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Confusion to Confidence

Rick Samara Author Interview


AI for Beginners Demystified turns artificial intelligence from a confusing buzzword into a practical tool, guiding everyday readers through how AI works, where it shows up in daily life, and how to use it with confidence. Who did you imagine as the ideal reader when you started writing?

When I started writing AI for Beginners Demystified, I had a very clear reader in mind: the curious person who keeps hearing about artificial intelligence but feels slightly overwhelmed by it. It might be a business owner, a professional trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing workplace, or simply someone who sees AI mentioned in the news every day and wonders, “What exactly is this, and should I be paying attention?”

I’ve met many people like this through my work in digital marketing. When my company began implementing AI tools, I noticed that many business owners were hesitant to adopt them. They weren’t uninterested. They were intimidated. The technology sounded complicated, and they worried they might not understand it. That reaction became one of the motivations for writing the book.

The ideal reader I imagined was someone intelligent and curious, but not technical. They don’t want a textbook filled with jargon. Instead, they want clear explanations, relatable examples, and maybe even a little humor along the way — like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend who explains it in plain English.

Ultimately, I wrote the book for people who want to move from confusion to confidence. Once readers start exploring AI tools, they often discover something surprising: AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about creativity, productivity, and finding smarter ways to solve everyday problems. My reviews strongly indicate I’ve reached that audience.

Why do you think so many people feel intimidated by artificial intelligence?

First, AI as we know it is still in its infancy. Before 2022, AI was powerful but mostly invisible to everyday people — living inside search engines, industry, and back-end software. That changed in November 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT. As of this writing, it’s not even four years old. It’s barely old enough to tie its own shoes! (Its exact birthdate is November 22, 2022 — feel free to add that to your trivia book.)

Beyond novelty, many people feel intimidated because AI is often presented as something extremely technical and mysterious. When people hear terms like machine learning, neural networks, or generative AI, it can sound like a foreign language. There’s also fear of the unknown: AI is advancing rapidly, and headlines tend to amplify that by focusing on dramatic possibilities rather than practical realities.

Then there’s Hollywood. For decades, AI has been portrayed as a world-conquering machine. Those stories are entertaining, but they shape how people think about AI in real life — which is far more practical: voice assistants, recommendation systems, tools that help us work more efficiently.

The intimidation usually fades once people simply start using AI. That realization was a big reason I wrote the book: to remove the technical barriers so readers can shift from feeling intimidated to becoming genuinely curious about how AI can improve their lives.

What do you think people misunderstand most about AI and jobs?

The biggest misunderstanding is that AI will simply replace people across the board. History tells a different story. When computers entered the workplace, similar fears arose — and what happened was that computers automated certain tasks while creating entirely new industries and career paths. The internet followed the same pattern. AI is likely to do the same. Rather than replacing humans, it will enhance human abilities — handling repetitive tasks, analyzing large datasets, and automating routine work so people can focus on creativity, strategy, and relationship building. The key advantage will go to those who learn to work with AI rather than fearing it. I believe the future of work will be defined less by humans versus machines and more by humans who understand AI working alongside those who don’t. That’s the central message of the book: AI isn’t something that replaces you — it’s a tool that can make you more capable and competitive.

Which AI applications do you think will have the biggest impact on business in the next decade, and how should professionals prepare?

Three areas stand out. First, AI-powered data analysis and predictive analytics. Businesses generate enormous amounts of data, but making sense of it is difficult. AI can identify patterns, spot trends, and help companies make faster, more informed decisions — predicting customer needs, streamlining operations, and sharpening strategic planning.

Second, AI-driven automation. Scheduling, customer service, report generation, and administrative work can increasingly be handled by AI. This frees people to focus on higher-value work like problem-solving and relationship building. Think of it as a digital assistant that handles the grunt work.

Third, Generative AI. Tools that create written content, marketing materials, images, and software code are already transforming industries like marketing, media, and design. A related evolution is Agentic AI — AI that doesn’t just answer questions but gets things done. Ask it to plan a dinner party, and instead of prompting you step by step, it looks up recipes, makes a grocery list, orders the groceries, and sets cooking reminders. You give it a goal; it figures out the rest. That’s the future.

