The Last Natural Man: Where Have We Been And Where Are We Going?

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This book explores cultural evolution and the meaning of the word 'natural'.

We are at the crossroads of a major transformation. Why is our current time so important in the history of man? We are at a point where we may be the last generation that is not partially or fully bionic. The last natural man: natural in what way? What is “natural”? Is it a catch phrase like “integrative” or “holistic” that transmits a certain magical warm glow? If the word “natural” was a plant, it would be beautiful, green, luxuriant, and edible.Does it mean we are the last to not replace or modify our parts? What about laser surgery? Knee or hip replacement? Botox and fillers? Chemical therapy? Or a directional chip in the brain?Do we really mean the very last natural man? Cultural evolution has been the major driving force over the last several thousand years and enormous in its influence compared to almost invisible changes in our physical adaptations. If cultural and religious evolution was the driver for human history, are we now entering the phase of physical transformation – where humanity refuses to accept mortality and seeks to make changes to defeat nature.

In this book the authors are describing a paradigm shift of all of humanity―just as hunter-gatherers had their stellar features, the future man will have many attractive qualities, even if many artificial. We are often balancing on the precipice between science and science fiction, now ready to tip the scales and slide comfortably into the future of great discoveries and wonderful changes. But are these changes all for the good? What will being human mean?

"A lively, superbly informed, compassionate conversation between two accomplished physician-writers about the human past and the human future, carefully grounded in the sciences of medicine and evolution. If you care about who we are and what may save us from ourselves, read this enormously informative and entertaining book." Melvin Konner, MD, PhD, author of The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit and Women After All: Sex, Evolution, and the End of Male Supremacy

Human T-lymphotropic Viruses

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While HIV-1 continues to be well-researched, this detailed volume draws attention to other members of the Retrovirus family, namely the Human T-lymphotropic Viruses (HTLVs), featuring the most updated technical information about HTLV determination and the methods to investigate their interaction with the host immune system and interfering pathogens.

The contents include essential aspects of epidemiology and virus transmission, novel and robust methodologies for studying the effects of trans-activating regulatory HTLVs’ proteins, the latest techniques for genotyping and gene expression analysis, as well as cellular phenotype and dynamics. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and practical, Human T-Lymphotropic Viruses: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to an area of study that is very much worthy of further research.

Your Brain Is A Time Machine: The Neuroscience And Physics Of Time

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A leading neuroscientist embarks on a groundbreaking exploration of how time works inside the brain.

In Your Brain Is a Time Machine, brain researcher and best-selling author Dean Buonomano draws on evolutionary biology, physics, and philosophy to present his influential theory of how we tell, and perceive, time. The human brain, he argues, is a complex system that not only tells time but creates it; it constructs our sense of chronological flow and enables “mental time travel”―simulations of future and past events. These functions are essential not only to our daily lives but to the evolution of the human race: without the ability to anticipate the future, mankind would never have crafted tools or invented agriculture. The brain was designed to navigate our continuously changing world by predicting what will happen and when.

Buonomano combines neuroscience expertise with a far-ranging, multidisciplinary approach. With engaging style, he illuminates such concepts as consciousness, spacetime, and relativity while addressing profound questions that have long occupied scientists and philosophers alike: What is time? Is our sense of time’s passage an illusion? Does free will exist, or is the future predetermined? In pursuing the answers, Buonomano reveals as much about the fascinating architecture of the human brain as he does about the intricacies of time itself. This virtuosic work of popular science leads to an astonishing realization: your brain is, at its core, a time machine.

