Books about Sampling from Amazon.com

Why would a casino try and stop you from losing? How can a mathematical formula find your future spouse? Would you know if a statistical analysis blackballed you from a job you wanted?

Today, number crunching affects your life in ways you might never imagine In this lively and groundbreaking new book, economist Ian Ayres shows how today's best and brightest organizations are analyzing massive databases at lightening speed to provide greater insights into human behavior. They are the Super Crunchers. From internet sites like Google and Amazon that know your tastes better than you do, to a physician's diagnosis and your child's education, to boardrooms and government agencies, this new breed of decision makers are calling the shots. And they are delivering staggeringly accurate results. How can a football coach evaluate a player without ever seeing him play? Want to know whether the price of an airline ticket will go up or down before you buy? How can a formula outpredict wine experts in determining the best vintages? Super crunchers have the answers. In this brave new world of equation versus expertise, Ayres shows us the benefits and risks, who loses and who wins, and how super crunching can be used to help, not manipulate us.

Gone are the days of solely relying on intuition to make decisions. No businessperson, consumer, or student who wants to stay ahead of the curve should make another keystroke without reading Super Crunchers..
Price: $14.07 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The groundbreaking mix CD that accompanies this book features Nam Jun Paik, the Dada Movement, John Cage, Sonic Youth, and many other examples of avant-garde music. Most of the CD's content comes from the archives of Sub Rosa, a legendary record label that has been the benchmark for archival sounds since the beginnings of electronic music. (For a complete list of audio credits, see below.)

If Rhythm Science was about the flow of things, Sound Unbound is about the remix--how music, art, and literature have blurred the lines between what an artist can do and what a composer can create. In Sound Unbound, Rhythm Science author Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid asks artists to describe their work and compositional strategies in their own words. These are reports from the front lines on the role of sound and digital media in an information-based society. The topics are as diverse as the contributors: composer Steve Reich offers a memoir of his life with technology, from tape loops to video opera; Miller himself considers sampling and civilization; novelist Jonathan Lethem writes about appropriation and plagiarism; science fiction writer Bruce Sterling looks at dead media; Ron Eglash examines racial signifiers in electrical engineering; media activist Naeem Mohaiemen explores the influence of Islam on hip hop; rapper Chuck D contributes "Three Pieces"; musician Brian Eno explores the sound and history of bells; Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno interview composer-conductor Pierre Boulez; and much more. "Press 'play,'" Miller writes, "and this anthology says 'here goes.'"

Contributors:
David Allenby, Pierre Boulez, Catherine Corman, Chuck D, Erik Davis, Scott De Lahunta, Manuel DeLanda, Cory Doctorow, Eveline Domnitch, Frances Dyson, Ron Eglash, Brian Eno, Dmitry Gelfand, Dick Hebdige, Lee Hirsch, Vijay Iyer, Ken Jordan, Douglas Kahn, Daphne Keller, Beryl Korot, Jaron Lanier, Joseph Lanza, Jonathan Lethem, Carlo McCormick, Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid, Moby, Naeem Mohaiemen, Alondra Nelson, Keith and Mendi Obadike, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Pauline Oliveros, Philippe Parreno, Ibrahim Quraishi, Steve Reich, Simon Reynolds, Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud, Nadine Robinson, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Alex Steinweiss, Bruce Sterling, Lucy Walker, Saul Williams, Jeff E. Winner.

On the CD:

