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What assumptions and methods allow us to turn observations into causal knowledge, and how can even incomplete causal knowledge be used in planning and prediction to influence and control our environment? In this book Peter Spirtes, Clark Glymour, and Richard Scheines address these questions using the formalism of Bayes networks, with results that have been applied in diverse areas of research in the social, behavioral, and physical sciences.The authors show that although experimental and observational study designs may not always permit the same inferences, they are subject to uniform principles. They axiomatize the connection between causal structure and probabilistic independence, explore several varieties of causal indistinguishability, formulate a theory of manipulation, and develop asymptotically reliable procedures for searching over equivalence classes of causal models, including models of categorical data and structural equation models with and without latent variables.The authors show that the relationship between causality and probability can also help to clarify such diverse topics in statistics as the comparative power of experimentation versus observation, Simpson's paradox, errors in regression models, retrospective versus prospective sampling, and variable selection.The second edition contains a new introduction and an extensive survey of advances and applications that have appeared since the first edition was published in 1993. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Machine Embroidery
Awesome book. Typical of the English style thread work. Very detailed and great photos to go with the instructions.

Machine Embroidered Woodlands
Absolutely beautiful book. Well written, clear, concise instructions that are easy to follow. Allison Holt is a master at machine embroidery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in doing this kind of work. Once you master her techniques you will look at pre-programed machine embroidery in a different light.

An Artist Shares. . .
I've been doing freehand machine embroidery for 30 years, and no, I'm not in Alison Holt's class!It is incredibly sad that the artistry practiced for 100 years on conventional sewing machines has been eclipsed by passive/computer generated embroidery by specialized machines.The difference between true freehand and passive machine embroidery is the difference between painting on canvas freehand and painting by numbers.They are two completely different beasts.

I already own, and highly recommend, Ms. Holt's DVD on freehand embroidery.It's miles ahead of what I've seen put out by others.

Ms. Holt is, first and foremost, a gifted artist.She simply chose machine embroidery as her medium when in college in the 70's.Her basic technique involves taking a photograph and adapting it to work on fabric.There are many, many different avenues to achieving the desired product.Ms. Holt combines her freehand embroidery with background painting on silk, then a cover with thread.Other artists may use various fabrics only combined with thread.Still others only use thread.What can be gained with this book is a close look at her thread technique. Unlike passive/computer embroidery, freehand can and does involve possibly dozens of different colors, grouped by colors.For example, a simple field of grass could take a dozen different colors--greens, browns, yellows, and even whites or reds.My thread library is over 1000 different colors.Unlike some other embroiderers, who are very dogmatic about using a specific thread, Ms. Holt (like me) is open to using all types of thread to achieve different effects.For example, using only cotton embroidery thread can lead to a rather flat appearance; different threads and give variety.

Though the illustrations are beautiful and worth having on their own, this book will be primarily of interest to those, like me, who have an interest in freehand embroidery.Or, those who are trapped in the constraints of the computer-generated machines who want to expand their artistry.The book itself is a high-quality paperback with lush coloring and thick, glossy pages.It will become a treasured part of my embroidery reference library.

Fabulous tutorial, fantastic illustrations
Alison shows us how to re-create her wonderful woodland scenes using just straight stitch and zigzag. Every step is clearly illustrated, and every thread colour change is charted, teaching us how to make a whole variety of textures, different leaves, bark, drifts of flowers, paths and rocks. In addition to techniques, she also shows how to combine elements from different photos, or crop, to make an interesting subject have the maximum impact. Excellent in every way. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

curly
Not any of the 3 books that I purchased were really what they said they were for. One said it was for beginning embroiderying and it was not exactly embroidery.Hhad more of quilting.

dear sweet book for beginers
the book is very clear and easy to follow projects!! realy "for beginers"the reason that i don't rate it 5 stars is just because it doese not heave projects for medium more experienced
crafters and fiber artists or textile artists.

otherwise a very good book!! i don't know how can people say it is a 1-2 stars book?! and i do heave many books and magazines.
makig and teaching i heave to!!

louise dollmaker & mixed media artist and techer www.pushadolls/com

No way is this a biginners guide
I was looking for an introduction to Machine embroidery.I would not use this book or recommend it as a beginners guide.Nice techniques, once you have an idea of the basics

A deceptive title
Pam Watts has chosen an inappropriate title for this book. In no way is this a beginner's guide to anything. One would have to be an expert sewer with an elaborate machine and many years of sewing and quilting experience to benefit from this book. There is no mention of hooping or stabilizing fabrics. These are techniques that beginner's need to know. Beginners do not use silks and satins and fancy ribbons for a project. I am very disappointed and I wish a more appropriate title had been chosen for the book. If you are experienced in machine embroidery and want to paint pictures with threads and fabric, this book is for you. But it is not a guide for a beginner. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

The Magic of Free-Machine Embroidery
Good read.I enjoyed the techniques, the color, and lots of pictures.Very good for anyone wanting to get into this sewing technique.It makes you want to pull out the machine and get started. Would recommend.

