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"Agents are (...) bringing about the biggest revolution in computing since we went from typing commands to tapping on icons."Bill Gates "AI agents will become the primary way we interact with computers in the future."Satya Nadella "The age of agentic AI is here"Jensen Huang This book is a practical, non-technical guide for business leaders, professionals, and curious minds navigating the next frontier of AI.In a world where ChatGPT took us by storm, a far more powerful revolution is now unfolding: AI Agents. Like Jarvis in Iron Man or Samantha in Her, these intelligent systems can execute actions, learn from experience, and orchestrate digital interactions with minimal human supervision. They promise to redefine business and society.However, behind the excitement lies a crucial reality: a significant gap between promise and reality.This comprehensive guide on agentic AI cuts through the hype and offers a clear, jargon-free strategic roadmap to understanding and applying this technology. The authors bring a rare perspective, having implemented agentic AI across diverse organizations — from global enterprises to agile startups — witnessing both remarkable successes and sobering failures.AI agents create what the authors call "compounding intelligence advantages" — the more they're used, the smarter and more valuable they become, creating an accelerating gap between early adopters and laggards. Hence, those who understand and leverage AI agents today will define the next era of business.

At a global scale, love hormones are now redundant in the critical period surrounding birth ... reasons for questions?Between 1970 and 1990, in many parts of the world, the rates of caesareans escalated from roughly 5% to roughly 25%. During this short phase of history, the father's participation became routine. Is there a link between these facts?Health care systems are on the way to collapsing. Should we go on focusing on the preventive and curative treatments of particular diseases or should we give a greater importance to the way our basic adaptive systems, involved in what we commonly call health, reach a high degree of maturity?These examples are sufficient to illustrate the "neo-Socratic attitude" of the author. Our contemporaries are constantly dealing with unprecedented situations. Question marks, therefore, can symbolise the current phase of our history. Throughout this book, radically new situations are analysed, before appropriate questions are phrased.At a time when people commonly debate on the long-term effects of human activities without considering the probable transformations of Homo, one cannot avoid a preliminary question: How to reach an audience made up of female and male open-minded people who are turned towards the future but have not yet realised that the important period surrounding birth has been radically transformed during the past decades?In the age of cultural blindness related to overspecialization, The Future of Homo is also a training tool to think across boundaries.

Following the critically acclaimed An Illustrated History of Electric Lighting (2016), Professor Emeritus Adam Allerhand of Indiana University, USA, is back with yet another masterpiece. Starting from 1300 BC and progressing steadily to the present, this book is the ultimate guide to the history of the science of electricity. It is the result of 15 years of research through a vast and daunting literature which is hard for beginners and experts alike to navigate, bringing together many widely scattered and obscure facts that have hitherto eluded even the most ardent aficionados. There is particular emphasis on practical applications, including electricity for illumination, communication, medicine and industry. For non-specialists with an interest in the subject, fret not, for the text is written with a minimum of technical jargon, and is richly illustrated with over 100 images, many of them created by the author.

This highly unusual book began as a serious inquiry into Schrödinger's question, “What is life?”, and as a celebration of life itself. It takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through many areas of contemporary physics, from non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum optics to liquid crystals and fractals, all necessary for illuminating the problem of life. In the process, the reader is treated to a rare and exquisite view of the organism, gaining novel insights not only into the physics, but also into “the poetry and meaning of being alive.”This much-enlarged third edition includes new findings on the central role of biological water in organizing living processes; it also completes the author's novel theory of the organism and its applications in ecology, physiology and brain science.

This exceptional book is concerned with the application of fractals and chaos, as well as other concepts from nonlinear dynamics to biomedical phenomena. Herein we seek to communicate the excitement being experienced by scientists upon making application of these concepts within the life sciences. Mathematical concepts are introduced using biomedical data sets and the phenomena being explained take precedence over the mathematics.In this new edition what has withstood the test of time has been updated and modernized; speculations that were not borne out have been expunged and the breakthroughs that have occurred in the intervening years are emphasized. The book provides a comprehensive overview of a nascent theory of medicine, including a new chapter on the theory of complex networks as they pertain to medicine.

