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`It is rare to find a book that attempts to integrate physical, biological and social sciences (economics) to address environmental problems, but this book does a great job of it. It is also rare to find a book that addresses both the benefits and the costs of river restoration, and again this book delivers. This collection of case studies provides an informative and practical guide to conducting economic analyses of many different types of river restoration. Scientists interested in quantifying the benefits and costs of river restoration will gain a very quick and thorough education from the case studies presented in this book.'
- John Loomis, Colorado State University, US

The book applies benefit-cost analysis and a wide array of non-market and distribution economic valuation methods in ecologic context to determine the pay-off and distribution impacts of various infrastructure and water quality improvements to eight river systems in the Great Lakes region of the US. The generally positive results have important implications for public policy and future research.

Prime readership is the wide range of academics, NGO and government agency staff and citizen action groups concerned with the management and protection of rivers and other natural resource systems. ... Read more

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This book explores the dynamic processes in economic systems, concentrating on the extraction and use of the natural resources required to meet economic needs. Sections cover methods for dynamic modeling in economics, microeconomic models of firms, modeling optimal use of both nonrenewable and renewable resources, and chaos in economic models. This book does not require a substantial background in mathematics or computer science. STELLA II and MADONNA run-tim software and computer files of sample models accompany the book on a CD-ROM. The software is compatible with both Macintosh- and Windows-based systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Critical topic book could give more guidance
Book is worth reading but leaves you in need of more in depth direction as your problems won't match the samples.You will want deeper guidance so that you can address your needs.Recommend the book just left bit frustrated. ... Read more

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Where will our electricity come from in the future, and how will we use it? The UK is aiming for a 60% reduction of 1990 carbon dioxide emission levels by 2050, yet the electricity industry and patterns of electricity use must change radically if this is to be achieved. This authoritative overview analyses a range of possible scenarios for the future of electricity in the UK. Specialists in various renewable electricity technologies demonstrate the potential each has to play a significant role. Other routes to a low-carbon electricity system are also considered, including nuclear power, improved power electronics, a wider use of superconducting technology, and micro-generation systems including combined heat and power. The book concludes by examining opportunities for demand side improvements in architecture, industry and transport.Each chapter is written by a technical expert in a manner accessible to readers interested in energy technology, policy and economics. ... Read more

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This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the financial system of Hong Kong, a system which has undergone immense changes in recent years. The book, written by scolars and professionals on the finance sector, covers all aspects of the financial system-commercial banking and non-depository institutions, the major financial markets, and information technology. ... Read more

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Interesting Book
A little out of date. But we had a very interesting internation finance class with this book.

- Vikram Jhaveri, Chico ... Read more

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Wilk and his colleagues draw upon their own international field experience to examine how food systems are changing around the globe. The authors offer a cultural perspective that is missing in other economic and developmental studies, and provide rich ethnographic data on markets, industrial production, and food economies. This new book will appeal to professionals in economic and environmental anthropology: economic development, agricultural economics, consumer behavior, nutritional sciences, environmental sustainability, and globalization studies. ... Read more

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Speed is not the Only Issue
I am the editor of this book, so this is not an unbiased review by any means. This is indeed a collection of academic papers, presented at a conference, which were edited to make them work together as a book. I worked very hard to make sure the papers are free of jargon and are written in a style which should be accessible to any educated reader.

It is no news that there are some serious problems with our global food system. Not only are there a lot of hungry people on the planet (still over a billion), but now the number of severely overweight humans is about equal to the number who go to bed hungry at least a few times a week. Farmers everywhere are in trouble, and the quality of the food we are all eating is questionable at best. So what is the answer? How do we fix it?

The Slow Food movement has a very attractive answer, and they have been effective in getting a lot of people to think about the alternatives to mass-produced factory foods, about returning to food of high quality made by people who care. Most of the authors in this book are sympathetic to the goals of slow food. But that does not mean we should suspend our critical thinking either, and many of us wonder if slow food is really another 'Arts and Crafts' movement, if it really addresses the needs of poor people and problems of justice and cultural diversity.

