The Economics of Organised Crime

Book Description

This book uses economic theory to analyze the different aspects of organized crime. The theory of rent-seeking is adopted to help understand the origin of criminal organizations, while modern industrial organization theory is used to explain the design of internal rules. The market behavior of organized crime is analyzed, the "crime and economics" approach being applied to the analysis of corruption that occurs when the organized crime sector and the government collude to exploit their monopoly on rule-making. Each chapter outlines the normative results of the analysis in order to design more sophisticated deterrence policies.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for understanding the organised crime phenomenon.......2002-01-14

Organised crime in its many forms is one of the most important features of the late20th/early21st century world. Its extent, power, and impact increase year by year. In several parts of the world the distinction between organised criminals and the state means almost nothing. There is also an intimate connection between organised criminality on the one hand and both state intelligence services and terrorist organisations on the other. What is seldom realised is how new this is. The criminal gang is probably as old as civilisation but before the twentieth century that was as far as criminal organisation went. Now it has moved up several levels and crime is now organised as a business, on a transnational scale. It has, to adapt Peter Drucker, been "institutionalised". This book explains why this has happened. It is because of a change in the incentives facing criminals. To simplify the argument, historically the transactions costs of ensuring and enforcing cooperation among criminals have been too high to make it worthwhile. Criminals have also faced the problem that the short term incentive to betray their fellows has trumped the longer term incentive to cooperate with other criminals. This has been changed by a number of factors - communications and transport technology being significant - but as the book shows by far the most significant is government policy. Specifically, the policy of prohibiting the sale and manufacture of a number of "products" for which there is high demand such as arms, pornography, prostitution, gambling, and, above all, drugs. This changes the incentives and makes the pay off for cooperating so great that organised crime is the inevitable outcome. The essays make other points as well, notably the close similarities between organised criminal groups and governments/ruling classes (as St Augustine said, "All governments are in origin bands of robbers"). Some of the essays are quite technical and would be most useful to someone with an economics background but there is enough to make this book very informative for the layman as well. Truly an eye-opener. Now why do I think no one in Congress has read this book?

Excellent and Fascinating.......2001-07-25

I first encountered this book in a class called -- wait for it ---the Economics of Organized crime. I was fascinated. The book explains the workings of the Sicilian and New York Mafia as well as Asian Tongs and the drug trade. The chapter by Gambetta is especially interesting. The book does get a bit technical in places with formulas and such, but one can skip over that for the more general view of how organized crime and government are similar in their operations. This work gave me a lot of insight into the role that crime plays in our social and economic structures. This is also a nice introduction to Transaction Cost Economics, which is rather new in the field of Econ. I would only add that some background in Macroeconomics is useful for a fuller understanding of the book.

Combating Organised Crime: Best Practice Surveys of the Council of Europe

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Combating Organised Crime: Best Practice Surveys of the Council of Europe

Manufacturer: Council of Europe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9287154767

Delegated Powers And Regulatory Reform Committee 15th Report of Session 2004-05: Serious Organised Crime And Police Bill; Mental Capacity Bill - Government ... House of Lords Paper 90 Session 2004-05

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Delegated Powers And Regulatory Reform Committee 15th Report of Session 2004-05: Serious Organised Crime And Police Bill; Mental Capacity Bill - Government ... House of Lords Paper 90 Session 2004-05

Manufacturer: Stationery Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0104850329

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Organised Plastic Counterfeiting
John Newton
Manufacturer: HMSO Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0113411286

Serious Organised Crime And Police Act 2005: Chapter 15:elizabeth II (Public General Acts - Elizabeth II)

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Serious Organised Crime And Police Act 2005: Chapter 15:elizabeth II (Public General Acts - Elizabeth II)

Manufacturer: Stationery Office Books (TSO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Non-US Legal Systems | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Reference | Law Practice | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0105416053

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The Economics of Organised Crime
Gianluca Fiorentini
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MUKEKE

Illict Trade and Organised Crime: New Threats to Economic Security?

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Illict Trade and Organised Crime: New Threats to Economic Security?

Manufacturer: European Communities / Union (EUR-OP/OOPEC/OPOCE)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9282829014

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on September 1, 2000. The length of the article is 453 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: Rousing Creativity.(Review) (book review)
Author: Dan Johnson
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2000
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Page: 64

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Methods for determining exposure of pesticides to agricultural workers have been developing for over thirty years. You may ask: what more do we need to know? Worker Exposure to Agrochemicals provides the answer. It contains a compilation of research papers that examine this issue from every angle. Even with all the information available, there still remains an intense debate over what method - dermal deposition or biological monitoring - provides better results when measuring worker exposure. Researchers almost never realize the same results in concurrent experiments using both methods. The question is: which process is more accurate? Worker Exposure to Agrochemicals examines the effectiveness of both procedures. Two chapters describe the simultaneous use of both methods and their outcome. The remaining chapters cover risk assessment, protective clothing, Canadian dosimetry, "Jazzercise," a tiered approach to exposure estimation, modeling reentry exposure, performing a dislodgeable residue study, and GLP requirements.