22 illustrations

Herder: Philosophy And Anthropology

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J. G. Herder is enjoying a renaissance in philosophy and related disciplines and yet there are, as yet, few books on him. This unprecedented collection fills a large gap in the secondary literature, highlighting the genuinely innovative and distinctive nature of Herder's philosophy. Not only does Herder offer highly original answers to important philosophical questions, such as the mind-body problem and the role of sensibility in cognition and ethics, he also opens up rich resources for thinking about philosophy itself and connections to other fields in the humanities and social sciences. Herder: Philosophy and Anthropology brings together a set of original essays that centre on the question at the heart of Herder's philosophical thought: How can philosophy enable an understanding of the human being not simply rationalistically as an intellectual and moral agent, but also as a creature of nature who is fundamentally marked by an affective openness and responsiveness to the world and other persons.

The first part of the volume examines the various dimensions of Herder's philosophical understanding of human nature through which he sought methodologically to delineate a genuinely anthropological philosophy. The second part then examines further aspects of this understanding of human nature and what emerges from it: the human-animal distinction; how human life evolves over space and time on the basis of a natural order; the fundamentally hermeneutic dimension to human existence; and the interrelatedness of language, history, religion, and culture.

What Is A Human?: What The Answers Mean For Human Rights

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What is a human? Are humans those with human DNA, those in possession of traits like rationality, or those made in the image of God? The debate over what makes human beings unique has raged for centuries. Many think that if society accepts the wrong definition of what it is to be human, people will look at their neighbor as more of an animal, object, or machine-making maltreatment more likely. In the longest running claim, for over 150 years critics have claimed that taking a Darwinist definition results in people treating each other more like animals.

Despite their seriousness, these claims have never been empirically investigated. In this groundbreaking book John H. Evans shows that the definitions promoted by biologists and philosophers actually are associated with less support for human rights. Members of the public who agree with these definitions are less willing to sacrifice to stop genocides and are more supportive of buying organs from poor people, of experimenting on prisoners against their will, and of torturing people to potentially save lives. It appears that the critics are right.

However, Evans finds that few Americans agree with these academic definitions. Looking at how most of the public defines humanity, we see a much more nuanced picture. In a fascinating account, he shows that the dominant definitions are unlikely to lead to human rights abuses. He concludes that the critics are right about the definitions of a human promoted by academic biologists and philosophers, and are therefore justified in their vigilance. However, because at present few Americans agree with these definitions, the academic definitions would have to spread much more extensively before impacting how the general public acts. Evans' book is a major corrective to the more than century-long debate about the impact of definitions of a human.

History Of Human Genetics: Aspects Of Its Development And Global Perspectives

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Written by 30 authors from all over the world, this book provides a unique overview of exciting discoveries and surprising developments in human genetics over the last 50 years.

The individual contributions, based on seven international workshops on the history of human genetics, cover a diverse range of topics, including the early years of the discipline, gene mapping and diagnostics. Further, they discuss the status quo of human genetics in different countries and highlight the value of genetic counseling as an important subfield of medical genetics.

Issues Of Human Resource Management Ed. By Ladislav Mura

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The authors in this book examine factors of psychology applied in HRM, the organisation of companies and its impact on human resource management, workers motivation and incentives and investment into human resources development; they searched the field of human resource management in family businesses, the quality of relationship in a workplace and specifics of human resource management in non-governmental organisation.

The book "Issues of Human Resource Management", written by well-known authors, is a result of a teamwork of specialists who have been dealing with the issue of managing human resources in different contexts. The authors from Germany, Spain, Turkey, Slovakia and Romania have submitted results of their current research and have presented important findings that are becoming a starting point for making managers decision so that their businesses can be competitive.

You have put your hands on a selection of the best scientific contributions that have been reviewed and now are offering a space for an active debate on partial issues of the given topic.

Preface

1 Changing the Corporate Culture Towards the Human Resources Development

2 Use of Psychological Examinations of Employees and Job Applicants in Personnel Management

3 Emotional Capital in Family Businesses: Decisions from Human Resource Management Perspective

4 Differences in Employee Motivation in Slovakia and Czech Republic

5 Innovative Work Behavior: To What Extent and How Can HRM Practices Contribute to Higher Levels of Innovation Within SMEs?