So the papers in this book ask tough questions, and in the end we try to redefine the issue. Quality food is more than an issue of slow vs fast. ... Read more

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This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Economics of Grids, Clouds, Systems, and Services, GECON 2010, held in Ischia, Italy, in August 2010.The papers are organized in topical sections on service evaluation and trust; service pricing and software licenses; work in progress on adoption of grid and cloud services; and work in progress on value chains and service level agreements. ... Read more

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In a book about the marriage of the born and the made--the biologicalization of everything from computers to government--the executive editor of Wired chronicles the dawn of a new era in which the machines and systems that dri ve our economy are so complex and autonomous as to be indistinguishable from living things.Amazon.com Review
In many ways, the 20th century has been the Age ofPhysics. Out of Control is an accessible and entertaining explanationof why the coming years will probably be the Age of Biology --particularly evolution and ethology --and what thiswill mean to most every aspect of our society. Kelly is an enthusiasticand well-informed guide who explains the promises and implicationsof this rapidly evolving revolution very well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

They worked with me!
The book took a long time to get to me and I complained - the company was right on it - they gave me back my money and apologized.

Then, the book arrived a week later.The company did not re-bill me through Amazon but asked that I settle up with them through PayPal.I did.

I find that they are service oriented and willing to lose the sale rather than lose the customer - I would order from this company again.

Tim Richardson
[...]

My all-time favorit book!
I loved this book. I dont read much but i could not put this down. I also checked out Simulacra and Simulation byBaudrillard as Out of Control references this it often but was very disappointed with Simulacra and Simulation. Any way, I highly recommend Out of Control to any one.

This Book Is Out of Control
I must admit that I'm a little ticked at spending a considerable amount of time reading a 500 page book with too many ideas and lack of focus.The editing left a lot to be desired.Throughout the book, the author asserts that if dumb, simple things (e.g. a swarm of bees) continuously communicate with each other they will eventually become capable of performing highly complex tasks not feasible by the will of intelligent beings.Yet, this point is expressed in such a complex manner that it makes one wonder why the author didn't follow his philosophy by dumbing down his arguments and letting the plentiful explain the more difficult concepts.

The main premise of the book is the idea of intelligent beings, in this case humans, giving up control of their creations, which are machines, and letting them "adapt on their own, evolve in their own direction, and grow without human oversight."

There are some intriguing ideas such as:No sustaining ecosystem is in equilibrium or completely "in control".Some chaotic or "out of control" events are required for complex systems to function.For example, the earth's atmosphere is made up of 20% oxygen.This oxygen content is just enough to maintain viable ecosystems without burning up the earth from fires.

"Out of Control" was written in 1994, and 14 years later global warming is a hot button.What happened to the Kelly's grand ideas of recycling (see example of Danish companies recycling each others' waste somewhere in the book)?How much closer are we to eco-friendly intelligent homes and personal belongings?Instead of moving to cheap renewable energy sources, we are experiencing the use of fossil fuels like never before with the fast growing economies of China and India.Crucial counteracting forces seemed to have been completely ignored by the author in projecting a sea of changes in how humans behave.Solar energy will never succeed as a viable energy source unless Big Oil has a monopoly over the sun.Digital cash has been a failure because its success would've destroyed the profits of Visa/Mastercard.

The author is a proponent of the idea of passing down learned behavior innately to offsprings, i.e. through genes.For example, experiments cited from one scientist proved evolution with learned behavior passed down to offsprings is superior to natural evolution.In this instance the author ignored the prospect of passing down negative and undesirable learned behavior that is criminal in nature for example.It's best that all offsprings are created much like computers, and most behavior is learned much like software.It is precisely individuality that facilitates variability, the hallmark of evolution.The author himself even argues for systems thriving at the edge of chaos; systems flexible enough to adapt to the changing environment, yet not rigid enough to become unadaptable.Passing down learned behavior to offsprings would undoubtedly create a more rigid system.Besides, most people already harbor the ill effects of bad parenting.The last thing they need is to acquire this cr*p at conception.

