Nation, State, And Economy: Contributions to the Politics And History of Our Time (Von Mises, Ludwig, Works.)

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Last of the classical liberals

Nation, State, And Economy: Contributions to the Politics And History of Our Time (Von Mises, Ludwig, Works.)
Ludwig Von Mises , and Bettina Bien Greaves
Manufacturer: Liberty Fund
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0865976414

Customer Reviews:

Last of the classical liberals.......2006-11-14

Ludwig Von Mises perhaps deserves the honourable title of "last of the 19th Century classical liberals". This is despite the fact that all his writings are works of the 20th century. This is not to say that he has been made obsolete or irrelevant, far from it, but his work has generally been unfashionable in the 20th century, even by those who would be considered his intellectual and political allies. In a sense Mises debates the issues on his own terms not by following or chasing the coat tails of others.

"Nation, State and Economy" was Mises' first book, published in 1919, it discusses the great war and in some ways anticipates the events to come. Despite the author's pedigree as a former Austrian treasury official and pioneer of the Austrian school of economics, this is really a book best pigeon holed as political sociology than economics per se. Originally written in German and, assuming a greater knowledge of German / Austrian history than I possess, I had to rely upon detail provided in the forward to help me through.

The book covers wide intellectual ground and has been compared to John Maynard Keynes' "Economic Consequences of The Peace", written about the same time with much of the same concerns, as it's most comparable peer.

Perhaps the section that most interested me, and it should be of interest to those, including modern liberals and social democrats, not normal Mises readers, was his discussion of the weakness of 19th century liberalism in Germany and Austria. Elsewhere in the west liberalism, nationalism and democratic reform marched side by side as brothers in arms. But what happened in Germany and Austria?

Peter Viereck has argued that in the Germanies, the idea of "volk" triumphed when and where liberalism and democracy was defeated. Viereck argues that the German soul was split between rival western "liberal" looking and northern "volkish" looking hobgoblins. Mises, ever the practical economist, who sees nations as essentially linguistic constructs, offers a more down to earth interpretation.

Liberalism and democratic thought flourished among the German peoples of Prussia and Imperial Austria, but the multi-ethnic demographic realities of the German colonization in Eastern Prussia and the Austrian Empire meant that any advances for democratic majoritarian self rule would come at the price of retreat for the social, economic and political status of these Empire's eastern German subjects. Thus many liberals and indeed socialists found it easier to compromise with the Old Regime authoritarians, elsewhere the mortal enemy of liberals and democrats, than abandon their German speaking peers. The compromises made by Prussian liberal democrats were leveraged across the whole of the Second Reich as Bismark unified the central Germans.

Although Mises doesn't say it, in a sense it's the Westerners, the French, British and Americans, where liberalism, democracy and (effective) linguistic homogenity worked in parallel who are the odd men out. The Austrian and German experience has probably more to tell us about the prospects of liberty and democracy in the ex-colonial Third World and the ex-communist Second World than all the ostentatious lovers of democracy layed end to end.

These issues of nationality, multiculturalism and the relation between language and liberty have a renewed urgency in the 21st century. Von Mises' "19th century" insights are probably of more use than those inherited from the 20th.

Book Description

This new textbook provides the first truly integrated introduction to work and organizational psychology with a European focus aimed specifically at psychology students.Nik Chmiel has brought together top contributors from the UK and Europe to provide a comprehensive, in-depth account of European work and organizational psychology. Highly accessible to students, each chapter opens with an introduction to the topic and goes on to discuss both the theory and current arguments surrounding each issue. Chapters also include points for discussion as well as suggestions for further reading.Introduction to Work and Organizational Psychology will prove an invaluable introductory text for those wishing to teach the subject from an in-depth, European perspective.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent up-to-date book.......2000-08-19

This book is one of the best introductions to the field of work and organizational psychology up to now. The editor of this edition, Nik Chmiel (institue of work psychology, Sheffield), has brought together experts from all over Europe to write a chapter on their special area of research. These include: History and Context for Work and Organizational Psychology; Roles and Methods; Job Analysis and Design; Personnel Selection; Training; Performance Appraisal: Assessing and Developing Performance and Potential; Job Stress and Health; Workload and Task Allocation; Work Experience and Performance; The Design and Use of Work Technology; Safety at Work; Leadership and Management; Motivation in the Workplace; Organizational Change and Development; Against all Odds: Managing Diversity; Job Performance and the Ageing Workforce; The Changing Nature of Work. The book is concisely but well written, the chapters can be read independently and are abounding with information. There are of course differences between the chapters qualities, but these can be neglected: the overall level is high. It is a book I honestly recommend to any student of work and organizational psychology. You will not regret to buy it!

