Extra Lives

In Extra Lives, acclaimed writer and life-long video game enthusiast Tom Bissell takes the reader on an insightful and entertaining tour of the art and meaning of video games. In just a few decades, video games have grown increasingly complex and sophisticated, and the companies that produce them are now among the most profitable in the entertainment industry. Yet few outside this world have thought deeply about how these games work, why they are so appealing, and what they are capable of artistically. Blending memoir, criticism, and first-rate reportage, Extra Lives is a milestone work about what might be the dominant popular art form of our time.

The games industry moves fast, with release schedules flying by in a blur and hardware constantly changing and updating. But outside the official world of licences and publishing deals, hundreds of games every year find a new home on consoles which have since been abandoned by their manufacturers. This is the hobbyist’s playground of homebrew gaming. The first book by freelance journalist and game developer Robin Wilde, Homebrew Game Development and The Extra Lives of Consoles is the first comprehensive history of the unlicensed and unofficial world of homebrew video games. It explores the methods, enthusiasm and motivations behind the developers who are defying technical limitations and turning nostalgia into brand new gaming experiences for retro consoles. Featuring exclusive interviews with developers behind homebrew hits and Kickstarter successes, as well as others working in the industry, the book dives into what makes the homebrew world tick, and explores some of the best, most innovative, and strangest titles gracing long-retired consoles. As well as providing unique insight into obscure titles, Homebrew Game Development and The Extra Lives of Consoles explores the ongoing developments in this cottage industry, which are opening it up to more and more aspiring developers. Homebrew is an exciting new frontier for game development, and this book opens the door both for readers who were already interested but didn’t know where to start, and gamers who never knew this world existed.

“Offers a useful reminder of the role of modern science in fundamentally transforming all of our lives.” —President Barack Obama (on Twitter) “An important book.” —Steven Pinker, The New York Times Book Review The surprising and important story of how humans gained what amounts to an extra life, from the bestselling author of How We Got to Now and Where Good Ideas Come From In 1920, at the end of the last major pandemic, global life expectancy was just over forty years. Today, in many parts of the world, human beings can expect to live more than eighty years. As a species we have doubled our life expectancy in just one century. There are few measures of human progress more astonishing than this increased longevity. Extra Life is Steven Johnson’s attempt to understand where that progress came from, telling the epic story of one of humanity’s greatest achievements. How many of those extra years came from vaccines, or the decrease in famines, or seatbelts? What are the forces that now keep us alive longer? Behind each breakthrough lies an inspiring story of cooperative innovation, of brilliant thinkers bolstered by strong systems of public support and collaborative networks, and of dedicated activists fighting for meaningful reform. But for all its focus on positive change, this book is also a reminder that meaningful gaps in life expectancy still exist, and that new threats loom on the horizon, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear. How do we avoid decreases in life expectancy as our public health systems face unprecedented challenges? What current technologies or interventions that could reduce the impact of future crises are we somehow ignoring? A study in how meaningful change happens in society, Extra Life celebrates the enduring power of common goals and public resources, and the heroes of public health and medicine too often ignored in popular accounts of our history. This is the sweeping story of a revolution with immense public and personal consequences: the doubling of the human life span.

The Sunday Times bestselling memoir through video games by YouTube star DanNerdCubed

Everyone experiences drama and unexpected changes in their lives. Weve all exulted and endured. Weve had loves and losses. Weve tasted joys and sorrows and successes and setbacks. But each person reacts differently to these issues. In Our Emotional Footprint author Dr. Saul Levine examines humans reactions to relationships, life changes, and unexpected events. Levine introduces ten unique people who are passengers in a single rail car and details their fascinating life stories. He looks at how the passengers fared at different points in their lives, how they may have been courageous at times and fearful at others, or were both caring and callous at different times. Through the lens of the four Bsbeing, belonging, believing, and benevolenceOur Emotional Footprint examines their lives and our own, how theyve affected others in the course of their lives, and how they may have been resilient in the face of defeat and gracious in times of success. A celebration of so-called ordinary people, Our Emotional Footprint offers a collection of stories that provide a unique glimpse at lifes pathways and complexities and how we deal with our hopes and expectations. Praise for Our Emotional Footprint Irv Yalom, MD: a wonderful and original bookthe stories are wise and compassionate Dean Delis, PhD: a rare treasuredeep compassion and wisdom E. Fuller Torrey, MD: helps us analyze our own life tapestry and the emotional footprint which will be our heritagestrongly recommended

