The Big Problem of Small Change (Princeton Economic History of the Western World)

Book Description

The Big Problem of Small Change offers the first credible and analytically sound explanation of how a problem that dogged monetary authorities for hundreds of years was finally solved. Two leading economists, Thomas Sargent and François Velde, examine the evolution of Western European economies through the lens of one of the classic problems of monetary history--the recurring scarcity and depreciation of small change. Through penetrating and clearly worded analysis, they tell the story of how monetary technologies, doctrines, and practices evolved from 1300 to 1850; of how the "standard formula" was devised to address an age-old dilemma without causing inflation.

One big problem had long plagued commodity money (that is, money literally worth its weight in gold): governments were hard-pressed to provide a steady supply of small change because of its high costs of production. The ensuing shortages hampered trade and, paradoxically, resulted in inflation and depreciation of small change. After centuries of technological progress that limited counterfeiting, in the nineteenth century governments replaced the small change in use until then with fiat money (money not literally equal to the value claimed for it)--ensuring a secure flow of small change. But this was not all. By solving this problem, suggest Sargent and Velde, modern European states laid the intellectual and practical basis for the diverse forms of money that make the world go round today.

This keenly argued, richly imaginative, and attractively illustrated study presents a comprehensive history and theory of small change. The authors skillfully convey the intuition that underlies their rigorous analysis. All those intrigued by monetary history will recognize this book for the standard that it is.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended!.......2004-06-23

Authors Thomas J. Sargent and François R. Velde offer a fascinating work of scholarship that studies the history of coinage in broad scope and depth. They dwell on a problem that is no longer a problem: the set value of coins. Internationally, consumers take it for granted that so many units of small change equal a larger unit of money. A U.S. shopper never wonders if 100 pennies could be worth more or less than a dollar. But during most of history, the value of small change was a vexing economic conundrum. The authors explore the evolution of the monetary system from Roman times, taking a circuitous and rambling path that touches on many subjects, from sieges to papal speculations. Regrettably, this book may be inaccessible to readers without a firm grounding in economic history and some comfort with higher math since the authors are scholars and assume that you are, too. Nonetheless, we recommend this sweeping book to anyone whose curiosity is piqued by this précis.

Cheaper Than Therapy: How to Keep Life's Small Problems from Becoming Big Ones

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ITS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY
A Real Gem For All Ages
An opportunity to grow
Coping with Clutter
Inspiring!

Cheaper Than Therapy: How to Keep Life's Small Problems from Becoming Big Ones
Gina Greenlee
Manufacturer: Aventine Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1593302924

Book Description

This is the first in a series of inspirational/motivational gift books that use inanimate objects as metaphors for enhancing the way we live. In this lighthearted look at personal problem solving patterns, "Cheaper Than Therapy: How to Keep Life's Small Problems from Becoming Big Ones", illustrates "The Lesson of the Paper Clips". Gina Greenlee uses playful images of pliant paper clips to show how choosing what seems to be the easy way out of life's small problems often results in bigger, more overwhelming ones.

Customer Reviews:

ITS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY.......2007-03-04

I first read "The Lesson of the Chopsticks" and must say that I was not disappointed reading "How to Keep Life's Small Problems from Becoming Big Ones"! Ms.Greenlee's unique view of life's everyday challenges is one we all can identify with on some level.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a boost to handle procrastination and prioritizing. Ms. Greenlee's uncovers a profound truth using vivid illustrations and metaphors to convey her point and shift us out of our "comfort zone". And, it's a LOT CHEAPER THAN THERAPY!

A Real Gem For All Ages.......2007-02-15

Finally, a most enjoyable and interesting book filled with practical and useful guidance that can be helpful for every age and every level. Each lesson is deeply meaningful, yet stated so simply. A true Gem!!!

An opportunity to grow.......2007-01-29

Who knew that paying attention to inanimate objects could be so powerful? In "Paperclips", Ms. Greenlee has humorously and quite consciously given us a roadmap to sorting through the habits we all develop when faced with discomfort. Reading it again and again gives the reader a fresh way of envisioning life's way of offering opportunities to grow.