6 Investing in Human Capital as a Key Factor for the Development of Enterprises

7 Human Resources Management in Nonprofit Organizations: A Case Study of Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts

8 Labor Relations: Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management

Genome Analysis And Human Health

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This book highlights selected current data and its relevance in the human health care system, offering a fundamental primer on genetics and human health.

With the advent of new high-throughput technologies (for the whole genome including exome sequencing), the conventional focus on genetics and individual genes is now shifting toward the analysis of complex genes, gene-gene interactions and the association between genes and environment, including epigenetics. The rapidly changing scientific research landscape, with the ever-growing influx of data on one hand and emergence of newer and more complicated diseases on the other, has created a dilemma for researchers and caregivers, who are still hopeful that advances in genetics and genomics will provide avenues for the understanding, prevention and possible cure of human diseases.

The book focuses on the interactions between genes and proteins at both the transcriptome and proteome levels, which in turn affect the human genome and health. Additionally, it covers the domain that must be explored in order to understand the gene-gene and protein-protein interactions that contribute to human health. The book offers a valuable guide for all students and researchers working in the area of molecular genetics and genomics.

Ap Human Geography 2017-2018

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The only Advanced Placement test preparation guide that delivers 75 years of proven Kaplan experience and features exclusive strategies, practice, and review to help students ace the AP Human Geography exam!

Students spend the school year preparing for the AP Human Geography test. Now it’s time to reap the rewards: money-saving college credit, advanced placement, or an admissions edge. However, achieving a top score on the AP Human Geography exam requires more than knowing the material—students need to get comfortable with the test format itself, prepare for pitfalls, and arm themselves with foolproof strategies. That’s where the Kaplan plan has the clear advantage.

Kaplan's AP Human Geography 2017-2018 offers many essential and unique features to help improve test scores, including:

* Two full-length practice tests and a diagnostic test to target areas for score improvement

* Detailed answer explanations

* Tips and strategies for scoring higher from expert AP Human Geography teachers and students who got a perfect 5 on the exam

* Targeted review of the most up-to-date content, including key information that is specific to the AP Human Geography exam

* Glossary of key terms and concepts

Kaplan's AP Human Geography 2017-2018 author Kelly Swanson has over 15 years of experience consulting and developing Human Geography curriculum. His expertise has helped make this and other books the best that Kaplan has to offer in AP test prep.

Kaplan's AP Human Geography 2017-2018 provides students with everything they need to improve their scores—guaranteed. Kaplan’s Higher Score guarantee provides security that no other test preparation guide on the market can match. Kaplan has helped millions of students to prepare for standardized tests. We invest millions of dollars annually in research and support for our products. We know that our test-taking techniques and strategies work. AP Human Geography 2017-2018 is the must-have preparation tool for every student looking to do better on the AP Human Geography test!

Advances In Human Factors And Ergonomics In Healthcare And Medical Devices

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This book discusses the latest advances in human factors and ergonomics, focusing on methods for improving quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness in patient care. By emphasizing the physical, cognitive, and organizational aspects of human factors and ergonomics applications, it presents various perspectives, including those of clinicians, patients, health organizations, and insurance providers.

The book describes cutting-edge applications, highlighting best practices for staff interactions with patients, as well as interactions with computers and medical devices. It also presents new findings related to improved organizational outcomes in healthcare settings, and approaches to modeling and analysis specifically targeting those work aspects unique to healthcare. Based on the AHFE 2017 International Conference on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare and Medical Devices, held on July 17–21, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, USA, the book is intended as a timely reference guide for both researchers involved in the design of healthcare systems and devices and for healthcare professionals working to deliver safe and effective health service. Moreover, by providing a useful survey of cutting-edge methods for improving organizational outcomes in healthcare settings, the book also represents a source of inspiration for healthcare counselors and international health organizations.

Human Factors In Healthcare: A Field Guide To Continuous Improvement

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by Avi Parush (Author), Debi Parush (Author), Roy Ilan (Author)

Have you ever experienced the burden of an adverse event or a near-miss in healthcare and wished there was a way to mitigate it? This book walks you through a classic adverse event as a case study and shows you how.

