Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Automobile Insurance: Samuel P. Black, Jr. and the Rise of Erie Insurance, 1923-1961 (Garland Studies in Entrepreneurship)

Book Description

Entrepreneurs play a central role in economic growth and development, but how they do so is the subject of considerable debate. This book explains that process through an historical case study of an automobile insurance entrepreneur, Samuel P. Black, Jr., and Erie Insurance, the company he helped build. It also recounts the largely untold history of American automobile insurance.

One of this study's central themes is the role of innovation in the entrepreneurial process. The rise of Erie Insurance from a four-person enterprise in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1925 to the fourteenth largest property-casualty insurer today was the result, in part, of Black's relentless push to innovate. His continual efforts to cut costs, develop new products, satisfy customers, increase sales, and improve operations, all contributed greatly to the company's growth. A second theme is the automobile's dramatic impact on modern America. Its takeover of mass transportation provided the basis for the development of the automobileinsurance industry and created many of the opportunities that Black and Erie Insurance capitalized on. These themes combine in the history of Black and Erie Insurance to illuminate the dynamic process by which the cultural, social, economic, and technological environment creates opportunities that entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial firms exploit, and how entrepreneurial actions stimulate economic growth.

Customer Reviews:

Sam Black: A Truely Great Man.......2004-06-05

My late grandfather was the hardest working man I have ever known. He and Prof. John Rossi (Penn State Erie) spent years working on this part narrative, part history of the growth of the auto insurance industry in its early years. I would not buy this book for casual reading. It can be a bit dry. However, if you want to read about the growth of the American automobile insurance industry, then this is a very informative read. My grandfather always emulated the "bootstrap" Americans of real life and of literature like Horatio Alger. He recounts this influence in the context of the wide open years of insurance underwriting. Prof. Rossi does a good job of capturing the sprit of this man who's tenure with the Erie group of insurance companies lasted 70 years from 1927-1997, and saw the company grow from the original investment from H.O. Hurt and Ollie Crawford (the Founders of Erie Insurance) to the multi-billion dollar corporation it is today (listed as the 1748th largest company in the world today in the 2004 Forbes 2000 Index). Grandpa, I will always love you and I miss you.

Book Description

In this edition which has been reprinted with corrections, Nerlove and his co-authors illustrate techniques of spectral analysis and methods based on parametric models in the analysis of economic time series. The book provides a means and a method for incorporating economic intuition and theory in the formulation of time-series models useful in forecasting, in the formulation and estimation of distributed lag models, and in other applications, such as seasonal adjustment. Analysis of Economic Time Series is a useful primary text for graduate students and an attractive reference for researchers.

Key Features
* Presents a self-contained treatment of Fourier Analysis and complex variables, as well as Spectral Analysis of time series
* Includes a detailed treatment of unobserved-components (UC) models and their time-series properties by means of covariance-generating transforms
* Provides the formulation and maximum-likelihood estimation of ARMA and UC models in both time and frequency domains
Integrates several topics in time-series analysis:
* The formulation and estimation of distributed-lag models of dynamic economic behavior
* The application of the techniques of spectral analysis in the study of behavior of economic time series
* Unobserved-components models for economic time series and the closely related problem of seasonal adjustment
* The complimentarities between time-domain and frequency-domain approaches to the analysis of economic time series
* Historical contributions extending from the time of Charles Babbage and the Edinburgh Review to the present
* Treats spectral analysis and Box-Jenkins models for an intuitive but rigorous point of view
* Shows how these two types of analysis may be synthesized so that they complement one another
* Describes a new type of model, based on a superposition of Box-Jenkins models, that captures the essential idea of the unobserved-components models long used in the analysis of economic time series
* Applies multiple time-series techniques to the estimation of a novel dynamic model of the US cattle industry

Analysis of Economic Time Series, Revised Edition : A Synthesis (Economic Theory, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics)

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Analysis of Economic Time Series, Revised Edition : A Synthesis (Economic Theory, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics)
Marc Nerlove
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHDEXY

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I love these note cards!

French Kitty in Oui, Oui Waikiki Pocketbook Note Cards
Mighty Fine Inc. , and Mighty Fine
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards

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French Kitty Breakfast at Tiffany's Pocketbook Note Cards

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French Kitty Oh L'Amour Wire-o Bound Blank Journal

French Kitty Have You Been a Good Kitty? : Holiday Note Cards

ASIN: 0810985934

Book Description

This stylish note card set includes 15 blank cards, 3 each of 5 illustrations, and 16 pink envelopes. Features spot varnish on the box top and sides. Pocketbook box includes a handle.

