Structured Finance: Techniques, Products and Market (Springer Finance)

Book Description

In recent years, financial engineering has developed new ways of financing deals based primarily on the capacity of the operations to generate sufficient cash for the repayment of loans or bonds. The business of structured finance has then become an interesting business area for non-financial companies, investment and commercial banks and consultants. In terms of volumes, it shows figures easily comparable to other, more traditional, sources of funding.

This book provides the reader with an analysis of the characteristics of structured finance deals – asset-backed securitization, project finance, structured leasing and leveraged acquisitions – together with updated data on the current state of the international financial markets for these operations.

Book Description

Volume 5 of Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research contains an outstanding collection of papers that should prove to be beneficial to a wide variety of accounting behavioral researchers. This volume, which is divided into three sections, contains some very thought provoking articles. The first section, Perspectives of Accounting Behavioral Research, contains an insightful article by Jim Hunton reflecting on his view of the future of behavioral research in an environment that is increasingly driven by digital technology. Hunton is one of the preeminent scholars in the area of accounting information systems and this article offers insight into future research avenues for all behavioral researchers. The second section includes eight articles in the areas of auditor independence, auditor memory, auditor recall of information, decision aids, ethics, leadership style, job satisfaction and tax preparer aggressiveness. The article on audit

Book Description

The rhizosphere in soil environments refers to the narrow zone of soil influenced by the root and exudates. Microbial populations in the rhizosphere can be 10 - 100 times larger than the populations in the bulk soil. Therefore, the rhizosphere is bathed in root exudates and microbial metabolites and the chemistry and biology at the soil-root interface is governed by biotic (plant roots, microbes) and abiotic (physical and chemical) interactions.

The research on biotic and abiotic interactions in the rhizosphere should, thus, be an issue of intense interest for years to come. This book, which consists of 15 chapters, addresses a variety of issues on fundamentals of microscopic levels and the impact on food chain contamination and the terrestrial ecosystem.

Book Description

Biochemistry of Metal Micronutrients in the Rhizosphere focuses on chemical factors and biological activities that control the uptake and translocation of essential metal micronutrients by plants and microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on current proposals describing the roles of microorganisms in controlling the biological activities of metal micronutrients in the rhizosphere. Coverage includes basic principles of siderophore-mediated Fe acquisition by microorganisms, siderophores as important regulators of Fe availability to plants and rhizosphere microorganisms, and microbial control of metal micronutrient supply to plants. The book evaluates plant uptake processes of Fe, Mn, and Zn in solution cultures and integrates this information with a rapidly developing understanding of rhizosphere events. Important consideration is given to the roles of metal ion chelation and soil chemistry in these biological activities. The current understanding of the biochemical events associated with Fe-deficiency in plants is discussed, including how these activities mediate micronutrient availability to both plants and soil microorganisms. This unique mixture of detailed coverage of the events that control biological activities of Fe, Mn, and Zn in the rhizosphere makes this book an essential reference.

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Trace Elements in the Rhizosphere

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Agronomy | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0849315352

Book Description

The first book devoted to the complex interactions between trace elements, soils, plants, and microorganisms in the rhizosphere, Trace Elements in the Rhizosphere brings together the experimental, investigative, and modeling branches of rhizosphere research. Written by an international team of authors, it provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and fate of trace elements in the rhizosphere and the application of this information to phytoremediation technologies and sustainable agriculture and forestry. With ecological and environmental issues moving to the forefront, the focus of rhizosphere research has increasingly shifted to studying the effect of plant-microbial association on the bioavailability, uptake, and transformation of inorganic and organic contaminants in soils. Contaminant-rhizosphere interactions have attracted renewed attention as plants have been proposed for use in the remediation of contaminated soils. Trace Elements in the Rhizosphere provides an in-depth look at rhizosphere processes and leads the way to further understanding and developments in this field.

Book Description

This small booklet contains general interest astronomical material pre-printed two years in advance of its date. It includes such things as: dates for equinoxes, solstices, phases of the Moon; eclipse maps; dates for various planetary phenomena; dates for some religious and civil holidays; chronological eras and cycles; the equation of time and declination of the Sun sunrise/set, moonrise/set times; the position of Polaris.

