Paul N. Edwards's Books

The Closed World

Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America

By: Paul N. Edwards

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The Closed World

Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America

By: Paul N. Edwards

The Closed World offers a radically new alternative to the canonical histories of computers and cognitive science. Arguing that we can make sense of computers as tools only when we simultaneously grasp their roles as metaphors and political icons, Paul Edwards shows how Cold War social and cultural contexts shaped emerging computer technology--and were transformed, in turn, by information machines. The Closed World explores three apparently disparate histories--the history of American global power, the history of computing machines, and the history of subjectivity in science and culture--through the lens of the American political imagination. In the process, it reveals intimate links between the military projects of the Cold War, the evolution of digital computers, and the origins of cybernetics, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. Edwards begins by describing the emergence of a "closed-world discourse" of global surveillance and control through high-technology military power. The Cold War political goal of "containment" led to the SAGE continental air defense system, Rand Corporation studies of nuclear strategy, and the advanced technologies of the Vietnam War. These and other centralized, computerized military command and control projects--for containing world-scale conflicts--helped closed-world discourse dominate Cold War political decisions. Their apotheosis was the Reagan-era plan for a " Star Wars" space-based ballistic missile defense. Edwards then shows how these military projects helped computers become axial metaphors in psychological theory. Analyzing the Macy Conferences on cybernetics, the Harvard Psycho-Acoustic Laboratory, and the early history of artificial intelligence, he describes the formation of a "cyborg discourse." By constructing both human minds and artificial intelligences as information machines, cyborg discourse assisted in integrating people into the hyper-complex technological systems of the closed world. Finally, Edwards explores the cyborg as political identity in science fiction--from the disembodied, panoptic AI of 2001: A Space Odyssey, to the mechanical robots of Star Wars and the engineered biological androids of Blade Runner--where Information Age culture and subjectivity were both reflected and constructed. Inside Technology series

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Page Count

468

Publisher

MIT Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0262550288

ISBN 13

9780262550284

A Vast Machine

Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming

By: Paul N. Edwards

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A Vast Machine

Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming

By: Paul N. Edwards

The science behind global warming, and its history: how scientists learned to understand the atmosphere, to measure it, to trace its past, and to model its future. Global warming skeptics often fall back on the argument that the scientific case for global warming is all model predictions, nothing but simulation; they warn us that we need to wait for real data, “sound science.” In A Vast Machine Paul Edwards has news for these skeptics: without models, there are no data. Today, no collection of signals or observations—even from satellites, which can “see” the whole planet with a single instrument—becomes global in time and space without passing through a series of data models. Everything we know about the world's climate we know through models. Edwards offers an engaging and innovative history of how scientists learned to understand the atmosphere—to measure it, trace its past, and model its future.

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Page Count

547

Publisher

MIT Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0262518635

ISBN 13

9780262518635

A Sociological Phenomenology of Christian Redemption

By: Paul Gilfillan

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A Sociological Phenomenology of Christian Redemption

By: Paul Gilfillan

Despite much of the world's attention turning to Scotland in 2014 in the year of its Independence Referendum, this is the only ethnographic study of Scottish nationalism to have appeared so far. Based upon over fifteen years of research in a particular locality, the author not only gives the reader an intimate portrait of the relations between class and national identity in contemporary Scotland but provides an intimate description of a particular Scottish locality from 1999 to 2014. This patient ethnographic study also gives an account of how the sociological imagination is indispensable in the task of 'integral liberation' as it models how empirical sociological study can give an account of human beatitude and, ultimately, answer the question of transcendence and integrates with the Christian tradition. This book then attempts to state the full significance of Scottish nationalism upon the basis of a full or integral account of fully-contextualised Scottish human being, and in succeeding in this ambitious endeavour the author has produced a remarkable book that deserves the attention of students of the social sciences and theology alike.

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Page Count

813

Publisher

Grosvenor House Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1781484279

ISBN 13

9781781484272

A Generation at Risk

Growing Up in an Era of Family Upheaval

By: Paul R. Amato,Alan Booth

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A Generation at Risk

Growing Up in an Era of Family Upheaval

By: Paul R. Amato,Alan Booth

Just what do we know about the current generation of young Americans? So little it seems that we have dubbed them Generation X. Coming of age in the 1980s and '90s, they hail from families in flux, from an intimate landscape changing faster and more profoundly than ever before. This book is the first to give us a clear, close-up picture of these young Americans and to show how they have been affected and formed by the tremendous domestic changes of the last three decades. How have members of this generation fared at school and at work, as they have moved into the world and formed families of their own? Do their struggles or successes reflect the turbulence of their time? These are the questions A Generation at Risk answers in comprehensive detail. Based on a unique fifteen-year study begun in 1980, the book considers parents' socioeconomic resources, their gender roles and relations, and the quality and stability of their marriages. It then examines children's relations with their parents, their intimate and broader social affiliations, and their psychological well-being. The authors provide rare insight into how both familial and historical contexts affect young people as they make the transition to adulthood. Perhaps surprising is the authors' finding that, in this era of shifting gender roles, children who grow up in traditional father-breadwinner, mother-homemaker families and those in more egalitarian, role-sharing families apparently turn out the same. Also striking are the beneficial influence of parental education on children and the troubling long-term impact of marital conflict and divorce--an outcome that prompts the authors to suggest policy measures that encourage marital quality and stability.

