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Books in Arts and humanities

Elsevier's Arts and Humanities titles encompass a rich spectrum of scholarship that explores human culture, history, philosophy, and creative expression. These works offer deep insights into language, literature, visual arts, and critical theory, supporting the academic community in understanding diverse perspectives and cultural legacies. Designed for scholars, educators, and students, this collection bridges classic studies with contemporary issues, fostering a deeper appreciation and knowledge of the human experience.

    • Progress in Behavior Modification

      Volume 20
      • 1st Edition
      • Michel Hersen + 2 more
      • English
      Progress in Behavior Modification, Volume 20 covers the developments in the study of behavior modification. The book discusses the guidelines for the use of contingent electric shock to treat aberrant behavior; the motor activity measurements and DSM-IIII; and the innovations in behavioral medicine. The text also describes the behavioral interventions as adjunctive treatments for chronic asthma; health behavior change at the worksite, with regard to cardiovascular risk reduction; and the role of behavioral change procedures in multifactorial coronary heart disease prevention programs. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and people involved in the study of behavior modification will find the book invaluable.
    • Knowledge and Inference

      • 1st Edition
      • Makoto Nagao
      • English
      Knowledge and Inference discusses an important problem for software systems: How do we treat knowledge and ideas on a computer and how do we use inference to solve problems on a computer? The book talks about the problems of knowledge and inference for the purpose of merging artificial intelligence and library science. The book begins by clarifying the concept of ""knowledge"" from many points of view, followed by a chapter on the current state of library science and the place of artificial intelligence in library science. Subsequent chapters cover central topics in the artificial intelligence: search and problem solving, methods of making proofs, and the use of knowledge in looking for a proof. There is also a discussion of how to use the knowledge system. The final chapter describes a popular expert system. It describes tools for building expert systems using an example based on Expert Systems—A Practical Introduction by P. Sell (Macmillian, 1985). This type of software is called an ""expert system shell."" This book was written as a textbook for undergraduate students covering only the basics but explaining as much detail as possible.
    • Land Policy and Urban Growth

      Pergamon International Library of Science, Technology, Engineering and Social Studies
      • 1st Edition
      • Haim Darin-Drabkin
      • English
      Land Policy and Urban Growth explores the relationships between urban growth patterns, land prices, and land policies in countries with market economies. The effects of the peculiar character of the private land market on land prices are discussed, along with the link between market mechanisms and government intervention in the urban-growth process. Comprised of 18 chapters, this book begins with a brief survey of patterns of urban growth, with emphasis on the high rate of urban expansion and what future land needs might be in urban areas. The next section is concerned with urban land prices in industrialized and developing countries and highlights the dramatic increases in urban land prices arising from urban development. Various theories of urban land-price formation are examined, together with public policies on urban land and their impact not only on the land market but also on land supply and allocation. Finally, some alternative urban land policies are outlined. This monograph will be of interest to policymakers involved in land use and urban planning.
    • Local Government and Strategic Choice

      An Operational Research Approach to the Processes of Public Planning
      • 2nd Edition
      • J.K. Friend + 1 more
      • English
      Local Government and Strategic Choice, Second Edition discusses decision-making in local government, in particular, to those more strategic levels of choice which tend to be linked with the terms 'planning' and 'policy-making.' This book is organized into four parts. Part I centers on an appraisal of planning in a major local authority. Part II details the nature of the planning process in any governmental setting and the characteristic types of operational and organizational problem to which it gives rise. Parts III and IV use the medium of case examples to suggest how the planning process can be made more effective, first through the development of an appropriate technology of choice, and secondly through the adaptation of organizational forms to allow the technology to become a workable instrument of democratic control.
    • Curiosity and Exploration

      Theories and Results
      • 1st Edition
      • Hans-Georg Voss + 1 more
      • English
      Curiosity and Exploration: Theories and Results provides a systematic review of research on curiosity and exploration and is intended to present theories, methods, and research findings and to compare these with other fields of psychology. The text discusses topics on various aspects of curiosity and exploration such as the historical development of curiosity research; theoretical approaches to fully explain the phenomena of curiosity and exploration; developmental perspective in the study of curiosity and exploration; and the author's summary and evaluation at the end of the book. Psychologists will find the book to be very interesting.
    • Individual Differences and Psychopathology