It is a practical guide to continuously improving your healthcare environment, processes, tools, and ultimate outcomes, through the discipline of human factors. Using this book, you as a healthcare professional can improve patient safety and quality of care.

Adverse events are a major concern in healthcare today. As the complexity of healthcare increases-with technological advances and information overload-the field of human factors offers practical approaches to understand the situation, mitigate risk, and improve outcomes.

The first part of this book presents a human factors conceptual framework, and the second part offers a systematic, pragmatic approach. Both the framework and the approach are employed to analyze and understand healthcare situations, both proactively-for constant improvement-and reactively-learning from adverse events.

This book guides healthcare professionals through the process of mapping the environmental and human factors; assessing them in relation to the tasks each person performs; recognizing how gaps in the fit between human capabilities and the demands of the task in the environment have a ripple effect that increases risk; and drawing conclusions about what types of changes facilitate improvement and mitigate risk, thereby contributing to improved healthcare outcomes.

Neo-environmental Determinism: Geographical Critiques

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This book pulls together major critiques of contemporary attempts to explain nature-society relations in an environmentally deterministic way. After defining key terms, it reviews the history of environmental determinism’s rise and fall within geography in the early twentieth century.

It discusses the key reasons for the doctrine’s rejection and presents alternative, non-deterministic frameworks developed within geography for analyzing the roles played by the environment in human affairs. The authors examine the rise in recent decades of neo-deterministic approaches to such issues as the demarcation of regions, the causes of civilizational collapse in prehistory, today’s globally uneven patterns of human well-being, and the consequences of human-induced climate change. In each case, the authors draw on the insights and approaches of geography, the academic discipline most conversant with the interactions of society and environment, to challenge the widespread acceptance that such approaches have won. The book will appeal to those working on human-environmental research, international development and global policy initiatives.

Liberty Intact: Human Rights In English Law

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What are the connections between conceptions of rights found in English law and those found in bills of rights around the World? How has English Common Law influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) 1950? These questions and more are answered in Michael Tugendhat's historical account of human rights from the eighteenth century to present day.

Focusing specifically on the first modern declarations of the rights of mankind- the 'Virginian Declaration of Rights', 1776, the French 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen', 1789, and the 'United States Bill of Rights', 1791- the book recognises that the human rights documented in these declarations of the eighteenth century were already enshrined in English common law, many originating from English law and politics of the fifteenth century. The influence of English Common Law , taken largely from Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, can also be realised in the British revolutions of 1642 and 1688; the American and French Revolutions of 1776 and 1789 respectively; and through them, on the UDHR and ECHR. Moreover, Tugendhat argues that British law, in all but a few instances, either meets or exceeds human rights standards, and thus demonstrates that human rights law is British law and not a recent invention imported from abroad.

Structured in three sections, this volume (I) provides a brief history of human rights; (II) examines the rights found in the American and French declarations and demonstrates their ancestry with English law; and (III) discusses the functions of rights and how they have been, and are, put to use.

Human Rights And Personal Self-defense In International Law

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While an abundance of literature covers the right of states to defend themselves against external aggression, this is the first book dedicated to the right to personal self-defense in international law. Drawing on his extensive experience as a human rights practitioner and scholar, Dr. Hessbruegge sets out in careful detail the strict requirements that human rights impose on defensive force by law enforcement authorities, especially police killings in self-defense. The book also discusses the exceptional application of the right to personal self-defense in military-led operations, notably to contain violent civilians who do not directly participate in hostilities.

Human rights also establish parameters on how broad or narrow the laws can be drawn on self-defense between private persons. Setting out the prevailing international standards, the book critically examines the ongoing trend to excessively broaden self-defense laws. It also refutes the claim that there is a human right to possess firearms for self-defense purposes.