As for preparation: you don’t need to become an AI engineer, but you should understand the basics and develop a mindset of continuous learning. Professionals who stay curious, experiment with tools, and develop AI literacy will be well-positioned for the decade ahead.

Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Rick Samara | Website | Amazon

AI for Beginners Demystified is your ultimate beginner-friendly guide to Artificial Intelligence (AI) written in a way that’s clear, funny, and easy to understand. Whether you’re curious about machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, or generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, this book breaks it all down with humor, storytelling, and real-life examples.

Instead of presenting artificial intelligence as a confusing or intimidating subject, this book makes AI accessible, practical, and relevant to everyday life. From virtual assistants (Siri, Alexa, Copilot, Grok, Perplexity) to smart home devices, photo editing apps, and personalized online shopping, you’ll discover how AI already powers the technology you use every day.

Inside this engaging guide, you’ll learn:

What AI really is and why it’s more of a helpful partner than a threat.

Machine Learning explained through fun, relatable analogies that actually make sense.

Generative AI tools that create text, images, and even music, and how you can use them.

Chatbots and conversational AI like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, and how they’re shaping communication.

How AI is transforming the job market and why it creates new opportunities instead of just taking jobs.

With witty commentary, personal anecdotes, and straightforward explanations, this book takes the fear out of AI and turns it into something exciting to explore. Whether you’re a student, professional, entrepreneur, or simply curious, you’ll finish this book with a clear understanding of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI plus the confidence to use these tools in your own life.

If you want to understand AI without the jargon, laugh while learning, and gain practical knowledge of the future of technology, this is the book for you.

We Are as Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance

We Are as Gods argues that we now live in a world where technology has quietly given ordinary people godlike powers, from AI and robotics to biotech and planetary-scale climate tools, and that the real bottleneck is not the tech itself but our ability to think clearly, emotionally regulate, and act wisely at this new speed. The book walks through how exponential technologies created real material abundance, how our Stone Age brains mis-handle this flood of power and information, and then offers a psychological survival guide that mixes neuroscience, game design, and grand challenges to help readers build agency, meaning, and resilience in what the authors call an age of abundance.

The book is energizing. The stories are vivid and sticky. The opening riff that compares modern breakthroughs to biblical miracles lands hard, and it actually made me pause and look at my phone with fresh eyes. The structure is clear. Part 1 sets the stage, Part 2 shows real companies and projects surfing the waves, and Part 3 shifts into a self-help gear that feels more intimate and practical. I liked the way authors Diamandis and Kotler weave myth, cognitive science, and startup lore. The analogies help. Comparing information overload to a wrecking ball hitting our nervous system is simple, and it rings true. Their explanation of bias and attention feels grounded, and it helped me name things I only had a fuzzy feeling about before.

I enjoyed how bold the style is. The prose comes at you fast, like a live keynote talk poured straight onto the page, and it keeps the energy high. The constant drumbeat of examples gives the book a sense of momentum. Miracle after miracle, chart after chart, and it all adds to this feeling that you are racing through a highlight reel of the future. I still found myself curious to explore a few of the tougher stories, especially in the darker chapters where surveillance, bio risk, and inequality show up and then get lifted by the next hopeful case study. Their strong faith in entrepreneurs and incentive prizes comes across as a clear, confident stance, and while I could imagine an even deeper dive into policy and power, I liked that those themes are at least present, even if they stay mostly in the wings. I finished those sections impressed by the ingenuity on display and energized by the big questions that remain about who benefits, who pays the price, and how we can guide abundance so it feels intentional, fair, and shared.

The discussion of learned helplessness, attention collapse, and victim mindset resonated with me personally. I recognized my own doom scrolling, my own habit of telling myself the future is something that just happens to me. The tools they offer in the final chapters are not completely new, but the way they frame them inside this huge story of accelerating change gave them more weight for me. Agency, awe, and grand challenges sound like big abstract words. Here they come with clear explanations, concrete examples, and a kind of gentle shove that says: you do not get to sit this era out.