At the end of the book, Mr. Kelly mentions "The Nine Laws of God".One law in particular stood out:"Grow by chunking" which states "The only way to make a complex system that works is to begin with a simple system that works.Attempts to instantly install highly complex organization-such as intelligence or a market economy-without growing it, inevitably lead to failure..... Time is needed to let each part test itself against all the others...."The failure to observe this law has been aptly demonstrated in the U.S. effort to build democracy in Iraq, and to a lesser degree the pressure exerted on Russia by the west to quickly move to a market economy following the collapse of communism.

In spite of all the criticism, I'm glad I read this book.The ideas could have been expressed in 200 pages fewer and more coherently.Pick up a copy and fasten your seat belt.You will be riding this one for a while.

Perhaps the most important book of the 90s
Why are the three most powerful forces in our world--evolution, democracy and capitalism--so controversial? Hundreds (in the case of democracy, thousands) of years after they were first understood, we still can't quite believe these three phenomena work. Socialist Europe resists capitalism, the religious right in America questions evolution and the Middle East makes a mockery of democracy. When you think about it, it's easy to understand why: all three are radically counterintuitive. "One person, one vote?" What if they vote wrong?

But that's the problem--we're thinking about it. Our brains aren't wired to understand the wisdom of the crowd. Evolution, democracy and capitalism don't work at the anecdotal level of personal experience, the level at which our story-driven synapses are built to engage. Instead, they're statistical, operating in the realm of collective probability. They're not right--they're "righter". They're not predictable and controllable--they're inherently out of control. That's scary and unsettling, but also hugely important to understand in a world of increasing complexity and diminishing institutional power (mainstream media: meet blogs; military: meet insurgency).

Fortunately, this book that makes sense of all of this. Out of Control was first published in 1994, well before its time, but it's one of those rare books that sells better each year it gets older. That's because Kelly recognized that the messy markets of natural selection, enlightened self-interest and invisible hands all anticipated the Internet and the delights of watching peer-to-peer cacophony create the greatest oracle the world has ever seen. Some of the examples may be a bit dated a dozen years later, but the message has only become more true: "There is no central keeper of knowledge in a network, only curators of particular views," he writes. The emergent mob wisdom of the blogosphere and Wikipedia were unimaginable then, but somehow Kelly imagined them all the same. This may be the smartest book of the past decade.

Cyberpunk Fact
The first half of the book is simply as good as it gets.Each Kelly pronouncement reads like a mantra from on high.The second half of the book is merely brilliant, but Mr. Kelly gives you a pretty good run for your money at 500 pages.There's only a couple of people even close to Kevin Kelly in the futuristic field, Ray Kurzweil, Howard Bloom, and Thomas L. Friedman. Alvin Toffler may have pioneered in a field that H.G. Wells started, but the new mavens like Robert D. Kaplan, Mike Davis, and Kevin Kelly, achieve levels of literacy as beautiful as a Dali.There are about ten must-read human futures, "Out of Control" is one of them. ... Read more

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Health care managers and students will finish this book owning a set of tools that can help them make economic-based policy decisions in the modern health care organization.With an eye towards the future, material is framed around emerging health care policy for the 21st century and how economics plays a crucial role in establishing policy.Readers will be introduced to principles of microeconomics and decision analysis as a way to approach resource allocation issues within the organization.The primary focus is on applied rather than theoretical economics.Key features: *Applied abstract economical principles to real world situations *Includes study questions and examples to improve understanding *Offers techniques for performing economic analysis *Presents material in context of emerging health care policy as of the 21st century(KEYWORDS:health service administration, HSA, health care policy, microeconomics) ... Read more

