The Doomsday Myth: 10,000 Years of Economic Crises

Book Description

In The Doomsday Myth, Charles Maurice and Charles Smithson show that although doom merchants have been predicting imminent collapse from resource shortages as long as civilization has existed, no nation has ever fallen because of the depletion of a resource. They also show that government intervention has not been the solution to these crises. Instead, freely functioning markets with individuals acting in their own self-interest have eliminated shortages, and averted doomsday. The free market theme is the same one used by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, but the need to restate it for new generations is urgent. The authors concluded that a resource-based doomsday will arrive only if we suspend the functioning of free markets.

Customer Reviews:

Must read for the Rome Club environmentalist.......2002-10-26

I am not an economist, nor do I want to be so labeled, but this book, with a foreward by Phil Gramm and published by the prestigious Hoover Institute (Stanford), absolutely rocks! It will turn you on to supply side economics.

Basically the premise of the book--that where there is a shortage, the price of the good will rise and cause either conservation, a search for substitutes or a search for more of what is in shortage, is basic economic theory. But how this is illustrated is absolutely fascinating--the authors look at a series of historical 'crisis', from oil (modern age) to wood for fuel (16th Century England, and the subsitution of coal, which helped make England a powerhouse, literally) to a shortage of wood timbre for ship building in ancient Greece (forced a new design for ships), to, in a specutacular climax--the shortage of flint in prehistoric man's world! (and how it was overcome, namely, either recycling or searching for more flint).

The authors score points blasting the "doomsday environmentalists" (e.g., Rome Club environmentalists) who are always preaching only limiting demand without realising that supply can be increased where there is incentive, and for being Cassandras. These doomsday types typically focus on market failures such as Tragedy of the Commons and try to generalize from that unique failure, but I digress.

My only criticism is that the book is so seemlessly written and logical you almost suspect the facts are made up or glossed over--especially the speculative last chapter on prehistoric man, where the evidence surely is sketchy. But don't let this dissuade you from reading this short and sweet book.

BTW, another economics book for non-economists that has a paradoxical message that I highly recommend is the new book by William Easterly, "The Elusive Quest for Growth".

Average customer rating:
The Doomsday Myth 10,000 Years of Economic Crises
Charles & Smithson, Charles W. Maurice
Manufacturer: Hoover Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W09Z18

Amazon.com

Arthur Liman, a prominent partner at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, died in 1997 after a distinguished career spanning four decades. He represented moguls and big corporations, but was at least as well-known through his public service record, first as counsel for the New York state investigation into the 1971 Attica prison uprising, and then as chief counsel for the Senate Iran-Contra hearings in the mid-1980s. Perhaps because Liman is circumspect with his clients' confidences, or perhaps because he died before he could completely edit his work, Lawyer doesn't have quite the same storytelling rhythm that one gets from, say, Alan Dershowitz. The anecdotal nature of the work, primarily cataloging Liman's successes and failures, makes for a certain sketchiness as autobiography, and lawyers might hope for more practice pointers rather than stories.

Liman's defense of one of his more notorious clients, Michael Milken, is strong, however, and he has entertaining and cogent observations on the multi-billion-dollar Pennzoil v. Texaco litigation. A subtext throughout the book is how the practice of law has changed over the years; the computer-dependent young associate of today will marvel at Liman's descriptions of the need for knitting needles to organize documents in complex litigation in the late 1950s. All in all, Liman's collection of tales and personal experiences provides a pleasant and engrossing read. --Ted Frank

Book Description

During nearly half a century of practicing law, Arthur L. Liman represented the very best ideals of his profession. He was renowned both for his brilliance as a corporate lawyer and for his commitment to public service and pro bono work. Vanity Fair called him a "big trouble" lawyer--i.e., the lawyer you call when you're in it. In this candid memoir, written in the months before his death, Liman discusses his life in the law from the moment Roy Cohn's performance at the McCarthy hearings inspired him to become a lawyer (in order to stand against lawyers like Cohn) to his influential investigation of the Attica prison uprising, through his role as chief counsel in the Iran-Contra hearings, with looks at many fascinating cases, clients, and controversies along the way. Full of lively portraits of the moguls, financiers, politicians and criminals with whom Liman worked, and grounded in his insightful, provocative opinions on the practice of law and on today's legal issues, Lawyer is an absorbing read.