I would recommend We Are as Gods to readers who sit at the intersection of technology, leadership, and personal development, and who want a hopeful but not naive story about the next few decades. If you are a founder, an executive, a policy thinker, or simply someone feeling overwhelmed by AI and nonstop change, this book will give you language, metaphors, and mental models that can help you feel less like a victim of the future and more like an active participant. If you want a big, loud, data-heavy pep talk wrapped around some solid psychological advice, this is a very timely read.

Pages: 320 |  ISBN : 978-1668099544

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Where Did Computers Come From?

Jake and Eli are precocious brothers with a genuine love of learning. Yet one question puzzles them: where do computers come from? When their father encourages them to investigate the garage, they discover Techtor, a sentient technological construct eager to guide them. What follows is a lively journey through time, tracing the origins of the earliest computers.

Along the way, the brothers receive a fast-paced introduction to the history of computing. They meet friendly helpers, including Max the Mainframe. They also encounter punch cards and see how early systems relied on them. By the end of the adventure, Jake and Eli return with a strong foundation of new knowledge and a fresh appreciation for the technology they use every day.

Where Did Computers Come From?: Jake and Eli’s Adventures, Book 1, by Hector Morales, is a short, illustrated children’s book best suited for readers ages four and up. Each page keeps the text minimal. A few words. Bright, colorful pictures. Clear visuals help young readers follow the action without making them feel overwhelmed.

The simplicity is a strength. Two curious kids. A straightforward path to hands-on learning. A friendly guide who makes the unknown feel inviting. The story and artwork echo the spirit of “let’s pretend” play, but the imagination serves a greater purpose here. Jake and Eli get their big question answered, and they do it in a way that feels like exploration rather than instruction.

It’s also an age-appropriate premise. Computers are everywhere in modern life, which makes them easy to take for granted. While this topic may eventually appear in school, this approach makes the subject feel accessible and fun. The backstory keeps the pages moving, the illustrations add energy. The learning lands almost effortlessly.

Techtor and Max the Mainframe arrive without an origin explanation, and that omission works well within the storyline. I appreciated the fact that the fantasy elements do not demand justification. Children will accept them readily and stay focused on the adventure. Meanwhile, the history lesson quietly does its job. It offers an early framework for understanding how computers began and how they continue to grow more capable as time goes on. I highly recommend this book for parents and teachers seeking ways to integrate technology into their reading routines.

Pages: 32 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FRG8G8ZF

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Visibility is Everything

Melanie Johnson Author Interview

Be Recognized is a step-by-step guide that lays out a clear path for experts who want to build authority, grow their business, and embrace AI rather than fear it so that they can stand out in the crowd. Why was this an important book for you to write?

This book had to be written! Jenn and I saw this huge shift happening right before our eyes. AI was exploding, and people were either running toward it with curiosity or running away in fear. We thought, what if we could show experts how to embrace it? Because let’s face it: if you’re not standing out, you’re blending in, and no one gets discovered by hiding in the shadows.

We’ve helped hundreds of authors build their brands through books, but this time, we wanted to take it up a notch. We wanted to empower entrepreneurs, coaches, speakers, and business owners to not only be seen but to be recognized as the authority in their space. And AI, when used right, can supercharge that.

AI has a negative reputation, particularly in the creative and publishing industries. What advice do you have to help those hesitant to use AI recognize its value, the direction this technology is taking, and how it can add value to their industry and business?

AI is not here to replace your voice. It’s here to amplify it. The way we look at it is this: AI is a tool, just like your laptop, just like your phone. It’s how you use it that matters.

I always say, imagine having a research assistant, an idea bouncer, a content booster, all available 24/7. That’s AI! And in publishing? It helps with brainstorming, outlines, editing, and even marketing strategies. But the soul of your book, your brand, your story, that’s all you. AI just helps you get it out there faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

So my advice? Don’t ignore it. Leverage it. Learn to work with it and let it enhance your creativity, not replace it.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

There were so many, but a few key ones stand out. First, visibility is everything. You can’t be in business if no one knows you exist. So we really hammer in on how to build your personal brand strategically, through publishing, speaking, and showing up online consistently.