Customer Reviews:

I love these note cards!.......2004-11-13

Not only are these French Kitty images - which means they are cute, crisply designed and brightly colored - but the paper is of decent quality, especially the envelopes! I highly recommend these, though if you want to write more than a short note, you'll need more paper, of course - the cards are not huge (their not tiny, though!).

Book Description

In the 1950s and '60s, those shiny 45-rpm records with the big hole in the middle were the primary delivery system for popular American music, especially rock 'n' roll. Cheap to manufacture and available to even fly-by-night record operations, the "donut disc" changed the way popular music was written, recorded, promoted and marketed, and it broke - at least for a time - the iron-fisted dominance of the major record corporations. This book traces the 7-inch single's origins back to the 1880s, and explains the personality conflicts that led an eccentric genius to develop the 45 into one of postwar America's most popular consumer products. It explores how the jukebox, the autonomous disc jockey, and payola and artist rip-offs kept the 45 at the forefront of rock for 20 years. There are also chapters on the most valuable (and legendary) 45s of all time, as well as the oddities, oddballs and freak hits that make listening to 45s so much fun. With over 80 illustrations - many in full color.

Customer Reviews:

Good detail.......2006-09-01

This book has much more information and historical detail in it than the title suggests.

Excellent Overview of the History of An Icon.......2005-10-08

I actually found this very informative and entertaining. This covers both the development of the 45rpm format, amidst a war between record studios, and the history of the music that blossomed on the format. What you have is both a social and musical exploration.

I did learn much about music that I didn't know, such as discovering the rawer original version of "Sh-Boom" by The Chords. The book prompted me to look freshly at the Doo Wop groups of the '50s, and there is certainly great music to be found.

The book also looks at how different companies looked at marketing this blossoming form of music delivery and it differed according to demographics.

I highly recommend this informative, largely fun-to-read book.

For all the real-life Shrevies out there.......2005-02-23

Shrevie, the obsessive record collector in the movie "Diner," gets a well deserved mention in the introduction to this book. And it's the perfect book for those of us who are like him. You know who you are - you know the subtle logo variations on your favorite record labels and the years they occurred, the B sides and the hits that started as B sides (a list of which is included here), the imperfections in the vinyl on your copy and maybe even how they got there. This is for you!
The title and cover of the book are slightly misleading. This is not a cultural history of the 45 or of rock and roll music, although it touches on both at some length. It's more of a technical guide to various topics, such as the 45's place in the music business, the circumstances that led to its debut in 1949, and its role in the rise of small independent labels and of rock and roll. There are also chapters on how 45s are made and how they have changed in the past half-century, as well as the stories behind some of the more unlikely hits of the rock era. Newer collectors will definitely want to read the chapter on the "holy grail of 45 collecting," the Five Sharps' "Stormy Weather" (no known copies on the 7" format and maybe there never were any, but hope springs eternal!), a story some of us know by heart.
There are shortcomings, as other reviewers have pointed out. Besides the historical gaffes regarding other musical formats, the final chapter is overly pessimistic in its account of the 45's demise as a cultural icon. (Quite a few new records are still available if you know where to look.) And, as noted above, the appearance is somewhat deceptive. But it's still a great introduction to the minutae of the 45 for the serious record lovers among us.

For a narrow audience.......2004-08-19

This book is worth more like 4 stars for record collectors, and two stars for most everyone else.

The title promises something different than the book delivers. It was weak on the subject of the role of the 45 in pop culture or on the evolution of music. It didn't ignore the subject entirely, but the observations were commonplace and lacked in-depth analysis.

What the book does offer is pages and pages of trivia that has little to do with "heroes and villains." You will learn that such and such single was initially pressed with a bad stamper and the corrected version has bolder type on the label, or which hit songs were originally intended to be B-sides. This stuff was of minimal interest to me although I can see that it would be to certain types of collectors.

Another problem -- and this is unforgiveable -- is that information about the development of other media contains preposterous errors. To cite a few examples, the Edison cylinder was a "failed format" that "went extinct in the early 1900s" (it lasted until the Great Depression and the basic technology continued in use into the 40s for office dictation); 78 speed was a standard in 1901 (it was not standardized until decades later); and, the pre-recorded cassette came out in 1975 (came out in the 60s and was widely available, if not a big part of the market, prior to 75).

The book contains many interesting photos of labels and sleeves. There was some interesting information about how the recording industry operated and promoted records during the early days of rock & roll. Recommended for these aspects.