Customer Reviews:

Dreck.......2004-05-04

As an entering student at Yale Law School, the Liman Foundation gave each and every one of us a hardcover copy of this, Arthur Liman's treacly memoir. It took me until my third year to read it; I missed nothing.

Liman's career is utterly unworthy of a memoir; it is the sort of career than anyone of my colleagues at Yale could have with very little effort and even less ambition. Liman happily spends his life at the teat of corporate America; his "public service" is two quick resume-building years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and then he retreats back to the big-firm partnerhsip track.

Any interesting experiences in the corporate world are happily ommitted; he mentions anti-semitism briefly when covering his college years at Harvard, and then never mentions it again. His later-career public service is reserved for high-level work on government committees, but after years of amassing vast sums as a corporate lawyer, he never says, "That's enough," and always returns to his million-dollar partnership at his big firm.

He bellyaches at how much worse big firms are now than they were in the 50s when he was starting out, yet offers no examples of anything he did to help change the oppressive status quo.

I must admit I am glad I read this miserable little book, if only to discover what kind of lawyer I never want to become.

Compelling Figure, Uncompelling Autobiography.......2003-08-10

Arthur Liman was a tremendous lawyer and citizen of this country. He was one of the more cognitively brilliant lawyers of the past 50 years, and possessed a social conscience of the highest order.

Unfortunately, something is simply missing in this autobiography. I found it uneven and incomplete. The quality of the book simply doesn't match the quality of the person.

A great book, very enjoyable to read.......2001-11-19

This is a remarkable autobiography. I highly recommend it, especially to those considering entering the legal profession.
Liman is a superb writer who's easy-to-read style makes reading the book both an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Most importantly, Liman vindicates the legal profession by stressing the important contribution that good lawyers can offer to society. He also provides interesting insight into his role as a defense lawyer in the Michael Milken case and as a key player in the investigations of the Attica Prison riot and the Iran Contra scandal.

Regards,

Hans Perl-Matanzo
(...)

Book Description

This book, by the 1986 Nobel Prize winner, presents a critical assessment of the political and social order in the post-revolutionary decade of the 1990s in both the transitional economies and Western welfare states confronting fiscal crises. As we enter the new post-socialist century, James M. Buchanan argues that we need to think and act on the premise that the future is uncertain. James M. Buchanan examines the political economy of the post-socialist era, analyzing the events of 1989-91 and some of their predicted consequences. In addition he reflects upon the influence of those revolutionary years and the reactions to the changes, as well as the role of economists in the new socio-political environment. The political economy of the post-socialist era will be determined by the forces of historical development, social and cultural evolution, directed political change and exogenous shocks. To a large extent, many of these forces cannot be planned for, except directed political change. This insightful new book will be welcomed by political economists, legal and political philosophers, political scientists and public choice economists.

Book Description

This book cuts through the powerful mythology surrounding Los Angeles to reveal the causes of inequality in a city that has weathered rapid population change and economic restructuring. Inequality in LA is the story of many racial and ethnic groups contending for jobs and housing in a city that offers limited opportunities for the low-skilled. Competition from new immigrants has marginalized many of the city's low-skilled black workers, who do not enjoy the kinship and ethnic networks that help immigrants find jobs. African Americans must also contend with persistent negative racial stereotypes which hinder their access to jobs and limit their residential mobility. As this book demonstrates, race remains a crucial factor in shaping economic fortunes in this thoroughly multicultural city.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read.......2000-12-28

In the past, we could use Chicago or Philadelphia as models of the urban reality; however, the United States is rapidly becoming a more racially and ethnically diverse nation. The model of this current reality is Los Angeles. "Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angeles" addresses questions of how race and ethnicity, space, gender and group identities and attitudes are linked in complex ways that result in divergent opportunities in the population. The editors (Lawrence D. Bobo, Melvin L. Oliver, James H. Johnson Jr. and Abel Valenzuela Jr.) and a distinguished group of younger scholars cover demographic transitions, economic restructuring, residential segregation, and the interplay of group identity, attitudes, and the dynamics of workplace interactions. "Prismatic Metropolis" is an essential starting place for understanding urban society in the 21st Century.

