Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation-Building State Changes its Mind

Book Description

Throughout the world since the 1970s, state and public sector reform has been driven by a conservative agenda emphasising notions of ‘streamlining’ and ‘rationalisation’; Australia has been no exception. Michael Pusey undertakes a detailed analysis of top bureaucrats in Canberra who have been responsible for this recasting of national policy. He concludes that economist rationalist views now dominate each of the key ministries, and have altered the traditional balance between the economy, the state and society. The book also discusses the social significance of economic rationalisation and public sector reform from a theoretical perspective, contributing to contemporary understanding of modernisation, public morality and citizenship in the new global order.

Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation-Building State Changes Its Mind.: An article from: Pacific Affairs

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Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation-Building State Changes Its Mind.: An article from: Pacific Affairs
Robert J. Williams
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00092SJDY
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on March 22, 1993. The length of the article is 601 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation-Building State Changes Its Mind.
Author: Robert J. Williams
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1993
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: v66 Issue: n1 Page: p144(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

This is a comprehensive analysis of the government's evolving role in protecting wetlands, focusing on the Clean Water Act's Section 404 permitting program. It covers the scientific, social, and legal implications of Section 404, and includes chapters detailing wetlands ecology, the states' role in implementing these policies, takings issues, judicial review, and agricultural programs.

Book Description

A panel of highly experienced neurosurgeons, neurophysiologists, neuropsychologists, and neuroanatomists join forces to create an integrated, cutting-edge survey all of the methodologies necessary for successful surgical treatment. On the surgical side they review a variety of techniques for Parkinson's disease, including thalamotomy, pallidotomy and bilateral pallidotomy, subthalamotomy, pallidal and thalamic deep brain stimulation, and subthalmic deep brain stimulation. Surgical therapy for tremor and dystonia is also covered. On the patient side, the authors systematically examine the key issues involved in any surgical procedure: Patient selection, patient assessment before and after surgery, brain target localization, and postoperative programming of brain stimulators.

Surgical Treatment of Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders

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Surgical Treatment of Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders
Daniel Tarsy
Manufacturer: Humana Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUVYIU

Book Description

Modern fabrication techniques have made it possible to produce semiconductor devices whose dimensions are so small that quantum mechanical effects dominate their behavior. This book describes the key elements of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and solid-state physics that are necessary in understanding these modern semiconductor devices. The author begins with a review of elementary quantum mechanics, and then describes more advanced topics, such as multiple quantum wells. He then disusses equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Following this introduction, he provides a thorough treatment of solid-state physics, covering electron motion in periodic potentials, electron-phonon interaction, and recombination processes. The final four chapters deal exclusively with real devices, such as semiconductor lasers, photodiodes, flat panel displays, and MOSFETs. The book contains many homework exercises and is suitable as a textbook for electrical engineering, materials science, or physics students taking courses in solid-state device physics. It will also be a valuable reference for practicing engineers in optoelectronics and related areas.

Customer Reviews:

very readable text as well as a reference book.......2003-04-12

this is a very readable book on semiconductor devices that operate on quantum principles. the book starts with Schrodinger's equations, discusses in detail the different perspectives of the particle in a box problem, then gradually develops to other theories, for example the Boltzmann transport equations. other processes (impact ionization) are also covered in detail. ofcourse optical processes are not discussed as this is only a device-level book. suitable for electrical engineers to learn the basic underlying concepts that dominate the present day state-of-the-art devices.

very good introduction to the field of quantum devices.......2003-04-05

often do i refer to this book regarding any conceptual clarification on quantum phenomena. people who do research in this field may find this book as a good reference. it is written more for the electrical engineers who like to delve more into the quantum realities. provides a very good introduction to the quantum theories that one needs to know to study different state-of-the art devices. although not that much details is covered on the devices but it creates the much needed background on theory. it starts from Schrodinger equations and then gradually builds the other related concepts. for example detail discussion is given on Boltzmann transport equations. its an easy reading.

Product Description

Here, from the father of spy fiction, is the grand sequence of his great master spy's adventures in four famous books: The Thirty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast and The Three Hostages.

