Conceiving Companies: Joint-stock Politics in Victorian England (Routledge Explorations in Economic History , No 9)

Book Description

This book takes a new approach to the rise of large scale companies in Victorian England, including the Bank of England and East India Company, locating their origins in social and political practice.

Book Description

"Part review, part testament to extraordinary dedication, and part call to get involved, Cetacean Societies highlights the achievements of behavioral ecologists inspired by the challenges of cetaceans and committed to the exploration of a new world."—from the preface by Richard Wrangham

Long-lived, slow to reproduce, and often hidden beneath the water's surface, whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have remained elusive subjects for scientific study even though they have fascinated humans for centuries. Until recently, much of what we knew about cetaceans came from commercial sources such as whalers and trainers for dolphin acts. Innovative research methods and persistent efforts, however, have begun to penetrate the depths to reveal tantalizing glimpses of the lives of these mammals in their natural habitats.

Cetacean Societies presents the first comprehensive synthesis and review of these new studies. Groups of chapters focus on the history of cetacean behavioral research and methodology; state-of-the-art reviews of information on four of the most-studied species: bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales, and humpback whales; and summaries of major topics, including group living, male and female reproductive strategies, communication, and conservation drawn from comparative research on a wide range of species.

Written by some of the world's leading cetacean scientists, this landmark volume will benefit not just students of cetology but also researchers in other areas of behavioral and conservation ecology as well as anyone with a serious interest in the world of whales and dolphins.

Contributors are Robin Baird, Phillip Clapham, Jenny Christal, Richard Connor, Janet Mann, Andrew Read, Randall Reeves, Amy Samuels, Peter Tyack, Linda Weilgart, Hal Whitehead, Randall S. Wells, and Richard Wrangham.

Customer Reviews:

Great for all knowledge levels.......2006-03-22

I purchased this book for a graduate level college class on marine mammals. I, however, have no experience with this particular subject. The chapters are very informative, extremely easy to read, and the information is well presented. I would recommend this book at anyone interested in Cetaceans, even if, like me, you have had no prior experience. It also presents a lot of new information that more experienced individuals would enjoy.

loved it.........2004-07-16

This book made me wish to venture into the field of cetology. No other text to date comes close to revealing the lives of the four most studied species of cetacean( the bottlenose dolphin,killer whale,humpback,and sperm). It speaks of just about all the behaioral aspects of these wonderful creatures and more. Altough, i suggust you don't start with this book to learn about cetaceans. This book is only for those who have a high interst in these animals. Besides that, i absolutely enjoyed this book edited by the greatest minds of cetology of our time.

A very imformational book on cetaceans.......2002-08-28

This book goes into orcas, bottlenose dolphins, sperm whales, and humpbacks. It goes into every detail about their lives. Any piece of information you could possibly want to know about these animals is in this book. But it is heavy reading. Definately not an easy read, but very informative.

Cetacean Societies - Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales

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Cetacean Societies - Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales
J Mann
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP3YR2

Book Description

As one of the world's most popular cultural activities, wild animal collections have been attracting visitors for 5,000 years. Under the direction of Vernon N. Kisling, an expert in zoo history, an international team of authors has compiled the first comprehensive, global history of animal collections, menageries, zoos, and aquariums. Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens documents the continuum of efforts in maintaining wild animal collections from ancient civilizations through today. Although historical research on zoos and aquariums is still at a rudimentary stage, this book pulls together regional information along with the cultural aspects of each region to provide a foundation upon which further research can be based. It presents a chronological listing of the world's zoos and aquariums and features many never-before published photographs. Sidebars present supplementary information on pertinent personalities, events, and wildlife conservation issues. As an overview of the current state of our knowledge, Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens provides an extensive, chronological introduction to the subject and highlights the published and archival resources for those who want to know more.

Customer Reviews:

The Zoo can get Hot! "Archives of Natural History".......2000-10-17

Congratulations on a fine book that really does fill a long-standing gap in the historical literature! Needless to say, I hope it sells well, and gets rave reviews! It deserves them.