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When a handful of people thrive while whole industries implode and millions suffer, it is clear that something is wrong with our economy. The wealth of the few is disconnected from the misery of the many. In Civilizing the Economy, Marvin Brown traces the origin of this economics of dissociation to early capitalism, showing how this is illustrated in Adam Smith's denial of the central role of slavery in wealth creation. In place of the Smithian economics of property, Brown proposes that we turn to the original meaning of economics as household management. He presents a new framework for the global economy that reframes its purpose as the making of provisions instead of the accumulation of property. This bold new vision establishes the civic sphere as the platform for organizing an inclusive economy and as a way to move toward a more just and sustainable world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Answering the mystery
I always wondered why Capitalism was so cruel to the very people who make it work.Dr. Brown answers that both from historical and contemporary perspectives.Why did Adam Smith hedge the truth?What single difference could turn a heartless Capitalism into a meaningful social endeavor?All this and more in a book I found so interesting and well written I could hardly put it down.The most realistic alternative to the challenges of today that I have read. Civilizing the Economy: A New Economics of Provision

Humanizing Capitalism
Perhaps a more telling subtitle for this book would be "humanizing capitalism" for this is what the author is calling for - bringing the most powerful man-made social system in the world (economics) into alignment with people instead of property. Socialism and capitalism in their present forms are both set in contexts of materialism. The true "third way" for an economic system would be one founded on life and living things (what the author calls "provision") rather than on the material alone.Hat's off to the author who offers a powerful blueprint for a more just and sustainable economics. ... Read more

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This fourth edition of Gandolfo' s masterful book on economic dynamics is the premier source on dynamic mathematical tools for economists, with illustrations from many areas of current economic research. Not only is the book valuable as an encyclopedic reference book for researchers but is an excellent choice for a textbook on economic dynamics. Gandolfo has managed to provide background in even the most advanced areas of nonlinear dynamics in a readable manner avoiding unnecessarily advanced notation. As a result, the book is broadly accessible while including coverage of many of the deepest areas of current research in economic dynamics. A glance through the table of contents is enough to indicate to almost any serious economist that this is a book to buy."William A. Barnett, Oswald (Distinguished Professor of Macroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Kansas, USA, and Editor, Macroeconomic Dynamics) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A great textbook
One of the most plain and complete textbooks on differential and difference equations in economic theory I have ever read. It has the right mix of formal mathematics and applications to economic models. The treatment of linear equations and systems of linear equations, both differential and difference, is really outstanding; that of the non linear counterpart is a little bit more confused and partial, but mainly for space constraints.

nice
as chiang for math econ, serge lang and loomis for calculus, this is the one for econ dynamics, solid and lots of examples

why bother trying to buy it here!!!?
It may be a great book, yet Amazon does not have it.. it takes a month to respond you it does not have it!!!. So, move on and get it somewhere else!!

Needless to Say, Excellent!!
An amazing book!! Detail analysis of the methods with ample examples. I can't point out ONE short coming of the book except the price....

Excellent book about Economic Dynamics
Treating the mathematical methods used in economic dynamics, this book shows how they are utilised to build and analyse dynamic models.The mathematical methods covered range from elementary linear difference and differential equations and simultaneous systems to the qualitative analysis of non-linear dynamical systems.