From the introduction by Robin W. Winks:
John Buchan is the father of the modern spy thriller. This is so even though the Hannay books are not, strictly speaking, about spies at all...They are about penetration of the enemy, about lonely escape and wild journeys, about the thin veneer that stands between civilization and barbarism even in the most elegant drawing-room in London.

The Thirty-Nine Steps shows...an attractive man, not too young...and not too old, since he must have the knowledge of maturity and substantial experience on which he will draw while being able to respond to the physical rigors of chase and pursuit. Let the hero, who appears at first to be relatively ordinary, and who thinks of himself as commonplace, be drawn against his best judgment into a mystery he only vaguely comprehends, so that he and the reader may share the growing tension together. Set him a task to perform...Place obstacles in his path the enemy, best left as ill-defined as possible, so that our hero cannot be certain who he might trust. See to it that he cannot turn to established authority to help, indeed that the police, the military, the establishment will be actively working against him.

Then set a clock ticking...

Customer Reviews:

The Original Spy Thrillers.......2006-02-06

"The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay" gathers in one volume stories written by John Buchan during and after his service as an British intelligence officer during the First World War. The first two stories were actually written and published as the war with Imperial Germany and her allies progressed, imparting a sense of urgency and uncertainty about the outcome that an historical novel written after the fact might not have captured in the same way. "The Thirty-Nine Steps", "Greenmantle", "Mr. Standfast", and "The Three Hostages" follow the career of South African mining engineer and British Army officer Richard Hannay. Hannay stumbles into the spy business through the murder of an accidental lodger in "The Thirty-Nine Steps", set in the time just before the outbreak of war, and is repeatedly called back to the spying businees, often from his military duties, in the remaining stories. Buchan's technique improved with practice; the stories develop more complicated plotlines and smoother deliveries.

Those familar with the Sherlock Holmes stories will find a similar sort of pacing in Buchan's adventure stories. Buchan relies heavily on coincidence and exotic settings in advancing his story lines, and some of the stereotypes and language will seem dated to modern readers. Some other portions of the stories will seem remarkably fresh, as for example Hannay's description of the opposition by some Britons to the War with Germany, proof, if we needed it, that human nature is remarkably constant. The story lines are engaging, and Richard Hannay is a sympathetic hero, if very much a man of his times. Buchan, a born and raised Scotsman, is often at his literary best in describing the people, land and simple details of ordinary living of Scotland and England.

Readers are highly encouraged to read the introductory essay by Robin Winks, which provides excellent background on the remarkable life of John Buchan and the context of his writing. In his description of the "Buchan Formula", Winks makes the case that Buchan is the literary forefather of later writers of spy fiction such as Jon LeCare.

This book is highly recommended to those fans of the spy genre who would like to explore its antecendants, and to those readers looking for authentic period piece stories.

The spy who bored me.......2004-11-14

Buchan hasn't held up. His people are shadows and caricatures that read like the over-made-up characters in some silent movie. He doesn't seem to have much of a grip on religion, language, ethnicity or simple human motivations. Authors fade into obscurity for a reason -- and there are reasons why book introductions, like the one offered here, take on such a defensive tone. In Buchan's case the reason is his tales of exotic adventure read like one part Kipling and 20 parts dishwater. If you must read him, don't go anywhere near "Kim" until you're well through.

Mr Standfast.......2003-07-06

Having just finished Mr Standfast I felt it a good time to review my thoughts and emotions stirred by the book.
Mr Standfast, the third Buchan novel in the General Hannay series, is a fascinating study in the era in which it was both set and authored. Being published in 1919, the events of WW1, the topic of the book, were no doubt fresh in the authors mind.
The book is not easy for the 21st Century reader with many words not frequently in current use. Keep a dictionary handy. It is however a stimulating read with a great historical
backdrop. Whilst at times farfetched and Biggles like in it's gingoistic tone, the reader is drawn into Hannay's affection for his cause. Overall, a thoroughly recommended read.

