Consumption and Well-Being in the Material World

Author: Miriam Tatzel
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400773684
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 199

Book Description
This volume addresses how we can find happiness and well-being in the material world. It builds on previous works that find that materialism is associated with lowered well-being (materialists are less happy) and that consumerism, in all its profusion, is harmful to environmental well-being. How can we use the money and possessions in our lives in the service of well-being? Apparently not by being materialistic. Can we benefit from the many wonders of the marketplace -- in technology, convenience and aesthetics -- without falling prey to the lures and dangers of excessive material preoccupation? Can we meet our material needs in ways that nourish growth and well-being? The authors of the chapters in this volume are on-going researchers into such questions. Herein you can learn about the hedonic benefits of thrift and of spending on experiences; how possessions can be beneficial; how different types of consumers spend money; cultural variations in conceptions of the "good life;" how we might reconcile environmental and consumer well-being; and how to measure the whole of human, economic, and environmental well-being. Taken all together, this collection finds grounds for compatibility between what's good for the consumer and what's good for the environment. This volume appeals to academics, professionals, students and others interested in materialism and consumer well-being.

Going Circular

Author: Rich Bulger
Publisher: BrownBooks.ORM
ISBN: 161254696X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Book Description
The essential business guide for using reverse logistics to drive profits, growth, and sustainability. Long considered a “necessary evil” of doing business, reverse logistics is quickly becoming the key to staying competitive in today’s dynamic marketplace. In Going Circular, RecirQ Global CEO Rich Bulger reveals its potential for boosting revenue, enhancing customer experience, and supporting the circular economy. Urging a strategic shift, Going Circular showcases how integrating reverse logistics in sales, marketing, and customer retention can achieve broader business objectives, including cost reduction and environmental responsibility. It offers practical strategies for minimizing unwanted returns and repurposing products, fostering sustainable business models and market expansion. Comprising seven comprehensive chapters and three “reUse” case studies, this guide redefines reverse logistics as a vital tool for business resilience and success. A must-read for professionals in the field, Going Circular is a call to action for integrating reverse logistics into evolving business strategies, promising a pathway to sustainable transformation and profitability.

Seeker Small Groups

Author: Garry D. Poole
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310541743
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 311

Book Description
Principles and methods for effectively launching a seeker small group.Best-selling author and evangelism expert Lee Strobel describes seeker small groups as “One of the most powerful and effective tools in evangelism.” A seeker small group is facilitated by a Christian leader, but group members are seekers—non-Christians investigating Christianity. The group provides a safe context for seekers and believers to ask questions and dialogue about faith.This highly transferable model can be implemented by all kinds of ministries with a wide range of evangelistic styles and strategies. As believers complete evangelism courses such as Becoming a Contagious Christian, they are motivated to reach out to others but often feel they lack opportunities to interact with non-Christians. Seeker Small Groups is the missing evangelism tool churches need to fill the gap between evangelism training and real-life opportunities for engaging seekers in life-changing spiritual discussions.The book presents a detailed, step-by-step process for launching seeker small groups strategy in a wide variety of settings. The groups are for seekers whether or not they are attending church. Numerous stories and illustrations provide inspiration and encouragement so readers are not only equipped but also motivated to launch their own seeker groups.

Extreme MINDSTORMS

Author: Dave Baum
Publisher: Apress
ISBN: 1893115844
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Book Description
Five experts in Mindstorm programming present advanced techniques for building and programming robots using LEGO bricks and LEGO's RCX Code, presenting advanced sample projects and coverage of LegOS, pfForth, and sensor development.

Creating and Capturing Value Through Crowdsourcing

Author: Christopher L. Tucci
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198816227
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Book Description
The book is made up of a unique collection of contributions of leading scholars from different research areas to provide a systematic overview of the research on crowdsourcing, based on a clear definition of the concept, its difference for innovation, and its value for both private and public sector.

Seeker Churches

Author: Kimon Howland Sargeant
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 9780813527871
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
America's religious landscape is in flux. New churches are springing up and many older churches are redefining themselves to survive. At the forefront of this denominational free-for-all are evangelical "seeker" churches. These churches target "seekers"-individuals of any faith or denominational background who seek spiritual fulfillment but are not currently affiliated with any specific church. By focusing on this largely untapped group, seeker churches have become one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the country. In his study, Kimon Sargeant provides a sociological context for the rise of these churches by exploring the rituals, messages, strategies, and denominational functions of this emerging form of American evangelical Protestantism. Featuring live bands, professional lighting and sound systems, and multi-media presentations, seeker churches are attracting many people who have "dropped out" of organized religion. To broaden their appeal, they offer attenders advice on everyday issues ranging from relationships to finance. Sargeant focuses on the success of the Willow Creek Association, the seeker church association started by the Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago. With over 5,000 member churches, the seven-year old association has already outdistanced 90 percent of American denominations and is the leader of the seeker church movement. Through eyewitness accounts and careful research, Sargeant reveals the "seeker" movement to be a "reformation" of American Protestantism.

MotorBoating

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 372

Book Description

Artificial Intelligence: Methodology, Systems, and Applications

Author: Christoph Bussler
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540229590
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 535

Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Methodology, Systems, and Applications, AIMSA 2004, held in Varna, Bulgaria in September 2004. The 52 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 176 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on ontology engineering, semantic Web services, knowledge representation and processing, machine learning and data mining, natural language processing, soft computing, neural networks, e-learning systems, multiagent systems, pattern recognition, intelligent decision making, and information retrieval.

Wine Wars

Author: Mike Veseth
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 0742568210
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Book Description
Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market trends that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. Wine and the wine business are at a critical crossroad today, transformed by three powerful forces. Veseth begins with the first force, globalization, which is shifting the center of the wine world as global wine markets provide enthusiasts with a rich but overwhelming array of choices. Two Buck Chuck, the second force, symbolizes the rise of branded products like the famous Charles Shaw wines sold in Trader Joe's stores. Branded corporate wines simplify the worldwide wine market and give buyers the confidence they need to make choices, but they also threaten to dumb down wine, sacrificing terroir to achieve marketable McWine reliability. Will globalization and Two Buck Chuck destroy the essence of wine? Perhaps, but not without a fight, Veseth argues. He counts on "the revenge of the terroirists" to save wine's soul. But it won't be easy as wine expands to exotic new markets such as China and the very idea of terroir is attacked by both critics and global climate change. Veseth has "grape expectations" that globalization, Two Buck Chuck, and the revenge of the terroirists will uncork a favorable future for wine in an engaging tour-de-force that will appeal to all lovers of wine, whether it be boxed, bagged, or bottled.

Search Algorithms and Applications

Author: Nashat Mansour
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 9533071567
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 508

Book Description
Search algorithms aim to find solutions or objects with specified properties and constraints in a large solution search space or among a collection of objects. A solution can be a set of value assignments to variables that will satisfy the constraints or a sub-structure of a given discrete structure. In addition, there are search algorithms, mostly probabilistic, that are designed for the prospective quantum computer. This book demonstrates the wide applicability of search algorithms for the purpose of developing useful and practical solutions to problems that arise in a variety of problem domains. Although it is targeted to a wide group of readers: researchers, graduate students, and practitioners, it does not offer an exhaustive coverage of search algorithms and applications. The chapters are organized into three parts: Population-based and quantum search algorithms, Search algorithms for image and video processing, and Search algorithms for engineering applications.