Everyone knows that species go extinct and biodiversity decreases. It seems obvious that this loss might have disastrous consequences. Maybe because of a cascading effect we will end up in a barren moonscape – and if that does not happen, we at the very least remain dependent on biodiversity for food, health and well-being.

This essay tries to remove some fear; there are no reasons to believe that biodiversity loss will cause any kind of disaster. Nature is not like a machine that stalls i...

There is a popular practice of Anglican choral evensong in the Netherlands outside the context of the Anglican Church. Dutch choirs perform the Anglican ‘daily prayer’ liturgy: with preces and responses, psalms, canticles, hymns and an anthem, as well as lessons and spoken prayers. Choral evensong attracts many people: believers (of all denominations), ex-believers and non-believers. This paradox, the popularity of choral evensong in a so-called secularized country such as the Netherlands...

This work synthesizes art-historical and anthropological methods in the analysis of a large corpus of indigenous figure pendants, commonly called “amulets,” from the Greater Antilles and Bahamas. Figure pendants, ubiquitous in Caribbean collections, are small carvings of spirit beings perforated for suspension against the body. The data are drawn from new photographs, measurements, and observations of 535 specimens compiled by the author during 2011-2018 in research visits to 34 museums a...

This book examines the mutual influence of architecture and human action during a key period of history: the Hellenistic age. During this era, the profound transformations in the Mediterranean's archaeological and historical record are detectable, pointing to a conscious intertwining of the physical (landscape, architecture, bodies) and social (practice) components of built space.

Compiling the outcomes of a conference held in Kiel in 2018, the volume assembles contributions focusing on Hellen...

This book explores how Western European psychotherapists, interviewed between 2016 and 2019, understand spirituality and how they address spiritual matters in clinical sessions.

By studying a purposive sample of 15 Clinicians from Spain, England, Switzerland, Greece, Norway and Denmark, it was found that these shared similar views about spirituality, understood as dynamic, fluid and independent from religion. The interviewed psychotherapists showed great variation in their psychotherapy trai...

Barkcloth or tapa, a cloth made from the inner bark of trees, was widely used in place of woven cloth in the Pacific islands until the 19th century. A ubiquitous material, it was integral to the lives of islanders and used for clothing, furnishings and ritual artefacts. Material Approaches to Polynesian Barkcloth takes a new approach to the study of the history of this region through its barkcloth heritage, focusing on the plants themselves and surviving objects in historic collections. This ...

Barkcloth or tapa, a cloth made from the inner bark of trees, was widely used in place of woven cloth in the Pacific islands until the 19th century. A ubiquitous material, it was integral to the lives of islanders and used for clothing, furnishings and ritual artefacts. Material Approaches to Polynesian Barkcloth takes a new approach to the study of the history of this region through its barkcloth heritage, focusing on the plants themselves and surviving objects in historic collections. This ...

Summary Blockchain technology has come a long way since the initial vision published by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. Big buzz words like "bitcoin," "blockchain," and "cryptocurrency" are everywhere. Companies and governments have started to use blockchain technology in earnest and will increasingly do so for the foreseeable future. This book takes an in-depth look at blockchain technology and how users can take advantage of its potential.

Since its initial conception, blockchain has encompasse...

This is the universal module, that is a key component of both, ITIL 4 Managing Professional and ITIL 4 Strategic Leader streams.

It is aimed at managers of all levels involved in shaping direction and strategy or developing a continually improving team. It provides individuals with the practical skills necessary to create a 'learning and improving' IT organization, with a strong and effective strategic direction.

The module covers the influence and impact of Agile and Lean ways of working, an...

Open Agile Architecture™, a standard of The Open Group, offers an approach to architect at scale with agility. It provides guidance and best practices for Enterprise Architects seeking to transition into Agile and Digital contexts.

Empowering an Enterprise to Succeed with its Digital-Agile Transformation

Agile teams drive the enterprise’s Digital Transformation by inventing new business models, delivering superior customer experiences, developing digital products, and architecting highly...