Book Description

The CGIAR at 31, a meta-evaluation of the CGIAR, finds that CGIAR's productivity-enhancing research has had sizeable impacts on reducing poverty by increasing employment, raising incomes, lowering food prices, and releasing land from cropping. However, the CGIAR is facing huge challenges. It is less focused on enhancing agricultural productivity than it used to be. The report finds that CGIAR's current mix of activities reflects neither its comparative advantage nor its core competence. It also finds that CGIAR has not responded sufficiently at the System level to the biotechnology revolution, the increasing importance of intellectual property rights, and the growth of private sector research.

The evaluation makes several recommendations to address the challenges facing CGIAR, to enhance CGIAR's role in agricultural research into the future.

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The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) was established in 1971 to scale up years of effort by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations in supporting four international agricultural research centers in Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria and the Philippines. As the first global program to receive grants from the World Bank's net income, the CGIAR's original mission was a strategic, science-based focus on increasing 'the pile of rice on the plates of food-short consumer." Today it supports 16 international Centers, and from an initial 18, its membership has expanded to 62, including 24 developing and transition economies. The CGIAR at 31, a meta-evaluation of the CGIAR, finds that CGIAR's productivity-enhancing research has had sizeable impacts on reducing poverty by increasing employment, raising incomes, lowering food prices, and releasing land from cropping. However, the CGIAR is facing huge challenges. It is less focused on enhancing agricultural productivity than it used to be. The report finds that CGIAR's current mix of activities reflects neither its comparative advantage nor its core competence. It also finds that CGIAR has not responded sufficiently at the System level to the biotechnology revolution, the increasing importance of intellectual property rights, and the growth of private sector research. The evaluation makes several recommendations to address the challenges facing CGIAR, to enhance CGIAR's role in agricultural research into the future.

Book Description

Phylogenies (evolutionary trees) are basic to thinking about and analyzing differences between species. Statistical, computational, and algorithmic work on them has been ongoing for four decades, with great advances in understanding. Yet no book has summarized this work until now. Inferring Phylogenies explains clearly the assumptions and logic of making inferences about phylogenies, and using them to make inferences about evolutionary processes. It is an essential text and reference for anyone who wants to understand how phylogenies are reconstructed and how they are used.

As phylogenies are inferred with various kinds of data, this book concentrates on some of the central ones: discretely coded characters, molecular sequences, gene frequencies, and quantitative traits. Also covered are restriction sites, RAPDs, and microsatellites.

Inferring Phylogenies is intended for graduate-level courses, assuming some knowledge of statistics, mathematics (calculus and fundamental matrix algebra), molecular sequences, and quantitative genetics.

Customer Reviews:

Good as a refresher for the initiated, but not for beginners at all.......2006-05-30

This new explanation of phylogenetic methods contains a good discussion of the merits and potential failings of many of the methods currently used to study phylogenetics. It may be very good for computer science students, who have a better grasp of the mathematics. It may also be good for biologists well versed in biostatistics, who want to know why systematists use certain, less easily handled, analytical methods. However, it is very difficult reading for other scientists who do not fully understand the complex math presented in the text. It also does not give a concinct summary of the assumptions and failings of each method. The bottom line is that this book is good for experts who easily understand algorithms, but not good for students who don't have a good handle on such things.

very complete reference book.......2005-01-17

Inferring phylogenies was much anticipated by the large audience which has used Felsenstein's programs, and his website which reviews and categorizes applied tree building and population genetics programs.
This book is very complete, and functions well as a reference book. It is not a book that would read from start to finish, and probably would not be the best text available for a general upper division course. We have used selected chapters for supplementary readings when appropriate in reading groups. However, due to its completeness, this would be one title that I would recommend that most people working with phylogenetics would require for their bookshelf.

not well written.......2004-07-23

This book, although apparently containing everything, is written in a very opaque style which makes it impossible to simply read through. It probably is a good reference to look in for particular topics, but it is not at all usable as an introduction.

More than what the title implies.......2004-07-05

As one would expect, the majority of this book deals with the various algorithms for phylogenetic analysis (such as the various versions of parsimony, distance based methods, and likelihood methods), but the book covers more topics that this. In particular, the book covers methods of tree comparison such as the KHT and SH tests, which I found particularly welcome because the current literature covering these tests often are rather opaque to those who haven't followed it since their conception.

