Books published by publisher Emerald Publishing Limited

Why aren't the most powerful new technologies being used to solve the world's most important problems: hunger, poverty, conflict, inequality, employment, disease? What's missing?From a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning comes a thought-provoking book that answers these questions. In Link: How Decision Intelligence Connects Data, Actions, and Outcomes for a Better World, Dr. Lorien Pratt explores the solution that is emerging worldwide to take Artificial Intelligence to the next level: Decision Intelligence. Decision Intelligence (DI) goes beyond AI as well, connecting human decision makers in multiple areas like economics, optimization, big data, analytics, psychology, simulation, game theory, and more. Yet despite the sophistication of these approaches, Link shows how they can be used by you and me: connecting us in a way that supercharges our ability to meet the interconnected challenges of our age.Pratt tells the stories of decision intelligence pioneers worldwide, along with examples of their work in areas that include government budgeting, space exploration, emerging democracy conflict resolution, banking, leadership, and much more.Link delivers practical examples of how DI connects people to computers and to each other to help us solve complex interconnected problems. Link explores a variety of scenarios that show readers how to design solutions that change the way problems are considered, data is analyzed, and technologies work together with people.Technology and academics has accelerated beyond our ability to understand or effectively control them. Link brings technology down to earth and connects it to our more natural ways of thinking. It offers a roadmap to the future, empowering us all to make practical steps and take the best actions to solve the hardest problems.

The magnificent Ghosthead Oak has stood watch over coastal Alabama’s mysterious backwater bays and slow-running rivers, where bull alligators rumble the nerves of lesser creatures and every living thing has the capacity to kill, for five hundred years. Some say the fabled giant tree was once a knee-high seedling brushed by the black boot of Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez. No other tree along the entire coastal crescent from New Orleans to Apalachicola can rival its majesty or its power to draw people to it.In silence and with dignity, the Ghosthead has served as sentinel to the widow’s family land for countless generations. It was a childhood friend and a spirit guide in troubled times. Her father is buried in its shade. So why would the widow walk into a biker bar and hire a man to fire up his chainsaw and inflict fatal gashes around its trunk, ending in a few minutes what took five centuries to create?The Widow and the Tree is a tale of dark deeds committed with mercy in mind, provoking the reader to ask: Would I have done the same thing? This book is based on a true story.

This is book two of the Billy Growing Up series written to help children form positive values that will serve them at this stage in their lives. Each book uses the power of traditional storytelling to illustrate, guide, and shape their understanding in a safe environment. In this book, we discuss pride. There are two different kinds of pride. The first is selfless and is based on a person's achievements and qualities. Being proud of how we look, being part of a team or of one's country is a feeling that comes from deep within us. The other type of pride comes from our ego, which is arrogant, selfish, and gives us an inflated opinion of ourselves. In the story, Billy is nasty to his best friend Ant and they have a row. Ant goes away, confused by his friend's behavior. He feels hurt and let down, so he decides to find a new friend. When Billy sees how easily Ant finds someone else to play with, he feels abandoned, becomes annoyed and convinces himself it's not his doing. There is no way he is going to apologize. It is Billy's ego that entices him to go and find his own new friends to show Ant he doesn't need him. Even though it feels a bit uncomfortable, he's feeling confident. He'll show Ant he doesn't need his friendship! Is Billy the sort of person to have as a friend? Will it be possible for Billy and Ant to be mates again? How can they overcome their differences?

Billy Has a Birthday is the first volume in the Billy Growing Up series. The story follows Billy, a young boy who turns 10 on the tenth October - 10, 10, 10 - a once in a lifetime occasion. Billy's excitement at his 'big' birthday perfectly captures that of a child who is bordering on adolescence - each birthday seems so much more important than the last, and the move from single to double figures is one of the greatest of all. On Billy's birthday, he is over the moon to be given a £20 note by his granddad. No more silly children's toys, he can finally buy what he wants. At the age of 10 this seems like a huge amount of money - more than Billy has ever owned. Things take an unpleasant turn when the local bully hears about Billy's birthday present, and forces him to give it up - or else. Billy, like many other children his age, agrees to the bully's demands. Billy is devastated to have lost his special birthday present, but he attempts to keep the situation a secret from his mum and granddad. He has nothing to be ashamed of, but has convinced himself that the adults in his life will be cross if they find out what has happened. Like many bullied children he feels he cannot turn to anyone for help. Fortunately, luck is on Billy's side, and his best friend's little sister finds out about the bully and tells Billy's granddad. Together they are able to hatch a plan to get the note back and to ensure the bully gets what's coming to him! Billy Has a Birthday is a wonderful example of a story that young children can enjoy listening to together with their parents. Using traditional storytelling, it is entertaining while dealing with a serious issue that affect many children as they grow up. Bullying can be a difficult subject for children to talk about, and many feel frightened or embarrassed if they fall victim to bullying. This book acts as the perfect icebreaker for adults and children to begin discussing these issues. The message in the book is clear - you can't rid the world of bullies but you can do something about how you deal with them.