The Ultimate Guide to Zoo and Aquarium History.......2000-10-16

As a zoo and aquarium history enthusiast, I have yet to find a book that covers the broad history of zoos and aquariums worldwide. This book fills that niche. Many U.S. zoos are issuing history books celebrating their centennials and Hoage's book covers the transition from menagerie to zoo in the 19th century. Neither the centennial books nor Hoage's book cover zoos and aquariums from ancient times to the present continent by continent. The chapters cover ancient Chinese "Intelligence Gardens" and early zoos as places where rulers could showcase animals captured from newly conquored lands. We learn about the development of the travelling menageries, 18th and 19th century zoos as living museums for scholars, and the political and social climates that transformed them into institutions of public education, recreation, research, and, mostly in the late 1900s, as centers for conservation. This is the first time I have seen anything in print about the history of African zoos and many of the Asian ones. The chapters are well-researched and well-referenced. Many of the references are hard to find or in foreign languages. Mixed in with brief histories of the individual institutions are little-known stories such as the arrival of the first Giant panda to the U.S., the first female zoo director, and how war affected zoos and aquariums all over the world. The photos selected by the authors clearly illustrate points made in the text.

The authors are well-qualified to tell these tales. Vernon Kisling, the editor and an author, spearheaded the History Task Force for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and represents North America to the Bartlett Society (an international zoo history group).

In summary, zoos and aquariums have played and continue to play a vital role in how man interacts with other species. They can foster an attitude of empathy or domination. Their histories are rich and varied. This book is a valuable resource to anyone interested in zoos and aquariums, the history of the natural sciences, or anthrozoology (human-animal relationship studies).

A gap well filled.......2000-10-16

"Zoo and aquarium history" is the most comprehensive book in probably any language on the history of wild animals in captivity since publication of Gustave Loisel's three-volume "Histoire des ménageries" back in 1912. In this one volume, zoo historians from five continents and eight countries offer a region-by-region account of the development of menageries, zoological gardens and (to a lesser extent) aquaria since the Renaissance. Ancient and mediaeval collections worldwide are covered well by the book's editor Vernon Kisling in the first chapter. The various authors approach their task along different paths, for the most part more narrative than reflective, and not all chapters, unfortunately, are equally good.

Zoos in Europe have been best chronicled in the past, although obviously not always in English, and the three European chapters may not offer anything really new to the well-read zoo nerd. The book's division of Europe into Great Britain (including Ireland, which may not be well appreciated by proud Irishmen and -women), Western Europe, and East-central and eastern Europe appears to be somewhat arbitrary, although it may have made sense from an American viewpoint looking at Europe during the Cold War. Nevertheless, as an introduction to European zoo history for the uninitiated, all three chapters carry their weight.

The excellent chapters by Ken Kawata on the history of zoos in Japan and Sally Walker on that of India offer genuinely new literature (at least in English); together they're worth the price of the book alone. Australia too is well covered. The chapter on South America has a decidedly Brazilian bias to it, and the one on Africa concentrates on Egypt and South Africa (Cape and Cairo, so to speak), so although neither is really comprehensive, interesting material certainly is in there. The development of zoos and aquaria in the United States is nicely reviewed by Kisling. The book has left only one space completely white on the map: Canada. The reason is not obvious; Canadian zoos have a history too. The editor, of course, could only include chapters for which he was able to find competent writers, and as the book, as good as it is, hardly promises to be a best-seller, their reward will be more likely be idealistic than mammonish.

"Zoo and aquarium history" is a must in any zoo and natural history library, but it is also highly recommended to anyone interested in reading a history of what remains one of the most popular institutions of recreation and public education, science and conservation in the world. On the subject, there's no better book in print.

Book Description

We all practice self-defense, whether it's locking the door at night, avoiding dark alleys, or just staying alert. This comprehensive deck of 50 self-defense strategies helps you build upon your knowledge in an easy, practical format. Give this deck to every woman you know, practice the movements with friends, and gain the self-defense confidence that's vital to personal safety.

