David Stuart – författare

“An extraordinary recovery of a lost world.”—Peter Brown, author of The World of Late AntiquityFrom the world-leading expert on the Maya, a monumental history of a flourishing civilization across three millenniaThe Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendor of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilization. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, shows how there was no single rise and fall of the Maya but a series of births and collapses over a breathtaking span of nearly three millennia.Maya history was seemingly lost forever when the first Europeans encountered the great ruins of ancient cities in what is today Mexico and Central America. Today, with the recent decipherment of their ancient writings, the story of the Maya can now be told from their perspective. Stuart traces the rapid emergence of permanent settlements in the rainforest, which gave rise to monumental architecture and a flourishing urbanism and ushered in the Classic period of Maya civilization beginning in the mid-second century CE. He reveals a world of majestic royal courts tightly bound together by marriages, shifting alliances, and warfare, much of it driven by the ambitions of two major dynasties, the Kanuls and Mutuls. Stuart describes how the long-standing rivalry between these two great houses shaped the fates of the surrounding kingdoms and may have set the stage for “the Great Rupture” of the ninth century, when the royal courts buckled under the weight of internal strife, social unrest, and environmental crisis, transforming Maya civilization yet again.With stunning illustrations, including many of Stuart’s own drawings and images, The Four Heavens is a work of momentous historical sweep, one that paints an unforgettable portrait of the Maya and the richly complex social, political, and cosmological worlds in which they lived.Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta

All of human experience flows from bodies that feel, express emotion, and think about what such experiences mean. But is it possible for us, embodied as we are in a particular time and place, to know how people of long ago thought about the body and its experiences? In this groundbreaking book, three leading experts on the Classic Maya (ca. AD 250 to 850) marshal a vast array of evidence from Maya iconography and hieroglyphic writing, as well as archaeological findings, to argue that the Classic Maya developed a coherent approach to the human body that we can recover and understand today.The authors open with a cartography of the Maya body, its parts and their meanings, as depicted in imagery and texts. They go on to explore such issues as how the body was replicated in portraiture; how it experienced the world through ingestion, the senses, and the emotions; how the body experienced war and sacrifice and the pain and sexuality that were intimately bound up in these domains; how words, often heaven-sent, could be embodied; and how bodies could be blurred through spirit possession.From these investigations, the authors convincingly demonstrate that the Maya conceptualized the body in varying roles, as a metaphor of time, as a gendered, sexualized being, in distinct stages of life, as an instrument of honor and dishonor, as a vehicle for communication and consumption, as an exemplification of beauty and ugliness, and as a dancer and song-maker. Their findings open a new avenue for empathetically understanding the ancient Maya as living human beings who experienced the world as we do, through the body.

The Decipherment of Ancient Maya Writing is an important story of intellectual discovery and a tale of code breaking comparable to the interpreting of Egyptian hieroglyphs and the decoding of cuneiform. Using classic articles taken from publications unavailable to most readers, accounts by Spaniards who witnessed the writing of the glyphs and research by twentieth-century scholars--from Tatiana Proskouriakoff to Michael Coe--this book provides a history of the interpretation of Maya hieroglyphs. Introductory essays offer the historical context and describe the personalities and theories of the many authors who contributed to the understanding of these ancient glyphs.More than two hundred line drawings illustrate the text and serve as an introduction to decipherment. This landmark work in Maya studies is the first book to examine the centuries of thought behind the decoding of Maya hieroglyphs.

From its earliest beginnings, even preceding independent statehood, the culture of the United States has embraced popular music. Folk songs, patriotic songs, field hollers, religious hymns and gospel songs, laments, trail songs, Old West ballads, and other forms of music combined and recombined to form the rich musical tapestry of American vernacular music.From Bakersfield to Beale Street: A Regional History of American Rock 'n' Roll examines how rock ‘n’ roll music developed in American regions during the years between 1940 and 1987. The music originating from the distinctive cultural regions of the United States reflects these diverse areas. These styles helped to define the American popular musical landscape in the second half of the twentieth century. This text traces the roots of rock ‘n’ roll through three basic archetypes—the blues, folk and country music, and popular music coming from Tin-Pan Alley. America’s many genres of popular music are the result of the ongoing recombination of these basic forms and styles.From Bakersfield to Beale Street is organized around listening examples, chosen from artists and styles that reflect America’s distinctive regions. Listening Activities describe each song’s important features.

Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction and exploration of ontologies and demonstrates their value to information professionals. More data and information is being created than ever before. Ontologies, formal representations of knowledge with rich semantic relationships, have become increasingly important in the context of today’s information overload and data deluge. The publishing and sharing of explicit explanations for a wide variety of conceptualizations, in a machine readable format, has the power to both improve information retrieval and discover new knowledge. Information professionals are key contributors to the development of new, and increasingly useful, ontologies. Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction to the following:defining the concept of ontologies and why they are increasingly important to information professionalsontologies and the semantic webexisting ontologies, such as RDF, RDFS, SKOS, and OWL2adopting and building ontologies, showing how to avoid repetition of work and how to build a simple ontologyinterrogating ontologies for reusethe future of ontologies and the role of the information professional in their development and use.This book will be useful reading for information professionals in libraries and other cultural heritage institutions who work with digitalization projects, cataloguing and classification and information retrieval. It will also be useful to LIS students who are new to the field.