Classic adventure yarns.......2003-07-06

As my title says, the Four Adventures are real classics that spawned a whole library of imitators. Written as they were during the First World War and immediate post-war period by someone who both hob-nobbed with the political movers and shakers of the time & may have participated in some intertesting Intelligence work on his own (see Peter Hopkirk's LIKE HIDDEN FIRE for some of the "facts" behind GREENMANTLE) they capture a time a place and a people at the height of British global dominance. Given that the first three tales were written during some of the most desperate days of World War I it is no accident that there is some pro-British propaganda, but as the excellnt introduction to this edition points out, Buchan is remarkably kind to both friends and foes, and while the Bad-Guys are truly Bad, they also have their redeeming qualities. THIRTY-NINE STEPS has been made into a number of movies, none of which do it justice. GREENMANTLE is my personal favorite & reading it again for the umpteenth time last year I was struck by how remarkably prescient Buchan was as to the problems we now face with an Islamic Middle East. Mr. Standfast actually wraps things up nicely, with some excellent descriptions of fighting on the Western Front, and I always felt that THE FOUR HOSTAGES was a bit of a tag-on that really wasn't needed (the same can be said of the fifth and long out of print Hannay adventure THE ISLE OF SHEEP, which has been sensibly left out of this volume). If you like adventure stories with a strong male hero, a nice mystery, clearly defined Good and Evil, an appealing heroine (in the last three Adventures) and a good sense of history by someone who actually made part of it, this volume is for you. Readers of Alan Furst & the like will see where contemporary authors got their ideas & timing. This is a wonderful look into a now vanished world that still has clues to our troubled present.

39-steps: Buchan wrote the book, on the classic adventure.......1998-05-09

'Nuff said about the 39-steps; read the book. If I had written the 39-steps, I could have died without regret.

Buchan delved the emotional depths of strong, silent men, in the wild mystical motion of Greenmantle & in the static unshaken forces of endurance & will of Mr. Standfast. In these two tales, he brought the irresistible force & the immoveable object, the two opposing forces of nature, the storm & the rock, the Yin & the Yang, into being, in his writing.

Strangely, it is another, black, South African, the great Nelson Mandela, who typified in real life, the qualities of Buchan's fictional Boer, Peter Pienaar.

The three hostages was a cop-out, an afterthought, the dabbling of an artist who had reached the top of the mountain and was now relaxing & drawing pretty pictures for his grandchildren.

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Richard Hannay, WWI-era British secret agent, saves the day

Best. Spy. Story. EVER.

Superlative thriller!

Terrific espionage thriller -- James Bond without the girls

Mr.Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: BookSurge Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594562407
Release Date: 2004-04-07

Book Description

I spent one-third of my journey looking out of the window of a first-class carriage, the next in a local motor-car following the course of a trout stream in a shallow valley, and the last tramping over a ridge of downland through great beech-woods to my quarters for the night. In the first part I was in an infamous temper; in the second I was worried and mystified; but the cool twilight of the third stage calmed and heartened me

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In Mr Standfast (1919), the third of the four novels featuring Richard Hannay, we meet again Pieter Pienaar and John S. Blenkiron, who are joined by the spirited Mary Lamington. It is 1917 and Hannay is brought out of the battlefield to perform the desperate task of tracking down and destroying a network of German spies. Hannay's opponent is Morton Ivery, the bland master of disguise, who seeks to outwit Hannay as he and his agents are pursued through England, Scotland, France, and Switzerland. For its pace and suspense, its changes of scene, and thrilling descriptions of the last great battles against the Germans, Mr Standfast offers everything that has made its author so enduringly popular.

Customer Reviews:

Richard Hannay, WWI-era British secret agent, saves the day.......2007-05-21

Many spy novels follow the formula set down by John Buchan at the end of WWI - exotic locations, powerful and dangerous enemies, damsels in distress, and secret plots to dominate the world. Buchan's fictitious protagonist, South African Richard Hannay, once did a job for His Majesty's gov't before the war. Now, they've asked for his help again.

Hannay is tasked with going undercover to penetrate a nest of peaceful war objectors to ferret out its suspected German ringleaders. Before long, thanks to Hannay's speaking skills, he is accepted into their group as a persuasive, but simple, speaker. Trailing mysterious figures across the English and Scottish countrysides, literally running into war movie film sets, and escaping on the wings of the wind are just part and parcel of being a secret agent deep undercover. Wanted by both German agents and the local police forces, Hannay may be the hunted, but he is still their hunter as well. However, despite busting the ring and foiling their plan the evil ringleader, Gresson, gets away.

