"Novel Characters offers a fascinating and in-depth history of the novelistic character from the "birth of the novel" in Don Quixote, through the great canonical works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, to the most influential international novels of the present day. An original study which offers a unique approach to thinking about and discussing characterMakes extensive reference to both traditional and more recent and specialized academic studies of the novel. Provides a critical vocabulary for understanding how the novelistic conception of character has changed over time. Examines a broad range of novels, cultures, and periods. Promotes discussion of how different cultures and times think about human identity, and how the concept of what a character is has changed over time"-- "What makes novelistic characters unique? How do novelistic characters reflect or prefigure different ideas of human possibilities? Why and how has the concept of novelistic character changed over time? These are some the questions addressed in Novel Characters, an ambitious work that aims to reinstate character to its proper and central place in the art of fiction. Novel Characters argues that the novel is the literary form best suited to create characters of real, often troubling distinction, and that indeed it has a generic disposition, amounting to an obligation, to do so. DiBattista proposes a way of understanding what is distinctive about novelistic character as well as offering a discussion of how different cultures and times think about human identity. Novel Characters ranges from the "birth of the novel" in Don Quixote through the works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and concludes by considering today's most influential international fiction. It simultaneously develops a lexicon of terms to describe the 'development' and trace the moral genealogy of novelistic characters through various literary periods"--

"Tips, techniques, and trends on harnessing dashboard technology to optimize business performance In Performance Dashboards, Second Edition, author Wayne Eckerson explains what dashboards are, where they can be used, and why they are important to measuring and managing performance. As Director of Research for The Data Warehousing Institute, a worldwide association of business intelligence professionals, Eckerson interviewed dozens of organizations that have built various types of performance dashboards in different industries and lines of business. Their practical insights explore how you can effectively turbo-charge performance-management initiatives with dashboard technology. Includes all-new case studies, industry research, news chapters on "Architecting Performance Dashboards" and "Launching and Managing the Project" and updated information on designing KPIs, designing dashboard displays, integrating dashboards, and types of dashboards. Provides a solid foundation for understanding performance dashboards, business intelligence, and performance management. Addresses the next generation of performance dashboards, such as Mashboards and Visual Discovery tools, and including new techniques for designing dashboards and developing key performance indicators. Offers guidance on how to incorporate predictive analytics, what-if modeling, collaboration, and advanced visualization techniques. This updated book, which is 75% rewritten, provides a foundation for understanding performance dashboards, business intelligence, and performance management to optimize performance and accelerate results."--

"Full coverage of ETF investments from an expert in the field The initial edition of Gary Gastineau's The Exchange-Traded Fund Manual was one of the first books to describe and analyze ETFs. It made the case for the superiority of the structure of investor-friendly ETFs over mutual funds and helped investors select better funds among the ETFs available. With this new edition, Gastineau provides comprehensive information on the latest developments in ETF structures, new portfolio variety, and new trading methods. With a realistic evaluation of today's indexes, Gastineau offers insights on actively managed ETFs, improved index funds, and fund and advisor selection. Discusses how to incorporate ETFs into an investment plan. Offers updated coverage of new ETFs, including full-function actively managed ETFs, and a valuable chapter on trading ETFs. Written by the leading authority on exchange traded funds. Exchange-traded funds offer you diversification and participation in markets and investment strategies that have not been available to most investors. If you want to understand how to use ETFs effectively, the Second Edition of The Exchanged-Traded Fund Manual can show you how."--

"Scientists are rarely given formal training in presentation skills and yet are often called upon to present the results of their research. This book provides a practical guide to the creation and delivery of scientific presentations, whatever the topic. Its practical 'how-to' style leaves discussion of the background psychology of public speaking to others and focuses instead on the issues that are of immediate concern to the busy scientist. The text covers all of the important aspects of scientific presentations, ranging from audience awareness to handling questions. Links are included throughout the text to the accompanying DVD, which contains annotated video clips of speakers delivering a talk and demonstrates the common problems found with many presenters, as well as the exercises designed to overcome them. Image files of different slide layouts, colour schemes and font styles demonstrate the design issues that one must consider when creating visual material"--Provided by publisher. "A scientific presentation is normally a formal communication of information to an audience at a conference, seminar or laboratory meeting. The majority of talks describe the background and design of experiments to increase knowledge of a particular scientific phenomenon. Then the results of these experiments are delivered, as well as the conclusions that can be drawn from them. The conclusions drawn from these experiments and the data that support them are almost always the most important pieces of information that can be communicated to an audience of fellow scientists. Presentations are therefore a showcase for your work, or that of your institution. How well you deliver scientific information depends on a number of factors; these include control of nerves and voice, as well as creating visual media that convey information clearly in as short a time as possible"--Provided by publisher.

"Raymond Noe's Employee Training and Development sets the standard in this course area. First introduced in 1998, ETD became the market-defining text within 6 months of publication. Its popularity is due to its lively writing style and relevant examples of the most up-to-date developments in training, research and practice, including the strategic role of training and the use of new technologies in training. Employee Training and Development strikes a balance between research and real company practices. It provides students with a solid background in the fundamentals of training and development such as needs assessment, transfer of training, learning environment design, methods, and evaluation. To help students better understand the relationship between the main elements of the book, the book is now organized into five different parts. Part I focuses on the context for training and development and includes a chapter devoted to strategic training. Part II includes coverage related to the fundamentals of designing training programs. Chapters in Part II focus on needs assessment, learning theories and program design, transfer of training, and training evaluation. Part III focuses on training and development methods and includes chapters devoted to traditional training methods, e-learning and the use of technology in training, employee development, and special issues in employee development, such as managing diversity, succession planning, and cross-cultural preparation. Chapters in Part IV cover career issues and how companies manage careers, as well as challenges in career management, such as dealing with work-life conflict, retirement, and socialization. Finally, Part V provides a look at the future of training and development. "--Publisher's website.