For those less interested in record collecting and more interested in the format itself and the record players, I highly recommend "The Fabulous Victrola 45" by Vourtsis, which is very well researched and has tons of photos of rare 45 players.

Not as good as it might have been.......2003-12-04

Perhaps I was expecting too much here, but as someone who has been collecting 45's for nearly 40 years I found this book to be a bit disappointing. The first half of the book, covering the early history of this format, was somewhat long winded and poorly written. Many of the sentences seemed to just ramble on and on. Things seemed to pick up a bit in the second half of the book, however, and I was able to glean a lot more information from the latter chapters. The book is liberally sprinkled with photos of rare and interesting 45 rpm labels and picture sleeves. As a collector, I saw many items I had never come across before. The authors also provide us with any number of fascinating stories about individual releases and the unscrupulous practices of some of the record companies. For the reader who is too young to remember what all the fuss was about during the heyday of the 45, this book would certainly be a good place to start. For the serious collector, this is not a bad book to add to your library but I would not consider it essential. I did not learn as much from it as I had hoped. At the halfway point in the book, I was prepared to rate the book just 2 stars. But as I stated earlier, the authors seemed to hit their stride later on and thus the three star rating.

Book Description

Flower power, love-ins, psychoactive drugs, anti-war demonstrations--the Sixties were a time of immense change and upheaval in Canada, a radical departure from the social and political complacency of the Fifties.

This book is a lively chronicle of how this change came about in Canada, how the "establishment" status quo was effectively challenged. It begins with a consideration of the anti-nuclear movement of the early 1960s, and continues with examinations of the civil rights and women's movements, the emergence of the New Left and opposition to the Vietnam War. Specifically Canadian developments such as the rise of Quebec separatism, the emergence of a native rights movement, and the struggle to Canadianize universities are also considered.

Long Way From Home is based on interviews with hundreds of people who participated in the events described--a report from the front lines of this turbulents decade's social and political revolutions.

Book Description

Written by litigators for litigators, Powerpoint for Litigators teaches you not only how to create PowerPoint slide presentations, but also how to fashion slides for successful and persuasive advocacy in trial, mediation, arbitration, and appeal. Choose from three case files--Business Contract, Criminal, or Personal Injury--to learn step-by-step how to prepare and animate bulleted lists, document and photographic enlargements, callouts, time lines, relationship charts, annotated diagrams, and more. Whether you are a computer neophyte or an experienced PowerPoint user, this book is designed to incorporate easily PowerPoint 97 or PowerPoint 2000 in your arsenal of advocacy skills.

PowerPoint for Litigators comes with a CD-ROM that includes a number of electronic exhibits for each case file so you can import and utilize them in your own PowerPoint slide presentations. The exhibits include video clips, photographs, diagrams, reports, transcripts, and other documents. The CD also contains a PowerPoint slide show for each case file showing examples of the slides you will learn to create by using this book. By putting the learning exercises into a professional context, you can apply what you learn quickly and effectively.

Customer Reviews:

Must Read for Trial Attorneys.......2006-07-26

This is a wonderful tool for helping attorneys learn how to take powerpoint presentations to the "next step." Use to making power point presentations for seminars/speeches, I was uncertain as to how to best simplify them for use at trial and arbitrations.This book made it easier.In fact, several of the suggestions helped me to make better power point presentations for use at seminars too. I highly recommend this book.

The only constructive criticism I have is that it would be great if an interactive CD with a powerpoint on it accompanied the book. Given the nature of the technology described in the book, it seemed odd to have to read about it in a book rather than reviewing an actual powerpoint. Also, because of glitches in the power point software, it would have been ideal to see a CD show how to implement a presentation.

Amazon.com

Sun Tzu's Art of War just got better. The Illustrated Art of War enlivens Thomas Cleary's complete translation, including commentaries, with full-color reproductions of paintings and statuary from China and Japan. Talk about martial art--these depictions show full battles scenes, the Chinese god of war, weaponry, processions--even an ancient map. --Brian Bruya

Book Description

Compiled more than two thousand years ago by a mysterious warrior-philosopher, The Art of War is still perhaps the most prestigious and influential book of strategy in the world today, as eagerly studied by modern politicians and executives as it has been by military leaders since ancient times. As a study of the anatomy of organizations in conflict, The Art of War applies to competition and conflict in general, on every level from the interpersonal to the international. Its aim is invincibility, victory without battle, and unassailable strength through understanding of the physics, politics, and psychology of conflict. This illustrated edition includes some of the finest works of art from China, Japan, and Korea, selected from museums, galleries, and private collections in countries throughout the world, deepening the reader's appreciation of the teachings of The Art of War.