Customer Reviews:

Great Idea & So Neat & Practical.......2007-07-22

This deck of fifty cards is broken into four colour-coded self-defence categories, as follows: planning and setting boundaries, non-violent strategies, and basic physical techniques, advanced physical techniques. Each card contains an explanation of a self-defence situation you might find yourself in and several ways to practice defending against an attacker. Each card also includes a special "tip" to give you quick and additional insights. The opposite side of each card is illustrated so that you can visualize what you are supposed to do.

This self-defence deck is perfect for people who have little time or patience to focus on reading a book. Set the deck on your desk at work and pick a card to read and think about each time you need a few minutes break, or set the deck on your table by the sofa at home and read a card each time the commercials come on TV. Or shuffle the cards and pick one card randomly for each week of the year. This is a great way to learn basic self-defence concepts for everyday life, and gives you something to think about throughout your drive home at night. It also makes a great gift to your friends or work buddies.

Very Creative.......2005-09-23

This work is a really neat concept for folks who are interested in self-defense but don't have time or interest to read through an in-depth tome on the subject. While this material is accurate and practical, it is very cursory (seriously, how much insight can you really get onto 50 cards...). Having said that, however, it really is a great format for conveying the basic concepts that everyone interested in self-protection should know. The material is organized into four color-coded categories: (1) planning and setting boundaries, (2) nonviolent strategies, (3) basic physical techniques, (4) advanced physical techniques. Each card describes a possible scenario, explains methods you can use to defend against it, and provides a quick reference tip. Illustrations are the back of each card help you visualize what you are supposed to do. The non-physical escapes and awareness tips are in many ways more important than the physical techniques since not everyone has the physical skills or emotional wherewithal to apply potentially lethal applications on another human being. If you are a serious martial artist this deck is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you are interested in fundamental self-protection concepts and not a practicing martial artist you really ought to consider buying this product.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

This Deck Rocks.......2005-03-23

What a fantastic little tool Jennifer Lawler has developed for anyone who wonders if they could handle a situtation that threatens their personal safety. I love that the cards empower the reader to move beyond fear. The card titled "Focusing on What You Can Do," for instance, encourages readers to consider all aspects of an environment they might use to their advantage. They might pull the fire alarm, escape down a back staircase, or use a piece of office equipment as a weapon. I also appreciate Jennifer's highlighting of effective physical maneuvers, such as the rear elbow strike, the stomping kick, spear hand throat strike, and head butts. Jennifer likewise reminds readers of the power of suggestion, with her tips for verbally persuading the attacker to walk away. Attractively drawn and packaged, this boxed set makes an excellent gift for any person who wants to know, not wonder, how to react in an unsafe situation.

Great Idea!.......2005-03-21

This deck of fifty cards is broken into four color-coded self-defense categories, as follows: planning and setting boundaries, nonviolent strategies, basic physical techniques, advanced physical techniques. Each card contains an explanation of a self-defense situation you might find yourself in and several ways to practice defending against an attacker. Each card also includes a special "tip" to give you quick and additional insights. The opposite side of each card is illustrated so that you can visualize what you are supposed to do.

This self-defense deck is perfect for people who have little time or patience to focus on reading a book. Set the deck on your desk at work and pick a card to read and think about each time you need a few minutes break, or set the deck on your table by the sofa at home and read a card each time the commercials come on TV. Or shuffle the cards and pick one card randomly for each week of the year. This is a great way to learn basic self-defense concepts for everyday life, and gives you something to think about throughout your drive home at night. It also makes a great gift to your friends or work buddies.

Book Description

The third volume in a landmark series on composition research!

