A major reappraisal of the life of legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., Gonna Do Great Things is at once an intimate portrait and an exuberant celebration of a wholly American icon. Through his multifaceted talent and personality, Sammy became one of the most magnetic and contentious figures in modern entertainment history. His outstanding talents as a dancer, singer, actor, impressionist, and comedian, combined with his close association with megastars and his interracial marriage, made him a celebrity in the truest sense. Born in Harlem in 1925, Sammy debuted onstage with Will Mastin's vaudeville troupe when he was only three years old. He was an instant hit, and his talent propelled him into one of the most luminous entertainment careers of his generation. No one could please a crowd like Sammy, whose overwhelming energy and infectious humor exhilarated audiences for sixty years. However, Sammy's life was not without hardship, and his high-spirited attitude often masked a fragile ego. From an impoverished, broken home, he lacked even a single day of formal education, and the rigors of his blossoming show business career denied him the traditional pleasures of childhood. Racism constantly affected his life, particularly when he joined the army in 1943. Because he refused to acknowledge any race-related restrictions, his very existence became a political statement. An active member of the Civil Rights movement and America's first African-American superstar, Sammy paved the way for other black entertainers. As a charter member of the Rat Pack, Sammy spent the 1950s and 1960s basking in an image of "cool" and endearing himself to the public. But by the 1970s he was relying on cocaine and alcohol, flirting with Satanism, indulging in scandalous sexual behavior, and becoming the punchline of jokes on Saturday Night Live. Though his fans still adored him, his performances suffered. A four-pack-a-day smoker, Sammy succumbed to cancer when he was sixty-four, shortly after celebrating six decades in the spotlight. Renowned biographer of Hollywood giants Jimmy Stewart, Burt Lancaster, and Gregory Peck, Gary Fishgall brings an actor's and director's understanding of the entertainment industry to Sammy's complicated existence. Meticulously researched and filled with insights gathered from interviews with those who knew Sammy best, Gonna Do Great Things reveals the fascinating and controversial life of this beloved entertainer.
Why is it that Christians continue to hibernate in their little (or mega) Christian huddles as our society increasingly turns its back on the faith of their fathers? Er, make that grandfathers. Clueless Christianity? challenges the Christian community to re-invent itself to offer a clearer message of hope and redemption to a world gone nuts. The Church of Jesus Christ must immerse itself full throttle into the melee of our ever evolving postChristian world. And it must do so with genuine love and humility.
Draws on profiles, interviews, liner notes and original reviews of recordings to give a full picture of Davis' work. Includes essays on the impact of his life and music.
For decades, the Louisiana political scene has been a source of interest and intrigue for scholars and casual observers alike. In recent years, the state’s political, economic, and environmental challenges have drawn sustained attention from regional and national media. Observers have typically focused on Louisiana’s distinctive political culture, including jungle primaries, colorful candidates, and tolerance for scandal. However, recent shifts have eroded the state’s unique political character, aligning it with national political trends of partisan realignment, political polarization, and outside influence in state and local elections. The Party Is Over brings together top scholars, journalists, and policy analysts to investigate these recent shifts in institutions, politics, and policy and situate them in the context of national politics. Both accessible and thorough, the volume offers an informed and reliable foundation for those new to Louisiana’s political culture and for long-time observers seeking new insights into recent developments. Contributors recognize the challenges posed by the new politics and point toward opportunities to leverage the state’s cultural and economic strengths to build a better Louisiana.
The efforts undertaken by civilian and military organizations in response to Hurricane Katrina were historically unprecedented, but a number of changes would enhance future Army and National Guard disaster-response efforts, including preparing governors to call up Guard units for out-of-state emergencies and the creation of regional standing homeland security task forces.
Science and Ecosystem Management in the National Parks presents twelve case studies of long-term research conducted in and around national parks that address major natural resource issues. These cases demonstrate how the use of longer time scales strongly influences our understanding of ecosystems and how interpretations of short-term patterns in nature often change when viewed in the context of long-term data sets. Most important, they show conclusively that scientific research significantly reduces uncertainty and improves resource management decisions. Chosen by scientists and senior park managers, the cases offer a broad range of topics, including air quality at the Grand Canyon; interaction between moose and wolf populations on Isle Royale; control of exotic species in Hawaiian parks; simulation of natural fire in the parks of the Sierra Nevada; and the impact of urban expansion on Saguaro National Monument. Because national parks are increasingly beset with conflicting views of their management, the need for knowledge of park ecosystems becomes even more critical - not only for the parks themselves, but for what they can tell us about survival in the rest of our world. This book demonstrates to policymakers and managers that decisions based on knowledge of ecosystems are more enduring and cost effective than decisions derived from uninformed consensus. It also provides scientists with models for designing research to meet threats to our most precious natural resources. "If we can learn to save the parks", observe Halvorson and Davis, "perhaps we can learn to save the world".