Coping with Clutter.......2006-11-17

This charmingly simple book spoke volumes to me about the dangers of a disorganized life, and brought to mind several practical applications. If I don't hang up my clothes every night, my bedroom is soon an unworkable mess. If I don't take care of my mail (and other paperwork) diligently and often, it soon becomes overwhelming, and I can't find that piece of paper I really need. If I don't spot-clean the kitchen and baths (almost) every day, things get disgusting quite quickly, and germs can grow. And the list could go on. It's so refreshing to see a simple, highly useful truth presented in such an engaging way, and I look forward to the next "lesson." Way to go, Gina!

Inspiring!.......2006-10-04

A quick read that leaves you feeling refreshed and confident to face the challenges ahead. This is not a book you'll read just once but one you'll reference again and again.

Small Change, Big Problems: Detecting And Preventing Finacial Misconduct in Your Library

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Don't Make It Easy to Get Ripped Off

Small Change, Big Problems: Detecting And Preventing Finacial Misconduct in Your Library
Herbert Snyder
Manufacturer: American Library Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0838909213

Customer Reviews:

Don't Make It Easy to Get Ripped Off.......2007-06-14

This is a book that I'd like to have had while I was a library director. When the Finance Director asked us to shape up procedures to prevent any problems, I didn't know where to start. This book would have been perfect. V.A.
"Fraud requires three conditions: financial need, rationalization, and opportunity. Lax or nonexistent financial management, along with an "it can't happen here" attitude, create the quintessential circumstances for fraud to happen in many libraries. This hands-on guide discusses the unique vulnerabilities of libraries, especially as their assets grow. From daily book fines to budgets in the six or seven figures, library assets offer ample temptations to the attentive thief, who is often someone in a position of trust. Proactively putting financial controls in place can remove the opportunity for fraud. Snyder, a long-time fraud detection expert, outlines solutions covering technical aspects of detecting and preventing fraud in libraries, while pointing out ways of modifying entrenched behaviors to reduce the chances of theft. Outlining specific types of fraud, with tips to combat each, the book also addresses why libraries are particularly susceptible to fraud, and what other libraries have done to detect and prevent fraud." (summary by South Texas Library System)

The Big Problem of Small Change. (book review) : An article from: The Cato Journal

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The Big Problem of Small Change. (book review) : An article from: The Cato Journal
Leland B. Yeager
Manufacturer: Cato Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Cato Journal, published by Cato Institute on March 22, 2002. The length of the article is 1623 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: The Big Problem of Small Change. (book review)
Author: Leland B. Yeager
Publication: The Cato Journal (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2002
Publisher: Cato Institute
Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Page: 188(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This book focuses on the special character of law in performing certain social functions including resolving disputes, maintaining historical continuity and doctrinal consistency, protecting and facilitating voluntary arrangements, and resolving acute social conflict. The text presents aspects of criminal and civil procedure; judicial reasoning on the basis of precedents (focusing on manufacturers' liability in tort); the law of contracts; and labor, race, and gender laws to test the success of the legal system in carrying out these basic purposes. Includes American and comparative and international law materials.

The concept of judicial activism: Its nature and function in United States constitutional law

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The concept of judicial activism: Its nature and function in United States constitutional law
Ronald Edward Fisher
Manufacturer: Banner Books International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Civil Procedure | Procedures & Litigation | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0894910035

Law: Its Nature, Functions, and Limits, Third Edition

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Law: Its Nature, Functions, and Limits, Third Edition
Clermont, Hillman, Johnson, Barcelo, Provine Summers
Manufacturer: West Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KY68SY

Average customer rating:

THE BEST

Law: Its Nature, Functions and Limits
Robert S. Summers
Manufacturer: West Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Legal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Legal Systems | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0314935193

Customer Reviews:

THE BEST.......2003-06-27

This is absolutely the best overview of the American legal system out there. It uses cases (like in law school) to show how each instrumentality of the law functions. Buy this book if you want a general (yet extremely comprehensive) idea about how the law works.