I recommend this book thoroughly. ... Read more

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This text examines the economic world of Japan, arguing that it is still mired in the structures, policies, and mental habits of the 1950s and 1960s. The result has been a "dual economy" which is seen as unique in the industrial world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Would be relatively worthless even if it was timely
It is suprisingly how people could review such a weak book
on Japan positively, considering its author is a run of the mill journalist attempting to morph into an economist and write about Japan-- and doesnt live in Japan or speak Japanese, beside the fact that he has no experience in finance.Though writing on the topic may not demand in-country experience, experience working in finance or language ability- it certainly would help.It is a regurgitation of old comments and arguments published years after the fact- literally no original thought.Old wine in new bottle.The follow up is then a book about how Japan will return.Surprise.Japan: The Coming Collapse by Brian Reading was timely and though journalistic more substantive.Works by Chalmers Johnson (though dated) and Tag Murphy (former investment banker in Tokyo) are a lot more useful.See Japan's Policy Trap: Dollars, Deflation, and the Crisis of Japanese Finance by Akio Mikuni, R. Taggert Murphy, R. Taggart Murphy, Michael H. Armacost (the Katz book is just hopping to a certain extent on this more reputable bandwagon). Another important book is Arthritic Japan: The Slow Pace of Economic Reform by Edward J. Lincoln.Ed Lincoln is a real economist that speaks Japanese and has been dedicated to following Japan for a while.His previous work, Japan's Unequal Trade, was an important work.

Unfortunately, due to the decreased interest in Japan over the past decade, the number of quality books (especially on finance) has declined and, unfortunately, there are a good number of books written in Japanese that would be useful but are not translated into English.

Political economy of two Japans
Over more than a decade, Japan has baffled not only its citizens but also foreigners with its inability to sort the mess out. They call it the Heisei depression. What¡¯s the problem of Japan? It¡¯s been a daunting question. There have been numerous explanations. Those could be grouped into three camps in my view:
1. the problem is the financial macroeconomics not the fundamental disease of Japanese economy. Once the bad loans are cleared up, Japanese economy would be on the right track as before. (Posen at IIE: Cargill and his colleagues)
2. Japan is on the bad point at its long-term cycle. Each economy has its own long-term cycle of investment, determined by the level of sunk capital. In this view, ascendance of Japan and Germany over the States in ¡®70s and 80s could be attributed to this dynamic of cycle. In other words, the US was in a bad point at the time. Now Japan is on its own bad point. (Robert Brenner)
3. Depression or liquidity trap must be serious problems. But those are not the cause but the symptom of deep-seated malady. So-called Japanese miracle was propelled socioeconomic regime of ¡¯55 system, in Pempel¡¯s words. It was the key to Japan¡¯s epic story. But now it¡¯s the curse to Japanese economy. The vested interests of the regime¡¯s alliance, or iron triangle, has hamstrung the overall competitiveness of economy. (Pempel, Tilton, Porter, Bai Gao, Brookings Institute, OECD, and The Economist)
Richard Katz is on the side of the third camp. His argument is like this: Infamous industrial policy fostered various industries with policy pair of promotion/protection. But not all sectors succeeded in world market. Those sectors should be liquidated to free resources up to competitive sectors in the view of rational policy makers. But such massive exit or restructuring is not of political rationale. The first oil shock exacerbated things around exit options. Such an attempt would be political suicide. So Japanese government prop them up. But uncompetitive sectors have taxed out competitive sectors and consumers with artificially high prices far above international market prices. It has resulted in weakening competitiveness and aggregate demand in economy-wide. To make up for weak domestic demand, export-drive set in motion. Up to mid-1980s, competitive Japan like electronics, automobile industry could feed up uncompetitive Japan like petrochemicals, steel, service sector at the expense of overseas competitors¡¯ market share. But overdependence on overseas market invited super-strong yen in 1985. So export-drive hurts its very condition. There was 2 consequences: Competitive sectors responded with FDI, so-called the problem of ¡®hollowing out¡¯;s Now overseas market couldn¡¯t make up for the feeble domestic demand. So there should be alternative demand in domestic side. Government boosted the demand with pouring down money. Buddle swelled. At last bubble busted. The problem of Japan is not financial mess but the political economy of two Japans. It has weakened the competitiveness and aggregate domestic demand. Deregulation is the answer. But it¡¯s near impossible for political reasons. So the problem lies not in economic side but in political side.
Katz follows the mainstream line of Japanese studies. So His account of Japanese political economy is not that unheard-of. but he articulates the points with simple and clear economic modeling. The picture he draws up is amazingly lucid and plain. His work could be counted as the constellation of a decade¡¯s debates.

