Ask Forgiveness Not Permission

Download or read book Ask Forgiveness Not Permission written by Howard Leedham and published by Bene Factum Publishing. This book was released on 2013-12-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true account of a lone British Special Forces advisor working for the U.S. in Pakistan On retirement from an unusual military career Howard Leedham settled in the U.S. with his American wife and successfully flew executive jets—until he was recruited in 2003 by the State Department's airwing. Despite being British, he had the unusual skills they required, and his specific brief was to activate a fleet of antiterrorist helicopters which had been given to the Pakistan armed forces, but never properly used. This was easier said than done—he had to win over opposition from inside the State Department and in particular from their Islamabad Embassy, and also dispel the suspicions of the Pakistani Armed Forces. The helicopters were released and brought up to the high standard of mechanical and operational maintenance required. He had to get past the closed door of the appropriate Pakistani general—which he did by offering to stand outside the general's bathroom and outline his plans. He was given command of a team of Pathan soldiers to train in Special Forces tactics and helicopter skills—they became an amazingly loyal team and the book describes in detail several very successful discreet operations. Howard had to do all this while under great personal threat, unable to tell who friend and who was foe, even among his own troops. This book recounts in fascinating detail the successes and failures of an unusual military operation in one of the most inhospitable and turbulent environments in the world.

Download or read book Ask Forgiveness Not Permission written by Howard Leedham and published by Bene Factum Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true account of a lone British Special Forces advisor working for the U.S. in Pakistan On retirement from an unusual military career Howard Leedham settled in the U.S. with his American wife and successfully flew executive jets—until he was recruited in 2003 by the State Department's airwing. Despite being British, he had the unusual skills they required, and his specific brief was to activate a fleet of antiterrorist helicopters which had been given to the Pakistan armed forces, but never properly used. This was easier said than done—he had to win over opposition from inside the State Department and in particular from their Islamabad Embassy, and also dispel the suspicions of the Pakistani Armed Forces. The helicopters were released and brought up to the high standard of mechanical and operational maintenance required. He had to get past the closed door of the appropriate Pakistani general—which he did by offering to stand outside the general's bathroom and outline his plans. He was given command of a team of Pathan soldiers to train in Special Forces tactics and helicopter skills—they became an amazingly loyal team and the book describes in detail several very successful discreet operations. Howard had to do all this while under great personal threat, unable to tell who friend and who was foe, even among his own troops. This book recounts in fascinating detail the successes and failures of an unusual military operation in one of the most inhospitable and turbulent environments in the world.

Download or read book The Demon-Haunted World written by Carl Sagan and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2011-07-06 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace “A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. Praise for The Demon-Haunted World “Powerful . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.”—The Washington Post Book World “Compelling.”—USA Today “A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.”—The Sciences “Passionate.”—San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