Second, authenticity beats perfection. AI can help polish and scale your message, but your story, your voice, that’s what makes the difference. And finally, we wanted to show that being a thought leader isn’t reserved for celebrities. You can start right where you are with the knowledge you already have. You just need the right engine, and that’s what we give you in this book.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Be Recognized: The AI Authority Engine for Experts Who Want to Be Known, Be Profitable, and Be Published?

If there’s one thing, it’s this: you already have everything inside you to be recognized. You don’t need to wait for someone to discover you. You have a story, expertise, and value the world is waiting for. The only thing you need is a system to shine, and that’s what this book gives you.

I want every reader to walk away feeling inspired, equipped, and empowered to show up as the authority they are. And when you combine that with the tools of today, like AI and publishing, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

 
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Website | Amazon

#1 International Bestseller
Dominate your niche. Automate your growth. Become the authority.


In a world where AI is reshaping every industry at lightning speed, standing still is not an option. Be Recognized: The AI Authority Engine for Experts Who Want to Be Known, Be Profitable, and Be Published is the ultimate playbook for business owners, CEOs, consultants, and thought leaders ready to rise above the noise and lead with unstoppable momentum.

Authors Melanie Johnson and Jenn Foster, trailblazers in digital marketing and authority publishing, pull back the curtain on how high-level experts are using AI not just to survive, but to scale, sell, and succeed faster than ever before. This isn’t a book about future trends or theory. It’s a step-by-step execution plan to:
Position yourself as a Category King in your industry
Build an AI-powered content machine that never sleeps
Automate customer engagement, sales, and visibility
Turn a single book into a lead-generating empire
Launch high-ticket offers with authority and ease
Future-proof your brand with intelligent systems that scale

Whether you’re just AI-curious or already experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, this book meets you where you are and takes you where you need to go. The strategies inside have already helped countless entrepreneurs go from overlooked to iconic.If you’re ready to stop dabbling and start dominating, Be Recognized is your blueprint to become the face of your field in the AI age.

The old game is over. It’s time to build your authority engine and own your future.

Build Your Cloud Career: A Professional’s Guide to Cloud Engineering

Build Your Cloud Career lays out a clear path into cloud engineering. It starts with simple explanations of what the cloud is, then moves into the major providers, the different engineering roles, and the skills needed to build a career in the field. It mixes technical basics with career advice. The writing stays grounded in real situations and aims to give beginners confidence as they enter a fast-growing and sometimes intimidating area of tech.

Reading it felt smooth and surprisingly friendly. I enjoyed how the author kept things practical without stuffing the pages with jargon. The explanations made complicated ideas feel lighter. Sometimes I caught myself nodding along because the examples matched real workplace moments. I also liked the honest tone around certifications and career paths. It never tried to oversell or hype anything. It just told you what works and why.

A few concepts flew by fast, and I found myself wanting more stories or more hands-on guidance. Still, the author’s experience comes through in a warm way. It feels like sitting with someone who actually wants you to succeed. That personal touch gave the book more heart than I expected from a tech guide.

The chapter Cloud Engineering Roles in Depth was particularly relevant to me. It helped me see how each cloud role fits into real projects and why those differences matter. It gave me clarity on which responsibilities align with my strengths and interests, especially when comparing paths like DevOps, security, and architecture. It also made the career landscape feel less confusing since I could finally picture where I might fit and what skills I should focus on next.

All in all, I think this book is great for students, career switchers, and anyone curious about cloud work. If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed by AWS and Azure and all the big words floating around the internet, this book gives you a place to start. It is calm, clear, and encouraging. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to break into cloud engineering without feeling like they are drowning in technical noise.

Pages: 139

Governance in the Quantum Era

John Wingate Author Interview

Quantularity: A Quantum Framework for the Human Experience challenges the theory of Singularity by hypothesizing that, instead of one super-intelligence consuming everything, there is a world where many minds —human, artificial, cultural, and even biological —intertwine without collapsing into sameness. Where did the idea for this book come from?