Well-Written and Thoroughly-Researched Gem
...This is a thoroughly researched book backed by an extensive list of references, compiled over extensive period of time. "Useless" is not a fair adjective to qualify this book. Even disregarding all the author's argument about the state of Japan economy as related to its need to adjust its "investment-led economy", the body of research and the related references and bibliographies about Japan post-war economy is amazing and could be used as a starting point for anyone doing a research thesis for its PhD program. While I am not a Japan specialist, I have learned a great deal not only about trade policies in Japan, but also about those policies elsewhere. So in a nutshell, this book is not just about "how the Japan economic system soured", but also about trade policies and productivities (author emphasizes the Total Factor Productivity) in any economy. This should be a must-read for any aspiring economist that want to learn about trade policies: what to do and what not do do.

This book can also be used as a self-contained textbook for any graduate course on Japan and NIC economies. The reference section summaries some of the arguments presented in the main body of the book (Appendix A: Why Industrial Policy Only Works in the Catch-Up Era), some of technical skills need to get the most out of the book (Appendix B: Reading the Econometric Tables), economic growth model (Appendix D: From Superstar to Laggard: The Growth Model), actual trade data (Appendix F: Japan¡¦s Peculiar Trade).

Any negative? Too much information packed into this 463-page well-researched book, so this is not your typical bed-time story book. Yet if you want a book from an "ivory-tower economist" looks elsewhere, but how about one from a down to earth journalist publishing daily article on Japanese economic affairs?

A raging bore
Japan: A System That Soured is a pretty useless book.Katz, a very so-so journalist cum economist, spends ages getting to two very simple conclusions.One, economies which grow quickly in the early stages of development slow down when they reach maturity.Two, Japan cannot grow any faster over the longer term unless its economy is liberalised and its markets thrown open to competition.My goodness.Really?Whatever made you think that...

Excellent analysis of Japanese economy
Richard Katz, a senior editor at The Oriental Economist shows his grasp of the Japanese economy in an excellent text.He shows why the system that helped Japan to become the great maufacturing power, became a liability.Taking into account the writings of both traditional economists and the views of political scientists, this book is a must-read for intelligent Japan watchers. ... Read more

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This book traces the history of economic thought over the last 300 years, from its emergence as a scientific discipline in the 17th century to the present.More than a conventional history, the book focuses on the evolution of the discipline in the light of the moral, scientific, and political ideas and attitudes with which each new generation of economists has developed its distinctive vision of a changing economic system.Deane balances the twin themes of the economists' desire to be scientific and their desire to satisfy central government's need for reliable advice on the workings of the system, offering clear and accessible analyses of the major thinkers and the problems they pose. ... Read more

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Power of Corporations in Democracies
The relationship between business and democracy is often murky.As such, operationalizing the relational power between these entities has long been the task of political economists.Lindblom and Vogel set out to examine the issue of business power in democratic political systems; each coming to a different conclusion.

Lindblom argues that big business and corporations do not "fit" with the idea of democracy.He supports this proposition by examining the many different types of politico-economic systems, ultimately breaking them down into a two-by-two matrix.In his examination, Lindblom finds that all democratic systems are characterized by a free-market economic arrangement.The author explains this anomaly by arguing that democratic systems are dependent on the market and private enterprise (162).He then builds on this foundation to demonstrate the ways in which corporate power maintains control or at least a significant amount of power, in democratic systems.

