Law and Employment: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean (National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report)

Book Description

Law and Employment analyzes the effects of regulation and deregulation on Latin American labor markets and presents empirically grounded studies of the costs of regulation.

Numerous labor regulations that were introduced or reformed in Latin America in the past thirty years have had important economic consequences. Nobel Prize-winning economist James J. Heckman and Carmen Pagés document the behavior of firms attempting to stay in business and be competitive while facing the high costs of complying with these labor laws. They challenge the prevailing view that labor market regulations affect only the distribution of labor incomes and have little or no impact on efficiency or the performance of labor markets. Using new micro-evidence, this volume shows that labor regulations reduce labor market turnover rates and flexibility, promote inequality, and discriminate against marginal workers.

Along with in-depth studies of Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Jamaica, and Trinidad, Law and Employment provides comparative analysis of Latin American economies against a range of European countries and the United States. The book breaks new ground by quantifying not only the cost of regulation in Latin America, the Caribbean, and in the OECD, but also the broader impact of this regulation.

Law and Employment - Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean

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Law and Employment - Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
JJ Heckman
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPHF1S

Book Description

Summaries, Procedures, Checklists and Protocols in Support of the Root Cause Investigator.

This book is intended to support the corporate investigator in the use of Failsafe's ROOTS(trademark)investigative process. It includes procedures for Failsafe's COMBING PROCESS(tm), Evidence - Freezing guidelines (including a standard interview format), The 5 Items(tm), The WHY Tree(tm)construction guidelines and more. The included material is not meant to be self explanitory but rather to be used as quick, summary source of procedures, checklists and forms. 172 pages loaded with graphics. Permission granted to copy portions of the book for your own use. A very popular book amongst ROOT CAUSE MOTHER-SOURCE(tm) members.

Customer Reviews:

The Go Book User Review.......2001-10-09

One of my job responsibilities is to do incident investigations. I always use the freezer forms to gather evidence and to assist with the interviews. The evidence freezer form outlines a method to gather physical evidence that is thorough and efficient. The interview freezer forms offer a systematic approach to get information from witnesses using a non-interrogation fact finding approach based on observations associated with the five senses. Interviewees are much more at ease with this approach and the information gathered tends to uncover more hidden reasons for the root or latent cause(s) of the incident being investigated. These freezer forms and the technique which applies them has been of great benefit to me while conducting investigations.

Book Description

Conservation biology relies not only on the general concepts, but on the specific methods, of population ecology to both understand and predict the viability of rare and endangered species and to determine how best to manage these populations. The need to conduct quantitative analyses of viability and management has spawned the field of "population viability analysis," or PVA, which, in turn, has driven much of the recent development of useful and realistic population analysis and modeling in ecology in general. However, despite calls for the increased use of PVA in real-world settings?developing recovery plans for endangered species, for example?a misperception remains among field-oriented conservation biologists that PVA models can only be constructed and understood by a select group of mathematical population ecologists.

Part of the reason for the ongoing gap between conservation practitioners and population modelers has been the lack of an easy-to-understand introduction to PVA for conservation biologists with little prior exposure to mathematical modeling as well as in-depth coverage of the underlying theory and its applications. Quantitative Conservation Biology fills this void through a unified presentation of the three major areas of PVA: count-based, demographic, and multi-site, or metapopulation, models. The authors first present general concepts and approaches to viability assessment. Then, in sections addressing each of the three fields of PVA, they guide the reader from considerations for collection and analysis of data to model construction, analysis, and interpretation, progressing from simple to complex approaches to answering PVA questions. Detailed case studies use data from real endangered species, and computer programs to perform all described analyses accompany the text.