"The authors have done an exceptional job. It’s probably more accurate to describe this text as an introduction to both non-relativistic and relativistic quantum mechanics … This book was a lot of fun to read and digest. I definitely recommend it for instructors, but also for students who have already been exposed to quantum mechanics."Contemporary PhysicsThis book is a revised and updated version of Introductory Quantum Physics and Relativity. Based on lectures given as part of the undergraduate degree programme at the University of Leeds, it has been extended in line with recent developments in the field. The book contains all the material required for quantum physics and relativity in the first three years of a traditional physics degree, in addition to more interesting and up-to-date extensions and applications which include quantum field theory, entanglement, and quantum information science.The second edition is unique as an undergraduate textbook as it combines quantum physics and relativity at an introductory level. It expounds the foundations of these two subjects in detail, but also illustrates how they can be combined. It discusses recent applications, but also exposes undergraduates to cutting-edge research topics, such as laser cooling, Bose-Einstein condensation, tunneling microscopes, lasers, nonlocality, and quantum teleportation.

Although there are many textbooks that deal with the formal apparatus of quantum mechanics (QM) and its application to standard problems, none take into account the developments in the foundations of the subject which have taken place in the last few decades. There are specialized treatises on various aspects of the foundations of QM, but none that integrate those topics with the standard material. This book aims to remove that unfortunate dichotomy, which has divorced the practical aspects of the subject from the interpretation and broader implications of the theory.In this edition a new chapter on quantum information is added. As the topic is still in a state of rapid development, a comprehensive treatment is not feasible. The emphasis is on the fundamental principles and some key applications, including quantum cryptography, teleportation of states, and quantum computing. The impact of quantum information theory on the foundations of quantum mechanics is discussed. In addition, there are minor revisions to several chapters.The book is intended primarily as a graduate level textbook, but it will also be of interest to physicists and philosophers who study the foundations of QM. Parts of it can be used by senior undergraduates too.

This is a very frank and detailed account by a leading and very active mathematician of the past decades whose contributions have had an important impact in those fields where mathematics is now an integral part. It starts from his early childhood just after the First World War to his present-day positions as professor of mathematics, electrical engineering and medicine at the USC, which in itself reflects on the diversity of interests and experiences gained through the turbulent years when American mathematics and sciences established themselves on the forefront. The story traces the tortuous path Bellman followed from Brooklyn College; the University of Wisconsin to Princeton during the war years; more than a decade with the RAND Corporation; with frequent views of more than just the academic circles, including his experiences at Los Alamos on the A-bomb project.Bellman gives highly personalised views of key personalities in mathematics, physics and other areas, and his motivations and the forces that helped shape dynamic programming and other new areas which emerged as consequences of fruitful applications of mathematics.

"The book provides a concise, informative, comprehensive, and current overview of key issues in the field of science communication, the background of science communication, its theoretical bases, and its links to science communication practice. Especially the link between theory / research and practice is very well developed in the book and in the individual chapters. I think that is valuable for both readers new to the field of science communication, but also for those who identify with only one of these sides … it is indeed a comprehensive and concise overview, convincing in its aim to link theory, research, and practice and I will definitely use it for my lectures on science communication."JCOM - Journal of Science CommunicationA concise, coherent and easily readable textbook about the field of science communication, connecting the practice of science communicators with theory. In the book, recent trends and shifts in the field resonate, such as the transition from telling about science to interacting with the public and the importance of science communication in health and environmental communication. The chapters have been written by experts in their disciplines, coming from philosophy of science and communication studies to health communication and science journalism. Cases from around the world illustrate science communication in practice. The book provides a broad, up-to-date and coherent introduction to science communication for both, students of science communication and related fields, as well as professionals.Related Link(s)

The management of emergent neuro-ophthalmic conditions can be a life saving encounter for the general ophthalmologist. This book is designed to help comprehensive ophthalmologists make emergency triage decisions for initial evaluation and treatment of potentially vision- or life-threatening conditions. This text is case-based and is intended to provide the reader with the opinion and expertise of two neuro-ophthalmologists. One, Dr Lee is an ophthalmology-based neuro-ophthalmologist and the other, Dr Brazis is a neurology-based neuro-ophthalmologist.In the current edition two, we have updated the content according to the recent advances in ophthalmic investigations and imaging, along with the emergence of recent serological tests for Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease (MOGAD) and Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) disease. We also have also provided high-yield summary points after each case for takeaway messages.

