise to map out "The Missing Links" between human nature and organizational culture. Readers will discover how their work at the Kennedy Space Center helped create their model and how it has been applied to numerous organizations across industries. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to apply this model to your organization to create a culture of accountability, inclusivity, and productivity. --

How can our societies be stabilized in a crisis? Why can we enjoy and understand Shakespeare? Why are fruitflies uniform? How do omnivorous eating habits aid our survival? What makes the Mona Lisa’s smile beautiful? How do women keep our social structures intact? – Could there possibly be a single answer to all these questions? This book shows that the statement: "weak links stabilize complex systems" provides the key to understanding each of these intriguing puzzles, and many more besides. The author, a recipient of several distinguished science communication prizes, explains weak or low probability interactions, and uses them as connecting threads in a vast variety of networks from proteins to ecosystems. This unique book and the ideas it develops will have a significant impact on diverse, seemingly unrelated fields of study.

Conventional wisdom among policymakers in both the US and Europe holds that weak and failing states are the source of the world's most pressing security threats today. However, as this book shows, our assumptions about the threats posed by failed and failing states are based on false premises.

A 2010 IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the number one leadership competency of the future. What are you doing right now to build yours? Book jacket.

State of the art resource covering key technologies and related theories of inter-satellite links Inter-Satellite Links Technology explores satellite networking as a growing topic in the field of communication technology, introducing the definition, types, and working frequency bands of inter-satellite links, discussing the number of orbital elements of the spacecraft motion state under two-body motion and their conversion relationship, and establishing the basic demand model for inter-satellite link network, chain topology model, and transmission protocol model. The book focuses on the analysis and introduction of the principles and error sources of microwave and laser inter-satellite ranging, including the basic composition, workflow, and constraints of the laser inter-satellite link, and related design principles of the inter-satellite laser transmitter and receivers. Later chapters also discuss theories and methods of acquisition, alignment, and tracking, the impact of alignment errors on performance, and inter-satellite link modulation and its implementation. Specific sample topics covered in Inter-Satellite Links Technology include: Pulse position modulation (PPM), Differential Pulse Position Modulation (DPPM), Digital Pulse Interval Modulation (DPIM), and Double-head pulse interval modulation (DH-PIM) Basic demand model of inter-satellite link network application, including basic configuration of constellations and inter-satellite transmission networks Inter-satellite ranging accuracy, principles of microwave inter-satellite ranging, and analysis of microwave ranging error sources Effect of tracking error on the beam distribution at the receiving end and influence of tracking and pointing error on communication error rate Inter-Satellite Links Technology serves a completely comprehensive resource on the subject and is a must-have reference for experts and scholars in aerospace, along with graduates and senior undergraduates in related programs of study.

Radio communications in the range of 60 GHz enable multi-Gigabit/s network access in indoor environments. Due to the propagation characteristics of such signals only very short range radio transmission is feasible. In order to distribute these signals across large distances, analog transmission over optical fiber is considered. In this work, mode-locked laser diodes serve as optoelectronic oscillators for the generation of such signals. Their system-relevant properties are studied in detail.

In many applications, radio frequency (RF) signals need to be transmitted and processed without being digitalized. Optical fiber provides a transmission medium in which RF modulated optical carriers can be transmitted and distributed with very low loss, making it more efficient and less costly than conventional electronic systems. This volume presents a review of RF photonic components, transmission systems, and signal processing examples in optical fibers from leading academic, government, and industry scientists working in this field. It also introduces the reader to various related technologies such as direct modulation of laser sources, external modulation techniques, and detectors. The text is aimed at engineers and scientists engaged in the research and development of optical fibers and analog RF applications. With an emphasis on design, performance and practical application, this book will be of particular interest to those developing systems based on this technology.