In extraordinary circumstances, the right to personal self-defence sharpens human rights and allows people to defend themselves against the state. Here the author establishes that international law gives individuals the right to forcibly resist human rights violations that pose a serious risk of significant and irreparable harm. At the same time, he calls into question prevailing state practice, which fails to recognize any collective right to organized armed resistance even when it constitutes the last resort to defend against genocide or other mass atrocities.

Religion, Education And Human Rights: Theoretical And Empirical Perspectives

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This book examines the interconnectedness between religion, education, and human rights from an international perspective using an interdisciplinary approach. It deals with compulsory or secondary school education in different contexts, as well as higher education, and has as its common theme the multiplicity of secularisms in different national contexts. Presenting rich cases, the contributions include empirical and theoretical perspectives on how international trends of migration and cultural diversity, as well as judicialization of social and political processes, and rapid religious and social changes come into play as societies find their way in an increasingly diverse context. The book contains chapters that present case studies on how confessional or non-confessional Religious Education (RE) at schools in different societal contexts is related to the concept of universal human rights. It presents cases studies that display an intriguing array of problems that point to the role of religion in the public sphere and show that historical contexts play important and different roles. Other contributions deal with higher education, where one questions how human rights as a concept and as discourse is taught and examines whether withdrawing from certain clinical training when in university education to become a medical doctor or a midwife on the grounds of conscientious objections can be claimed as a human right. From a judicial point of view one chapter discerns the construction of the concept of religion in the Swedish Education Act, in relation to the Swedish constitution as well European legislation. Finally, an empirical study comparing data from young people in six different countries in three continents investigates factors that explain attitudes towards human rights.

Research Methods In Human Rights: A Handbook

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Methodological discussion has largely been neglected in human rights research, with legal scholars in particular tending to address research methods and methodological reflection implicitly rather than explicitly. This book advances thinking on human rights methodology, offering instruction and guidance on the methodological approaches to human rights research.

Seeking to bridge the methodological deficit often compounded by the interdisciplinary nature of human rights research, contributions by leading scholars in a range of evolving fields, provide an up-to-date assessment of human rights methods. The various chapters apply these methods to different substantive areas including discrimination, the right to food, the right to water, public health and gender. This book gives a comprehensive treatment of disciplinary approaches, discusses methodological options and provides advice on how best to conduct human rights research in the crossroads of different academic disciplines.

Accessible and engaging, this book will be of keen interest to students and scholars working in human rights research, both those approaching it from a legal standpoint and those of other social science disciplines. Both practical and timely, the book will also lend itself to human rights practitioners and policy-makers.

Human Trafficking: A Reference Handbook

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Offering an up-to-date and comprehensive resource for students and general readers investigating human trafficking, this book examines the phenomenon in its many forms, the factors contributing to its existence, the victims it affects, and those who perpetrate this horrific crime.

• Provides readers with a greater understanding of the complexities of human trafficking—from lack of clarity in the definition to the problem of identifying victims—and how human trafficking differs from human smuggling

• Enables a greater appreciation for the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to human trafficking and suggests how these crimes should be addressed

• Suggests measures that have been introduced and must be applied more extensively to combat trafficking and protect potential victims

And Then There Were None : The Demise Of Desert Bighorn Sheep In The Pusch Ridge Wilderness

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Once plentiful in the mountains of southern Arizona, by the 1990s desert bighorn sheep were wiped out in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness of the Santa Catalina Mountains as a result of habitat loss and alteration. This book uses their history and population decline as a case study in human alteration of wildlife habitat. When human encroachment had driven the herd to extinction, wildlife managers launched a major and controversial effort to reestablish this population. For more than forty years Paul R. Krausman directed studies of the Pusch Wilderness population of these iconic animals, located in the mountainous outskirts of Tucson. The story he tells here reveals the complex relationships between politics and biology in wildlife conservation. His account of the evolution of wildlife conservation practices includes discussions of techniques and of human attitudes toward predators, fire, and their management.