Lindblom begins to shore up this premise by examining democracy from a historical perspective.He argues that although many hold that democracy (or polyarchy) is a system of popular rule, it in fact is a system established to ensure the personal freedoms of individuals. Often these liberties exist in the form of economic freedoms, exemplified by participation in the free market.He writes, "Polyarchies were established to win and protect certain liberties: private property, free enterprise, free contract and occupational choice" (164).Under polyarchy, the liberties illustrated here were to be protected from the infringement of the governing authority.
Once Lindblom captures the idea that the purpose of polyarchy is to protect the liberties of the people, he poses the question as to why the people never attempt a system of central planning in order to address collective problems.Lindblom suggests that such an experiment has never been undertaken because the process "is subversive of the existing system, specifically of the prerogatives, privileges, and rights of the business and property-owning groups" (168).It is at this point that Lindblom makes the strong move to suggesting that corporate business interests possess a good deal of control under democratic governments.He writes: "We must at this point consider the possibility that existing polyarchies are not very democratic, that political debate in them is not very free, and that policy making in them is actually in the hands of persons who want to protect the privileges of business and property" (168).

Lindblom supports this argument of examining the advantaged power of business.In a system of centralized planning, all decisions regarding the production and dispersion of good and services (all things economic) would be left up to a centralized authority.However, in a polyarchy, many of the economic decisions affecting a nation are made by those in control of the business arena.Lindblom suggests that in free-market systems, it is the corporations which "decide a nation's industrial, technology, the pattern of work organization, the location of industry, the market structure, resource allocation" and other aspects of nation's economic well-being (171).The author refers to this relationship as the "public function" of the corporation.Once business begins to take on a public function, the government cannot readily avoid taking into consideration the interests of the corporate world.It becomes a necessary action of government to ensure that business is able to operate in an efficient manner.However, the relationship is not necessarily a hierarchical one.Rather what emerges is a "duality of leadership" between business and government leaders (180).The question then becomes, why, in a polyarchal system - one in which the government is supposedly run by the masses - do business interests hold such a disproportionate sway over government.

The problem arises in the fact that the under the duality of leadership between government and business, only government is constrained by polyarchal rules.Although often affected by the decisions of corporations, the citizens do not have a means to control the actions of big business (191).In fact, Lindblom argues, a rivalry emerges between the polyarchal interests and those of business.However, business often maintains an advantage over the polyarchal interests.

Due to the inordinate amount of resources, business interests are far more able to influence government than the polyarchal masses.First, corporations can draw upon the finances garnered through business.This grants them a significantly larger war chest which can be "thrown into party, interest-group, and electoral activity in pursuit of what ever corporate executives themselves choose" (194).

Secondly, corporations are often better organized than the polyarchal people.The corporation is an organization in and of itself.Staff exists which can be readily diverted to political issues.Lindblom argues that interests that rival big business to not have the organizational capacity to effectively purse their political interests.

Lastly, building on the previous point, business interests are already closely tied to governmental leadership.Having a duality of control puts them in a position of significantly more power than those pursuing polyarchal political influences.Lindblom writes, "Because of their privileged position in government and politics [corporations] are already known to government officials, already attentively listened to, already engaged in negation" (197).Such a close relation automatically grants big business a privileged position in negotiating with government in the pursuit of its interest.

... Read more

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To make the best decisions, you need the best information. However, because most issues in game theory are grey, nearly all recent research has been carried out using a simplified method that considers grey systems as white ones. This often results in a forecasting function that is far from satisfactory when applied to many real situations. Grey Game Theory and Its Applications in Economic Decision Making introduces classic game theory into the realm of grey system theory with limited knowledge. The book resolves three theoretical issues:

• A game equilibrium of grey game
• A reasonable explanation for the equilibrium of a grey matrix of static nonmatrix game issues based on incomplete information
• The Centipede Game paradox, which has puzzled theory circles for a long time and greatly enriched and developed the core methods of subgame Nash perfect equilibrium analysis as a result

The book establishes a grey matrix game model based on pure and mixed strategies. The author proposes the concepts of grey saddle points, grey mixed strategy solutions, and their corresponding structures and also puts forward the models and methods of risk measurement and evaluation of optimal grey strategies. He raises and solves the problems of grey matrix games. The book includes definitions of the test rules of information distortion experienced during calculation, the design of tokens based on new interval grey numbers, and new arithmetic laws to manipulate grey numbers. These features combine to provide a practical and efficient tool for forecasting real-life economic problems.