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The Nature and Functions of Law
Harold J.; Greiner, William R. Berman
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0882774956

Product Description

The Foundation Press, Inc. 1980, 1980. Hard Cover. Fourth Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Tall. Hard Cover. Good +/No Jacket. Fourth Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Tall. 1278 pp - green, gold - law.

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The Nature and Functions of Law
Harold J. Berman , and William R. Greiner
Manufacturer: The Foundation Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KS8HG6

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the nature and functions of law
William R. Greiner Harold J. Berman
Manufacturer: foundation press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UTM3PQ

The Nature and Functions of Law (2nd printing)

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The Nature and Functions of Law (2nd printing)
Harold J. Berman , and William R. Greiner
Manufacturer: The Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JGRPQW

The nature and functions of law;: An introduction for students of the arts and sciences

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The nature and functions of law;: An introduction for students of the arts and sciences
Harold Joseph Berman
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007E8IGW

Not in Heaven: The Nature and Function of Halakha

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A Halachah to ' live by '
a great book for Orthodox and non-Orthodox readers
It is available
Out of print ?
I can't believe this book is out of print!

Not in Heaven: The Nature and Function of Halakha
Eliezer Berkovits
Manufacturer: Ktav Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Law | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0881250031

Customer Reviews:

A Halachah to ' live by '.......2004-11-10

Rabbi Berkovits was one of the important Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century. In this work he strives to explain the way the Halachah( Jewish law ) works. He explains the Nature and Function of Halachah, the Nature of Halachic Authority, the essential nature of Halachah, and the application of Halachah in our time. He is especially concerned with the role of Halacha in relation to women's role in the modern world, and discusses marriage and divorce laws. Rabbi Berkovits is an orthodox thinker but one who is aware of how needs of the time may require flexibility in Halachah. He considers the role of Halacha in democratic society.

a great book for Orthodox and non-Orthodox readers.......2004-03-03

Berkovits' goal is to explain that halacha can, and has in the past, been flexible. Berkovits discusses numerous examples of our Sages of blessed memory creatively interpreting halacha (Jewish law) in order to meet the needs of the day and the dictates of common decency, with a particular focus on agricultural and marital law. For example, the Sages gutted levirate marriage (a Biblical law which, if read overly literally, requires childless widows to marry the brother of their dead husband) and modified divorce laws to add protections for women.

In his last chapter, he suggests that Israeli halachists think about how to apply halacha in a Jewish state. For example, total Shabbos observance works in a predominantly Gentile society where Gentiles staff the hospitals, police dept. etc. But what happens in a mostly Jewish state where the doctors, nurses, police officers etc. are Jewish? How do we balance Shabbos observance and public needs? Berkovits doesn't supply the answer but he raises the question. (Thus, I think this book would be even more interesting for Israeli readers than for Americans like me).

I think this book is worth reading for both Orthodox Jews (who can learn from this book that halacha has sometimes changed with the times, and that our Sages were not potted plants mechanically transmitting tradition) and for non-Orthodox Jews (who can learn that Orthodox Jews are smarter than they might think).

It is available.......2002-12-15

I was surprised to see that your site claims the book is unavailable. I found a number of copies at Pomeranz Bookseller in Jerusalem.

Out of print ?.......2002-11-15

This book is stunning! I read every word, and I can understand why fellow readers feel so passionately about this book. The writer is orthodox, yet the book is a radical exposition of halacha for our times.

I can't believe this book is out of print!.......1999-08-05

This book is one of the best books I've read this year; it is both enlightening and very human, and, as a previous reader said, potentially life-changing.

Average customer rating:
Farmer psychographics in Canada (AEB)
Thomas F Funk
Manufacturer: Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Guelph
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0889552126

Book Description

The goal of Discovery: Science as a Window to the World is to relay the excitement of sciene by exploring selected topics in biology and medicine in a way that reveals the process of discovery. Each chapter will focus on the curiosity and creativity that drives scientists to wonder, observe, question and experiment.One impetus for this project is the recognition of a growing demand among instructors for a book that departs from fact-stuffed textbooks and instead engages students in the discovery process at a personal level.

