Books with author E. O'Donnell

"You can't help falling in love with this hilarious upside-down take on Dungeons & Dragons. I read; I cheered; I laughed out loud."--Gordon Korman"A terrific switcheroo on the "trapped in a video game" premise"--ALA Booklist (starred review).""A rollicking, affectionate parody of fantasy role-playing. "--Kirkus ReviewsIn the mystical realm of Bríandalör, every day the brave and the bold delve into hidden temples or forgotten dungeons, battling vile monsters and evil wizards to loot their treasure hoards for sweet, sweet magic items. But in their free time, our heroes--Thromdurr the mighty barbarian, Devis the shifty thief, Vela the noble paladin, Sorrowshade the Gloom Elf assassin, and Albiorix the (good!) wizard--need to relax and unwind.That's why they meet up once a week to play Homerooms & Hall Passes: a role-playing game where they assume the characters of average American eighth graders.But when the five young adventurers are magically transported into their H&H game by an ancient curse, they must band together to survive their toughest challenge yet: middle school.Who knew that battling ogres would be easier than passing algebra or navigating the cafeteria social scene? They must use what they've learned from playing Homerooms & Hall Passes to figure out how to save their game world (which might actually be real...).Dungeons & Dragons meets Jumanji in this new, laugh-out-loud adventure series from the author of the beloved Hamstersaurus Rex series.

In her first adventure for British Intelligence Modesty Blaise with her loyal lieutenant, Willie Garvin, must foil a multi-million pound diamond heist. Bored and restive, Modesty is looking for a mission when she is approached by the head of the British Intelligence. Britain is shipping ten million pounds worth of diamonds from South Africa to Beirut as partial payment for an oil concession to a Middle Eastern sheikh and the rumour is that the secrecy of this mission has been uncovered and someone may try to steal it. Modesty's knowledge and contacts within the international underworld make her the perfect person to solve the case. Knowing the difficulty of the mission, she first has to save Willie from captivity in South America. Then they travel from London to the South of France, across the Mediterranean to Cairo before battling, against impossible odds, a private army of professional killers.

An examination of work, the organization of work, and the market forces that surround it, through the lens of the collaborative practice of game development.Rank-and-file game developers bring videogames from concept to product, and yet their work is almost invisible, hidden behind the famous names of publishers, executives, or console manufacturers. In this book, Casey O'Donnell examines the creative collaborative practice of typical game developers. His investigation of why game developers work the way they do sheds light on our understanding of work, the organization of work, and the market forces that shape (and are shaped by) media industries. O'Donnell shows that the ability to play with the underlying systems―technical, conceptual, and social―is at the core of creative and collaborative practice, which is central to the New Economy. When access to underlying systems is undermined, so too is creative collaborative process. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in game studios in the United States and India, O'Donnell stakes out new territory empirically, conceptually, and methodologically. Mimicking the structure of videogames, the book is divided into worlds, within which are levels; and each world ends with a boss fight, a “rant” about lessons learned and tools mastered. O'Donnell describes the process of videogame development from pre-production through production, considering such aspects as experimental systems, “socially mandatory” overtime, and the perpetual startup machine that exhausts young, initially enthusiastic workers. He links work practice to broader systems of publishing, manufacturing, and distribution; introduces the concept of a privileged “actor-intra-internetwork”; and describes patent and copyright enforcement by industry and the state.

This book is written principally for the use of the non-academic apprentice electrician. Its practical spproach will supply the reader with the confidence and knowledtge that is necessary to enable him to carry out his everyday work in an efficient manner and will help to prepare him for theCity and Guilds certificate in Electrical Installation. The work will also be of interest to those in the industry wishing to brush up on the subject.The book gives practical information on the various types of wiring used in domestic and industrial installations. Starting with Ohm's Law, it uses simple equations throughout for resistance, current, power, heating effect, etc., so that the basic theory is well covered. It goes on to circuits,bells, batteries, motors, certification and lighting.In this third edition great care has been taken to ensure that the units, symbols, circuit diagrams and abbreviations comply with the current I.E.E. regulations and B.S. 3939.Recent City and Guilds examination questions have been added to the text.The craft student will find the volume fully comprehensive, clear and well illustrated.