Customer Reviews:

The Natural Arches of the Big South Fork.......2004-06-28

This guidebook to the natural arches of the Big South Fork area is the only guidebook to these fascinating geologic features of the area. I have used it extensively, and it is a great addition to the growing list of books on the Big South Fork area. The author has taken care to give accurate and detailed instructions about how to get to AND appreciate these wonderful geologic features in the Big South Fork Country.

The book not only gives accurate and detailed information about how to get to these fascinating rock features, but it also gives a survey of the human history of the rugged Big South Fork country of Tennessee and Kentucky. The author, Arthur McDade, also fully stresses hiking and backcountry safety, and refers the reader to additional reference books about the area, including trail guides and topographical maps.

This book is a must for all folks who are interested in the Big South Fork country. Get it in addition to the other trail guides to the area, to round out your library. I recommend it wholeheartedly, as I have hiked and backpacked all over the country, and this book is one of the best I have seen about geologic features and history.

A Focused and Specialized Guide to Big South Fork.......2004-01-17

The bookshelf above my desk is filled with hiking guides, one for nearly every hiking destination in the eastern US. This guide is unlike any other on that shelf.

First, let me give some basic information about this book. Destinations described in this book are grouped into three geographic areas: Big South Fork NRRA, Pickett State Park (located in Tennessee just west of BSF), and southern Daniel Boone National Forest, located in southern Kentucky. These three adjacent areas contain more arches than just about any area in the east, so there is plenty of material for a book of this sort. Also, the book contains 29 photos of BSF arches and landforms, so even though they are not color photos, you can take a tour of BSF arches without leaving your living room by reading this book.

The book describes 25 hikes, each one leading to at least one arch. Most of the hikes are extremely short (0.5 mile or less), though a couple are longer. There are five hand-drawn maps in an appendix that cover areas of high arch concentration, but most hikes do not have maps accompanying them. Further, trail descriptions focus on the arch rather than the hike (see next paragraph). This fact combined with the lack of maps caused me to get lost a couple of times when I was hiking to these arches, but I always found myself easily since the hike was short and I am an experienced hiker.

Now back to my introductory thought, namely why this hiking guide is unique. Most hiking guides emphasize trail descriptions, with descriptions of scenery along the trail included as part of a trail description. This book is organized around arches with a secondary treatment given to the trails. Indeed, this book is only 100 pages long, and the first 22 are devoted to an introduction to arch formation and BSF geography, geology, and history. You won't find this much detailed information on landforms in most hiking guides, but it doesn't leave much room for trail descriptions as you would find in most hiking guides.

In sum, if you are looking for a good, general hiking guide to the BSF, this book is not for you. With the focus geared so heavily to arches, this book is simply not designed to serve that purpose. However, if you are looking for a book that specializes in BSF arches to supplement your collection of BSF hiking guides (or your personal knowledge of the area), this book would make an excellent addition to your library.

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Ryder Cup

The evolution of the modern European dominance

David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup: A Hardly Definitive, Completely Cockeyed, But Absolutely Loving Look at Golf's Most Exciting Event
David Feherty
Manufacturer: Rugged Land
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History of Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1590710320
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Book Description

The New York Times and Booksense bestselling author of A Nasty Bit of Rough and Somewhere in Ireland, a Village Is Missing an Idiot teams with golf uber-editor James A. Frank to concoct the most potent elixir of narrative history and behind-the-scenes drama of the Ryder Cup."As hard-bitten as we all get, the Ryder Cup is still the measure of intestinal fortitude."David Feherty, 1991What began in 1927 as a friendly competition between the best golfers from the United States and Great Britain has evolved into the most action-packed, gut-wrenching, and nail-biting event in the game-and possibly in all of sport. For three days every two years, twenty-four of the world's best battle both as partners and as individuals, vying not for prize money but for national pride. It is an experience that makes them weak in the knees, and more than one grizzled veteran has admitted to spending the moments before teeing off exorcising his demons into the toilet. This "history" of the game's most exciting tournament looks beyond the team lineups and final scores to uncover the personalities and stories that made every playing of the biennial matches a war of wits. From the practical jokes in the locker rooms to the strategic decisions that won (and lost) crucial matches, Feherty-who played on the 1991 Ryder Cup team for Europe-provides an insight and an outlook that no one else can match. Or would dare try.