Book Description

Everyone expects something from the drug industry. Physicians and patients, investors, regulators and administrators all have an active interest. Everyone wants to know what makes drugs work medically and economically. Why are drugs so expensive? Is it the drug companies or investors who demand high profits? What governs the pharmacoeconomics? Why are so few diseases treatable?

This book opens the windows and doors of the industry telling the story of drug development by using real stories from inside the process.

* Co-written by Graham Lees and Tamas Bartfai who has been involved in the development of drugs taken by more that 20 million people every day
* Opens the windows and doors of the most regulated industry in the world, the pharmaceutical industry
* Tells the story of drug development by using real examples based on current research and events
* Provides an objective, lucid account of the successes and failures, shortcomings and constraints of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries
* Gives insights into the development of new drugs to combat multiple conditions including cancer and pain
* Balanced, unbiased account of how better to translate basic science into drug discovery

Customer Reviews:

Remove Lees' Review, Add Pane's.......2007-05-09

It is not appropriate for an author of a book to put in a review, and that is exactly what the 1 review is.

Frances Pane sent in a review 3 weeks ago which was ignored. Why?

Author comments and independent review.......2006-02-01

Comment from Dr. Floyd Bloom, CEO of Neurome, Inc. and world renowned scientist: "Anyone who thinks solutions to drug development are just around the corner would be well-advised to get this insider's views as to where the real problems lie."

When Tamas Bartfai and I wrote this book we very much had the audience of the New York Times feature article readers in mind. Hardly a day passes without there being some article about the launch of new drugs, the withdrawal of drugs, the business of Pharma or the discoveries of Biotech, etc. We think our book is an objective look at and inside the drug industry and puts all these stories in context. The Pharma and Biotech industries are extremely important for society and business and we think the book is of great interest to a general audience, not just scientists in academia or drug discovery. Anyone who has read newspaper article about the pharmaceutical industry, whether they be scientists, business people, lawyers or concerned citizens, would find this book to be a rewarding read.

Drug Discovery: From Bedside To Wall Street (drug Discovery)

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Drug Discovery: From Bedside To Wall Street (drug Discovery)
Graham V. Lees Tamas Bartfai
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHW462

Book Description

Please Do Not Annoy, torment, pester, plague, molest, worry, badger, harry, persecute, irk, bullyrag, vex, disquiet, grate, beset, bother, tease, nettle, tantalize or ruffle the Animals. -- sign at zoo

Since the early days of traveling menageries and staged attractions that included animal acts, balloon ascents, and pyrotechnic displays, zoos have come a long way. The Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris, founded in 1793, didn't offer its great apes lessons in parenting or perform dental surgery on leopards. Certainly the introduction of veterinary care in the nineteenth century -- and its gradual integration into the twentieth -- has had much to do with this. Today, we expect more of zoos as animal welfare concerns have escalated along with steady advances in science, medicine, and technology. Life at the Zoo is an eminent zoo veterinarian's personal account of the challenges presented by the evolution of zoos and the expectations of their visitors. Based on fifteen years of work at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, this charming book reveals the hazards and rewards of running a modern zoo.

Zoos exist outside of the "natural" order in which the worlds of humans and myriad exotic animals would rarely, if ever, collide. But this unlikely encounter is precisely why today's zoos remain the sites of much humor, confusion, and, occasionally, danger. This book abounds with insights on wildlife (foulmouthed parrots, gum-chewing chimps, stinky flamingoes), human behavior (the fierce competition for zookeeper jobs, the well-worn shtick of tour guides), and the casualties -- both animal and human -- of ignorance and carelessness. Phillip Robinson shows how animal exhibits are developed and how illnesses are detected and describes the perils of working around dangerous creatures. From escaping the affections of a leopard that thought he was a lap cat to training a gorilla to hold her newborn baby gently (instead of scrubbing the floor with it) and from operating on an anesthetized elephant ("I had the insecure sensation of working under a large dump truck with a wobbly support jack") to figuring out why a zoo's polar bears were turning green in color, Life at the Zoo tells irresistible stories about zoo animals and zoo people.

Customer Reviews:

Of beasts and bureacracies.......2004-12-05

This is a delightful book. From the dust jacket to the illustrations and index, it is beautifully produced. The author, standing on the left in the dust jacket photo, provides an important inside look at life in the zoo. Robinson's career as a field biologist and zoo veterinarian at the world famous Zoological Society of San Diego provide him great insights into the minds of beasts and bureaucracies. Much of this book is will be great interest to historians of animal collections and veterinary medicine for exotics. However, any dedicated zoo patron will find this account rich and the book will reach a very broad audience among students of animal behavior, aspiring veterinarians, animal lovers and zoo keepers. The anecdotes are lively and poignant, and will resonant with those who have worked behind the scenes in similar facilities. I especially liked the tale of the infamous Ken Allen, an orangutan Houdini!

