Addresses the question of valuation theoretically and through empirical analysts of diverse objects of valuations such as university rankings, ice skating scoring, wind power, insurance, gold, and big data.

What if value is neither an intrinsic quality of an object nor a reflection of a subject's preferences - but rather something that is organized and brought into existence through mechanisms, technologies and practices of valuation? This edited book addresses the question of valuation theoretically and through empirical analyses of diverse objects of valuations, such as university ranking lists, ice skating scoring, wind power, insurances, gold and big data. The theoretical inspiration is interdisciplinary and the volume brings together scholars from economic sociology, accounting, organization studies, and science and technology studies with the aim of understanding through which practices and processes things are made valuable. Valuing is understood as a plural activity where 'pricing' things is just one way of signifying value. Socio-economic reality is constituted through different 'orders of worth' that are grounded in the way people 'praise' and 'prize' things. The book is arranged around five concerns that underpin the debate about making things valuable. These concerns are: calculating/economizing; commensurating/switching; visualizing/hiding; modelling/tracing; and knowing/disciplining.

**New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday Bestseller** Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone and Nest Learning Thermostat and learned enough in 30+ years in Silicon Valley about leadership, design, startups, Apple, Google, decision-making, mentorship, devastating failure and unbelievable success to fill an encyclopedia. So that’s what this book is. An advice encyclopedia. A mentor in a box. Written for anyone who wants to grow at work—from young grads navigating their first jobs to CEOs deciding whether to sell their company—Build is full of personal stories, practical advice and fascinating insights into some of the most impactful products and people of the 20th century. Each quick 5-20 page entry builds on the previous one, charting Tony’s personal journey from a product designer to a leader, from a startup founder to an executive to a mentor. Tony uses examples that are instantly captivating, like the process of building the very first iPod and iPhone. Every chapter is designed to help readers with a problem they’re facing right now—how to get funding for their startup, whether to quit their job or not, or just how to deal with the jerk in the next cubicle. Tony forged his path to success alongside mentors like Steve Jobs and Bill Campbell, icons of Silicon Valley who succeeded time and time again. But Tony doesn’t follow the Silicon Valley credo that you have to reinvent everything from scratch to make something great. His advice is unorthodox because it’s old school. Because Tony’s learned that human nature doesn’t change. You don’t have to reinvent how you lead and manage—just what you make. And Tony’s ready to help everyone make things worth making.

Two teenage girls claim that they are pregnant virgins. But only one is carrying the child of Christ . . . and the other will deliver the son of Satan. In Boston, seventeen-year-old Kathleen is pregnant, but she swears she's a virgin. In Ireland, another teenage girl, Colleen, discovers she is in the same impossible condition. Cities all around the world are suddenly overwhelmed by epidemics, droughts, famines, floods, and worse. As terrifying forces of light and darkness begin to gather, Kathleen and Colleen find themselves at the center of the final battle for the very soul of humanity. Each of the girls must convince a young detective that she is the true mother of God . . . and that the other is carrying the devil. The stakes couldn't be higher in this page-turning thriller. You won't be able to put it down until the final reveal: which baby is the miracle . . . and which the monster?

Dieser praktische Leitfaden macht Anleger mit dem Economic Moat Konzept vertraut, der "Zauberformel" des Morningstar, mit der sich erstklassige Investmentchancen aufspüren lassen. Das Konzept ist keineswegs neu: Es wurde zunächst durch Benjamin Graham und Warren Buffett populär, wurde dann aber lange vernachlässigt. "The Little Book that Builds Wealth" erklärt ganz genau, wie man den Economic Moat, d.h. die Wettbewerbsbarriere bzw. den Wettbewerbsvorteil (wie z.B. geringe Produktionskosten, ausgebautes Vertriebsnetz, gutes Markenimage etc.) ermittelt, durch den sich ein Unternehmen deutlich von Konkurrenzunternehmen abgrenzt. Dabei geht es aber weder um reines Value Investing, noch um reines Growth Investing, sondern vielmehr darum, erstklassige Nischen-Wachstumswerte zu einem attraktiven Kurs zu kaufen. Das Buch demonstriert anschaulich Schritt für Schritt, was einen Economic Moat ausmacht, wie man ihn ermittelt, wie man verschiedene Moats gegeneinander abwägt, und wie man auf der Basis dieser Daten am besten eine Investmententscheidung trifft. Mit begleitender Website. Sie wird vom Morningstar betrieben und enthält eine Reihe von Tools und Features, mit deren Hilfe der Leser das Gelernte in der Praxis testen kann. Autor Pat Dorsey ist ein renommierter Finanzexperte. Er ist Chef der Morningstar Equity Research und Kolumnist bei Morningstar.com. Ein neuer Band aus der beliebten 'Little Book'-Reihe.

Data is at the center of many challenges in system design today. Difficult issues need to be figured out, such as scalability, consistency, reliability, efficiency, and maintainability. In addition, we have an overwhelming variety of tools, including relational databases, NoSQL datastores, stream or batch processors, and message brokers. What are the right choices for your application? How do you make sense of all these buzzwords? In this practical and comprehensive guide, author Martin Kleppmann helps you navigate this diverse landscape by examining the pros and cons of various technologies for processing and storing data. Software keeps changing, but the fundamental principles remain the same. With this book, software engineers and architects will learn how to apply those ideas in practice, and how to make full use of data in modern applications. Peer under the hood of the systems you already use, and learn how to use and operate them more effectively Make informed decisions by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different tools Navigate the trade-offs around consistency, scalability, fault tolerance, and complexity Understand the distributed systems research upon which modern databases are built Peek behind the scenes of major online services, and learn from their architectures

Having a future, leading a life, and spending time -- Geographies of meaningful living -- Taking an interest in one's future -- Motivating hope -- What good is commitment? -- Living with boredom -- On being content with imperfection