Customer Reviews:

Ryder Cup.......2006-11-05

It is a fun read. A very light-hearted look at one of the truly great events in golf and the people involved.

The evolution of the modern European dominance.......2004-09-20

This is a good look at how the Ryder Cup evolved every year it was played, with Feherty's tongue-in-cheek humour thrown in to keep it from being a dry read. He gives you behind the scene stuff too, like the interaction between players. The real story of how the Ryder Cup evolved from the 1981 massacre of the Europeans by the Americans (led by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Raymond Floyd etc.), all the way to the 2004 massacre of the Americans (led by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III etc.) by the Europeans is here. The Europeans were divided in 1981, looking after their own interests, leaving off Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin from their weak team, all because of petty disputes. But after they came to their senses in 1983 and put the great Seve Ballesteros on the team, and came within inches of winning, things started to jell. It was in the team room after that 1983 loss that Seve convinced his teammates (who included Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam) that they had what it takes to beat the Americans. They came together as a team because of Seve's pep talks and Tony Jacklin's coaching. And they went on from there to win 7 of the next 10 matches between 1985 and 2004 !!! American team couldn't believe that their losses were any more than fluke losses, even though it happened over and over again. And even though Seve, Faldo, Langer, Lyle, Woosie, and Olazabal no longer play for the Europeans, they'e obviously left that team spirit behind, as witness the 2004 drubbing the Europeans (with no major champions) gave to the Americans on their home soil. The evolution of the European team from huge underdogs with little to no chance in 1981 to the dominant favorites defending in Ireland in 2006 is the great story of the modern Ryder Cup. This is good reading, get it.

David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup (ISBN: 1590710320)

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David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup (ISBN: 1590710320)
David with James A. Frank Feherty
Manufacturer: Rugged Land Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQNTM2

David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup: a Hardly Definitive, Completely Cockeyed, But Absolutely Loving ...

Average customer rating:

David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup: a Hardly Definitive, Completely Cockeyed, But Absolutely Loving ...
David With James A. Frank Feherty
Manufacturer: Rugged Land
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O1DACA

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Parliamentary Procedure At a Glance (group Leadership Manual For Chairmanship and Floor Leadership)

Manufacturer: Appleton-Century-Crofts, INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BVQ55M

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PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AT A GLANCE Group Leadership Manual for Chairmanship and Floor Leadership
O. Garfield Jones
Manufacturer: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000JFVUDW

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In the heat of the meeting, reach for this book!

Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance: New Edition

Parliamentry Procedure at a Glance bu Ossie Garfield Jones

Parliamentary Procedure at a glance

This is the one

Parliamentary procedure at a glance,: Group leadership manual for chairmanship and floor leadership
O. Garfield Jones
Manufacturer: Appleton-Century
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Rules of Order | Etiquette | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Robert's Rules of Order (Newly Revised, 10th Edition)

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief (Roberts Rules of Order (in Brief))

Robert's Rules for Dummies

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Robert's Rules (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Bylaws: Writing Amending Revising

ASIN: B00086LIWK

Customer Reviews:

In the heat of the meeting, reach for this book!.......2007-06-25

The center pages of this little book are worth the book's purchase price all by themselves. Every kind of motion and amendment are listed in their priority, making it extremely easy to untangle the knots that many of us get into when the meeting we are leading suddenly has a flurry of motions. Keep it handy, open it to the center, and you will see at a glance what to do and who is right in their understanding of the way to handle a particular motion.

I was introduced to this book in a parliamentary procedure class - the copyright of my edition is 1971! I have referred to it ever since and given it to many friends and organizations.

Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance: New Edition.......2007-01-10

I found this very helpful and easy to understand.

Parliamentry Procedure at a Glance bu Ossie Garfield Jones.......2006-07-10

Better than I expected. A very good general guide to meeting procedure with some very good ideas and notes

Parliamentary Procedure at a glance.......2005-09-10

I was buying this for our 4-H parliamentarian (10 years old), hoping it was kid friendly.

It is still very complicated and am not sure it will meet our needs.

This is the one.......2001-04-17

This is the one you want if you are a novice at parliamentary procedure. After experiencing several unruly church conferences I began looking for an easy to use book, this is it. The center of the book indexes all the basic procedures you will need. I compliment the author in making it easy to use and not making the reader drowsy.

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A Good Read!

Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers
Chip Bell , and Ron Zemke
Manufacturer: Kaplan Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Customer Service | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Sales & Selling | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Secret Service: Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service

Magnetic Service: Secrets of Creating Passionately Devoted Customers

Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation

Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer Service...Even When You Don't Feel Like It!...Even When They Don't Deserve It!

Perfect Phrases for Customer Service: Hundreds of Tools, Techniques, and Scripts for Handling Any Situation (Perfect Phrases)

ASIN: 0793164672
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Book Description

Like stage magic, service magic is made up of more than tricks, hocus-pocus, and bravado. Service magic is an art and depends on developing customer rapport, excellent timing, and many hours of practice. Customer service wizards Chip Bell and Ron Zemke have decades of experience advising and coaching the world's biggest businesses in the fine art of providing excellent service. In their new book, Service Magic, the authors use examples from diverse industries to reveal inventive-and fun-approaches to customer service. Using new models for creating customer delight, they share a conjurer's trunk of ideas for sweeping away the mundane and creating customer experiences that will leave customers delighted, charmed, and wanting to come back for more. Readers will learn about the magic-building customer service strategies at play in industries such as: • Hospitality-How Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Hotel Monaco, Old Faithful Inn, Berns Steak House, and Radisson have performed service magic for retaining guests, especially during a downturn in the travel and leisure market. • Financial services-How do USAA and American Express keep their customers happy when so many financial services companies are churning accounts faster than the Fed can drop interest rates? • Health care-See how some of the biggest health care providers, including Mayo, Aurora Health, Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago, Grace Presbyterian Village, and Wayzata Dental, have created caring, nurturing, and helpful environments for patients and families. • Retail-Byerly's, SuperQuinn, Mary Jane's Farm, Macaroni Grill, Victoria's Secret, and Sewell Village Cadillac are vastly different retailers. Nevertheless, they share some common approaches to service and customer care. • Entertainment-Universal Studios, Disney World Resorts, All Outdoor White Water Rafting, and the St. Paul Saints have all captured the hearts and souls of customers through the magic of service.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Read!.......2004-06-03

Despite the rather strained analogy and the authors' laborious attempts to make it amusing for 248 pages, this book does offer some genuine magical flashes of customer service insight. You will learn a great deal that is worth knowing. Many of these insights are the kind of pointers on customer service that bear repeating, rereading and remembering. The magic metaphor is a worthy attempt to make them fresh again, and to examine the elements of place, performance and process, step by step. We recommend this book for new magicians, and even for magicians with experience who need to renew their customer service razzle-dazzle. Now, show `em how you pull that rabbit out of your hat!

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comprehensive economic look at the world

Insightful and very readable analysis of the new capitalism

Very serious criticism.