This is a book that needed writing and Phillip Robinson was the one to do it. A leading authority on zoo medicine, the author also proves himself a skillful writer and storyteller. Life at the Zoo should be at the top of your shopping list for any animal lovers or aspiring ethologists.

Witty, Funny and Infomed Look at Zoos.......2004-11-21

"Life at the Zoo" opened up the zoo world for me and provided a long and candid glimpse into how zoos function. Before reading this book I couldn't imagine how anyone could begin to provide medical care for such a diverse population of animals. I got the feeling that I was looking over the fence, peeking through the cracks and peering over the shoulder of veterinarians, animal keepers and visitors. The author writes authoritatively about what animals experience in zoos and the grave responsibility that zoo personnel have in nurturing and protecting them from both people and themselves. I appreciated the parts that discussed wildlife conservation and ethics, and others about the construction of zoo exhibits and some of the nuts, including employees, who frequent zoos. This book made me a better informed zoo visitor. I now have more of a sense of purpose and understanding when I go to my zoo. One of the high points was the author's dry sense of humor and unassuming way of sharing his experiences. Anyone who likes animals and who is curious about the role of zoos in wildlife conservation will find this valuable.

Bibliography's the highpoint.......2004-11-15

As a zoo docent, I've read better books on related topics such as Hancocks' A Different Nature, and would give this 3 stars personally but maybe a 4 for the general public. In fact, Hancocks' book though published two years earlier has more current info on a couple specifics but it's also more academic in style.

Early chapters seem to feature quite a few zoo deaths of animals and keepers to grab your attention. Middle chapters feature vet-specific topics such as drugs and nutrition but not in any great depth. Lots of anecdotes make up most of the book, some amusing, many of which could have been left out with no loss.

I got the sense the book was written in bits and pieces. There are repetitions such as the nearly identical descriptions of elephant teeth on pages 157 and 222. Quite a few typos involving grammar and missing words, especially annoying in a book from a university press.

I'd call him a middle of the roader on animal issues--he now finds hunting of deer and rabbits distasteful, but still hunts ducks; he criticizes the extreme folks in both animal rights and animal experimentation. He's stronger on environmental issues and thinks zoos should become involved in local environmental issues such as the area's wildlife habitat and pollution.

The bibliography features description/comments on 22 zoo-related books on a variety of topics. Very good leads for people interested in further reading.

Average customer rating:

Bob the Cacher

Good for Brand New Geocacher

Not really essential at all.

Basics of navigation, outdoor safety and geocaching games

Excellant resource on a great family activity

The Essential Guide To Geocaching: Tracking Treasure With Your GPS
Mike Dyer
Manufacturer: Fulcrum Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Instructional | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Geocaching Handbook (Falcon Guide)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS

Geocaching For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))

Local Treasures: Geocaching across America (Center for American Places - Center Books on American Places)

Accessories:

Rayovac SPHLTLED 3-in-1 LED Head-Lite

ASIN: 1555915221

Book Description

Caches or stashes of provisions, hidden along a route were a common occurrence in Lewis and Clark's day when foot travel was really the only mode of long distance transportation. Today, caches of another sort are hidden throughout the United States and the world for that matter. With the introduction of the personal GPS unit, people everywhere have been learning to use these new devices and participating in what can only be called a high-tech treasure hunt. By logging on to a geocaching website, anyone can locate coordinates to a hidden cache, plan their route, and be on their way with map, compass, and GPS receiver. The hidden cache contains a logbook and a number of trinkets that can be traded by fortunate seekers.

*Participation in geocaching has exploded in the last four years to over 190 countries and hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts.
*A fun way to learn basic land navigation skills
*Provides outdoor ethics and safety information, including resources and product guides

Customer Reviews:

Bob the Cacher.......2007-05-23

Great book a "must read" for those into geocaching or want to know about it.

Good for Brand New Geocacher.......2006-11-03

This is a pretty basic book. If you are thinking about geocaching or are brand new. If you have found a couple of caches using a GPS or if you have been in the military, you will probably not find anything of interest here.

Not really essential at all........2005-04-12

Since the way to get the Geocache locations is to go to the website and get them online, which also tells you everything else you need to know about the game, you don't really need this book at all.

-------------------------
UPDATE:

I have just read THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO GEOCACHING (The ORANGE book, NOT the yellow book) and it is EXCELLENT!!

If you want a good book on Geocaching, get that one!