Bestselling author and former FBI agent Gary Aldrich has teamed up with former White House speechwriter Mark Davis to pen the political thriller of the year. When the career-derailing opposition researcher known as "Dr. Death" is found dead on the floor of the Nixon Library, with his lips sewn shut and the message "Speak No Evil" written next to his body, it's up to FBI Special Agent Mike McGuire and journalist Anne Carlson to find his killer.
Statisticians and researchers will find Categorical Data Analysis Using SAS, Third Edition, by Maura Stokes, Charles Davis, and Gary Koch, to be a useful discussion of categorical data analysis techniques as well as an invaluable aid in applying these methods with SAS. Practical examples from a broad range of applications illustrate the use of the FREQ, LOGISTIC, GENMOD, NPAR1WAY, and CATMOD procedures in a variety of analyses. Topics discussed include assessing association in contingency tables and sets of tables, logistic regression and conditional logistic regression, weighted least squares modeling, repeated measurements analyses, loglinear models, generalized estimating equations, and bioassay analysis. The third edition updates the use of SAS/STAT software to SAS/STAT 12.1 and incorporates ODS Graphics. Many additional SAS statements and options are employed, and graphs such as effect plots, odds ratio plots, regression diagnostic plots, and agreement plots are discussed. The material has also been revised and reorganized to reflect the evolution of categorical data analysis strategies. Additional techniques include such topics as exact Poisson regression, partial proportional odds models, Newcombe confidence intervals, incidence density ratios, and so on. This book is part of the SAS Press program.
(Yamaha Products). Sound reinforcement is the use of audio amplification systems. This book is the first and only book of its kind to cover all aspects of designing and using such systems for public address and musical performance. The book features information on both the audio theory involved and the practical applications of that theory, explaining everything from microphones to loudspeakers. This revised edition features almost 40 new pages and is even easier to follow with the addition of an index and a simplified page and chapter numbering system. New topics covered include: MIDI, Synchronization, and an Appendix on Logarithms. 416 Pages.
What You Need to Know Before Referring to a Chiropractor" is the first book written by African-American doctors in the field of Chiropractic. Drs. Davis and Joplin brings the science, art and philosophy of chiropractic to you in a publication with concepts that are easy to read and easy to understand. "What You Need to Know..." bridges the gap between allopathic (conventional) and alternative health care. It is written with you (the C.E.O. of your health) in mind. It provides a clear view of the history of chiropractic, conditions that chiropractors can effectively treat, the classifications of chiropractors within the profession and easy to read research that outlines the health benefits provided by chiropractic treatment.
Two leaders in the field offer a compelling analysis of the current state of the art and reveal the steps we must take to achieve a truly robust artificial intelligence. Despite the hype surrounding AI, creating an intelligence that rivals or exceeds human levels is far more complicated than we have been led to believe. Professors Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis have spent their careers at the forefront of AI research and have witnessed some of the greatest milestones in the field, but they argue that a computer beating a human in Jeopardy! does not signal that we are on the doorstep of fully autonomous cars or superintelligent machines. The achievements in the field thus far have occurred in closed systems with fixed sets of rules, and these approaches are too narrow to achieve genuine intelligence. The real world, in contrast, is wildly complex and open-ended. How can we bridge this gap? What will the consequences be when we do? Taking inspiration from the human mind, Marcus and Davis explain what we need to advance AI to the next level, and suggest that if we are wise along the way, we won't need to worry about a future of machine overlords. If we focus on endowing machines with common sense and deep understanding, rather than simply focusing on statistical analysis and gatherine ever larger collections of data, we will be able to create an AI we can trust--in our homes, our cars, and our doctors' offices. Rebooting AI provides a lucid, clear-eyed assessment of the current science and offers an inspiring vision of how a new generation of AI can make our lives better.
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