For seven to nine year old boys and girls. Children, usually driven by peer-pressure, want the latest toys, electronics, and clothes, but have little understanding of the value of money or where it comes from. This is essential knowledge for later years. Billy wants a new skateboard and games controller, but doesn't understand why he can't have them bought for him. He doesn't pay anything towards other household costs, so why does he have to contribute to a toy? His mum and dad are presented with some large and unexpected household bills, but once Billy understands the challenges his parent's face, it makes him respect them more, and understand how much they work to invest in their family. Does Billy get a new skateboard? Who pays for it? Will the family afford to go on holiday this year? Billy Wants It All is the seventh title in the Billy Books series. Each book addresses a unique topic - bullying, arrogant pride, jealousy, lying, stealing, lack of self-belief, understanding money, and secrets. Written to help parents, guardians, and teachers deal with the issues that challenge preteen children; each topic is presented in a gentle way through storytelling. Setting the issues in a meaningful context helps children to understand the challenges, and to see things from a different perspective. The books act as icebreakers allowing for discussions of difficult subjects. Buying this book today will help your child learn about the value of money and where it comes from.

Billy Field is given an opportunity to act in the school play, but he tells himself he can't do it. He convinces himself that he'll never learn all the lines. Feeling unsure and vulnerable, he thinks of all the ways he can get out of playing the part. Instead he becomes a member of the stage crew, and without even realizing it, he learns the lines, not only for the main part but all the other parts too. Following an accident befalling Ant Turner who is playing the lead role, the play might have to be cancelled. Is Billy able to play the main part? Will Ant be well enough to save the day? Does Billy overcome his lack of self-belief? Billy Saves the Day is the sixth title in the Billy Books series. Each book addresses a unique topic - bullying, arrogant pride, jealousy, lying, stealing, lack of self-belief, understanding money, and secrets. Written to help parents, guardians and teachers deal with the issues that challenge pre-teen children, each topic is presented in a gentle way through storytelling. Setting the issues in a meaningful context helps children to understand the challenges, and to see things from a different perspective. The books act as icebreakers allowing for discussions of difficult subjects. Downloading this book today will aid your child to gain confidence in their abilities and belief in themselves.

Stealing is taking another person's property without permission or payment, and without intending to return it. Most people have stolen something at one time or another, be it a pen from the office stationery cabinet, the soap from a hotel room, or not volunteered a bus fare. At the other end of the scale, people facing extreme hardship steal food or other necessities for their family's survival, because it is the only option they have. People see stealing in different ways. Stealing from a shop or company feels less impactful than stealing from an individual because we assume they have plenty. However, there are always consequences; if no one pays for the shop items, the shopkeeper will soon go out of business. There is also a type of stealing that may not be considered as stealing, such as acquiring someone else's idea, their music or their story. This is especially true today with Internet downloads, but it is still theft. Max knows that stealing is wrong but at first she justifies it to herself, and even acts as if she just forgot to pay for the item. But stealing at whatever level is a crime, and if we get caught there are serious consequences like fines or a prison sentence. Parents can teach their children that stealing is wrong by insisting they return whatever item they have taken and apologize to the owner. This makes the child understand that if they take something that doesn't belong to them it impacts the other person, and it is wrong. Max is made aware that her only option is to return the item and apologize, when it is pointed out by her friend Billy. She was able to understand the impact of her actions. Children especially are susceptible to being persuaded by their peers to steal, perhaps by being dared to shoplift. This is part of learning how to deal with bullies who are able to manipulate vulnerable people. It is very hard in this case not to do as you're told, so these types of people are best avoided.