The idea for Quantularity emerged from years of questioning whether the dominant narrative of Singularity truly captures the future we are heading toward. Ray Kurzweil’s vision of one all-consuming super-intelligence felt incomplete. I began exploring an alternative, a framework where many minds, whether human, artificial, cultural, or even biological, remain distinct yet interconnected. Instead of collapsing into sameness, they amplify one another through entanglement. That seed of thought became the foundation for this book.

In your book, you cover philosophy to technology to governance, weaving stories of history, myth, neuroscience, and quantum theory into a vision that feels both speculative and strangely practical. How did you approach researching this book, and what was your process for compiling it?

My research was intentionally multidisciplinary. I drew from neuroscience (especially work on the neocortex), philosophy of mind, cultural studies, and quantum physics. I also leaned heavily into myth, religion, and history. I believe meaning arises at the intersections. The process itself was nonlinear, much like the ideas I write about. I journaled, drafted essays, debated with colleagues, and mapped connections across fields until a coherent framework emerged. The writing then became an act of stitching these threads together into a narrative that feels both visionary and grounded.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

Several core ideas guided me:

That cooperation and entanglement, not domination, are the forces driving the next chapter of human and technological evolution.

That consciousness is not limited to humans or machines, but can emerge across networks, cultures, and even ecosystems.

That governance in the quantum era must be decentralized, transparent, and adaptive, designed for multiplicity, not centralization.

And most importantly, that our humanity is not diminished by technology. Instead, it can be expanded if we build with intention.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Quantularity?

I want readers to leave with a sense of possibility. We do not have to accept a future of either machine domination or human obsolescence. Instead, we can imagine and design a world where multiplicity thrives, where diversity of thought and being is preserved, and where our interconnectedness becomes a source of resilience and creativity.

Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon

What if the future isn’t a singularity—but a quantularity?

In Quantularity: A Quantum Framework for the Human Experience, visionary thinker and technologist John Wingate dismantles the myth of the Singularity—that moment when artificial intelligence eclipses human thought—and offers a bold alternative: a future where intelligence doesn’t converge into one mind, but expands into many. A future defined not by domination, but by connection.
Spanning quantum physics, AI, distributed systems, neuroscience, and spirituality, this groundbreaking book explores the emergence of a new kind of consciousness—layered, networked, and co-created between humans and machines. Wingate weaves deep science with poetic insight, challenging readers to rethink intelligence, identity, value, and the very architecture of reality.

Inside, you’ll explore:
Why the Singularity is a flawed and incomplete vision of the future
How consciousness may be fractal, recursive, and quantum in nature
The role of AI as a mirror—not a master—of human dreams
How distributed ledgers can serve as society’s new trust fabric
The shift from scarcity economics to coherence economics
New models of education, governance, and collective memory
Why choice—not control—is the foundation of reality’s unfolding
This isn’t science fiction. It’s a blueprint for what’s already emerging.
With 20 thought-provoking chapters, Quantularity is a guide for leaders, technologists, spiritual seekers, and anyone who senses that something deeper is awakening in our relationship with intelligence—human or otherwise.

Wingate calls us to remember that we are not passive travelers in this next era. We are co-creators, resonant nodes in a conscious, evolving universe. As we move beyond mechanistic systems into fields of entangled awareness, the most important question isn’t “Will AI surpass us?”—it’s “Who do we become when we remember what we are?”

Whether you’re a futurist, founder, developer, or philosopher, Quantularity offers a bold new lens—and a call to action.
This is not the end of our story.
This is the beginning of our remembering.

The Psychology of Technology

Hal F. Gottfried’s Psychology of Technology dives headfirst into the murky and complicated waters where human psychology meets digital design. From our dwindling attention spans to the creeping influence of algorithms, Gottfried dissects the impact of our screen-saturated world with a blend of personal insight and hard research. Across its chapters, the book charts how digital life is rewiring not just how we work and play, but how we think, feel, connect, and even perceive reality. It’s a thorough, often unsettling look at how deeply the digital frontier has seeped into our minds.