In October 2017, Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner (Physiology or Medicine, 2002) gave four lectures on the history of Molecular Biology, its impact on Neuroscience and the great scientific questions that lie ahead.Sydney Brenner has been at the centre of the development of molecular biology, being a key player in shaping the Laboratory for Molecular Biology in Cambridge into a cradle of research, where pioneering and seminal discoveries in the field for over half a century have resulted in more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes.His memory is a treasure trove of the history of the field with innumerable anecdotes on other leading scientists in the past 60 years. These lectures trace the history and recount some of those anecdotes. His interlocutor Terry Sejnowski is the Francis Crick professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Laboratory Head of its Computational Neurobiology Laboratory. Terry and Sydney are long-term collaborators and they share many stories and memories.The recorded lectures are the basis for this book. It aims to preserve the history of molecular biology and to also raise scientific questions that have resulted from the work of Sydney, Terry and others. It should be read by everybody who is interested in the generation, history and impact of great ideas as recounted by one of the legends of 20th century science.Published in collaboration with Institute Para Limes.

Peter Debye was a brilliant teacher and great communicator, who could get along with people from all layers of society. Born in The Netherlands, he studied in Germany and thereafter held teaching and research positions in Germany (Munich, Göttingen, Leipzig and Berlin), Switzerland (Zurich University and ETH), The Netherlands (Utrecht), and the USA (Cornell University). He was a pioneer in many different fields of chemistry and physics, such as the theory of strong electrolytes, the theory of molecular dipoles, low temperature physics, intermolecular forces, solid-state physics, X-ray analysis, molecular weight determination of polymers, and scattering studies with X-rays and light. As a result, he bridged in the first part of the 20th century the gap that existed between chemistry and physics and contributed to the emerging field of chemical physics.This book presents both an in-depth overview of Debye's many pathbreaking scientific achievements, and a full and balanced account of his professional life, against the background of major events in world history, such as the First and the Second World Wars. Until 1939 Debye lived and worked in Europe, and from 1940 to his death in 1966 in the USA. The story of his USA years is completely new, and has been written on the basis of Debye's personal archive. In the chapter the "Debye affair" — about his last two years in Nazi Germany — which attracted much publicity during 2006-2010, is described in detail and put in the larger context of Debye's life and character. This book is richly illustrated, with many rather unknown photographs.

As with the previous editions, this fourth edition relies on teaching by example and the Karplus Learning Cycle to convey the ideas of game theory in a way that is approachable, intuitive, and interdisciplinary. Noncooperative equilibrium concepts such as Nash equilibrium, mixed strategy equilibria, and subgame perfect equilibrium are systematically introduced in the first half of the book. Bayesian Nash equilibrium is briefly introduced. The subsequent chapters discuss cooperative solutions with and without side payments, rationalizable strategies and correlated equilibria, and applications to elections, social mechanism design, and larger-scale games. New examples include panic buying, supply-chain shifts in the pandemic, and global warming.

Volume I is the first part of the 3-volume book Mathematics of Harmony as a New Interdisciplinary Direction and ''Golden'' Paradigm of Modern Science. ''Mathematics of Harmony'' rises in its origin to the ''harmonic ideas'' of Pythagoras, Plato and Euclid, this 3-volume book aims to promote more deep understanding of ancient conception of the ''Universe Harmony,'' the main conception of ancient Greek science, and implementation of this conception to modern science and education.This 3-volume book is a result of the authors'' research in the field of Fibonacci numbers and the Golden Section and their applications. It provides a broad introduction to the fascinating and beautiful subject of the ''Mathematics of Harmony,'' a new interdisciplinary direction of modern science. This direction has many unexpected applications in contemporary mathematics (a new approach to a history of mathematics, the generalized Fibonacci numbers and the generalized golden proportions, the generalized Binet''s formulas), theoretical physics (new hyperbolic models of Nature) and computer science (algorithmic measurement theory, number systems with irrational bases, Fibonacci computers, ternary mirror-symmetrical arithmetic).The books are intended for a wide audience including mathematics teachers of high schools, students of colleges and universities and scientists in the field of mathematics, theoretical physics and computer science. The book may be used as an advanced textbook by graduate students and even ambitious undergraduates in mathematics and computer science.