Practical Data Science for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction to a potentially complex field, providing readers with an overview of data science and a framework for its application. It provides detailed examples and analysis on real data sets to explore the basics of the subject in three principle areas: clustering and social network analysis; predictions and forecasts; and text analysis and mining.As well as highlighting a wealth of user-friendly data science tools, the book also includes some example code in two of the most popular programming languages (R and Python) to demonstrate the ease with which the information professional can move beyond the graphical user interface and achieve significant analysis with just a few lines of code. After reading, readers will understand:· the growing importance of data science · the role of the information professional in data science · some of the most important tools and methods that information professionals can use.Bringing together the growing importance of data science and the increasing role of information professionals in the management and use of data, Practical Data Science for Information Professionals will provide a practical introduction to the topic specifically designed for the information community. It will appeal to librarians and information professionals all around the world, from large academic libraries to small research libraries. By focusing on the application of open source software, it aims to reduce barriers for readers to use the lessons learned within.

Practical Data Science for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction to a potentially complex field, providing readers with an overview of data science and a framework for its application. It provides detailed examples and analysis on real data sets to explore the basics of the subject in three principle areas: clustering and social network analysis; predictions and forecasts; and text analysis and mining.As well as highlighting a wealth of user-friendly data science tools, the book also includes some example code in two of the most popular programming languages (R and Python) to demonstrate the ease with which the information professional can move beyond the graphical user interface and achieve significant analysis with just a few lines of code. After reading, readers will understand:· the growing importance of data science · the role of the information professional in data science · some of the most important tools and methods that information professionals can use.Bringing together the growing importance of data science and the increasing role of information professionals in the management and use of data, Practical Data Science for Information Professionals will provide a practical introduction to the topic specifically designed for the information community. It will appeal to librarians and information professionals all around the world, from large academic libraries to small research libraries. By focusing on the application of open source software, it aims to reduce barriers for readers to use the lessons learned within.

Library and information professionals increasingly need to create, manage, and monitor a wide range of online content, from a library’s social media account and web sites to the new and traditional research outputs that funders expect to be made available openly online. It is important that they understand the new opportunities that web metrics provide for measuring the impact of an individual or an organisation’s content. This book provides an up-to-date introduction to a wide range of web metrics, with practical examples of how they can be best put to use.The book will begin with a wider discussion on the role of metrics, and how web metrics overlap with associated concepts with a longer library and information science history such as scientometrics and bibliometrics. It will explore the latest tools that are available, many of which have changed since the publication of the first edition, as well as how we can expect the field to change in the future with machine intelligence and artificial intelligence becoming more widely available.This new edition has been extended and updated throughout to reflect the rapidly changing nature of the field. As well as updates to the user-friendly tools and resources, there is a greater emphasis on the programming libraries that are available, as library and information professionals are increasingly willing to start engaging with data that is available programmatically. After reading the book the information professional will not only be better placed to adopt web metrics in their workplace, but also be critical of the misuse of web metrics.

Library and information professionals increasingly need to create, manage, and monitor a wide range of online content, from a library’s social media account and web sites to the new and traditional research outputs that funders expect to be made available openly online. It is important that they understand the new opportunities that web metrics provide for measuring the impact of an individual or an organisation’s content. This book provides an up-to-date introduction to a wide range of web metrics, with practical examples of how they can be best put to use.The book will begin with a wider discussion on the role of metrics, and how web metrics overlap with associated concepts with a longer library and information science history such as scientometrics and bibliometrics. It will explore the latest tools that are available, many of which have changed since the publication of the first edition, as well as how we can expect the field to change in the future with machine intelligence and artificial intelligence becoming more widely available.This new edition has been extended and updated throughout to reflect the rapidly changing nature of the field. As well as updates to the user-friendly tools and resources, there is a greater emphasis on the programming libraries that are available, as library and information professionals are increasingly willing to start engaging with data that is available programmatically. After reading the book the information professional will not only be better placed to adopt web metrics in their workplace, but also be critical of the misuse of web metrics.

Scotland - Glory, Tears & Souvenirs is an offbeat collection of memories, mementos, rants and aspirations relating to Scotland's national football team. A 'look back in hunger' on the post-war era, with emphasis on the 1970s to date. A reminder of the way football was, the way it is now and the way we'd like it to be! There's Switzerland 54, Denis Law, trading cards, match programmes, Archie Gemmill, Argentina 78, beermats, Kenny Dalglish, vinyl records, Spain 82, Ally McCoist, the Tartan Army, Italia 90, the Kirin Cup, Jimmy Hill, France 98, Panini stickers and James McFadden. Nostalgia and a warped sense of humour are what gets Scotland supporters through in a nightmare world where all our near-neighbours now get to 'go to the ball' - France 2016, at least - while we await the arrival of a Fairy Godmother and a defence that doesn't leak goals. There's no room for wallowing in self-pity, though. Read this therapeutic comfort blanket of a book, cheer at the good bits and laugh at the bad. We shall overcome...