1. RadioMentale and Matthew Herbert, "Cool Noises"
2. Martyn Bates/Allen Ginsberg, "Once Loved/A Footnote to 'Howl' (DJ Spooky Remix)"
3. Jean Cocteau, "Le buste (DJ Spooky Remix)"
4. Sun Ra, "Imagination"
5. Mikhail/Gertrude Stein, "Untitled in CoF Minor/A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson (DJ Spooky Remix)"
6. DJ Spooky vs. Rob Swift, "Scratch Battle"
7. Marcel Duchamp/The Master Musicians of Joujouka/RadioMentale, "The Creative Act/Interview with George Heard Hamilton/Boujeloud (Solo Drums)/I Could Never Make That Music Again"
8. Raymond Scott, "The Paperwork Explosion"
9. Alter Echo/Pamela Z, "Perpetual Next/Pop Titles 'You'"*
10. Liam Gillick/ RadioMentale and Aphex Twin, "Sarah (Los Angeles Soundtrack)/I Could Never Make That Music Again"
11. James Joyce/Erik Satie, "Eolian Episode/Gnossiene (DJ Spooky Dub Version)"
12. Steve Reich, "Reed Phase"
13. Shukar/RadioMentale/Raoul Hausmann, "Cika-Laka/Cool Noises/Bbb"
14. Augustos de Campos/Bill Laswell/To Rococo Rot, "Dias Dias Dias (Spoken by Caetano Veloso)/Above the Earth/Contacte"
15. John Cage, "Rozart Mix"
16. Antonin Artaud, "Pour Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu (To Have Done with God's Judgment) (DJ Spooky Remix)"
17. DJ Spooky, "One Laptop Theme"
18. Susan Deyhim, "The Spilled Cup (DJ Spooky Remix)"
19. Raymond Scott, "General Motors: Futurama (Interstitial)"
20. Marcel Duchamp/George Lewis and Aki Takase, "Erratum Musical (Score for Three Voices)/Voyage for Three"
21. Bill Laswell/René Magritte, "Ghost Dub/Le Surréalisme et les Questions"
22. Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker/Pauline Oliveros, "The First Set— Area 4 (Solo)/A Little Noise in the System (Moog System)"
23. Bora Yoon, "// (DJ Spooky Remix)"
24. Pierre Schaeffer, "Cinqétudes de bruits: Étude violette"
25. Daniel Bernard Roumain and Ryuichi Sakamoto, "The Need to Be"**
26. Phillip Glass, "Music in Fifths"
27. Edgard Varèse, "Poème électronique"
28. Iannis Xenakis, "Concret PH"
29. Ryoji Ikeda, "One Minute"
30. Sonic Youth, "Audience (DJ Spooky Remix)"
31. Alter Echo/Ge-te Do-pe, "Aftermath of Creations Dub (in Three Parts)/Dong Lim"
32. Terry Riley/Alter Echo, "Dorian Reeds/Aftermath of Creations Dub (in Three Parts)"
33. Luigi Russolo/DJ Spooky, "Corale/FTP > Bundle/Conduit 23"
34. Fanfare Savale/Vladimir Mayakovsky, "Rumba Lu Georgel/I Know the Power of Words"
35. Droma/Trilok Gurtu and Bill Laswell, "Pilgrim's Song (Trala Shepa)/Kala"
36. Nam Jun Paik, "Hommage à John Cage"
37. Morton Subotnick/DJ Spooky, "Mandolin/Acid Bassline"
38. The Master Musicians of Joujouka/Hans Arp, "Mali Mal Hal M'Halmaz/Boujeloud (Solo Drums)/Dada-Sprüche"
39. Sub Swara/Kurt Schwitters, "Koli Stance/Anna Blume"
40. Walter Ruttmann/Troupe from Taschingang, "Week End/Ache Lhamo"
41. Raymond Scott, "Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People"
42. Martyn Bates/Trinlem, "I Can't Look for You/The Palaces of Gesar's Family (DJ Spooky Remix)"
43. Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky, "Incantation for Tape"
44. Carsten Nicolai, "Time ... Dot(3)"
45. William S. Burroughs and Iggy Pop with Techno Animal, "The Western Land"

*From Pamela Z's A Delay Is Better CD released by Starkland (www.starkland.com).
**"The Need to Be" is from DBR's album etudes4violin&electronix released on Thirsty Ear Recordings.

Special thanks for Editorial Assistance to Roy Christopher..
Price: $17.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This collection of Danish recipes was inspired by the puffy round aebleskiver, an expression of the creative spirit of the Danish cook who turns ordinary mealtimes into succulent feasts. Included are recipes from Lisa Steen Riggs' personal collection, the staff of the Danish Windmill and Immigrant Museum, friends, and love-to-cook contributors. Among the over 115 recipes, you will find choices from the exotic to "Bedstemor's" (grandmother's) best. The Aebleskiver section includes hints and tips for using the special aebleskiver pan, cooking, and serving, as well as a variety of favorite recipes for these doughnut-like treats. Other savory, typically Danish recipes are found in Coffee Cakes; Sweet Breads; Pastries; Breads; Rolls; Rusks; Smorrebrod; Salads; Soups; Main Dishes; Vegetables; Sauces & Dressing for Meats, Fish & Vegetables; Cakes and Other Desserts; Cookes; and Drinks. You will find "Great Grandma's Danish Aebleskiver," "Danish Kringle," "Danish Rye Bread," "Some Favored Combinations" (smorrebrod), "Herring Salad," Holiday Fruit Soup," "Danish Stew with Dumplings," "Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage," "Creamy Danish Blue Cheese Dressing," "Danish Layer Cake," "Danish Anise Seed Cookies," " Chrismtas Punch," and much more. Interesting historical reference covers the Danish Windmill, The Danish Immigrant Museum, the Danish settlement of Elk Horn, as well as other Danish historic sites..
Price: $6.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Designing & Conducting Survey Research, third edition

Since it was first published in 1992, Designing and Conducting Survey Research has become the standard reference in the field for public and nonprofit managers who are responsible for conducting effective and meaningful survey research. This updated and expanded third edition builds on the first two volumes and contains additional statistical techniques, new reporting methods that meet the growing demands for accountability, and more user-friendly analysis methods.

Designing and Conducting Survey Research is a complete, practical guide to conducting sample survey research. In a comprehensive manner, it explains all major components of survey research, including construction of the instrument, administration of the process, and analysis and reporting of results. Clear, concise, and accessible, this guide explains how to conduct a survey research project from start to finish. Further, it shows how this research method can be applied in such diverse fields as urban affairs, social science, and public administration. Designing and Conducting Survey Research is an excellent tool that will help both professionals and students understand and explain the validity of sample survey research.