This volume provides the definitive treatment of fortune's formula or the Kelly capital growth criterion as it is often called. The strategy is to maximize long run wealth of the investor by maximizing the period by period expected utility of wealth with a logarithmic utility function. Mathematical theorems show that only the log utility function maximizes asymptotic long run wealth and minimizes the expected time to arbitrary large goals. In general, the strategy is risky in the short term but as the number of bets increase, the Kelly bettor's wealth tends to be much larger than those with essentially different strategies. So most of the time, the Kelly bettor will have much more wealth than these other bettors but the Kelly strategy can lead to considerable losses a small percent of the time. There are ways to reduce this risk at the cost of lower expected final wealth using fractional Kelly strategies that blend the Kelly suggested wager with cash. The various classic reprinted papers and the new ones written specifically for this volume cover various aspects of the theory and practice of dynamic investing. Good and bad properties are discussed, as are fixed-mix and volatility induced growth strategies. The relationships with utility theory and the use of these ideas by great investors are featured.

The Nobel Banquets is not about Alfred Nobel's personal dining habits; it is about his “gift to mankind” — the five original Nobel Prizes and the festivities that are arranged every year to celebrate them.There is hardly any other banquet in the world that is as famous as the Nobel Banquet which many would give a fortune to attend. It is held on December 10 in Stockholm every year. Countless articles and books have been written describing what the guests eat and drink, the table decorations and the serving ceremonies, the placing lists and of course the Nobel laureates themselves.This comprehensive book presents not only all the known facts about the Nobel banquet menus but also many unknown details, both about the Nobel banquets themselves and about the traditional banquets held at the Royal Court by the King and Queen of Sweden on December 11 in honour of the laureates.The main focus is on the food and drink that have been served annually for more than a century. The gastronomic man is at the centre. The composition and contents of each banquet are listed and analysed. Today, the guiding principle is that the menus should have a touch of Scandinavia. The reader is given interesting insights into the work in the kitchens, the decanting of the wines and the special challenges that the waiters and waitresses face.The Nobel Banquets contains many photographs. It is a goldmine for gourmets and for anyone interested in knowing more about all the effort that goes into these fabulous festivities.

This book uses the beautiful theory of elliptic curves to introduce the reader to some of the deeper aspects of number theory. It assumes only a knowledge of the basic algebra, complex analysis, and topology usually taught in first-year graduate courses.An elliptic curve is a plane curve defined by a cubic polynomial. Although the problem of finding the rational points on an elliptic curve has fascinated mathematicians since ancient times, it was not until 1922 that Mordell proved that the points form a finitely generated group. There is still no proven algorithm for finding the rank of the group, but in one of the earliest important applications of computers to mathematics, Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer discovered a relation between the rank and the numbers of points on the curve computed modulo a prime. Chapter IV of the book proves Mordell's theorem and explains the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer.Every elliptic curve over the rational numbers has an L-series attached to it.Hasse conjectured that this L-series satisfies a functional equation, and in 1955 Taniyama suggested that Hasse's conjecture could be proved by showing that the L-series arises from a modular form. This was shown to be correct by Wiles (and others) in the 1990s, and, as a consequence, one obtains a proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. Chapter V of the book is devoted to explaining this work.The first three chapters develop the basic theory of elliptic curves.For this edition, the text has been completely revised and updated.

This is a textbook for an introductory combinatorics course lasting one or two semesters. An extensive list of problems, ranging from routine exercises to research questions, is included. In each section, there are also exercises that contain material not explicitly discussed in the preceding text, so as to provide instructors with extra choices if they want to shift the emphasis of their course.Just as with the first three editions, the new edition walks the reader through the classic parts of combinatorial enumeration and graph theory, while also discussing some recent progress in the area: on the one hand, providing material that will help students learn the basic techniques, and on the other hand, showing that some questions at the forefront of research are comprehensible and accessible to the talented and hardworking undergraduate. The basic topics discussed are: the twelvefold way, cycles in permutations, the formula of inclusion and exclusion, the notion of graphs and trees, matchings, Eulerian and Hamiltonian cycles, and planar graphs.New to this edition are the Quick Check exercises at the end of each section. In all, the new edition contains about 240 new exercises. Extra examples were added to some sections where readers asked for them.The selected advanced topics are: Ramsey theory, pattern avoidance, the probabilistic method, partially ordered sets, the theory of designs, enumeration under group action, generating functions of labeled and unlabeled structures and algorithms and complexity.The book encourages students to learn more combinatorics, provides them with a not only useful but also enjoyable and engaging reading.The Solution Manual is available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to sales@wspc.com.The previous edition of this textbook has been adopted at various schools including UCLA, MIT, University of Michigan, and Swarthmore College. It was also translated into Korean.