Book Description

Radiationless Transitions in Polyatomic Molecules treats the dynamics of electronically excited states and the transition probabilities of electronic relaxation processes. Based on a simple and transparent, yet rigorous, presentation of the basic physical concepts, the mathematical methods required are developed in detail from first principles and new light is shed on the treatment of traditional issues.

Book Description

Otto Frisch took part in some of the most exciting developments of modern physics, including the discovery of nuclear fission -- he coined that term -- which led to atomic power and atomic weapons. Working on those weapons during World War II he met the scientist and organizer, Robert Oppenheimer, and the passionate maverick, Edward Teller, as well as the mathematical genius, John von Neumann, from whom he first heard about electronic computers, which were just coming into being.

He was still a child when Einstein rose to fame and when Bohr devised his atomic model, based on Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus; but later he met all those great scientists (and many others) and indeed worked for five years in Copenhagen under Bohr, whom he regarded as the deepest thinker among them. By vividly describing our growing knowledge of matter and energy he creates the background for his (mostly) affectionate pen portraits, enlivened by entertaining anecdotes, of the many scientists he met.

He saw the first atom bomb explode 'like the light of a thousand suns', and later during his thirty years in Cambridge he saw the birth and growth of radioastronomy, and the unravelling of the double helix of heredity. Carefully chosen pictures -- some drawn by the author himself -- help in making the book enjoyable to scientists and non-scientists alike.

Customer Reviews:

The begining of the nuclear era........1998-11-11

"What little I remember" is the story of the nuclear era seen by O.R. Frisch, a physicist that explained the nuclear fission (with his aunt Lise Meitner, Hahn's collaborator). Frisch was involved in the discoveries of the quantum mechanics. He worked in Cambridge with Rutherford, in Copenhagen with Bohr and in Los Alamos with Oppenheimer. Book full of anecdotes about the men that made great the physics.

Delightful!.......1998-06-24

A delightful book!

Gives a very candid insight into the traits and personal characteristics of some of the scientific greats of the 20th century.

Customer Reviews:

DeMarinis is fall-off-your-chair FUNNY.......2001-11-28

Rick DeMarinis, in CLOD, shows once again that he is one of our most underappreciated authors. His characters are well constructed, the dialogue snaps, but more than anything his control of the narrator and, in turn, the language makes the book a great read. In places, his subtleness allows the humor of Guido's failings to resonate; while in others--lines like "poor writing, horniness, and alcohol: a bad mix"--allow reader's to see poor Guido shrugging to himself as he struggles onward.

If you want to laugh--or to learn from a master--BUY THIS BOOK!

a hilarious work from a major but neglected American writer.......2001-04-29

Fans of De Marinis's earlier works will recognize bits and pieces of Guido Tarkenen, the central character of "A Clod of Wayward Marl"--Italian on his mother's side, Finnish on his father's, with a fondness for drink and a tendency toward bad trouble with women, he could be a grow-up cousin to Trygve Napoli, the protagonist of "The Year of the Zinc Penny," or to the adult heroes of any number of his short stories (see his superb collection "Borrowed Hearts"). Guido's a writer of "slasher trash" novels, temporarily teaching writing at La Siberia U., located in a border town bearing a close resemblance to El Paso. There's plenty of plot here, but the real pleasure of the book is De Marinis's gleeful genre-bending in his creation of Guido's demented little world--it's a little bit hardboiled P.I., a little technothriller, some academic comedy, with a little SF thrown in just for fun. (The book contains the best description of a virtual reality trip I've read anywhere, and it's funny to boot.) If there were any justice De Marinis would be one of the best-known writers in America, and if enough people sit up and notice this one, maybe he will be.

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A Clod of Wayward Marl
DeMarinis Rick
Manufacturer: Dennis McMillan Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UF7V6Q

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