Beautiful Book for Looking or Learning
As I've stated in other reviews, I've been doing freehand machine embroidery for 20 years, back when books on the subject were basically nonexistent.My background has been more heavily in applique and thread painting.

Like the excellent Alison Holt book on machine embroidered landscape work, Ms. Curran's art uses manipulation of the basic background prior to machine stitching.However, rather than using only silk and dying it, she also uses cotton and some other fabrics and paints them rather than dying them.She also uses application of multiple fabrics prior to stitching.It appears that her technique is somewhat more flexible.

Regardless, the results are stunning.Her techniques and works are shown to best advantage in the dozens of color illustrations throughout the book.I've certainly spent more on books that have much less visual content.

This book will serve as an excellent primer and introduction to those interested in embroidery by machine.It also demonstrates with clarity that a large financial investment in a computerized embroidery machine IS NOT at all necessary to produce artwork anyone would be proud to claim! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (18)

book on thread painting
This is just another of Alison's great books on how to draw a design with the sewing machine. I truly enjoy her. Great instructions!

Beginner's Guide to Machine Embroidered Flowers
If you want to learn thread painting/machine embroidery than this book is for you. Great details, well written, nothing is left to your imagination. Clear, concise instructions, lots of color pictures make this book highly recommended. Alison makes what should be difficult, easy to do. Some of it looks very complex but with a little practice I'm sure that you too can make beautiful embroidery. I know that I was amazed at what I could accomplish in a relatively short learning period.

Great book.
The many ideas and techniques in this book are very helpful in making some special effects in my art quilts.I am a beginner, so extra help is welcome.

A mind opener
Great book, I got much more then I had hoped for. Very easy to understand. The author's explanations along with the photos has opened my mind to even broder heights. I recommend this book for beginners as well as advanced. We will all learn a great deal. I also found it one of the most inspirational books I've read in a long time. It will get your juices flowing.

Must have
This book is a must for any serious free motion machine embroiderer.The pictures and directions excellent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Can You See What I See? Dream Machine
ISBN 0539399505 - I'm not even sure that I'd call this a childrens' book. Sure, kids will love it, and they're clearly the target audience, but I have yet to run across an adult who doesn't find themselves drawn in!

On large, two page spreads, detailed photos full of imagination are accompanied by lists of items to search for.

I Spy books co-creator, Walter Wick, is on his own in this book, and he's awesome. In this title, the images are all tied together and tell a story. The adventure begins at bedtime and continues on through the dreams of a child and all the way to a morning photo of his/her desk in front of a sunny window. Wick's imagination is obviously perfect for his job, as he's grown up in only the mandatory ways. Children and adults, alike, will find the photos in this book endlessly fascinating - it isn't just about searching for what you're told to search for, it's also about the fun of just looking at what Wick has created and thinking "look what he made with a water bottle!", with every bit of your awe well-deserved. Wick's work always makes me wish I could do THAT!

- AnnaLovesBooks

great gift
i love these books...they are great for ages 5-100!!! they are great for car trips and for just hanging out in the backyard. well worth the money

I can not recommend this highly enough
Our family has... wildly divergent interests.As is true for most families, I am sure.

And yet, every one of us loves picking up this book.It is fascinating, mesmerizing, and entertaining.The 4-year-old puzzle addict is a whiz at finding the clues.The early reader loves to read it out loud.The homeschool-parent-wannabe in me loves the book's universality.Everybody loves how quiet the kids become when they look at this book.Big kids, little kids, kids over 30, kids over 60, we can cooperate to solve the riddles.Teenaged babysitters admit that it's cool.Mr. Big Shot grade school inventor tries recreating some of the layouts on a small scale (we have a high tolerance threshold for blocks, train tracks, and marble runs).I love the "story" inside the book -- each page is a puzzle to solve, and then the little car progresses through the page to the next, and you go deeper and deeper into the dream city.It is remarkable.Dads, Grandpas, _everybody_ gets engaged in this simple, lovable book.

Walter Wick, you are a genius and my family thanks you.`

great for all...2 Yr olds, parents, and those vehicle obsessed
I fully agree with the previous 5star reviews.To add to it I want to say that my son is not yet 2 1/2, and he's of average intelligence, and he can spend a TON of time staring at this book.we read it together before naps and he can easily spend 20 minutes concentrating on the pages.And then he will also choose to read the book on his own, quietly studying all the details.I find that amazing.There are so many levels to this book, as mentioned by others, and so It's also very fun for me to look at while we are reading it together (unlike some toddler books).I also get great ideas for projects for us to do together as you will understand if you get this book.Also, you can do more than just what the book asks for, go ahead and ask the toddler to find an easier or more exciting object along with a few off the list.We don't find the whole list on each page, we slowly do 1-2 (plus some added ones) until he chooses to turn the page...I think otherwise it might bore a child as young as him.And lastly, I want to mention that what initially captivated him was all of the vehicles.My son loves vehicles, and there are many on most pages, with quite a few "city" scenes.Good to know if you have a vehicle obsesses child.Love It!