What stood out to me most was the book’s voice. It’s casual, punchy, and brutally honest. Gottfried doesn’t lecture. He talks to you like a friend. He explains complex neurological and behavioral ideas without drowning them in technical jargon. I appreciated how grounded his examples were. Like reaching for your phone during a movie, or reading a news feed that mysteriously only shows you one side of a story. These familiar moments hit home. There were times when the repetition of certain themes, like the dopamine loop or “continuous partial attention,” felt like a warning bell being rung many times. Still, the urgency is warranted, and the message never feels hollow.

I also admired the book’s refusal to just dunk on tech or idealize some unplugged utopia. Gottfried knows we’re not giving up our phones anytime soon, and he doesn’t ask us to. Instead, he offers practical, reasonable ways to set boundaries, reclaim attention, and use tech more mindfully. His writing on the illusion of control created by algorithms was especially sharp. It made me realize how often I feel like I’m making choices, when I’m really just clicking what was nudged in front of me. The chapter on relationships was another highlight. It’s raw, relatable, and a little heartbreaking. It reminded me that sometimes the most human parts of us, connection, empathy, presence, are the ones we trade away for convenience without even noticing.

Psychology of Technology is for anyone who’s ever felt scattered, anxious, or just plain tired after a day online and wondered, “Why do I feel like this?” It’s not a tech detox manual or a scarefest. It’s a wake-up call wrapped in kindness and realism. Whether you’re a digital native, a burned-out remote worker, a worried parent, or just someone trying to stay sane in the noise, there’s something in here for you.

Page: 190 | ASIN : B0DYPK8RS1

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Bots & Brilliance: 101 Things You Should Know About Artificial Intelligence

John Binks’ Bots & Brilliance is a crash course in artificial intelligence that reads like a lively conversation rather than a textbook. The book walks readers through 101 essential things to know about AI, from its history and daily applications to its ethical dilemmas and future possibilities. Whether you’re an AI newbie or someone with tech chops, Binks keeps things engaging with humor, real-world examples, and just enough technical depth to make you feel smarter without overwhelming you. It’s part explanation, part think-piece, and an enjoyable ride through the ever-evolving world of AI.

One of the standout features of this book is its knack for making AI accessible. The early chapters, like “AI, A Love Story” and “AI for the Complete Beginner,” strip away the intimidating layers of AI and present it as something we already interact with daily, such as smartphones, streaming services, and even online shopping. Binks compares AI to a “super-smart parrot” that mimics, learns, and sometimes surprises us, a metaphor that sticks. He also dispels common AI myths grounding the discussion in reality without killing the excitement. This approach makes the book perfect for readers who might be curious about AI but don’t want to wade through pages of technical jargon.

The book shines brightest when it explores how AI is already shaping our lives. The chapters “AI in Your Daily Life” and “AI at Work” are packed with examples of how AI is seamlessly integrated into everything from social media feeds to financial markets. Binks’ take on AI-powered streaming recommendations had me chuckling, he describes Spotify’s algorithm as a “magical music cauldron” that somehow knows you better than your best friend. The way he blends humor with insight keeps things engaging, and his examples make you realize just how deeply AI is embedded in everyday experiences.

Binks also doesn’t shy away from the darker side of AI. In The Dark Side of AI, he delves into bias, job displacement, privacy concerns, and the looming question of AI ethics. These are serious issues, but Binks presents them in a way that feels like a necessary reality check rather than fear-mongering. His discussion of AI bias, where AI can inherit and amplify human prejudices was especially eye-opening. He makes a strong case for why ethical oversight is crucial and why we can’t afford to let AI develop unchecked. This section adds depth to the book, making it more than just an AI enthusiast’s handbook, it’s also a call for responsible innovation.

In the end, Bots & Brilliance is a fantastic read for anyone curious about AI, whether you’re a beginner or someone who wants to connect the dots between tech and real life. It’s especially great for professionals trying to grasp AI’s impact on their industries without getting lost in tech-heavy explanations. If you want a book that makes AI feel less like a sci-fi concept and more like an everyday reality, while keeping you entertained, this one’s a solid pick.

Pages: 168 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CVGP852J

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