Product Description
While other industrialized and developing countries look towards Japan as an economic model, the political, cultural, and social arrangements that have so far allowed Japan to succeed are eroding. In particular, Japan faces a system of industrial relations that places great strain on all of Japanese society. In The Postwar Japanese System, William Tabb distinguishes between those aspects of Japanese success that can and cannot be transferred successfully to help in the revitalization of the American economy. The author discusses Japanese economic history from before the Meiji Restoration to the present, and looks at Japanese politics, state-corporate relations, the labor relations system in Japan and the nature of work as experienced by Japanese employees. He examines the organization of the Japanese corporation versus the American corporation, industrial policy, education, urban and regional reorganization, and Japan's role in the world today (and tomorrow). And, Tabb thoughtfully explores the fundamental social, political, and economic transitions the Japanese are currently experiencing. The Postwar Japanese System succeeds in placing the economic "miracle" in its proper social and political framework. A broad, intelligent overview of the Japanese political economy, the book suggests important implications for the United States in the story of Japan's prosperity and current distress. It will be a key resource for all those interested in Japanese society. ... Read more

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Broad-based and inclusive financial systems can significantly aid financial development, reduce poverty, and expand economic opportunity in developing countries. Poor households and individuals often have difficulty obtaining financial services for a multitude of reasons, including transaction costs, perceived risk, inadequate legal and financial infrastructure, and information barriers. Yet many financial institutions have begun making profitable inroads into these underserved markets through the continuing expansion of financial access and microfinance.

The authors in this volume take stock of what has been accomplished so far and address the challenges that remain in making financial systems more inclusive. They examine methods for measuring financial access, the link between access and poverty reduction, the question of private profitability and social returns, the role of commercial banks in improving financial access, the need for innovative financial and technological infrastructure, and the ways government policies can expand access. Building Inclusive Financial Systems offers an indispensable guide for governments and the private sector to increase access effectively and responsibly.

Contributors: Michael S. Barr (University of Michigan Law School), Xavier Gine (World Bank), Mukta Joshi (consultant, World Bank), Anjali Kumar (World Bank), Robert E. Litan (Kauffman Foundation and Brookings Institution), Ajai Nair (consultant, World Bank), Stephen Peachey (World Savings Banks Institute), David Porteous (Bankable Frontier Associates), Loraine Ronchi (World Bank), Konstantinos Tzioumis (World Bank), J. D. von Pischke (Frontier Finance International)

World Bank/IMF/Brookings Emerging Markets Series

Customer Reviews (1)

A handful of graphs and an index round out this welcome contribution of ideas
Building Inclusive Financial Systems is an anthology of scholarly essays by a wide variety of educated authors discussing how broad-based, inclusive financial systems can effectively reduce poverty and expand opportunity in developing countries. With an especial eye toward the field of microfinance, Building Inclusive Financial Systems offers solid grounding and recommendations for responsibly increasing access to financial systems, sure to benefit governments and the private sector alike. Individual essays discuss government policies to expand financial access, how to measure financial access, why financial access has the impact it does upon growth and poverty, and much more. A handful of graphs and an index round out this welcome contribution of ideas, methodologies, and means to remove common barriers to financial access. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides an in-depth overview of the Federal Reserve System, including information about monetary policy and the economy, the Federal Reserve in the international sphere, supervision and regulation, consumer and community affairs and services offered by Reserve Banks.Contains several appendixes, including a brief explanation of Federal Reserve regulations, a glossary of terms, and a list of additional publications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Got a year to live?
If you have a terminal illness, read this book - it will make each day seem like an eternity.

This book is not a fun read.There are better ones out there. ... Read more