Covering the period between 1984 and 2003, this authoritative sequel picks up where the earlier volumes (Braddock et al., 1963, and Hillocks, 1986), now classics in the field, left off. It features a broader focus that goes beyond the classroom teaching of writing to include teacher research, second-language writing, rhetoric, home and community literacy, workplace literacy, and histories of writing. Each chapter is written by an expert in the area reviewed and covers both conventional written composition and multimodal forms of composition, including drawing, digital forms, and other relevant media. Research on Composition is an invaluable road map for the next decade, and required reading for anyone teaching or writing about composition today.

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Nylon, The Story of a Fashion Revolution: A Celebration of Design from Art Silk to Nylon and Thinking Fibres
Susannah Handley
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins Univ. Pres
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N3C4C6

Book Description

For both soaring Silicon Valley and slumping Central New York, and for firms both large and small, global integration usually has a very positive impact. In this study, Howard Lewis and J. David Richardson explore new gains from deep international integration, some of which were featured in two earlier Institute studies of the under-appreciated benefits of deep export dependence (*). Why Global Integration Matters Most! updates the export studies and explores the evidence for a more radical idea.

A growing body of research literature demonstrates that globally engaged firms and their workers enjoy numerous performance benefits over local counterparts that are identical with respect to size, industry, and location. Conscious decisions to export, import, invest abroad, or partner with foreign investors or technology seem to be a catalyst for added benefits, especially rapid and stable job growth. Over time, globally engaged firms rejuvenate whole industries as their market share rises and that of more insular firms shrinks. Any, many, or all types of global commitments reward firms, workers, and local communities.

The study supplements its research survey with real-life profiles of representative American exporters, importers (often businesses importing machines and components), investors abroad, foreign affiliates, and technology partners. It also weighs criticisms and alternative interpretations of the research, and discusses the problems of those left on the margins of global engagement.

Book Description

The Third Millennium presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges to capitalism as a global economic system. Technological advances, governmental policies, energy supply, ecological concerns, and a burgeoning world population are among the issues to be addressed by private enterprise in holistic and humanitarian ways. No longer can these issues be treated in isolation inasmuch as they are becoming increasingly interdependent. As Rogers shows, in industrialized nations, with their aging and stabilizing populations, the marketplace and the working environment are changing, requiring new approaches to work and leisure. In sharp contrast, populations in the Third World are growing rapidly and represent vast potential new markets for the private sector. Simultaneously, enormous social, health, and political problems abound in many Third World countries that may be addressed by private sector and governmental initiatives. Economic expansion in Third World nations will require great expansion of electric and other energy systems, resulting in increased environmental degradation unless major preventive measures are taken. Continued growth of energy systems in industrialized nations will require the introduction of increased pollution controls in the near future. A definitive transition from dependence on fossil fuels to nonpolluting renewable energy sources should be a major global priority. Environmental protection efforts, previously confined to major industrialized nations, should become a high priority issue on a global basis. Global climate change and other air pollution, desertification, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and water pollution are extending into formerly pristine areas, forcing international approaches to mitigation. A challenging assessment for business officers, policy analysts, and economists involved with corporate strategy and economic development.

Book Description

This book focuses on the structural changes in private enterprises and public institutions that aim at lifting the continental productive system onto a higher growth path. Organized along three research lines, the chapters offer new, provocative treatments of the adjustments in monetary and real sectors accompanying the European economic integration, the consequences of specific legal/institutional changes, and national systems of technological and institutional innovation. Given the fundamental changes of policy regimes involved, only a comparative (to some extent, eclectic) conceptual framework may provide insights about the ultimate economic state eventually reached and the manifold of processes leading towards it. The unifying feature of the book lies in its attempt to highlight the complementary roles of private and public sectors in promoting technology, human capital and institutional engineering as the ingredients in any successful recipe for growth and convergence.

European Integration, Regional Policy, and Growth

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European Integration, Regional Policy, and Growth

Manufacturer: World Bank Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The European Union stands out as one of the regions of the world that has most explicitly and deliberately attempted to reduce regional disparities within its membership. How effective this effort has been is a matter of open debate. The current enlargement of the European Union (EU) to less affluent new members gives rise to a fresh set of questions:

How can the cohesion objective best be advanced in a context where initial income disparities will now be greater?