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Page Count

333

Publisher

Harvard University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0674020197

ISBN 13

9780674020191

Stigma, State Expressions and the Law

Implications of Freedom of Speech

By: Paul Quinn

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Stigma, State Expressions and the Law

Implications of Freedom of Speech

By: Paul Quinn

This book demonstrates the difficulties the law is likely to encounter in regulating the expressive activities of the state, particularly with regard to the stigmatization of vulnerable groups and minorities. Freedom of speech is indispensable to a democratic society, enabling it to operate with a healthy level of debate and discussion. Historically, legal scholars have underappreciated the power of stigmatization, instead focusing on anti-discrimination law, and the implicit assumption that the state is permitted to communicate freely with little fear of legal consequences. Whilst integral to a democratic society, the freedom of a state to express itself can however also be corrosive, allowing influential figures and organizations the possibility to stigmatize vulnerable groups within society. The book takes this idea and, uniquely weaving legal analysis with extant psychological and sociological research, shows that current legal approaches to stigmatization are limited. Starting with a deep insight into what constitutes state expressions and how they can become stigmatizing, the book then goes on to look into the capacity the law currently has to limit these expressions and asks even if it could, should it? This fascinating study of an increasingly topical subject will be of interest to any legal scholar working in the field of freedom of expression and discrimination law.

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Page Count

264

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1351470566

ISBN 13

9781351470568

Alone Together

How Marriage in America Is Changing

By: Paul R. Amato,Alan Booth,David R. Johnson,Stacy J. Rogers

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Alone Together

How Marriage in America Is Changing

By: Paul R. Amato,Alan Booth,David R. Johnson,Stacy J. Rogers

Based on two studies of marital quality in America twenty years apart, Alone Together shows that while the divorce rate has leveled off, spouses are spending less time together. The authors argue that marriage is an adaptable institution, and in accommodating the changes that have occurred in society, it has become a less cohesive, yet less confining arrangement.

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Page Count

336

Publisher

Harvard University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0674020189

ISBN 13

9780674020184

Moon Michigan

By: Paul Vachon

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Moon Michigan

By: Paul Vachon

Discover Michigan with Moon Travel Guides! Moon Michigan reveals the best of the Great Lakes States' charming small towns, vibrant urban hubs, and vast, untouched wilderness. What you'll find in Moon Michigan: Full coverage of Michigan, from Detroit and Ann Arbor to Mackinac Island and the Upper Peninsula Strategic itineraries for every budget and timeline, curated for beach-goers, hikers, wine enthusiasts, history buffs, road-trippers, and more Must-see attractions and ideas for making the most of your trip: Hike through evergreen forests or along freshwater coastlines, catch a glimpse of wild moose and black bears, and set up camp under a crystal-clear summer sky. Spend your days fishing, boating, and swimming in pristine lakes, or snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Browse galleries and gardens in Ann Arbor, or explore Motor City's rich industrial and musical history. Take a romantic carriage ride on Mackinac or a scenic tour of wine country, and discover the best spots to see fall foliage Honest advice from lifelong Michigander Paul Vachon on when to go, what to pack, and where to stay, from campsites and motels to golf resorts and lakeside lodges Detailed maps and helpful reference photos throughout Recommendations for families, LGBTQ+ travelers, international visitors, seniors, and visitors with disabilities Thorough background on the culture, weather, wildlife, and history, plus tips on getting there and getting around by car and public transportation With Moon's local insight, diverse ideas, and expert advice on the best of Michigan, you can plan your trip your way. Exploring more quintessential Midwest? Try Moon Minneapolis & St. Paul or Moon Wisconsin's Door County.

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Page Count

744

Publisher

Moon Travel

Published Date

ISBN 10

1631214055

ISBN 13

9781631214059

Recovering Protestantism’s Original Insight

Luther’s Heritage and Theological Criticism of the Bible

By: Paul E. Capetz

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Recovering Protestantism’s Original Insight

Luther’s Heritage and Theological Criticism of the Bible

By: Paul E. Capetz

In this engaging volume, Capetz argues that Protestants have largely ignored Luther's heritage when it comes to thinking about biblical authority and instead have followed Calvin's biblicism, leading to many intellectual and moral problems in the face of a fully historical-critical understanding of the Bible in our time. After prefacing the book with a personal story that illustrates what is at stake in this question for the church's pastoral ministry, he examines in detail the debate between Barth--an heir of Calvin--and Bultmann--a Lutheran--regarding Sachkritik or "content criticism" of Scripture since their debate serves to clarify the central issue facing Protestants today. He then traces their debate back to the Reformation itself to show how the difference between Luther and Calvin presented Protestants from the outset with two conflicting models of biblical authority. He then reflects on how this question of the proper understanding of biblical authority manifests itself in the debates over sexual ethics that have plagued mainline denominations for the past four decades. And he concludes by arguing that Luther's heritage provides Protestants with a viable way to engage in a robust theological interpretation of the Bible that does not violate what historical criticism has taught us about it.