Customer Reviews:

Good book - Very Internationally oriented.......2001-12-21

The author definitely comes at sales via an international perspective and how the sales process/tips from these great sales people are very similar.

All Sales Strategy/improvement courses/books are very simple. The problem is that 90% of sales people don't pick up a book in any given year to improve their performance and, of the other 10% who read a book or do something to try and improve their sales results, 90% of them fail to apply what they have learned on a consistent basis.

That means that 99% of people fail to improve their results via books/courses!

They key to getting long-term value out of a book like this is to practice what you read. I know that when I was applying various techniques I learned in the past my results went up on a consistent basis so I am going back to the books and applying the techniques/skills on a more consistent manner.

Whether you like it or not you are selling everyday. You are selling yourself regardless of what you do for a living. You sell yourself to your family, friends, co-workers, etc. You are creating an image in that person's mind of what they associate you with (pain or pleasure).

Another insightful book on sales is How to be a Rainmaker, by Jeffrey Fox and Successful Selling by Brian Tracy.

Most Comprehensive.......2001-11-11

As the Author of this book, I would like readers to know that the 10 top sales performers featured are from 10 different countries, involved in 10 different industries. In the personal interviews I did with each person, I selected the award winning techniques which can be applied IMMEDIATELY to any industry anywhere. Each chapter ends with an Action Section that allows you to adapt the key points to your specific needs.
....Through each chapter you gain important insight and build a personal relationship with each top achiever, seeing behind the scenes into their methods and reasons for doing what they do.
.....As one top achiever said to me, "Anybody can do it, Christine, anybody can do it." He is right. I've had letters from all over the world. The blueprint is there in the book. Adapt it to your needs and run with it. Let me know how you like it or if you are a top achiever to be featured in my next sales book - ... GOOD LUCK TO EACH OF YOU.

Ten of the Best.......2000-04-23

This book has been around for a while and deserves a much wider readership than it has apparently attracted. Christine Harvey (based in London) selected and then interviewed 10 salespersons based throughout the world (USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden). At the time of the interviews, all were "top performers" who shared with Harvey the "secrets" of their success. The industries represented: Financial Futures, Automotive (2), Insurance, Manufacturing, Travel, Broadcasting Equipment, Cleaning Equipment, Processed Control Systems, and Food.

Were I to list the "secrets", you would probably respond "Well, duh." Hence the importance of your reading and then re-reading the book, allowing the "secrets" to emerge within the context of various conversations. Harvey skillfully describes the unique style of each of the "top performers" who seem to have almost nothing in common except extraordinary success in sales.

There are so many excellent books on sales. Those written by Werth, Gitomer, Rackham, Gerard, and Ziglar are among the ones I rate highest and include Harvey's book also. You will derive the greatest value from hers by cherry-picking the best suggestions which are provided in an Action Section at the end of each chapter. Also, pay close attention to how the personality of each "top performer" is revealed during her or his conversation with Harvey. These are people whom we immediately respect, whom we trust, and with whom we feel comfortable. For them, closing a sale is the almost inevitable result of authentic rapport which they so carefully establish. Read the book and learn how you can have the same impact on others... and hopefully become a "top sales performer" also.