The only weak thing about about the book (besides the many typos, which should be fixed in the new printing anyway), is Felsenstein's rather acrimonious treatment of Bayesian methods, in which the Bayesian use of priors is criticized on philosophical grounds.

I was annoyed by this not because I'm a card-carrying Bayesian (which I'm certainly not), but rather because I would have thought that Felsenstein of all people, whose primary opponents in the 1980's were the members of the philosophically-minded Willi Hennig crowd (who always claimed that parsimony was "philosophically right" even when it gave the wrong answer), would realize the futility of arguing scientific issues on philosophical grounds. Bayesian methods, as all scientific methods, will win or lose based on how well they work in practice, despite turgid philosophizing on both sides of the issue.

first print.......2004-05-25

The book I bought is first printing version. Lots of typo inside..... I should correct them myself.-:(

Inferring phylogenies: an epic worth the wait [A book review from: Trends in Ecology & Evolution]

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Inferring phylogenies: an epic worth the wait [A book review from: Trends in Ecology & Evolution]
M. Steel
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RQYAXU

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Trends in Ecology & Evolution, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Book Description

THE MAN’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DATING, SEX, AND MARRIAGE

This book builds a bridge of understanding across the great divide that separates the sexes, providing candid information guaranteed to restore pleasure, peace, trust, and simple enjoyment to the life you share with the woman you love. Drawing on the startling confessions of more than 2,000 women interviewed especially for this book, What Women Want reveals the gritty, intimate truth as women see it. Inside is everything you need to know about:

The Dating Game: The twelve commandments for the first date. Who does the asking? Getting physical. Playing or getting serious.
The Lover She Wants: Setting the mood. Getting to yes. What turns her on. How she reaches satisfaction. Definite turn-offs.
The Husband She Loves: Advanced romance. Intimate communication– what women say they want and what they really want. Learning to listen.
A Hassle-Free Home: Why fights always begin in the kitchen. Divvying up the drudge work. Guilt-free guy time.
Going for the Golden: What makes marriage sweet enough to last?

Frank, funny, and truly definitive, What Women Want is the nuts-and-bolts guide that guarantees to rev up your sex life–and make your whole life as enjoyable as you always hoped it could be.

Customer Reviews:

Deeply Flawed but Still Interesting.......2004-08-31

This book has the noblest of intentions, and I cannot fault either its authors or the women they interviewed for trying to help men understand women better. Unfortunately, a better title for it would be "What Some Women Want Men To Think They Want", because the book's approach to answering its title question is flawed. It assumes that women say what they mean, especially when they are told that their responses will be read by an audience they hope to influence for their own ends. And it assumes that women themselves know just what they want, which few of us, male or female, actually do (when I mentioned this book to a female friend, she asked me to let her know what women wanted when I was through reading it, because she and all her female friends had no idea).

That is not to say that the book is devoid of helpful advice, because there is some good stuff here, particularly that given in the "Can She Ex?lain It" sections. Kate Fillion's contribution, for example, which pointed out the impossible standard women today are called upon to meet, was fascinating and eye-opening. But in general the quality of advice in "What Women Want" varies widely; the emphasis on respect and communication can only help men in marriages or other committed relationships, but the advice on how to meet and court women is useless in the extreme and could well be read as advice for men on how NOT to get a date (though celibate guys can use it to make female friends who will see them as one of the girls).

There is a further flaw that must be mentioned: it is clear that the authors do not understand men, for this book assumes that all men are the same and want the same things. Even as it attempts to convince men of the complexity of women, it ignores the fact that men are no less varied, which diminishes its value for much of its intended audience. The "guy-talk" tone is often irritating, and never helpful.

The greatest value of "What Women Want" does not lie in its advice but in its very failure to accomplish what it set out to do, and with a little digging we can see just why it all went so wrong. There is no doubt but that the women interviewed in this study thought they were answering the questions honestly, just as there is also no doubt that the behavior of women in the real world frequently does not match those answers. Part of the reason for this is, I believe, our society. America is the wealthiest nation in world history, and we are all, men and women alike, told by the mass media that our lives should be perfect and that there is something very wrong with us when they are not. Fantasy, not reality, dominates gender relations in America today, and this leads to unrealistic expectations about the behavior of our partners, even as the fantasy of perfection cripples our ability to communicate (if Leonardo DeCaprio and Jude Law don't have to have intimate talks with their lovers, why should we?). The comments in this book are a prime example: men must be perfect, like the heroes in romance novels (correctly called female porn by the authors), or they will be discarded and ridiculed. Many women, like many men, judge potential partners based on how well they match up to criteria developed in sexual fantasy, not reality, and so real partners will never measure up. And because society tells us daily that the "customer is always right", it makes sense that the women interviewed in "What Women Want" seem to feel that they bear no responsibility for their own happiness, as according to this book it is always men who must compromise, but never women.