Childhood Memories Come to Life!
Can you See What I See?/ Dream Machine is my FAVORITE book in the series. The sets and photos are unbelievably detailed and full of childlike imagination. I could just stare at the Dream City photos for hours soaking up the imagery and the feelings it evokes. AWESOME book. My 6 year old daughter LOVES to do the puzzles with me every night before bed. HIGHLY recommended.

It has even reminded me of the power of simple imaginative play with my kids instead of video games. So much so that my 6 year old is now dying to build her own Dream City with me this weekend using all left over blocks, paper plates, small toys and other items I so often have referred to as 'junk' lying around that needs to be picked up. Well... now I can hardly wait myself. That's how good this book is.

If you or your kids ever dreamed of flying jet cars, robots, and retro-futuristic cities this book is a must have! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from European Journal of Operational Research, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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This paper deals with two main problems in forest harvesting. The first is that of selecting the locations for the machinery to haul logs from the points where they are felled to the roadside. The second consists in designing the access road network connecting the existing road network with the points where machinery is installed. Their combination induces a very important and difficult problem to solve in forest harvesting. It can be formulated as a combination of two difficult optimization problems: a plant location problem and a fixed charge network flow problem. In this paper, we propose a solution approach based on tabu search. The proposed heuristic includes several enhancements of the basic tabu search framework. The main difficulty lies in evaluating neighboring solutions, which involves decisions related to location of machinery and to road network arcs. Hence, the neighborhood is more complex than in typical applications of metaheuristics. Minimum spanning tree algorithms and Steiner tree heuristics are used to deal with this problem. Numerical results indicate that the heuristic approach is very attractive and leads to better solutions than those provided by state-of-the-art integer programming codes in limited computation times, with solution times significantly smaller. The numerical results do not vary too much when typical parameters such as the tabu tenure are modified, except for the dimension of neighborhood. ... Read more

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Forces and motion are key concepts in the elementary science curriculum. How Simple Machines Work uses easy-to-read text and full-color photographs to help young readers understand the principles behind simple machines. Each volume includes three diagrams to enhance understanding. The text has been vetted by a science curriculum consultant and a reading consultant, allowing students to build reading skills as well as their knowledge of science concepts. Grades: 2-4 Manufacturer:Weekly Reader ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture, published by UP Media Group, Inc. on February 1, 2004. The length of the article is 939 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Where has all the equipment gone? Companies in search of the nuts-and-bolts machines are finding availability is scarce.(Power Selling)
Author: Dan Beaulieu
Publication: Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2004
Publisher: UP Media Group, Inc.
Volume: 21Issue: 2Page: 16(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Chapters: The Time Machine, Spore, E.v.o.: Search for Eden, the Future Is Wild, List of Animals From "The New Dinosaurs: an Alternate Evolution", Last and First Men, Man After Man: an Anthropology of the Future, the New Dinosaurs: an Alternative Evolution, After Man: a Zoology of the Future, Evolution: the Game of Intelligent Life, Galápagos, Miracle Planet, Future Evolution. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 122. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Spore is a multi-genre single-player god game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems in September 2008 as Spore. Spore is also available for direct download from EA games. A special edition of the game, Spore: Galactic Edition, additionally includes a Making of Spore DVD video, How to Build a Better Being DVD video by National Geographic Channel, The Art of Spore hardback mini-book, a fold-out Spore poster and a 100-page Galactic Handbook published by Prima Games. As part of its license, Electronic Arts released Spore Origins, an arcade-style game for mobile devices, and Spore Creatures, a light RPG for the Nintendo DS. Spore Galactic Adventures, an expansion pack for the PC game, Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena for Wii and Nintendo DS respectively, is in the fall 2009 lineup, and Spore Creature Keeper have been announced as part of the 2009 lineup. Covering many genres including action, real-time strategy, and RPG, Spore allows a player to control the development of a species from its beginnings as a microscopic organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation. Throug...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18248185 ... Read more

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This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Cleaner Production, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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This work is concerned with the dynamic modelling of the papermaking section of an integrated newsprint mill, and the subsequent application of two direct search methods in a proof-of-concept optimization study of broke recirculation strategies. The effect of the current broke recirculation policy on the mixed pulp properties at the paper machine headboxes was quantified using a dynamic simulation generating data for an objective function which reflected the rate of change in measurable (flow, consistency and temperature) and immeasurable (total dissolved solids and fibre length distribution) parameters. Genetic Algorithm and the Nelder-Mead simplex methods were then linked dynamically to the simulation and used to find improved ways of recirculating broke pulp. Specifically, the profile of the changes to the broke ratio was modelled using a quadratic function and a second-order transfer function, and the coefficients of these functions were optimized. The optimized broke recirculation resulted in a significant reduction in the value of the objective function, thus, suggesting that the fluctuations in the properties of the mixed pulp stream could be dampened and paper machine headbox stability improved. It is expected that this process enhancement strategy would contribute to an increase in production yield (via a reduction in the occurrence of paper machine breaks), and thus an overall reduction in the waste of materials and energy. ... Read more