Globalization And "Free Trade" Exposed

Biased wishful thinking

Turbo-Capitalism: Winners and Losers in the Global Economy
Edward N. Luttwak , and Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Free Enterprise | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Endangered American Dream

Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace, Revised and Enlarged Edition

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American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury

ASIN: 006093137X

Amazon.com

A new kind of capitalism is raging around the globe--and its economic and social consequences could be crippling. In Turbo-Capitalism, Edward Luttwak, a noted international strategist and consultant, warns that the free market has gone amok. He predicts possible massive increases in poverty, crime, and unemployment, especially in the Third World, which lacks the political and legal systems of the U.S. Unlike the benign, carefully controlled capitalism that ruled from the 1940s to the 1980s, this new whirlwind capitalism will eventually create tremendous social upheaval. "Allowing turbo-capitalism to have its way, as in the United States and the United Kingdom, results in widening income differentials in exchange for not-so-rapid growth," writes Luttwak, who provides plenty of statistics to support his argument. Luttwak acknowledges that economic progress could be crippled if the world returns to the old model of government regulation, and this he calls the "great dilemma," with no easy answers.

While Luttwak's interest is more global, he offers some domestic examples to illustrate the effects of capitalism unleashed. He points to Boeing, which suffered from massive layoffs in the 1990s, even as aircraft orders soared. And he ridicules the notion that high-tech will come to the rescue with thousands of new jobs for downsized blue-collar and white-collar workers, calling these hopes "The Microsoft Mirage." A sweeping, sometimes densely written treatise, Turbo-Capitalism raises important questions for policymakers and business leaders. --Dan Ring

Book Description

In this incisive and controversial exposÉ of the hidden effects of today's free-market capitalism, Edward Luttwak describes in powerful detail how it vastly differs from the controlled capitalism that flourished from 1945 to the 1980s. Turbo-capitalism is private enterprise liberated from government regulation, unchecked by effective trade unions, unfettered by concerns for employees or communities, and unhindered by taxation or investment restrictions. The winners in this free-for-all are getting much richer, while the losers are becoming poorer and are forced by downsizing to take the traditional jobs of the underclass. Led by the United States, closely followed by Britain, turbo-capitalism is spreading fast throughout Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world without the two great forces that check its enormous power in the United States: a powerful Legal system and the stringent rules of American calvinism. Luttwak exposes the major societal upheavals and inequities turbo-capitalism causes and the broad dissatisfaction and anxiety that may result.

Customer Reviews:

comprehensive economic look at the world .......2004-12-24

I've made a habit of reading books on economics within the past year and this one is at the top of my recommendation list. Luttwak clearly describes the situation of capitalism worldwide, from the most regulated to the least restrictive economies, which he dubs turbo-capitalist (America and Britain.) He is clear that the tradeoff is security and broad wealth distribution versus efficiency and economic inequality. There is no resisting the move toward efficiency, because there is no way to compete with it. So, the whole world is inevitably moving in the turbo-capitalist direction. There are good and bad aspects of this which Luttwak discusses but regardless, we are going with the flow in which privatization and de-regulation are the driving forces, bringing rapid change, dislocation of labor, uncertainty of employment and anxiety about economic security. This book was educational for me on the topic of the establishment of the EU and the ECU (Euro.) I was particularly interested in his discussion of central banking, but found myself eagerly turning every page in expectation of what I'd find him explaining next. Luttwak is equally at home describing why Americans are such super-consumers, the Italian way of protecting jobs in a closed (but opening) economy, and the function of the Russian mafia in countering the economic power of the Russian state. An informative and entertaining read that is bound to add depth to the reader's understanding of current events.

Insightful and very readable analysis of the new capitalism.......2004-02-04

Unlike some other reviewers, I find that Edward Luttwak's analysis of the new capitalism, or what he calls Turbo capitalism, was very well considered and presented. Luttwak knows europe very well, as he lives and teaches in Italy and speaks a number of languages fluently. The book is not a condmenation o cpaitalism; rather it shows how from the late seventies and after the fall of Soviet communism the Keynesian economic system that had been devised to produce a compromise between the aspirations of socialism and the practical realities of capitalism, which existed in much of the Western world has been dismantled. He notes that in order to reduce the appeal of socialism, which was gaining ground throughout Europe prior to the rise of fascism and after the Second World War, Western governments were almost forced into satisfying vast numbers of their populations by institutionalizing such benefits as free medical service and schooling. the equalizing policies help to soften demands for outright socilaism while allowing free enterprise to grow - albeit with some regulation. Luttwak then terms 'turbo capitalism' that transformation, which took place after the fall of the Berlin wall, characterized by the de-regualtion of free enterprise and the simultaneous retraction of the social welfare mechanisms that had been established in the post-war period.
Luttwak also looks at how certain market inefficiencies, like having too many employees, family businesses and fewer working hours actually helped make the 'capitalist' system more sustainable for the vast majority - or for what used to be the middle class until a decade ago. Turbo capitalism has accelerated and accentuated class divides, reducing the influence and size of the middle class. There are some cultural anecdotes involving work hours and differences in public morality between the United States and Europe mentioned here and there and they add an amusing effect. i found little to object in what he noted, as he remained fair and relevant. Overall this is an excellent book, which provides a great deal of insight into an the socio-economic processes that affecting the modern society.