In The Battle to Do Good, former McDonald's executive Bob Langert takes readers on a behind-the-scenes eye witness account of the mega brand's battle to address numerous societal hot-button issues, such as packaging, waste, recycling, obesity, deforestation, and animal welfare. From the late 80s, McDonald's landed smack in the middle of one contentious issue after another, often locking horns with powerful NGOs such as Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Corporate Accountability.This sudden shift from being the beloved Golden Arches since opening its doors in 1955, to the demon of many societal ills, caught McDonald's off guard. Langert chronicles the highs and lows that McDonald's experienced in turbulent times and how its sustainability journey evolved from playing defense to strategically solving issues with unlikely partners, including a whirling dervish, autistic animal scientist, and avid environmentalists from the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.Packed with first-hand anecdotes, interviews with key McDonald's executives and NGO leaders, and scores of lessons learned, The Battle to Do Good is a sustainability page turner that provides unique insights and guidance on how to successfully navigate and manage today's societal issues to make the business stronger, more relevant, and more profitable.

Using traditional storytelling, as well as providing an entertaining listen, this book discusses jealousy. Jealousy is based on wanting something for ourselves that someone else has. As children, we learn by making comparisons with others. Jealousy usually involves another person. Seeing them with something we want but do not have can lead us to harm and bring unhappiness to the other person at whatever cost. These emotions can also generate feelings of guilt and shame, as we know deep down that we are actually harming the other person. Unfortunately, jealousy only harms the person who is feeling it.

L. M. Montgomery's beautiful Island scrapbooks, covering a period from 1893 to mid-1910, are finally back in print. Reflecting Montgomery's youth and optimism, these full-colour pages are filled with meaningful insight into the life of a young writer's inspiration during the period when she would create the beloved character of Anne Shirley, who would win the hearts of readers worldwide with the publication of Anne of Green Gables in 1908. With annotations and notes from Montgomery scholar Elizabeth Epperly, Imagining Anne allows fans a revealing look inside the mind of one of the most cherished writers of the twentieth century.

For seven- to nine-year-old boys and girls. Keeping secrets safe can be a burden for a child. Children need to be able to confide in a responsible adult. Help your child understand the impact that keeping secrets can have on all those involved. Billy Field and Ant Turner are asked to keep a secret from Max Turner, Ant's sister, about her upcoming birthday present. What starts off as innocent fun ends up being nasty when Ant uses the secret to get his own back. When Billy accidentally damages his dad's new car, he makes a pact with Ant about keeping it a secret. This puts a burden on them both and nearly gets Eddy Jost into a lot of trouble. Does Max find out what her surprise birthday present is? Does Eddy get into more trouble? Will Billy own up? How does Ant cope with keeping secrets? Billy Knows a Secret is the eighth title in the Billy Growing Up series. Each book addresses a unique topic - bullying, arrogant pride, jealousy, lying, stealing, lack of self-belief, understanding money, and secrets. Written to help parents, guardians, and teachers deal with the issues that challenge preteen children, each topic is presented in a gentle way through storytelling. Setting the issues in a meaningful context helps children to understand the challenges and to see things from a different perspective. The books act as icebreakers, allowing for discussions of difficult subjects. Buying this book today will guide your child in dealing with this destructive behavior.

She could barely look after herself. Now, she's looking after the entire planet.After an incident with a hot-air balloon causes college-dropout Sally Webber to lose her job, she sets off to find direction in her life. Crashing into a teleporting alien, however, is not on her to-do list. Now she’s on the run from TV-drama-loving aliens, and things are just getting started. Zander won’t stop reeling her into life-or-death situations to save her planet, as he waits for his laser-wielding sister to search the universe for him. Though Sally isn’t quite sure if he wants to save Earth from annihilation, or just quell his curiosity of all things human.Now she’s got to find lost alien emissaries, as well as a job, and stop the planet from getting incinerated in the process. But with Zander as her roommate, what could possibly go wrong?(Contents suitable for Young Adult readers)"S.E. Anderson's debut is a hilarious galactic romp with loving nods to Hitch Hiker's Guide to Galaxy but with a voice all its own. It's quirky, fun, and utterly enjoyable."~Dragon Award-nominated author, R.R. Virdi of The Grave Report and The Books of Winter.