Average customer rating:
The Secrets of the World's Top Ten Sales Performers
Christine Harvey
Manufacturer: Random House Business Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Advertising | Consumer Behavior | Customer Service | Marketing | Public Relations | Sales & Selling
ASIN: 0091740169

Average customer rating:
Industrial banking companies and their credit practices, (Financial research program of the National bureau of economic research. Studies in consumer instalment financing)
Raymond Joseph Saulnier
Manufacturer: National Bureau of Economic Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Credit Ratings & Repair | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006D6FQO

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Great product

Good Stuff

Is 1,000% ROI in just one week really possible?

Advertising Mortgages? You're Crazy Not To Get This Book

If You Advertise On Radio You Must Own This Book!

Million-Dollar Mortgage Radio: How Mortgage Brokers Can Use Radio Advertising To Make More Deals
Blaine Parker
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Industrial | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Guerrilla Marketing for Mortgage Brokers: How to Steal Customers From Your Competition

The Millionaire Mortgage Broker: How to Start, Operate, And Manage a Successful Mortgage Company

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Success as a Mortgage Broker (Complete Idiot's Guide to)

Art of Commercial Mortgage Brokering

So You Want to Be a Mortgage Broker

ASIN: 1413452515

Book Description

You're a mortgage broker. You want to make more deals. What if you had access to a marketing consultant who's helped your competitors sell millions of dollars worth of residential mortgages? How much would you pay for that information? Hundreds? Thousands? How about the cover price of this book? For the first time, a successful Los Angeles radio creative director shares trade secrets with you--applying an irreverent sense of humor, a pithy, take-no-prisoners prose, and notions that will frustrate both your competitors and the big advertising agencies. Bottom line: if you know just what to say and just how to say it, radio advertising can dramatically increase your business. You too can do Million-Dollar Mortgage Radio.

Customer Reviews:

Great product.......2007-04-05

I bought the cd because I wanted to get the information right away and some other reviews made it seem that the book took awhile to be delivered. The information is great. I sell radio and I totally agree with what he is saying. Before selling radio I used to buy it as the owner of a small chain of retail store. I wish I had read this book then. Radio sales people can be very confusing and no matter what station they sell for they seem to have a stat that proves they are number one. As a buyer I never knew what was a good strategy and was at the mercy of my rep. The information contained in here really does make sense and helps cut through the confusing clutter that we sales people bring.

Even though I sell radio I still approach all buys as if it was my small business. His point about owning a daypart even if it's a small audience is exactly what I had been discussing with my colleagues. I did a study in my market and found that by running an overnight schedule compared to a prime schedule as he suggested resulted in reaching 55% of the reach (radio term) but at only 12% of the cost and my frequency was huge. I guess more than anything his information validated what I had been saying. Read the book or listen to the CD's and you could apply the message to many other industries other than Mortgages. This is another book that hits the same point The 33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising

Good Stuff.......2007-01-15

Don't spend money on radio without it, even though it may take a while for the book to get to you. A must-read.

Is 1,000% ROI in just one week really possible? .......2005-11-04

First, the caveat. I'm an account rep for radio, and I find that Mr. Parker is a little bit hard on us as a group. True, he has a sense of humor about it, and he doesn't vilify all of us. Only the order takers. But if you're a radio person, know that going in. If you're a mortgage person, know that many of us are not the Neanderthal browed cretins he describes.

The book is easy to read, very nuts & bolts, it exhibits a sense of humor, and is likely to seem too simplistic to work. In reality, I'm starting to wonder of other advertising books are just too complicated.

This book actually helped close my first mortgage client. Using Parker's formula, we determined a position and developed a core message and wouldn't you know it: the phone started ringing almost immediately.

But there was a problem: my client couldn't close any of them. We were targeting a well-defined borrower group with a relevant message, and those people were calling. But my client wasn't competitive enough, and none of the deals were panning out.

We re-tooled the message, went after a sub-prime borrower with consumer debt challenges, and wow: in one week, he's closing six deals, one on a million-dollar property, the others around a half million. I don't know exactly what he makes on these loans, but I can guess that his return on investment is already around 1,000%.

And another reviewer said that this book could be used for radio advertising in general. I agree completely, and I'm about to adapt these "Million-Dollar Mortgage" methods for a medical client who is having serious challenges with the advertising message he's insisted on running for so long.