Very serious criticism........2002-12-23

I totally agree with Edward Luttwak's plain talk: today's capitalism with its managing for the short time, profits the happy few, but is a disaster for the many: abrupt mass firings, disruption of individual lives, of families, of communities and even of entire regions, insecurity of the middle classes.

Fortunately, he believes that turbo capitalism will pass, but, for me, not immediately.
For the reasons, read for instance the excellent books on US politics by Gore Vidal.

One of Luttwak's cures to reverse the actual situation is control by the government, but if the government is controlled by the few (private corporations and their main individual shareholders), the proceeds of capitalismn will continue to flow to the few.

As a matter of fact, he is severe for the actual governmental policies, like monetarism (it devalues labor rather than money); like the conversion of all institutions - hospitals etc. - into profit-maximizing corporations, or the hypocritical war on drugs.
I quote: "Even the fanciest illegal substances hardly make a dent in the budget of many users, some of whom are multi-millionaires ... The ruined drug addict on his way to a penniless death in a sordid alley is mostly myth: if it were not so ... Colombian drug lords would have to be content with tenements and bicycles instead of palatial mansions and executive jets." (p.210)

His conclusion is obvious: what is needed is a government that governs for the many and distributes more equally than now the proceeds of capitalism over the whole population, not only through wages, but also through better social welfare.
But this is only possible via the democratic process.

This book contains also excellent analyses of, among others, the causes of World War I, mercantilism or the situation in Russia after the fall of the Berlin wall.

An important work. Not to be missed.

Globalization And "Free Trade" Exposed.......2002-06-16

What happens when the pursuit of wealth becomes such a dominant force in the world that all moral, ethical, and societal values become secondary? What happens when the bottom line is always...money?

Can you spell ENRON?

Most of the world is against globalization. But we are not sure why. We just feel that it is bad somehow. We see life becoming more uncertain, jobs being eliminated, families and societies being torn apart, and "job security" becoming a thing of the past. Meanwhile, the salaries of CEOs zoom into the stratosphere.

But it is difficult for the average person to verbalize exactly what is "wrong" with globalization and "free trade". We simply do not have the eagle eye view of the situation. But Mr. Luttwak does.

Mr. Luttwak is not against capitalism. But he lays a case that it is out of control and that the "free trade" agenda will only benefit the wealthy. He very eloquently lays out how the pursuit of wealth is now running rampant over borders, governments, cultures, and how wealth is accumulating at a faster pace into the hands of fewer and fewer people. And most important...the cost to all of us "losers" in this frantic "greed rush".

The WTO and G8 meetings are held in secret. Those who meet in secret NEVER have the common good at heart. If they did, they would welcome very bright lights so we could all appreciate their great philanthropy and goodness.

After reading this book, I know why they meet in secret. I now know who is pushing globalization and why they are doing it. The agenda of globalization is laid bare and yes, it is scary. Imagine one world governed by company interests whose only god is the dollar...that will be the ultimate result of turbo capitalism.

While this book is only a call to arms with no solution offered, it is excellent for no other reason than the way in which Mr. Luttwak so deftly lays out the problems.

Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

Biased wishful thinking.......2000-10-10

While Edward Luttwak bemoans what he (correctly) sees as an onrushing train of "Turbo-Capitalism" - the worldwide trend toward unregulated markets, free flow of capital and decline of the importance of nation-state, - he completely fails to see the technological reasons for it. He dismisses such reasons by stating that "technology does not exist in vacuum" and "people made a decision to use it" in support of turbo-capitalism. That's as naïve as claiming that 15th century people "made a decision" to use gunpowder and manufacturing in order to destroy the feudal system of independent manors. For anyone interested in the analysis of why microprocessor is as dangerous to the nation-state as gunpowder was to feudal manor, I suggest "The Sovereign Individual" by Davidson and Rees-Mogg.

The above is the "wishful thinking" part. As for the left-leaning biases of Mr. Luttwak, they are almost too numerous to list, but the most glaring one is his claim that information technology is a net destroyer of jobs. He supports this claim by comparing the number of employees in the leaders of "old economy" (Ford, GM, Kodak, etc.) and the leaders in "new economy" (Microsoft, Apple, Netscape, etc.) and pointing out that the latter employ a small fraction of the former. First, in information economy high-tech jobs are spread among hundreds and thousands of small companies, rather than concentrated in a few giants (his "leaders of new economy" list should have had at least 200 names). But more importantly, Luttwak completely misses the fact that enormously greater productivity of information-based economy allows the relatively smaller number of people involved in the actual production to support a mass service sector impossible in the industrial economy. Travel agencies, spas, physical therapists, massage therapists, concierge services, specialized restaurants, beach resorts, beauty salons, pool and gardening services, and all sorts of professionally taught leisure activities - scuba diving, sky diving, mountain climbing, spelunking, deep-sea fishing, etc. - have proliferated in the numbers unthinkable just a few years ago. That's one of the beneficial results of microprocessor revolution, of which Luttwak's "turbo-capitalism" is but one aspect.

Book Description

In this book, Thompson and Hickson strongly challenge the standard interpretation of the basis of growth and viability of dominant wealthy nations. Briefly, efforts of the economically wealthy and the government leaders to increase their wealth and protect it from aggressors, internal and external, are cast in a new evolutionary light. The challenge is to the idea that societies leading intellectual formulators of political and social policy have been helpful. Their alternative, and persuasive, interpretation is that the rise and survival of wealthier nations has been achieved because of an `effective democracy'.
The authors explain why an effective democratic state must avoid `narrow, short-sighted', rational appearing concessions to a sequence of aggressors. In short, the Thompson-Hickson interpretation of the rise of wealthy dominant nations does not rely on advice of superior intellectual advisors, but instead rests on the pragmatic, almost ad hoc, actions of democratic legislators.

Book Description

Export-Import Theory, Practices, and Procedures is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of export /import theories, practices and procedures. This valuable book also explores emerging areas such as intellectual property, countertrade, the role of logistics and transportation, and regional trade arrangements. Export-Import Theory, Practices, and Procedures provides a substantive analysis of international trade theories and techniques for students, researchers and professionals in the field.

Customer Reviews:

Good book, used it to help write a graduate paper.......2007-01-10

I needed a book that had paranthetical references, and this book had quite a few. Would have loved it if there were more though. This is actually a very good book. It teaches practical common sense, mixed with historical overviews of international trade practices, forwarding laws, promotion and marketing plans, advertising strategies. It is a very good book that will provide a breadth of knowledge for the enterprising importer-exporter. I would recommended it for both business and academic purposes, although if you are looking for more academic reference-based books in this area, you should also consult academic publishing companies that focus more on referenced materials. Overall, very informative book.

GOT TO HAVE IT.......2000-09-18

This is a very good book. As a student in college, I used this book as guide. Which has assisted me in my research projects which I received an A. This book written by Seyoum is very straight forward, and easy to understand. This book has many strategies and marketing techniques, which are very helpful. It makes you understand the importance of trading and understanding the reasons behind all the documentations. This book even could help you operate your own export-import business. If you are interested in the international trades I recommend you to buy it, and include this work in your library as a good refrences. I hope you enjoy it as much I enjoyed reading it.

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