Scotland: Club, Country, Collectables continues the authors' offbeat look at the issues and idiosyncrasies associated with Scottish international football. It's a celebration of the good, the bad and the mementoes treasured by fans irrespective of results. There's a flavour of the contributions made by our clubs - the players who became legends, those who tried hard, and others who merely tried our patience. A sideways look at Scottish football culture includes opposition teams and past tournaments, statistical overviews and memories full of typical Scottish weltschmerz and schadenfreude. The Road to Euro 2020 is covered, with clues offered as to whether Scotland can qualify for our first 'finals' in over 20 years - or will we achieve the rare distinction of being a host that fails to make it to our own party? While some Scotland supporters may only have tears for souvenirs, Club, Country, Collectables has everything from match programmes and trading cards to badges and beer labels, postcards, postage stamps and replica jerseys.

Scottish football authors David Stuart and Robert Marshall cross the border to salute the contributions and successes of their fellow countrymen and women who have displayed their skills in the English football leagues – from the end of the Second World War to the present day.They take a celebratory look at great Scots – Law, Mackay, Bremner, Dalglish, Gemmill, Strachan, McAllister and other – who have played their part in era-defining teams crafted by the likes of Bill Nicholson, Don Revie, Brian Clough and Bob Paisley, plus Scots managers Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Alex Ferguson.As well as celebrating the top-notchers, the book pays tribute to various lesser lights – Caledonian cult heroes who’ve been immortalised in England’s green and pleasant land, including Jim McNichol (Torquay United), Willie Carr (Coventry City) and Ted MacDougall (Bournemouth).These riveting tales of Anglo-Scottish players are brought to life by stunning colour images of trading cards, matchday programmes and magazines.

Ogden Nash was a rare poet. He celebrated the ordinary with delight and curiosity: husbands and wives at work, children at play, a society in motion. He studied popular culture with a penetrating eye and wrote about America, its icons, habits, and affectations with humor and levity. He struggled with comparisons to “serious” poets, those heroes of the canon who abandoned the rhyme and meter that Nash found crucial to his style of writing. His witty, insightful, and graceful vignettes captured those moments in life that defy heavy-handed treatment. Nash did not live out the stereotype of the aloof poet-recluse. In addition to his writing, Nash pursued publishing, screenwriting, and a rigorous lecture circuit. This self-styled poet of wide appeal appeared in newspapers and magazines found in homes across the country, accessible publications such as Life, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, and McCall’s. At a time when children’s literature meant Winnie-the-Pooh, Nash produced verses for and about young people that amused, educated, and more important, didn’t pander or lecture. These poems and collections, including Custard the Dragon, The New Nutcracker Suite and Other Innocent Verses, A Boy Is a Boy, and Girls Are Silly, were classics of the genre. Nash left behind an invaluable body of work: charming, clever, and utterly unique.

Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction and exploration of ontologies and demonstrates their value to information professionals. More data and information is being created than ever before. Ontologies, formal representations of knowledge with rich semantic relationships, have become increasingly important in the context of today’s information overload and data deluge. The publishing and sharing of explicit explanations for a wide variety of conceptualizations, in a machine readable format, has the power to both improve information retrieval and discover new knowledge. Information professionals are key contributors to the development of new, and increasingly useful, ontologies. Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals provides an accessible introduction to the following:defining the concept of ontologies and why they are increasingly important to information professionalsontologies and the semantic webexisting ontologies, such as RDF, RDFS, SKOS, and OWL2adopting and building ontologies, showing how to avoid repetition of work and how to build a simple ontologyinterrogating ontologies for reusethe future of ontologies and the role of the information professional in their development and use.This book will be useful reading for information professionals in libraries and other cultural heritage institutions who work with digitalization projects, cataloguing and classification and information retrieval. It will also be useful to LIS students who are new to the field.

Scottish Football: Souvenirs from the Golden Years - 1946 to 1986 takes a nostalgic look at Scottish football and mementoes from four decades when the game was at its (almost) egalitarian and entertaining best. It was a period with a wide spread of trophy winners: eight different league champions, 14 clubs sharing the two main domestic cup competitions, plus trophy successes in Europe for Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen, and semi-final near-misses for Dundee, Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic, Hibs and Kilmarnock. This fascinating book also spotlights the British Championship, the Summer, Drybrough and Texaco Cups plus a host of cult heroes, lost stadia - and Quiz Ball! Alongside this colourful history are collectable treasures. It was a time when programmes were succinct sought-after souvenirs and not bloated corporate catalogues, when trading cards were useful and informative. Annuals, magazines and club handbooks also added to our wisdom. We'll never see an era like '46 to '86 again, so here's your chance to savour it once more.