The goal of this book is to provide practical, intelligible, and intuitive explanations of population modeling to empirical ecologists and conservation biologists. Modeling methods that do not require large amounts of data (typically unavailable for endangered species) are emphasized. As such, the book is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students interested in quantitative conservation biology, managers charged with preserving endangered species, and, in short, for any conservation biologist or ecologist

Book Description

Here is a uniquely modern approach to the study of physiological diversity that builds on the tradition established by C. Ladd Prosser's Comparative Animal Physiology. Responding to the need for a rigorously up-to-date, comprehensive survey of function and integrative systems in a variety of species, which is also easily accessible to the user, Dr. Prosser has delivered a thoroughly revised Fourth Edition in a convenient two-volume format. This carefully designed framework lets each volume zero-in on distinct aspects of comparative physiology normally studied as a whole unit. From the study of genetically replicating molecules to investigations of adaptive modulation, these two companion volumes offer an all-encompassing view of the field. With their contemporary approach, scholarly editing, flexible format, and detailed contents, Neural and Integrative Animal Physiology and Environmental and Metabolic Animal Physiology will stand together as the authoritative source in the field.

Customer Reviews:

Prosser's Animal physiology new book.......2000-06-03

This new and updated volume of Prosser's Animal Physiology can be taken as the most accurated and useful book about animal physiology. It's clearly, well-writen and has a large number drawnings and tables, and graphics as well. The cited literature's as complete as possible and the chapters are displayed in a logical, integrative sequence. I enthusiastic recomend this book for general physiologists, environmental biologists and specificaly, for comparative physiologists, like me. However, the book is quite expensive for those living here in Brazil. A.

Prosser's Animal physiology new book.......2000-06-03

Environmental and Metabolic Animal Physiology (Comparative Animal Physiology)

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Environmental and Metabolic Animal Physiology (Comparative Animal Physiology)
C. Ladd Prosser
Manufacturer: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBO4HW

Amazon.com

Moab is a mecca for mountain bikers, who come from around the world to ride its challenging trails. Whether you're a newcomer to the area or a frequent fat-tire flier, Mountain Bike America: Moab is a great addition to your fanny pack. Local cyclist Lee Bridgers blends his passion for mountain biking with his obvious love of Moab, describing 49 rides ranging from easy (Old Moab Highway, Dalton Wells) to "very difficult to abusive" (Porcupine Rim). Each starts with an overview--where to start, how far the ride is, how long you can expect it to take, warnings, environmental concerns, and how to get there--before launching into a detailed description of what you'll experience along the way, be it slick rock, deep sand, dinosaur tracks, or rusted mining equipment. Bridgers is careful to point out places where cyclists should use caution, encouraging less experienced riders to dismount--"if you are pushing a mountain bike, you are still mountain biking. Live to ride tomorrow." Detailed maps will help you plan your days--especially the cross-sections of each ride's ups and downs. Throughout the book, Bridgers emphasizes the need to protect the environment--"as mountain bikers we had better learn to co-exist with nature or else we'll lose the privileges to enjoy it from the saddle"--and offers up stories from his experiences as one of Moab's leading bike tour guides. Special sections on safety (carry more water than you think you'll need), bike selection and repair, Moab-necessary techniques (sand riding, dealing with flies), and area food, lodging, and services make this a useful all-around resource. --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

We flock to it in droves to pay homage to what many consider the North Shore, the Mount Everest, the Vatican, the Taj Mahal, the Empire State Building, the Marilyn Monroe of mountain biking -- Moab, Utah. But mind you, Moab is not for everyone. Nowhere is the terrain more challenging or more dangerous. Nowhere is the penalty stiffer for screwing up. But if mountain bikers don't ride Moab, they will forever dream of what could have been. Moab is simply the best mountain bike destination on earth. No question. No controversy. No ifs, ands, or buts. It gets under your skin. Come here once, and you will come again and again.

From this book mountain bikers can expect exhaustive and comprehensive trail descriptions, from beginner to advanced, GPS-quality, digitally designed relief maps detailing each ride, and accurate profiles maps showing the ups and downs of each route. In addition, detailed directions get cyclists to the ride without getting them lost. Detailed mile-by-mile directional cues are also provided with difficulty ratings, elevation gain, trail contacts, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Mountain Biking Moab, 2nd Edition: A Guide to Moab, Utah's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides.......2006-05-20

I read several guides about mountain biking Utah prior to my recent trip. I have to say that of the 3 I read, Lee's book was not only thorough, but very accurate. When you get to Utah, you realize how immense the actual area is. There's alot of opportunity to ride, but also for peril. Lee does a nice job of telling stories that are interesting, give a heads up on local cool things, covers ecological and social issues that are relevant, and is a hip and thoughful author. I give the book 5 chili peppers. I will say, it would be nice to have a smaller format I could take in my hydrapack. Instead, I used a human guide!