Don't mess with Timothy.He might seem like your average chipmunk who loves seeds, sunbathing and enjoying a quiet life in the suburbs. But after new neighbors move in and wreak havoc, they will have to come face to face with his wit and resourcefulness.The last straw is that the new neighbors keep calling him Chip. Convincing all manner of rodents and other small wildlife to work together, Timothy launches an assault against their invasive neighbors.Based on a true character, this book is a clean, fun read for eight-grade reading level and over.Praise from readers:★★★★★ - "Being a lover of all animals myself, I enjoyed this well written story. This is a wonderful read for young and old alike."★★★★★ - "Makes you more aware of wildlife and how we destroy their land. A delightful book."★★★★★ - "A great read for the young and the young-at-heart."

Chorkle and its human friends Hollins, twins Becky and Nicki, and Little Gus (who is now lobbying to be called Medium Gus) have been warped to a strange new galaxy. When Kalac is stranded on neighboring planet Kyral, the gang takes matters into its own hands (and thol'grazes) and sets off on a daring rescue mission. Along the way, they'll befriend a whole new species and form some very unlikely alliances, all while navigating bizarre and dangerous terrain. Can they manage to save Kalac? Or are they doomed to warp through the galaxy forever? With brilliant prose and unforgettable characters, For the Love of Gelo is filled with adventure, laughs, and a ton of heart.“O’Donnell’s debut is an imaginative, smart and laugh-out-loud adventure. Chorkle is charming, and its alien perspective on the human invaders and the ensuing culture clash never falters.”—Kirkus

Implement Configuration Management Databases that Deliver Rapid ROI and Sustained Business Value Implementing an enterprise-wide Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is one of the most influential actions an IT organization can take to improve service delivery and bridge the gap between technology and the business. With a well-designed CMDB in place, companies are better positioned to manage and optimize IT infrastructure, applications, and services; automate more IT management tasks; and restrain burgeoning costs. Now, there’s an objective, vendor-independent guide to making a CMDB work in your organization. The CMDB Imperative presents a start-to-finish implementation methodology that works and describes how the CMDB is shifting to the superior Configuration Management System (CMS). Expert CMDB industry analyst Glenn O’Donnell and leading-edge architect and practitioner Carlos Casanova first review the drivers behind a CMDB and the technical, economic, cultural, and political obstacles to success. Drawing on the experiences of hundreds of organizations, they present indispensable guidance on architecting and customizing CMDB solutions to your specific environment. They’ll guide you through planning, implementation, transitioning into production, day-to-day operation and maintenance, and much more. Coverage includes Defining the tasks and activities associated with configuration management Understanding the CMDB’s role in ITIL and the relationship between CMDBs and ITIL v3’s CMS Building software models that accurately represent each entity in your IT environment Ensuring information accuracy via change management and automated discovery Understanding the state of the CMDB market and selling the CMDB within your organization Creating federated CMDB architectures that successfully balance autonomy with centralized control Planning a deployment strategy that sets appropriate priorities and reflects a realistic view of your organization’s maturity Integrating systems and leveraging established and emerging standards Previewing the future of the CMDB/CMS and how it will be impacted by key trends such as virtualization, SOA, mobility, convergence, and “flexi-sourcing” Foreword xi Prologue xiii Chapter 1: The Need for Process Discipline 1 Chapter 2: What Is a CMDB? 25 Chapter 3: Planning for the CMS 57 Chapter 4: The Federated CMS Architecture 91 Chapter 5: CMS Deployment Strategy 133 Chapter 6: Integration—There’s No Way Around It! 177 Chapter 7: The Future of the CMS 197 Chapter 8: Continual Improvement for the CMS 241 Chapter 9: Leveraging the CMS 265 Chapter 10: Enjoy the Fruits of Success 297 Glossary 313