Helen Plum Library

Learn (and love) the language of the landlocked in this bitingly funny illustrated guide to the common phrases and sentiments of the American Heartland, from the author of the McSweeney’s series “A Guide to Midwestern Conversation.”
If you end an evening by slapping your thighs and saying, “Welp, I’ll go ahead and get outta your hair,” then you don’t need this guide, but you sure as heck might...

"A language barrier is no match for love. Lauren Collins discovered this firsthand when, in her early thirties, she moved to London and fell for a Frenchman named Olivier-- a surprising turn of events for someone who didn't have a passport until she was in college. But what does it mean to love someone in a second language? Collins wonders, as her relationship with Olivier continues to grow entirely in English. Are there things she doesn't understand...

Everyone has questions about language. Some are from everyday experience: Why do immigrants struggle with a new language, only to have their fluent children ridicule their grammatical errors? Why can't computers converse with us? Why is the hockey team in Toronto called the Maple Leafs, not the Maple Leaves? Some are from popular science: Have scientists really reconstructed the first language spoken on earth? Are there genes for grammar? Can chimpanzees...

Is vocabulary destiny? Why do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? Will A.I. researchers ever produce true human-machine dialogue? In this mesmerizing collection of essays, Daniel Tammet answers these and many other questions about the intricacy and profound power of language. Tammet goes back in time to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; he looks at the music and patterns that words make, and how languages evolve and...

Sa scéal corraitheach codlata seo, déanann cailín beag cur síos ar an bhfáth go bhfuil a Mam thar cionn. Feicimid í ag dul tríd a lá, ag iompar an mhothúcháin is croíúla faoina máthair.Bíonn a fhios ag Mam i gcónaí conas a mhothaíonn sí agus is féidir léi cabhrú le haon fhadhb. Is féidir lena mam an trilseán is casta a dhéanamh agus codáin a mhíniú; Is féidir lena mam cabhrú í ag dúiseacht ar maidin agus barróg a thabhairt...

"Silvia Ferrara leads a code cracking mission to decipher the hidden truths and histories of our greatest invention-the art of writing"--

Discover words to surprise, delight, and enamor. Learn terms for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, for dancing awkwardly but with relish, and for the look shared by two people who each wish the other would speak first

"Head First Java" engages readers on many levels, bringing the latest learning theories and research together to create not just a book to read, but a multi-sensory learning experience This book is a complete learning experience in Java and object-oriented programming. With this book, you'll learn the Java language with a unique method that goes beyond how-to manuals and helps you become a great programmer. Through puzzles, mysteries, and soul-searching...

Master the concise and expressive power of a pragmatic, multi-paradigm language for JVM, Android and beyond. The purpose of this book is to guide a reader through the capabilities of Kotlin language and give examples of how to use it for the development of various applications, be it desktop, mobile or Web. Although our primary focus is on JVM and Android, the knowledge we're sharing here, to various extents, applies to other Kotlin-supported platforms...

"Presents essential information about how computers work, including many broad topics, such as how computers process languages, how programs manipulate data in memory, and how web browsers work"--