Poor and biased.......2005-09-24

I've read the book and biked with the authors company based in Moab and don't recommend either.

There are many other guides to Moab which are cheaper and equally informative (try Biker Mel's.). Only when you meet the author, ride the routes he describes, the routes he doesn't describe and hear what the locals have to say about him (all bad) do you realise how unreliable this book is. It is just too biased by the authors own personal opinion.

This guy is decsribed locally as a biker snob who made enemies after slagging off everybody else in Moab in this book and who refers to routes as 'his trails'.

Great Book.......2005-08-20

Any one going to Moab needs this book. Some of the trails are just variations of the same main trail but it gives some great information.

Mountain Biking Moab.......2005-03-23

The author provides excellent information, maps and important details that will help make your Moab experience much less frightening. The book will also familiarize you with the terrain/trails before you get there. However, Mr. Bridgers still manages to ruin it by being rude, crude and derogatory throughout the book. The text is full of swearing and blasphemy, crude descriptions of which body parts rock formations resemble, and put-downs aimed at Mormons; he promotes lies and almost never portrays Latter-day Saints in a good light. All of the information that you need from this book can be obtained in the Mountain Bike Moab Pocket Guide, and that book will fit into your Camelbak. Save your money, and don't buy this book.

Don't bother - it SUCKS!!.......2004-11-24

Bridgers has his mountain bike clients write reviews for him. I lived in Moab for 15 years and can say this book isn't worth the money.

Customer Reviews:

More Confusion on Chinese Writing.......2005-09-12

Trying to learn Chinese calligraphy, alone, from a book, is probably akin to trying to learn martial arts or ballet from a video or DVD - perhaps useless, potentially dangerous. Yet the book still deserves credit on the principle that in remote lands, a poor map made by a foreigner is better than no map at all. In fact, there is an apparent gap in the literature in English on this subject: a perusal of copious material available at Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore on Fuzhou Rd reveals nothing any better. There is simply no authoritative English reference.

In any case, there are numerous points of contention within this book, concerning the presentation of basic strokes, composite strokes, stroke ordering rules, etc. The author presents the `basic' strokes as follows:

heng2, shu4, pie3, na4, tiao3, dian3, gou1, zhe2

The author presents tiao3 as a basic stroke. The stroke he is evidently describing is referred to elsewhere in the literature as ti2: `an upwards diagonal character stroke, rising from left to right; or a lifting brush stroke in painting'. In no other reference can I find this stroke named as tiao3.

The author presents gou1, `a hook stroke appended to other strokes', as a basic stroke with four variants. A hook stroke can definitely be appended to the basic strokes heng2, shu4, pie3, such that these strokes exist in `unhooked' and `hooked' variants. But as noted in other references, gou1 can also be be used to create wan1 gou1 `bent hooked', xie2 gou1 `slanting hooked', and wo4 gou1 `crouching hooked' as valid composite strokes, as well as heng2 zhe2 gou1, heng2 zhe2 wan1 gou1, heng2 zhe2 zhe2 gou1, shu4 wan1 gou1, shu4 zhe2 zhe2 gou1, heng2 zhe2 xie2 gou1, etc, which brings the number of variations to a dozen or more.

The author presents zhe2 `to fold, to turn' as a basic stroke with two variants. The author ignores wan1 `bend, bent', and xie2 `slanting', which are also used to describe direction or directional changes in composite characters, but with an obvious visual difference from zhe2. A useful visual comparison of the composite strokes (a) heng2 zhe2 heng2, (b) heng2 zhe2 heng2 wan1, (c) heng2 zhe2 heng2 zhe2, and (d) heng2 zh2 heng2 zhe2 should make the differences obvious. In fact, the two variants the author discusses are heng2 zhe2 and shu4 zhe2. These are only two of numerous uses of zhe2 in composite strokes. Other `variants' of zhe2 include: heng2 zhe2 ti2, heng2 zhe2 heng2, heng2 zhe2 heng2 wan1, heng2 zhe2 heng2 zhe2, heng2 zhe2 gou1, heng2 zhe2 zhe2 pie3, heng2 zhe2 wan1 gou1, heng2 zhe2 zhe2 gou1, heng2 zhe2 xie2 gou1, shu4 zhe2 zhe2 gou1, etc.