(The yellow "for dummies" book, which I also read, is not very good)

Basics of navigation, outdoor safety and geocaching games .......2005-03-06

Both beginning and experienced geocachers can learn the basics of navigation, outdoor safety and geocaching games through this survey of an outdoor activity all ages can enjoy. 'Geocaching' uses a GPS receiver and map, compass and computer access to locate a 'virtual cache'. The better you hone your GPS navigational skills, the more quickly a cache can be located. A 'cache' is a hidden location where players can leave a variety of 'treasure' and clues - geocaching is a fun concept and Mike Dyer's The Essential Guide To Geocaching: Tracking Treasure With Your GPS provides all the basics.

Excellant resource on a great family activity.......2004-09-22

I found this book to be well-written and an easy to use guide on geo-caching. This book was clear and concise and made learning about this new sport easy to do. Geo-caching is a great activity to get the family outdoors and have fun altogether and this book certainily helped.

Average customer rating:

Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy

genealogy research

Excellent teaching (and marketing) for the lazy student

Excellent

Complete, concise and excellent for beginners.

Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy
Emily Anne Croom
Manufacturer: Betterway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook: Essential Forms and Letters for All Genealogists (Unpuzzling Your Past)

The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook: Guide to the Resources You Need for Unpuzzling Your Past (Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook)

The Sleuth Book for Genealogists: Strategies for More Successful Family History Research

Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage

Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient & Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research

ASIN: 1558705562

Amazon.com

If you've ever thought of find your roots, Emily Anne Croom's is the genealogy guide to get you going. She's got sensible chapters on how to get started, the meaning of names, the difference between a family history of dates and a family history of stories, how to gather sources, who to interview, and how to fit it all together. Croom breaks the process into bite-sized pieces to turn it into a fun project that takes shape and grows with each new family scrap.

Book Description

Best-selling genealogy author Emily Croom presents a new and expanded version of her best-selling guide to genealogy. It provides readers with all the tools and information they need to jump into this great American hobby by focusing on fundamental strategies for success, questions to ask, places for research, and interesting examples of each step along the way.

Throughout, readers will find techniques and suggestions for
* tapping family documents, oral tradition, and memories
* exploring the vast array of U.S. public records, from newspapers and tombstones to censuses and land records
* getting the most from names, dates, and handwriting of the past
* developing a first-rate and meaningful family history

Well-organized, well written, and comprehensive, this guide also offers readers charts, illustrations, reference sidebars, bibliographies, a glossary, and useful, reproducible forms. Each chapter is capped with a list of "Things To Do Now" to encourage readers or students to apply what they have learned.

Recent polls show that 60% of the U.S. population is interested in researching their family history!

Customer Reviews:

Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy.......2007-03-08

Some good tips, think perhaps better for a novice.

genealogy research.......2006-03-13

this is a great book for people getting started with serious genealogy research. The new version (4th edition) gives useful tips for incorporating internet searching

Excellent teaching (and marketing) for the lazy student.......2005-01-24

Excellent information that I've found very useful as I'm beginning to learn basic research methods. My only complaint is that these editions become outdated fairly quickly and constantly require you to buy a new edition. Which might be understandable except I'm having no problem learning from the edition published in 1983. Much of the information clearly would be unchanged, so there seems little reason (aside from cynical tarket marketing) in plunking down a new $20 every few years only to get some updated appendix information or addresses easily found on the internet. Oh, and save your $16 on the workbook, stop being lazy, fire up your word processor, and create your own worksheets (Croom even generously teaches you how -- except for that cynical tarket marketing part). I really don't hold Croom responsible for this anymore than I would hold my grandmother responsible for not understanding the depths to which the marketing people for corporate publishers will stoop to suck money from both readers and authors. I've talked to Emily Croom via Barnes and Noble University and she's an excellent teacher and an obviously kind and patient woman who is very knowledgeable about genealogy research methods. Trust me, I thought I was unteachable! But do your own legwork, find another way to donate money to Croom for being the genealogy elder that she is, and keep your wallet away from what is clearly a corporate marketing scam of constant updates.

Excellent.......2003-02-02

This is by far the best book general methods book I have found. I highly recommend it to anyone beginning genealogical research and to those who are veterans, as well. I have given several to friends with a fledgling interest in genealogical research. It is indispensible for the beginner & I highly recommend it to everyone. Organized in a logical, easy to follow manner; not too technical; practical -- just plain good.

Complete, concise and excellent for beginners........1998-09-24

Croom's book offers excellent advice for beginners and genealogists with some experience. The workbook gives helpfuls lists such as "Where Do I find That?" and gives sources for birth, death and marriage information. It also explains the censuses and Soundex very well.

The appendices list archives, libraries and genealogical societies that are very helpful and up to date. There is also an excellent list of available state censuses.

Average customer rating:
The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal: A Companion Volume to the Artist's Way
Julia Cameron
Manufacturer: Tarcher Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Cameron, Julia | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000LNS2Q0

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