Will the accession process cause the income of the poorer regions to converge towards EU standards or, to the contrary, will prevailing disparities be exacerbated in the process?

What, if anything, can the new members do about this? What help can they expect from the EU structural funds, and how should the funds be applied to maximize the cohesion objective?

To answer these questions, the World Bank, the Bertelsmann Foundation, and the CIDOB Foundation brought together leading scholars, senior policy-makers, and practitioners from existing and new EU member countries, as well as representatives from the European Commission to a conference in Barcelona in October 2002. European Integration, Regional Policy, and Growth presents the results of these discussions.

Download Description

The function of regional policy is to stimulate growth in less developed areas as to best benefit from economic integration. While the overall objective is clear, the actual implementation raises a series of issues. Targeting regional inequalities should not be confused with reducing individual income inequalities. Consequently, rather than serving an income redistribution purpose, the goal is to generate sustained growth in less developed regions. While a series of income transfers may induce a succession of temporary reductions in regional discrepancies, it must not be mistaken with triggering sustained regional convergence, which would be the successful conclusion of regional policy. Therefore, it is also critical to appropriately define the territorial units being compared, as to avoid targeting inescapable regional differences that are not a result of underdevelopment. This book brings together the views of leading academics, European Commission representatives and senior policy makers from national governments in charge or regional policy. The papers organized in this volume are the results of the discussions held at a conference on regional policy held in Barcelona and jointly organized by the World Bank, the Bertelsmann Foundation and the CIDOB foundation. In an effort to draw policy lessons for the new members of the European Union, the concurring lesson was that it is not investment per se that leads to growth, but when the appropriate national policies for growth are implemented, investment follows. These include avoiding permanent income transfers and other obstacles to labor market flexibility and creating a favorable environment to attract private investments.

Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe: Growth and Regional Development in an Enlarged European Union

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Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe: Growth and Regional Development in an Enlarged European Union

Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Comparative | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1843762412

Book Description

This highly topical book addresses the challenge of economic convergence within Europe, beginning with a thorough review of the theory of growth and related empirical research. Historical and more recent economic developments within the present EU and current accession countries are discussed, along with the design for the process of further integration of accession countries into the EU and the Euro area. Moreover, the potential to achieve a sustainable catch-up process in Western Balkan countries, the Ukraine and Russia is explored, focusing on the task facing the EU in designing proper policies vis-à-vis these countries. The contributors' varied perspectives ensure that the theories and policies postulated are linked closely with the actual situation in accession countries and offer up-to-date insights.

Book Description

This book’s thirteen contributions bring together the results of recent research on determinants of regional specialization, growth, and convergence in the context of European integration. They offer fresh theoretical and empirical evidence on patterns of regional production structures, specialization, regional disparities, convergence and divergence processes, and evaluation of cohesion policies on both current and future European Union (EU) member states in the context of increased integration. These subjects are addressed in both individual and cross-country analysis using innovative methodologies. They examine structural changes and economic performance differentials across regions and countries in an enlarged EU as well as on evaluating existing policies aimed at reducing economic imbalances.

This unique empirical analysis uses data sets in particular from the EU accession countries, and it presents for the first time in a unified framework theoretical foundations and empirical results of models used in the evaluation of cohesion politics. The evaluation of cohesion policies in Ireland is used as a benchmark to compare recent evaluation experiences with models in Estonia, Hungary, and Poland.

Integration, Growth and Cohesion in an Enlarged European Union will be of particular interest to researchers and policy makers working in the fields of economic integration, transition economies, and regional development.

Regional Growth and Regional Policy Within the Framework of European Integration: Proceedings of a Conference on the Occasion of 25 Years Institute for ... of Kiel 1995 (Contributions to Economics)

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Regional Growth and Regional Policy Within the Framework of European Integration: Proceedings of a Conference on the Occasion of 25 Years Institute for ... of Kiel 1995 (Contributions to Economics)

Manufacturer: Physica-Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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