The author dismisses the study of composite strokes as unnecessary:

"These composite strokes can be seen as combinations of the eight basic strokes, and it is not really necessary to practice them separately."

This is nonsense.

The models or example characters the author provides for his basic strokes consistently use basic strokes not yet studied, and composite strokes, which the author dismisses as unworthy of study. For example, like every other book on Chinese calligraphy, the author presents the character yong3, meaning `forever', as a model for studying the basic strokes, but glosses over the composite strokes used in yong3.

In fairness, the literature in English on Chinese calligraphy is inconsistent, contradictory, confusing; and Bjorksten's book is a cut above the sorry lot. But it's discouraging to think that by following Bjorksten's method of practicing basic strokes over and over again, with no feedback from a teacher, that one may be ingraining incorrect knowledge and technique.

Insightful presentation.......2005-03-05

First, I have now been studying Chinese for about 4 years, and this was an early book I got cheap from a used book store. I have changed my mind about it several times over the years. The discouraging part of the book is indicating how many times you would need to practice a character to get good at it. In the beginning, this was definitely true becasue a newbie simply cannot understand the important parts of a character and the relative alignment of strokes. As you acquire more characters, it becomes clearer what is important within the character.

In the beginning, this is tough. You need to write them again and again until your hand moves fluidly, not haltingly. This book gives you directions to achieve this, and key pieces (or parts) of strokes that will distinguish your writing from a first grader. There a fixed number of actual strokes, the difficulty is this relative positioning that's the killer.

The book is short, but gets to the point. I would have preferred larger and more examples, but he nevertheless gives you what you need.

The issue of stroke order has arisen. In my Chinese class, the native-born instructor says we should not obsess on stroke order. BUT it is important. I find that it is easy to correct an order, less easy to recognize characters in beautiful balance. This book helps.

So, do I write well. My teacher says I need more work. A ball point pen or pencil does not emulate a brush very well. The book focusses on that. I still think the book in less focussed on "calligraphy" vs. good character writing. Calligraphy is much more than writing characters accurately: it's an art form usually deviating from a standard printed/written character. This book focusses less on the art form, and more on the appearance and quality of a character. A western analogy: the book improves printing, not cursive script.

I really like the book. Before you can do calligraphy, you must be able to write characters in the regular way. [That segment in "Hero" on calligraphy was excellent!]

Get the book now, before you develop bad habits.

Very Interesting.......2004-03-18

This book was quite helpful by helping one to gain a better understanding of the background and make-up of Chinese characters which helps one to better appreciate both their historical and aesthetic value. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants to seriously learn about Chinese characters.

Not a primer, but good in its own right.......2004-02-04

I'm learning Chinese as part of my major and wanted a good book on characters, specifically for things like stroke order, and picked this up expecting it to be a practical tutorial on how to write basic Chinese characters. What it actually is is more of a guidebook for calligraphy. Now, as that, it is very good. The author definitely conveys the mindset one needs to be a skilled calligrapher, and gives great step by step instructions on how to write well. For that, I don't regret picking this up. However, if you, like myself, are more concerned with learning how to write the 2000 or so most used characters towards the end of being functionally literate in Chinese, this is not the book to purchase. It would be something like teaching calligraphy to kindergarten students. Also, the stroke order illustrations for the characters towards the end of the book, while representing commonly used characters, are really small, and presume that you've gone through the prior half of the book as recommended, that is practicing each stroke for a half hour a day until mastered. If you're learning calligraphy for it's own sake, or just have lots of time, this is great. If however you need to develop a functional writing ability in Chinese relatively quickly, I would personally recommend buying another book first and coming back to this.