Ultimately, then, "What Women Want" is largely a collection of demands and complaints made by members of a culture whose 50% divorce rate makes any comment by its members on gender relations suspect. It is also a very human and American book, because the often unrealistic demands made by women here are mirrored by the equally unrealistic demands so often made by men, and which, with the same sort of interviews, would no doubt come forth just as passionately and be just as pointless.

A great relationship book, but..........2003-06-21

It's not really for picking up women.It's more for married/serious relationships types.I'd recommend this one for that:Make every girl want you ISBN:0972016619

enlightening.......2002-07-26

This is a book that is enlightening in spots, not for children, and is also chalked with a lot of common sense when you come to thinking about it.

A Lifetime of Happiness.......2002-07-13

I can almost guarantee a lifetime of happiness to any man who reads this book and FOLLOWS ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN IT TO THE LETTER. I evaluated this book before giving it to my husband to read, and have ended up buying copies to give to most of my male friends, too. Unlike most advice books by "experts," the material in this book is based on questionnaires and interviews with hundreds of women and the scholarship shows. I found myself saying to myself as I read it, "Yep, that's true; I believe that; I feel like that; most of the women I know are like that." Probably 90% of the observations apply to 100% of American women and 100% of the observations apply to 90% of American women. Our wants and needs will no longer be a mystery to any man who reads this book, and wise men will act on its advice. It can also be a real eye-opener for women readers who wonder whether or not their wants and needs are in line with those of other women. For those who want to read further to find out why women are the way that they are, I recommend "Why Men Don't Listen (and Women Can't Read Maps)."

Brilliant.......2002-06-03

This book repackaged things I sort of knew and bases it on research. It actually made me a better husband, brother, son, friend, and employer. I now know how to relate to the opposite sex with devastating results.

It just rang so true with men's blinkered approach to women and frankly gives you the power to know how to approach them without fear and frankly in a win-win mode. A lot of my wife's friends ave openly said to us both that they wish their husbands would do the things I did. This has actually made our marriage stronger.

Get this book, it's better than Cosmopolitan!

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What women want : what every man needs to know about sex, romance, passion, and pleasure / by Laurence Roy Stains and Stefan Bechtel
Larry Stains
Manufacturer: Emmaus, PA : Rodale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WASVU4

Book Description

In desperate need of a dancing partner, Sock Monkey concocts a creative solution — and reveals a few trade secrets — in this sock-hopping sequel to the "Quirkiest Picture Book" of last year (PUBLISHERS WEEKLY).

The Big Celebrity Dance is just days away, and — gasp! — Sock Monkey does not have a dancing partner. His friends are all out of town, and a famous toy actor like Sock Monkey can't go by himself! Is Sock Monkey doomed to stay home alone and sing the blues? Cece Bell's famous Sock Monkey is back — with a polyester suit, some fancy moves, and a new argyle buddy who may turn out to be the perfect dancing partner. Get ready for a boogie-woogie good time!

Customer Reviews:

Sock Monkey is Gay........2005-05-30

As an adult, this would not be the book that I would grab off the shelf, but my kid demanded it. The illustrations are a lot of fun. One cute feature is that the narrative is told by the text, and the dialogue is written in bubbles coming out of the characters' mouths. Also, the vocabulary is simple for early readers to deal with on their own.

My 6 year old gives 2 thumbs up.......2005-03-14

We had previously purchased Sock Monkey goes to Hollywood, and then found that Ms. Bell had one other book. We hope she keeps writing more. We've recommended the series to everyone, and we recommend it you as well.

The book is intelligently written, appealing to children as well as adult readers, and beautifully illustrated in a slightly nostalgic feel. The disco outfits that Sock Monkey and his partner wear just add to this effect.

This book covers many topics that cause kids to commonly feel overwhelmed - nervousness of being introduced to new people, creatively solving one's problems, and overcoming performing in front of others to name a few. The humor in this book appeals to both my daughter and me, which sometimes is hard to find in kids books.

Just buy this book - it will bring a smile to your face!

Great kids book!.......2004-12-28

This book has a truly unique and happy feel to it. It is the tale of sock monkey, a famous actor, who finds a dancing partner. I got this gift for my little cousin and he loved it! Apparantly there are other books about our famous little actor and I will definitely purchase them in the future. I recommend this book!

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