Download or read book The Forgiveness Tour written by Susan Shapiro and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Apologies Can Help You Move Forward With Your Life “To err is human; to forgive divine.” But what if the person who hurt you most refuses to apologize or express any regret? That’s the question haunting Manhattan journalist Susan Shapiro when her trusted advisor of fifteen years repeatedly lies to her. Stunned by the betrayal, she can barely eat or sleep. She’s always seen herself as big-hearted and benevolent, someone who will forgive anyone anything - as long as they’re remorseful. Yet the addiction specialist who helped her quit smoking, drinking and drugs after decades of self-destruction won’t explain – or stop - his ongoing deceit, leaving her blindsided. Her crisis management strategy is becoming her crisis. To protect her sanity and sobriety, Shapiro ends their relationship and vows they’ll never speak again. Yet ghosting him doesn’t end her distress. She has screaming arguments with him in her mind, relives their fallout in panicked nightmares and even lights a candle, chanting a secret Yiddish curse to exact revenge. In her entrancing, heartfelt new memoir The Forgiveness Tour: How to Find the Perfect Apology, Shapiro wrestles with how to exonerate someone who can’t cough up a measly “my bad” or mumble “mea culpa.” Seeking wisdom, she explores the billion-dollar Forgiveness Industry touting the personal benefits of absolution, where the only choice on every channel is: radical forgiveness. She fears it’s all bullshit. Desperate for enlightenment, she surveys her old rabbis, as well as religious leaders from every denomination. Unable to reconcile all the confusing abstractions, she embarks on a cross country journey where she interviews people who suffered unforgivable wrongs that were never atoned: victims of genocides, sexual assault, infidelity, cruelty and racism. A Holocaust survivor in D.C. admits he’s thrived from spite. A Michigan man meets with the drunk driver who killed his wife and children. A daughter in Seattle grapples with her mother - who stayed married to the father who raped her. Knowing their estrangement isn’t her fault, a Florida mom spends eight years apologizing to her son anyway -with surprising results. Does love mean forever having to say you’re sorry? Critics praised Shapiro’s previous memoir Lighting Up: How I Stopped Smoking, Drinking and Everything Else I Loved in Life Except Sex as fiercely honest, fascinating, funny and “a mind-bendingly good read.” Now the bestselling author and popular writing professor returns with a darker, wiser follow up, addressing the universal enigma of blind forgiving. Shapiro’s brilliant new gurus sooth her broken psyche and answer her burning mystery: How can you forgive someone without an apology? Does she? Should you?

Download or read book The Art of Asking written by Amanda Palmer and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-11 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter. Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of The Art of Asking. Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. The Art of Asking will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

Download or read book Clean Code in Python written by Mariano Anaya and published by Packt Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2018-08-29 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Getting the most out of Python to improve your codebase Key Features Save maintenance costs by learning to fix your legacy codebase Learn the principles and techniques of refactoring Apply microservices to your legacy systems by implementing practical techniques Book Description Python is currently used in many different areas such as software construction, systems administration, and data processing. In all of these areas, experienced professionals can find examples of inefficiency, problems, and other perils, as a result of bad code. After reading this book, readers will understand these problems, and more importantly, how to correct them. The book begins by describing the basic elements of writing clean code and how it plays an important role in Python programming. You will learn about writing efficient and readable code using the Python standard library and best practices for software design. You will learn to implement the SOLID principles in Python and use decorators to improve your code. The book delves more deeply into object oriented programming in Python and shows you how to use objects with descriptors and generators. It will also show you the design principles of software testing and how to resolve software problems by implementing design patterns in your code. In the final chapter we break down a monolithic application to a microservice one, starting from the code as the basis for a solid platform. By the end of the book, you will be proficient in applying industry approved coding practices to design clean, sustainable and readable Python code. What you will learn Set up tools to effectively work in a development environment Explore how the magic methods of Python can help us write better code Examine the traits of Python to create advanced object-oriented design Understand removal of duplicated code using decorators and descriptors Effectively refactor code with the help of unit tests Learn to implement the SOLID principles in Python Who this book is for This book will appeal to team leads, software architects and senior software engineers who would like to work on their legacy systems to save cost and improve efficiency. A strong understanding of Programming is assumed.

Download or read book Permissionless Innovation: The Continuing Case for Comprehensive Technological Freedom written by Adam Thierer and published by Mercatus Center at George Mason University. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Will innovators be forced to seek the blessing of public officials before they develop and deploy new devices and services, or will they be generally left free to experiment with new technologies and business models? In this book, Adam Thierer argues that if the former disposition, “the precautionary principle,” trumps the latter, “permissionless innovation,” the result will be fewer services, lower-quality goods, higher prices, diminished economic growth, and a decline in the overall standard of living. When public policy is shaped by “precautionary principle” reasoning, it poses a serious threat to technological progress, economic entrepreneurialism, and long-run prosperity. By contrast, permissionless innovation has fueled the success of the Internet and much of the modern tech economy in recent years, and it is set to power the next great industrial revolution—if we let it.