Do Not Try This At Home (without this text!!).......2002-11-26

I have just started learning to write Chinese characters and THIS is the holy grail of beiginners' books. I looked through many listmania and reviews on Amazon.com's site (thank you ALL!) and decided to start with this primer. As a hands-on learner, I know now why it has been recommended so highly by those who teach, speak, or are just learning the Chinese language.

I am reminded of the first days in school when we had to practice writing our ABCs on a tablet with pencil. We wrote those damned letters over and over again, didn't we? The teacher stood at the blackboard and showed us the best way to make the lines and the order of the "character's strokes."

This book is the Mrs. Hatfield of my first grade class in Chinese. Each stroke is shown carefully. Each stroke is also shown when it is not written correctly and gives the "name" of the error (eg. "fish hook, etc.)

Tao only knows how a Swedish author conceived of and wrote such a wonderful primer to the language. It makes sense, however, that a person whose first language is NOT Chinese would be so specific about the right and wrong way to hold the pen, use the correct posture and table angle, and keep "between the lines."

I don't get too hard on myself when I can't make a character look the way they does in the book. I look back at how I wrote my name in first grade and now understand the true meaning of "penmanship". The author urges the learner to practice each stroke at least one hundred times until you go on to the next stroke. Add them together and you get a beautiful character. Don't practice each stroke individually over the course of days and many sheets of paper, and the character resemble the rough letters I wrote in my first grade homeworlk.

DO NOT attempt to do this at home (learn to write Chinese characters) without this very important primer. It is invaluable, extraordinary, and shows a great deal of thought and study by the author and those who assisted him in compiling this material. I do my 100 + strokes a day. I don't jump ahead and do what I thought I could do -- "Oh that character looks easy, it's just an upside down Y."

I know this edition will get dog eared and I will probably buy another to replace this text. It has no equal. Aside from the friends in China who supported me and applaud me for learning their language, this small text tells me that I CAN learn a language and fulfill a longtime dream. Hurrah! and thank you, Mr. Bjorksten.

from Lodro Dawa, my Buddhist nickname.
(Someday I will learn to write it AND learn its lesson for wisdom in this lifetime.)

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Learn to Write Chinese Characters
Johan Bjorksten
Manufacturer: YALE UNIVERSITY PRES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K71KZ2

Book Description

A practical and inspiring watercolour and pastel book on an ever-popular subject. Flowers and gardens provide irresistible subject matter to amateur artists. However inspiration from their own gardens or the wealth of parks and public gardens about the country is not always easy to translate on paper. As an accomplished painter who also has a passion for flowers and gardens, Alison Hoblyn brings readers a rare insight into the practicalities of painting with watercolour and pastel, plus the problems and pleasures to be encountered in capturing the essence of a garden scene. In addition to giving sound, practical advice, the book takes readers further by relating the observations made through painting gardens to an understanding of their design. It also shows how to bring the best out of individual blooms, and groups of flowers.

Customer Reviews:

Painting Flowers and Gardens in Watercolor and Pastel.......2005-02-06

This is one of the worst art books I have ever purchased. I thought it would be a mixed medium method or a way to combine watercolor and pastels. Each medium was handled separately. The pastel portion was a disgrace. It was very childlike. I am a pastel and watercolorist. Any other book on beginning pastel would be better. The watercolor would be informative to anyone who new nothing about watercolor. Shame on the publisher for allowing this book to even use the word pastel. I feel I was robbed.

Painting Flowers & Gardens in watercolour and pastel.......2000-04-23

I highly recommend the book Painting Flowers & Gardens in watercolour and pastel. Although not a how to book with step-by-step demonstrations, it nonetheless contains an abundance of technical information. Alison Hobylyn completely opens her worldliness of artistic skills in a delightful commensense manner covering both watercolour and pastel materials, composition, drawing, perspective, and creating mood in a painting. The uniqueness of Hobyn's teaching approach is her ability to use examples of her sensitive painting style and vision to demonstrate the ideas she presents. Anyone searching for the window into the heart, soul, and expertise of a talented watercolour and pastel artist should most definitely read this excellent book.

Painting Flowers & Gardens in watercolour and pastel.......2000-04-23

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