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Page Count

174

Publisher

Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1666796964

ISBN 13

9781666796964

A Vast Machine

Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming

By: Paul N. Edwards

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A Vast Machine

Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming

By: Paul N. Edwards

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547

Publisher

MIT Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0262518635

ISBN 13

9780262518635

The Planetary Clock

Antipodean Time and Spherical Postmodern Fictions

By: Paul Giles

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The Planetary Clock

Antipodean Time and Spherical Postmodern Fictions

By: Paul Giles

The theme of The Planetary Clock is the representation of time in postmodern culture and the way temporality as a global phenomenon manifests itself differently across an antipodean axis. To trace postmodernism in an expansive spatial and temporal arc, from its formal experimentation in the 1960s to environmental concerns in the twenty-first century, is to describe a richer and more complex version of this cultural phenomenon. Exploring different scales of time from a Southern Hemisphere perspective, with a special emphasis on issues of Indigeneity and the Anthropocene, The Planetary Clock offers a wide-ranging, revisionist account of postmodernism, reinterpreting literature, film, music, and visual art of the post-1960 period within a planetary framework. By bringing the culture of Australia and New Zealand into dialogue with other Western narratives, it suggests how an antipodean impulse, involving the transposition of the world into different spatial and temporal dimensions, has long been an integral (if generally occluded) aspect of postmodernism. Taking its title from a Florentine clock designed in 1510 to measure worldly time alongside the rotation of the planets, The Planetary Clock ranges across well-known American postmodernists (John Barth, Toni Morrison) to more recent science fiction writers (Octavia Butler, Richard Powers), while bringing the US tradition into juxtaposition with both its English (Philip Larkin, Ian McEwan) and Australian (Les Murray, Alexis Wright) counterparts. By aligning cultural postmodernism with music (Messiaen, Ligeti, Birtwistle), the visual arts (Hockney, Blackman, Fiona Hall), and cinema (Rohmer, Haneke, Tarantino), this volume enlarges our understanding of global postmodernism for the twenty-first century.

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336

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0192599518

ISBN 13

9780192599513

Paths of Resistance

Tradition and Dignity in Industrializing Missouri

By: David Paul Thelen

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Paths of Resistance

Tradition and Dignity in Industrializing Missouri

By: David Paul Thelen

This book looks at economic development and social change in one specific state, Missouri, between the Civil War and the First World War.

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Page Count

332

Publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195036670

ISBN 13

9780195036671

History of Fresno County, Vol. 3

By: Paul E. Vandor

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History of Fresno County, Vol. 3

By: Paul E. Vandor

The editor and publisher of these volumes, which include not less than several hundred biographies spread across the six books, presents them confidently as a verified and authoritative history of the county - the result of conscientious labor in original research , and of information imparted by pioneers and their descendants , entered upon originally as a pastime and without thought of publication of the collated material. It essays to present county and city historical data that had lasting bearing on the times, but which with many of the picturesque incidents were ignored or overlooked in the publications that have gone before; and lastly it is an endeavor also to fill in the hiatus of the years from 1882 through the first World War, to bring to date the tale of the development and growth of a county which, from a small beginning with a rough and uncouth mining population and hardy pioneers, has become one of the richest, politically best governed and industrially typical of a great state. Incredible as their development and growth have been, through successive industrial epochs, the mind cannot grasp the future of State and County, now that the twin Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys have reached the zenith of development and production. Today Fresno County is a leading contributor to California's greater riches, enhanced production, and to the unmeasured happiness and prosperity of its citizens. Fresno is one of the state's centers. A remarkable past will be eclipsed by a more wonderful future - it is manifest destiny. This is volume three out of six.

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Page Count

736

Publisher

Jazzybee Verlag

Published Date

ISBN 10

3849659003

ISBN 13

9783849659004

Book's by Paul N. Edwards

The Closed World

The Closed World

A Vast Machine

A Vast Machine

A Sociological Phenomenology of Christian Redemption

A Sociological Phenomenology of Christian Redemption

A Generation at Risk

A Generation at Risk

Stigma, State Expressions and the Law

Stigma, State Expressions and the Law

Alone Together

Alone Together

Moon Michigan

Moon Michigan

Recovering Protestantism’s Original Insight

Recovering Protestantism’s Original Insight

A Vast Machine

A Vast Machine

The Planetary Clock

The Planetary Clock

Paths of Resistance

Paths of Resistance

History of Fresno County, Vol. 3

History of Fresno County, Vol. 3

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