Praise for the Previous Edition of Designing & Conducting Survey Research

"Clear, thorough, well-written, and eminently practical. Takes you step by step through all you need to know to conduct a survey or evaluate one and provides a basic understanding of the theoretical basis of sampling. The clarity of the book makes it a model for effective instruction and one that opens the road for those who must master the subject themselves."
-Norton Long, professor emeritus of political science, University of Missouri, St. Louis

"A basic tool for conducting survey research projects that any researcher can understand and use. Freed of confusing statistical theory yet comprehensive in approach, with step by step details."
-John B. Sauvajot, public management consultant and former deputy chief administrative officer, San Diego County

"Demystifies the arcane world of pollsters and survey research. Anyone who conducts surveys, hires survey consultants, reads reports, or makes policy based on survey data will benefit from this book."
-Robert J. Waste, Survey Research Center, California State University, Chico.
Price: $34.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Information regarding population status and abundance of rare species plays a key role in resource management decisions Ideally, data should be collected using statistically sound sampling methods, but by their very nature, rare or elusive species pose a difficult sampling challenge.

Sampling Rare or Elusive Species describes the latest sampling designs and survey methods for reliably estimating occupancy, abundance, and other population parameters of rare, elusive, or otherwise hard-to-detect plants and animals. It offers a mixture of theory and application, with actual examples from terrestrial, aquatic, and marine habitats around the world.

Sampling Rare or Elusive Species is the first volume devoted entirely to this topic and provides natural resource professionals with a suite of innovative approaches to gathering population status and trend data. It represents an invaluable reference for natural resource professionals around the world, including fish and wildlife biologists, ecologists, biometricians, natural resource managers, and all others whose work or research involves rare or elusive species.

.
Price: $36.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This introductory ecology lab manual focuses on the process of collecting, recording and analyzing data, and equips students with the tools they need to function in more advanced science courses. It reflects the most current techniques for data gathering so that students can obtain the most accurate samples. Balanced coverage of plant, animal and physical elements offers a diverse range of exercises. Includes exercise on writing research reports..
Price: $69.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

• Includes a new chapter on logistic regression.
• Discusses the design and analysis of random trials.
• Explores the latest applications of sample size tables.
• Contains a new section on binomial distribution.

.
Price: $94.16 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Since the first publication of Designing Surveys: A Guide to Decisions and Procedures in the mid-90s, the technologies used to conduct surveys have changed dramatically. New technologies have not only aided survey research, but they have created new and difficult problems and obstacles. The public’s sensitivity to matters of privacy and the use of data may have been raised by the impact of more powerful technologies for data linkage and data dissemination.

The Second Edition accounts for changes in telephone, Internet, and email surveying and provides a more comprehensive treatment on questionnaire testing. Despite changing technologies, however, the principles of scientific survey design remain unchanged, including the selection of the sample, the writing of questions to solicit an unbiased response, and the ethical treatment of human subjects. This new edition addresses these issues in the context of new and emerging technologies and their relationship to survey design and the social sciences.

New to the Second Edition

• Addresses the methodology of Internet surveys, including a summary of experiences and practices to date, and how Internet surveys interface with more traditional methods
• Analyzes the changes in telephone survey design and data collection procedures due to rising nonresponse rates as well as call screening and other technologies
• Explores the increased use of Web sites and package programs for variance estimation, data analysis, and data dissemination
• Provides expanded material on behavior coding, cognitive interviewing, and the implications for pretesting practices
• Includes an updated and expanded bibliography and glossary

Designing Surveys provides an accurate account of how modern survey research is actually conducted, but with the needs and goals of a novice researcher in mind. The text is aimed at the undergraduate survey research or survey methods courses in the social sciences, including Sociology, Social Work, Anthropology, and Political Science.

(20060713).
Price: $34.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Wouldn't it be great if there were a statistics book that made histograms, probability distributions, and chi square analysis more enjoyable than going to the dentist? Head First Statistics brings this typically dry subject to life, teaching you everything you want and need to know about statistics through engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking material, full of puzzles, stories, quizzes, visual aids, and real-world examples.

Whether you're a student, a professional, or just curious about statistical analysis, Head First's brain-friendly formula helps you get a firm grasp of statistics so you can understand key points and actually use them. Learn to present data visually with charts and plots; discover the difference between taking the average with mean, median, and mode, and why it's important; learn how to calculate probability and expectation; and much more.

Head First Statistics is ideal for high school and college students taking statistics and satisfies the requirements for passing the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics Exam. With this book, you'll:

• Study the full range of topics covered in first-year statistics
• Tackle tough statistical concepts using Head First's dynamic, visually rich format proven to stimulate learning and help you retain knowledge
• Explore real-world scenarios, ranging from casino gambling to prescription drug testing, to bring statistical principles to life
• Discover how to measure spread, calculate odds through probability, and understand the normal, binomial, geometric, and Poisson distributions
• Conduct sampling, use correlation and regression, do hypothesis testing, perform chi square analysis, and more

Before you know it, you'll not only have mastered statistics, you'll also see how they work in the real world. Head First Statistics will help you pass your statistics course, and give you a firm understanding of the subject so you can apply the knowledge throughout your life..
Price: $23.09 [Notify me when price goes down.]