This volume is a collection of the Nobel Lectures delivered by the prizewinners, together with their biographies, portraits and the presentation speeches for the period 1991 - 1995. Each Nobel Lecture is based on the work that won the prize. These volumes of inspiring lectures by outstanding physicists should be on the bookshelf of every keen student, teacher and professor of physics as well as of those in related fields.Below is a list of the prizewinners during the period 1991 - 1995 with a description of the works which won them their prizes.(1991) P-G de GENNES-for discovering that methods developed for studying order phenomena in simple systems can be generalized to more complex forms of matter, in particular to liquid crystals and polymers; (1992) G CHARPAK - for his invention and development of particle detectors, in particular the multiwire proportional chamber; (1993) R A HULSE & J-H TAYLOR JR. - for the discovery of a new type of pulsar, a discovery that has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation; (1994) B N BROCKHOUSE — for the development of neutron spectroscopy; C G SHULL — for the development of the neutron diffraction technique; (1995) M L PERL — for the discovery of the tau lepton; F REINES — for the detection of the neutrino.

Why is rubber elastic? Why are leaves green? Answering these and a myriad of other puzzles of nature, this richly illustrated volume shows how the simplest questions can lead us through a chain of reasoning that explains some of the most fascinating principles of science. Each chapter begins with a question that forms the basis for explaining a scientific principle. Step by step, the text then delves into the more sophisticated scientific matter necessary for providing insight into the question presented thus elucidating key principles and concepts. Each chapter contains a summary highlighting the salient points, answers the question definitively, and concludes with a series of exercises, including detailed solutions.

This book recalls, for nonscientific readers, the history of quantum mechanics, the main points of its interpretation, and Einstein''s objections to it, together with the responses engendered by his arguments. Most popular discussions on the strange aspects of quantum mechanics ignore the fundamental fact that Einstein was correct in his insistence that the theory does not directly describe reality. While that fact does not remove the theory''s counterintuitive features, it casts them in a different light.Context is provided by following the history of two central aspects of physics: the elucidation of the basic structure of the world made up of particles, and the explanation, as well as the prediction, of how objects move. This history, prior to quantum mechanics, reveals that whereas theories and discoveries concerning the structure of nature became increasingly realistic, the laws of motion, even as they became more powerful, became more and more abstract and remote from intuitive notions of reality. Newton''s laws of motion gained their abstract power by sacrificing direct and intuitive contact with real experience. Arriving 250 years after Newton, the break with a direct description of reality embodied in quantum mechanics was nevertheless profound.

In nineteenth century France, ex-thief Jean Valjean is released from prison and vows to mend his ways. He rescues a young girl from sad circumstances and adopts Cosette as his daughter. But as revolution sweeps France, the merciless Inspector Javert is determined to put Valjean back behind bars. Can Valjean ever truly escape his past, protect Cosette and find redemption?Taking classic stories from Asia and the West, Pop! Lit for Kids reimagines them into easy-to-read stories that provide the perfect introduction to classic tales. The most well-loved stories from around the world have been adapted into a form that will excite and entertain children everywhere.Series features:

This is a textbook for an introductory combinatorics course lasting one or two semesters. An extensive list of problems, ranging from routine exercises to research questions, is included. In each section, there are also exercises that contain material not explicitly discussed in the preceding text, so as to provide instructors with extra choices if they want to shift the emphasis of their course.Just as with the first two editions, the new edition walks the reader through the classic parts of combinatorial enumeration and graph theory, while also discussing some recent progress in the area: on the one hand, providing material that will help students learn the basic techniques, and on the other hand, showing that some questions at the forefront of research are comprehensible and accessible to the talented and hardworking undergraduate. The basic topics discussed are: the twelvefold way, cycles in permutations, the formula of inclusion and exclusion, the notion of graphs and trees, matchings, Eulerian and Hamiltonian cycles, and planar graphs.The selected advanced topics are: Ramsey theory, pattern avoidance, the probabilistic method, partially ordered sets, the theory of designs (new to this edition), enumeration under group action (new to this edition), generating functions of labeled and unlabeled structures and algorithms and complexity.As the goal of the book is to encourage students to learn more combinatorics, every effort has been made to provide them with a not only useful, but also enjoyable and engaging reading.The Solution Manual is available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to sales@wspc.com.