      Physiological Correlates of Human Behaviour, Vol. 3
      • 1st Edition
      • Anthony Gale + 1 more
      • English
      Physiological Correlates of Human Behaviour, Vol. 3: Individual Differences and Psychopathology offers an introduction to biological research into human behavior. The book discusses the three major dimensions of personality (extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism) and the major theories of the underlying psychophysiological causes for the observed differences in behavior; and the theory of anxiety. The text also describes the measures of individual differences in habituation of physiological responses; the perspectives on pain; the cortical correlates of intelligence; and sensation seeking as a biosocial dimension of personality. The individual differences in evoked potentials; Pavlov's nervous system typology; theories of psychosomatic disorders; and the role of learning and organismic variables in criminality are also considered. The book further tackles some problems and controversies in the psychophysiological investigation of schizophrenia; the psychophysiological contributions to psychotherapy research; and the use of psychophysiological measures for investigating the influence of social factors on psychiatric relapse. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and behavioural psychologists will find the book invaluable.
    • Decisions, Values and Groups

      Reports from the First Interdisciplinary Conference in the Behavioral Science Division Held at the University of New Mexico
      • 1st Edition
      • Dorthy Willner
      • English
      Decisions, Values and Groups, Volume 1 contains the proceedings of the First Interdisciplinary Conference of the Behavioral Sciences Division of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, held at the University of New Mexico in 1957. The papers explore the roles of decisions, values, and groups in the behavioral sciences and cover topics ranging from the use of mathematical models in decision making to the contribution of the laboratory to the study of individual differences. Theoretical contributions to small group research are also discussed. This book is comprised of 22 chapters and begins with an overview of the merging of mathematical and statistical techniques with the empirical method in the study of behavior, as well as the place of decisions, values, and groups in behavioral science research. The reader is then introduced to the applications of mathematical models to decision processes, with particular reference to the automation of decision making. The following chapters focus on conceptualizations and designs for research in values and evaluative processes; theoretical aspects of small group research; and psychodynamic patterns of behavior; and special problems in the military. A non-introspective approach to the study of human motivation is described. This volume will be of interest to behavioral scientists and social scientists.
    • Papers in Economics and Sociology

      • 1st Edition
      • Oskar Lange
      • P. F. Knightsfield
      • English
      Papers in Economics and Sociology is a compilation of materials authored by the Polish economist Oskar Lange. The coverage of the essays covers the interrelations between economic and social issues. The text first covers the Marxist and socialist theory, and then proceeds to tackling political economy and socialism. Next, the selection deals with economic theory, along with the mathematical models, econometrics, and statistics utilized in economic analysis. The text also covers the economic science in the service of practice. The book will be of great use to political scientists, sociologists, behavioral scientists, and economists.
    • The Global Challenge of Innovation

      • 1st Edition
      • Basil Blackwell + 1 more
      • English
      The Global Challenge of Innovation discusses the importance of a global economy and its implications. The book is comprised of 11 chapters that tackle the various issues faced by both industries and governments in the globalization of economy. The text first describes the process of innovation and its implication for companies that plan to compete in the global market. The next chapters cover the management issues of companies in the context of global economy. The book also discusses the role of government in global innovation and the European’s policy for innovation. The remaining chapters tackle the effects of the non-globalization of competition policies, taxation, and trade policies on governments, multinational companies, and world economy. The book will be of great use to economists, government officials, and C-level employees of multinational corporations.
    • Uncertain Power

      The Struggle for a National Energy Policy
      • 1st Edition
      • Dorothy S. Zinberg
      • English
      Uncertain Power: The Struggle for a National Energy Policy discusses several issues pertaining to the energy situation in the U.S., such as the public, the government, and the risks. The opening chapter discusses a delicate balance among the public, experts, and government. Chapter 2 tackles the failure of consensus on energy, and Chapter 3 deals with energy policy and democratic theory. The fourth chapter reviews the neglect of social risk assessment; the fifth chapter discusses valuing of human life. Chapter 6 tackles the media coverage of complex technological issues, and Chapter 7 covers the governance of nuclear power. The eighth chapter covers the national energy policy from state and local perspectives, while the ninth chapter reviews selling saved energy, considered as a new role for the utilities. Chapter 10 discusses energy and security, and Chapter 11 tackles history as a guide to the future. The last chapter covers the political geology of the energy problems. Readers who concern themselves regarding several factors that affect energy source, supply, and distribution along with its socio-economic implication will find this book a great source of insight regarding the issue.