Technical

Technica NEWSLETTER
Straight from the shop floor of Powell's Technical Books, Technica features topics ranging from popular science to technology, from how-to manuals to mathematics. Enjoy interviews with world-renowned authors, specials features and sales, and much more! Give us your email address and you'll receive Technica in your inbox about once a month.
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OSCON and Ubuntu Live

OSCON 2008 Once again, Powell's Technical Books is proud to be the official bookstore of both Ubuntu Live and the 10th annual O'Reilly Open Source Convention. Both are returning to the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, this year: Ubuntu Live July 21-22 and OSCON July 21-25. Register now and you can save 10% on your OSCON registration with our discount code! Click here for more information.

Game Design Sale

Virtual VixensWe have one doozy of a sale this month; game designers and programmers, sit up in your chair and pay attention. For a limited time, save 30% on these excellent books, which include Hans Bacher's Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation, Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton, and Nick Iuppa's Story and Simulations for Serious Games. This sale only lasts for a limited time so get your gamer geek on and create the next Grand Theft Auto.

Aisle 49

Retro Gaming HacksWelcome to Aisle 49, the place to find books you covet and desperately want. What's featured this month?  Game books for all you players! From old school math and logic, to new school video games, these should keep you busy until those last few rain showers depart. Pocket-sized guides to the Wii and XBox 360, and Professor Hoffmann's Best Math and Logic Puzzles are just a few of our new picks. Shop here for our complete selection.

Technica Q&A: George Johnson

George JohnsonGeorge Johnson is an old-fashioned scientist type. In today's world of nanotechnology, abstract scientific experiments such as splitting atoms cost millions and are done by corporations. In his new book, The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments, Johnson revisits a more romantic idea of the scientist, alone in her laboratory, studying the contents of the Bunsen burner. In this Q&A, learn about Johnson's Unix shell program, why he longs to play Go, and find out what Tony Hillerman told him after he turned in his final paper.

Technica Q&A: Gary Marcus

Gary MarcusGary Marcus, author of Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind, describes his new book as a "curmudgeonly yet optimistic guide to all that is clumsy and absurd about the human mind." We know this feeling well. In his Q&A, find out why he doesn't do chess or video games, learn what invaluable lesson his seventh grade Latin teacher taught him, and see why he scoffs at the Geek Test.

Technica Q&A: James D. Stein

James D. SteinThe world is an imperfect place. Scientists such as Heisenberg and Godel taught us that it's impossible to know everything about the physical universe. But according to James Stein, author of How Math Explains the World, such uncertainty has led to bigger scientific breakthroughs, which help explain, for example, why car repairs always take so long. In this Q&A, find out why Stein loves Chicago, his favorite cartoonist, and why his junior high school shop teacher took pity on him. Want even more? Check out Stein's exclusive essay for Powells.com.

Technica Q&A: Lawrence Weinstein

Lawrence WeinsteinEver wonder about how many pickles Americans eat each year and how about how long that pile of pickles would measure? Author Lawrence Weinstein ponders such puzzlers in his new book, Guesstimation: Solving the World's Problems on the Back of a Cocktail Napkin, giving equal measure to silly and serious matters. In his Q&A, find out how he scored on the Geek Test, what his favorite blog is, what his childhood career aspirations were, and more.

Technica Q&A: Leonard Mlodinow

Leonard MlodinowDo you make your own luck? Maybe not. Leonard Mlodinow's latest, The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, is a fascinating study on how the successes and failures in one's life might very well be due to dumb luck — the music of chance, as Paul Auster might say. In this Q&A, read about Mlodinow's tyrannical horticulture teacher, how he discovered his allergic reaction to sulfa, and the plans for his upcoming project with Stephen Hawking.

Engineering

Backyard Ballistics Backyard Ballistics
by William Gurstelle


As tempting as it sounds to spend the afternoon with the two digital puppies wrestling under Lara Croft's wife-beater, nothing is really more entertaining than plain ol' throwing rocks at stuff. Or, better still, shooting said rocks out of a homemade... (read more)
 
Your Price $16.95
(New - Trade Paper)
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This Day in Tech History
Thursday, May 15

Francis Baily observes "Baily's Beads" during annular solar eclipse 1836

Sputnik 3 launched in USSR 1958

Birthdays
Pierre Curie (1859), chemist who (with his wife, Marie) discovered radium

Johannes Kepler (1618) discovers his harmonics law

The Powell's Shuffle

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Shuffle! Be warned: it's addictive. Shuffle through Powells.com's selection of used technical books and find some unbeatable deals.

Multimedia

After Effects Apprentice -with DVD (07 Edition) After Effects Apprentice -with DVD (07 Edition)
by Chris Meyer


If youre new to After Effects and want to get up to speed quickly, After Effects Apprentice was created just for you. With 11 core lessons plus a fun final project, youll quickly get into the program and learn how to tap its potential '" whether you want... (read more)
 
List Price $39.95
Your Price $30.00
(Used - Trade Paper)
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Popular Science

A Short History of Nearly Everything A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson


This learned and amusing work covers the origin of the universe to the human genome. A welcome journey with Bryson in typical wise and witty fashion. Recommended by... (read more)
 
Your Price $9.00
(Used - Trade Paper)
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Operating Systems

Mac OS X Leopard (Missing Manual) Mac OS X Leopard (Missing Manual)
by David Pogue


With Leopard, Apple has unleashed the greatest version of Mac OS X yet, and David Pogue is back with another meticulous Missing Manual to cover the operating system with a wealth of detail. The new Mac OS X 10.5, better known as Leopard, is faster than... (read more)
 
List Price $34.99
Your Price $29.95
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Chemistry

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
by Michael Ruhlman


The only book for home cooks offering a complete introduction to the craft. Charcuterie--a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto--is true food craftsmanship, the art of... (read more)
 
Your Price $35.00
(New - Hardcover)
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Electricity

Practical Electronics for Inventors 2ND Edition Practical Electronics for Inventors 2ND Edition
by Paul Scherz


THE BOOK THAT MAKES ELECTRONICS MAKE SENSEThis intuitive, applications-driven guide to electronics for hobbyists, engineers, and students doesn't overload readers with technical detail. Instead, it tells you-and shows you-what basic and advanced... (read more)
 
Your Price $14.98
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Physics

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
by Michio Kaku


A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible (from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks) revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future. One hundred years ago... (read more)
 
Your Price $18.86
(Sale - Hardcover)
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Construction

Home by Design: Inspiration for Transforming House into Home Home by Design: Inspiration for Transforming House into Home
by Sarah Susanka


Whether you're designing a house from the ground up, renovating an existing home, or simply trying to get the most out of your living space, consider Home by Design an indispensable guide. The underlying principles of residential architecture —... (read more)
 
Your Price $8.98
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