Freeman Dyson's life experiences made him a wise, kindly grandfather figure to two generations of students enrolled in an undergraduate university course "Science, Technology, & Society." Near the end of each semester, the class sent him written questions, on reading Professor Dyson's memoir Disturbing the Universe. The letter exchanges occurred regularly from April 1993 through December 2019."Yours Ever, Freeman" is devoted to this correspondence between Professor Dyson and the students. His responses went beyond answering questions, as he enlarged the scope of the questions by sharing stories from his experiences. While others have written of Professor Dyson's accomplishments and awards; the class came to know him through his discussions about life, science, and society. Topics ranged from the existential to headlines of the day, from national policies to personal values. Over three thousand students have been blessed to count Freeman Dyson as a mentor and consider him as a friend."Yours Ever, Freeman" supplements Dear Professor Dyson published earlier. While the 2016 book included in-depth reviews of the STS course contents from which the correspondence emerged, besides including the 2016-2019 correspondence, the present book maintains a tight focus on the correspondence itself, annotated as necessary for context. The book's title comes from the way Professor Dyson signed his letters.

This book is an introduction to the field of parallel algorithms and the underpinning techniques to realize the parallelization. The emphasis is on designing algorithms within the timeless and abstracted context of a high-level programming language. The focus of the presentation is on practical applications of the algorithm design using different models of parallel computation. Each model is illustrated by providing an adequate number of algorithms to solve some problems that quite often arise in many applications in science and engineering.The book is largely self-contained, presuming no special knowledge of parallel computers or particular mathematics. In addition, the solutions to all exercises are included at the end of each chapter.The book is intended as a text in the field of the design and analysis of parallel algorithms. It includes adequate material for a course in parallel algorithms at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

This little book describes the past, present and future of black holes through a funny and engaging story involving Grandpa Louie, his two grandchildren and two of their friends.During a beautiful sunny day on the beach, the children play, swim, enjoy their time, and ask a lot of questions to Grandpa Louie, a retired astronomy professor. Who better than him to tell all the secrets of black holes to a group of curious children? Who discovered them? What do "black holes" mean? Are There different types of black holes? How does a black hole form? What is his fate? How did scientists manage to "observe" these celestial bodies which, by definition, cannot be seen? At the end, we also bring up the subject of parallel universes, which could exist beyond the horizon of a black hole.This book is suitable for children from 6 to 12 years old.

This book presents a richly detailed and engaging chronicle of the six platinum group metals, tracing their discovery, scientific development, and far-reaching applications from jewellery and dentistry to cars and catalysis. Each metal is explored individually, revealing not only its unique chemical properties but also the colourful narratives surrounding its identification, such as the unconventional commercial debut of palladium. In addition to the "original six", the book delves into the more recent discovery and nuclear synthesis of their transuranic congeners — hassium, darmstadtium and meitnerium — offering insight into the ongoing evolution of the periodic table. A dedicated chapter reexamines how these metals challenged early versions of the periodic table, particularly in the work of Dmitri Mendeleev, and how they are positioned in modern chemical frameworks today. Combining historical narrative, chemical insight, and modern relevance, Stories of the Six Platinum Group Metals: Discoveries, Chemistry, and Uses is both a tribute to the legacy of these extraordinary elements and a timely reference for chemists, historians of science, and the curious student alike.

Cities are our future and increasingly determine global resource use. Growing urbanization presents some of the most significant opportunities and challenges of our time. Today, cities suffer from severe congestion, public space is lost to car traffic and parking, and biocapacity is overspent by consumption levels and urban growth. The climate crisis highlights the need for urban policies that provide a holistic framework for sustainability, including renewable energies, highly efficient buildings, sustainable industrial and urban infrastructure and transportation.To provide affordable, accessible and inclusive housing for everybody, we need to put society's benefit before short-term profit thinking. The question is: Will we succeed in transforming cities defined by cars and reliant on high energy and resource consumption into genuinely environmentally friendly, livable, and participative urban spaces?Next-Generation Cities: An Encyclopedia is a curated collection of expert papers and represents the backbone of the work of the Next-Generation Cities Institute at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. In an interdisciplinary framework, it reflects the collaborative approach necessary to solve complex urban issues. A new model of city building brings together the best practices of many professions and interest groups. The Encyclopedia compiles public and private sector experts, professors, and graduate student contributions in four volumes. It considers the different perspectives, objectives, methodologies, and guidelines for transforming today's cities into inclusive, human-centred, livable, culturally vibrant, resilient and sustainable human settlements.