Advertising Mortgages? You're Crazy Not To Get This Book.......2005-11-02

Radio advertising is a hidden goldmine to those relative few who know how to use it.

Blaine Parker knows how. He's made fortunes for his "loan originator" clients. He's one of the best copywriters in the business.

Radio advertising is my business, and Parker knows more about creating profit-producing radio advertising for mortgage brokers than anyone I know (myself included).

This book would be a bargain at ten times the price.

If You Advertise On Radio You Must Own This Book!.......2004-10-16

If I only owned one book on Radio it would be this one. I originally bought it because we were working with a mortgage client and I quickly realized that this was not just a mortgage radio book.

As a regular writer of radio copy and buyer of radio time for clients, I'm typically skeptical of "how to do radio" books in general, they are mostly rehashed information wtih little relevancy. But not this book.

There is so much valuable information on story development, proper use of copy for radio, scheduling, ad development, production and little techniques that will make any ad come alive in a way that makes buyers buy. I'm a little bummed the title says Mortgage Radio since truly this is a radio copywriter's secret weapon . . . not matter what the product.

Blaine's easy to read style is humorous and instructive at the same time. I read the book twice because it contained so many great ideas. The second time, I took four pages of notes.

I found chapters 13 & 14 to be worth the whole price of the book alone.

This will definately be the single best addition you can make to your radio library.

Book Description

There is no doubt that the open multilateral trading system after World War II was a key ingredient in the rapid economic development of the entire world. Especially in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, exports increased dramatically both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GNP. In the 1980s, however, preferential trading arrangements (PTAs) began to emerge as significant factors affecting world trade. This volume contains thirteen papers that analyze the tensions between multilateral trading systems and preferential trade arrangements and the impact of these tensions on East Asia. The first four chapters introduce PTAs conceptually and focus on the unique political issues that these agreements involve. The next five essays present more direct empirical analyses of existing PTAs and their economic effects, primarily in East Asia. The last four papers concentrate on the outcomes of individual East Asian nations' trading policies in specific instances of preferential agreements.

Regionalism Versus Multilateral Trade Arrangement

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Regionalism Versus Multilateral Trade Arrangement
T Ito
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP613G

Regionalism versus Multilateral Trade Arrangements.

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Regionalism versus Multilateral Trade Arrangements.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IBN84Q

Book Description

Basic information on foreign and domestic policy, national security, political system, parties and elections, government and administrative structure. Participation in international organizations, treaties and regional unions. International and foreign policy and more.

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Venezuela Investment & Business Guide
Emerging Markets Investment Center
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739703811

Book Description

This investment guide contains basic information on economy, business, export-import and investment climate, opportunities, regulations. Provides strategic information on economy, industrial development, banking, and government. Includes information on the most important business contacts and business travel. Updated annually.

Venezuela Investment & Business Guide (World Investment and Business Library)

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Venezuela Investment & Business Guide (World Investment and Business Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739718843

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Venezuela Investment And Business Guide

Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0739760181

Venezuela: A Spy Guide (World Business and Investment Opportunities Library)

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Venezuela: A Spy Guide (World Business and Investment Opportunities Library)

Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739786369

Book Description

Everything a successful "spy" must know on the country. Strategic and practical information on government, national security, army, foreign relations, economy, technology, mineral resources, as well as culture, history, traditions, government and business contacts and more...

Venezuela Country (World Investment and Business Guide Library)

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Venezuela Country (World Investment and Business Guide Library)

Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739780115

Venezuela Internet And E-commerce Industry Investment And Business Guide (World Business, Investment and Government Library)

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Venezuela Internet And E-commerce Industry Investment And Business Guide (World Business, Investment and Government Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Web Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Venezuela Mineral & Mining Sector Investment And Business Guide (World Business, Investment and Government Library)

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Venezuela Mineral & Mining Sector Investment And Business Guide (World Business, Investment and Government Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739791052

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