And so Hannay returns to his job in the army rising to brigadier general when he receives the call to secret service again. This time Gresson lurks much closer behind the French lines, but remains carefully hidden. Only his saboteur agents seem to be leaving their mark. Hannay amazingly encounters Mary - his true love - breaking into the same suspicious looking chateau as he. Together they join forces to break up Gresson's fiendish plot before it is sprung. However, Hannay is tricked and Mary is captured. Again, like many spy novels after it, the hero is imprisoned in a diabolical way with the villain leaving the hero unattended. However, like always the hero manages to break free, just. In the mountains of Switzerland there still remain a few twists and turn yet to remain.

The action in the book is fairly fast-moving, but the characters are purely two-dimensional and the plot is highly predictable. Just like a 007 movie. Reading the book, though, I wasn't able to really get into it, except for a few of the scenes in the first half of the book and the Swiss episode in the last half. A much better series that takes place in the same era is Reilly: Ace of Spies, who is a British spy working in Wilhelmine Germany. Overall, this is a decent book, which serves as a prototype of many spy novels thereafter, especially the sexier James Bond series.

Best. Spy. Story. EVER........2006-07-07

This is my favourite Buchan book of them all! Although not as tightly-plotted as Greenmantle and The Thirty-Nine Steps, its predecessors in the series, it's still a nail-bitingly exciting adventure story sure to have you hooked for most of the first half and the whole second half. In Part One, Hannay spends some time with artistic types very familiar to those of us who enjoy 'lowbrow' fare, and then spends some time in radical political circles in Glasgow. Although it can be slow, there's lashings of satire to keep you chuckling. Then the plot begins to move--through the Scottish Highlands in a sequence akin to The Thirty-Nine Steps, but with far more characterisation and philosophy than the earlier book. During this time, Hannay realises that he's in love, pretends to be drunk, and impersonates a movie director. (No, it's not one of those spy novels with miserable characters and a depressing plot, in case you were wondering.)

The second half, however, is peerless. The stakes rise, the scene shifts to the battlefields of Europe, and the adventure is non-stop. Hannay must outwit a foe far more intelligent and ruthless than himself, try to pick up the courage to propose to lovely, clever young Mary Lamington, and manage to survive a brutal war. The climax is breathtaking and actually has you fearing for the outcome; moreover, it shows that Buchan was not in fact blissfully unaware of the horrors of trench warfare as many people, reading his optimistic work today, would think.

Superlative thriller!.......2005-10-25

In the first quarter or so of this book, I was afraid I had been duped. I found myself grumbling about how the definition of "thriller" had changed over the last 90 years. Then, somehow, mysteriously, I fell under Buchan's and Hannay's spell. I realized what a wonderful period piece this book is, and how well it captures the tense situation of the Great War. Furthermore, Buchan's writing has true literary value -- he was extremely well grounded in classical literature, English literature, and the Bible, and they all shine forth in this book. This thriller of Buchan's has deserved to stand the test of time. Now, ask yourself, do you really think that will be true of Tom Clancy?

Terrific espionage thriller -- James Bond without the girls.......2000-04-03

For those who like good, clean spy-type fun, this is a SUPERLATIVE work. Part three in the adventures of Richard Hannay (which started with Buchan's well-known "Thirty-nine Steps"), this is a first-rate thriller set on the eve of World War I, with plenty of atmosphere and hair-breadth escapes, plus an excellent dogfight climax in the skies over France. Along with everything else, it has some sound theological reflections (the title being a character from "Pilgrim's Progress") about courage and fortitude. Highly recommended.

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MR STANDFAST
John Buchan
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6QTVU

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MR STANDFAST
JOHN BUCHAN
Manufacturer: HODDER AND STOUGHTON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SBX1TS

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MR STANDFAST
JOHN BUCHAN
Manufacturer: HODDER & STOUGHTON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SERK56

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Mr Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UI5V4M

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Mr Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K6VVEI

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Mr. Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NAVDPS

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Mr. Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Mr. Standfast
John Buchan
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
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