Customer Reviews:

Great edition for gift giving.......2007-07-11

This edition makes for a terrific gift for the college graduate. The illustrations and photos add visual interest; the text layout makes for "easy" reading. Although we already own several editions of this classic, this will be added to our personal collection.

If only GW Bush had read it first........2007-07-03

This is a classic work on what works and doesn't work it war. It is from the 3rd century BC and cuts through the BS of modern war science. Must reading for all future Presidents, Secretaries of Defense and General Officers.

book arrived on time and in condition described.......2007-06-12

book arrived on time and in condition described

eager for audiobook of this .......2007-04-11

As a Chinese, I can say that author grasp the essence of Art of war and the English is beautiful.

I see adiobook on this topic. What no one for this version? strongly suggest and if come out I would buy it firstly.

Factoids.......2007-04-09

Thought I provide some facts about this edition of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, translated by Samuel B. Griffith. The translation in this book is the same as the UNESCO edition, but there are some differences in the contents.

Removes Appendix III. Sun Tzu in Western Languages
Removes Appendix IV. Brief Biographies of the Commentators
Removes the Maps
Adds seventy-five images
Pages are in a satin texture

In addition, this translation was done earlier than the findings from 1972, however, the analysis and commentary is top notch, so I would definitely recommend reading this and additional more up to date translation to complement.

Elements of Military Art and Science (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)

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Elements of Military Art and Science (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)
H. Wager Halleck
Manufacturer: Dodo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1406515892

Book Description

Work on Military tactics from an American Civil War General renowned for his cautiousness and belief in thorough preparations and defensiveness over quick, aggressive action.

The Art of War (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)

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The Art of War (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)
Baron de Jomini
Manufacturer: Dodo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1406535397

Book Description

Antoine-Henri, Baron Jomini (1779-1869), general in the French and afterwards in the Russian service, and one of the most celebrated writers on the Napoleonic art of war, was born at Payerne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, where his father was syndic. His youthful preference for a military life was disappointed by the dissolution of the Swiss regiments of France at the start of the Revolution. For some time he was a clerk in a Paris banking-house, until the outbreak of the Swiss Revolution. At the age of nineteen he was appointed to a post on the Swiss headquarters staff, and when scarcely twenty-one to the command of a battalion. At the peace of Lunéville 1801 he returned to business life in Paris, but devoted himself chiefly to preparing the celebrated Traité des grandes operations militaires, which was published in 1804-1805.

Book Description

Throughout much of European history, Jews have been strongly associated with commerce and the money trade, rendered both visible and vulnerable, like Shakespeare's Shylock, by their economic distinctiveness. Shylock's Children tells the story of Jewish perceptions of this economic difference and its effects on modern Jewish identity. Derek Penslar explains how Jews in modern Europe developed the notion of a distinct "Jewish economic man," an image that grew ever more complex and nuanced between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries.

Shylock's Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe.(Book Review) : An article from: The Historian

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Shylock's Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe.(Book Review) : An article from: The Historian
Frederick M. Schweitzer
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000B9DRSC
Release Date: 2005-09-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 874 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: Shylock's Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe.(Book Review)
Author: Frederick M. Schweitzer
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 65 Issue: 4 Page: 1051(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Delivering drugs in a water-insoluble formulation is a critical matter in therapeutic drug development. However, because a drug molecule has to be water soluble to be readily delivered to the cellular membrane while retaining its hydrophobic properties, issues surrounding water insolubility can postpone - or completely derail - important new drug development. Even much needed reformulation of currently marketed products can be significantly affected by these issues. This book systematically describes the techniques used for water-insoluble formulations, providing step-by-step guidance as well as scientific background on drug and water properties and how they contribute to solubilization and dissolution. A world-class team of experts discusses how these issues are viewed - and solved - by key industry and R&D institutions. This book provides a handy reference for pharmaceutical scientists in the handling of formulation issues related to water-insoluble drugs. In addition, this book may be useful to pharmacy and chemistry undergraduate students, and pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical graduate students, to enhance their knowledge in the techniques of drug solubilization and dissolution enhancement.

Book Description

Knowing Nature, Knowing Science focuses on three different groups of civil activists protesting against infrastructure installations, and on their understandings of science. The role of science is revealed as an ambivalent one for environmental activism. Eeva Berglund shows that it also poses problems for anthropology: in looking at environmental activism as a social commitment, meaningful commentary must combine both social and scientific perspectives.

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