Build your own retro games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. From Super Mario Bros to The Legend of Zelda, games of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) defined the childhoods of millions. Now with the power of modern tools you can start creating NES games of your very own! This all-practical beginner's guide will show you how to get started, with guidance on everything from graphics and music, to the Assembler language needed to get the most out of the NES, to enemy AI. Inside Classic Game Programming on the NES you’ll learn how to: Use the 6502 Assembler language to create your own game Create and display tile and sprite graphics Play sound effects and music Design and develop your own action game from scratch Do you have an amazing idea for a NES game you’ve been itching to turn into reality? Classic Game Programming on the NES will show you how! You don’t need any game development experience or specialist programming skills. You don’t need a team of developers and graphic artists. This one-stop guide teaches you everything you need to know, step-by-step. About the book Classic Game Programming on the NES is a comprehensive guide to developing your first retro game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It brings together the scattered secrets of NES development, distilling them into clear instructions on how to get started, what your game needs to work, and what tools you’ll need to use. Learn about the NES’s awesome and unique architecture, the surprisingly simple 6502 Assembler language, game logic, and more. Throughout, all concepts are illustrated with a simple space-based shoot-em-up that’s based on the awesome Astrosmash game reminiscent of games from your childhood. About the reader For anyone interested in building their own retro games! No programming experience required. About the author Tony Cruise has worked in IT and application development for over 40 years, starting with programming and releasing games for multiple 8-bit systems in the 80’s. He is the author of over 100 titles, books and magazine articles. Today Tony is actively writing new games, utilities and creating resources for other developers working with 8 and 16-bit systems.

Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence—-rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should—-they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm. Although the good things in one's life make one's life go better than it otherwise would have gone, one could not have been deprived by their absence if one had not existed. Those who never exist cannot be deprived. However, by coming into existence one does suffer quite serious harms that could not have befallen one had one not come into existence. Drawing on the relevant psychological literature, the author shows that there are a number of well-documented features of human psychology that explain why people systematically overestimate the quality of their lives and why they are thus resistant to the suggestion that they were seriously harmed by being brought into existence. The author then argues for the 'anti-natal' view—-that it is always wrong to have children—-and he shows that combining the anti-natal view with common pro-choice views about foetal moral status yield a 'pro-death' view about abortion (at the earlier stages of gestation). Anti-natalism also implies that it would be better if humanity became extinct. Although counter-intuitive for many, that implication is defended, not least by showing that it solves many conundrums of moral theory about population.

This book challenges, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity. The author claims that we have a false view of our own nature; that it is often rational to act against our own best interests; that most of us have moral views that are directly self-defeating; and that, when we consider future generations the conclusions will often be disturbing. He concludes that moral non-religious moral philosophy is a young subject, with a promising but unpredictable future.

Prospective college students and their parents have been relying on Loren Pope's expertise since 1995, when he published the first edition of this indispensable guide. This new edition profiles 41 colleges—all of which outdo the Ivies and research universities in producing performers, not only among A students but also among those who get Bs and Cs. Contents include: Evaluations of each school's program and "personality" Candid assessments by students, professors, and deans Information on the progress of graduates This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning disabilities, and single-sex education.

Tolstoy wrote, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is the statement that inspired bestselling author Gretchen Rubin to wonder whether she could foster an even greater happiness in her home. During The Happiness Project, the same questions kept tugging at her. How can I raise happy children? How can I maintain a tender, romantic relationship with my spouse--after fifteen years of marriage? How do I keep my Blackberry from taking over my private life? How can I foster a well-ordered, light-hearted atmosphere in my house, when no one else will lift a finger to cooperate? This book is Gretchen's account of her second journey in pursuit of happiness. Prescriptive, easy-to-follow, and anecdotal, Happier at Home offers readers a way of thinking and being that is positive and life-affirming. With specific examples following the calendar year, an intimate voice, and drawing from science and pop culture, this book will resonate with anyone looking to strengthen the bonds of family.