Fund-of-funds Books

This is the classic book on fundraising. It contains all the wisdom and humor and passion that a fundraiser could ask for. A new reprinting is necessary! Susan Rice

Direct democracy is an excellent introduction into the workings of democracy and the ambiguity of the various systems which claim the title of democracy. In almost textbook fashion, the book analyses the history of the democratic process and its possible continued evolution. An easy to read book that should be in every political theory classroom and on every citizen's bookshelf. If you are a student of democratic or social theory this text is invaluable as a guide to the multitude of implications democracy harbours. If you are an active citizen I would urge you to read this book to be aware of the manchinery of democracy. If you are not an active citizen read Thomas E. Cronin's Direct Democracy and you will become one.

This is a well written and concise account of the mechanisms by which wealthy individuals and corporate interests manipulate the legislative process. Anyone who wants to understand why, despite clean-air legislation, we do not have clean air, or why tax cuts always seem to be for other people, should read this book. The authors supply cogently argued solutions as well as detailed analyses of why the political system needs fundamental reform.

This book is awesome! It has truly opened up my eyes, heart, and yes...even wallet. I have learned many great things from this book in such a way like no other. This book has unlocked mysteries about the Church in general (the financial part). I highly recommend this book. I am not in the clergy, but this book opened up my eyes to God's will for my life financially, and how the "system" works with tithing, faith, and good stewardship.

Based on long field research in Dugum village in the early 1960es, this book deals with all aspects of the culture of the Grand Valley Dani. It is excellent and comprehensive, and will always remain the standard book written on this most famous of West Papuan ethnic groups.
See also Grand Valley Dani: Peaceful Warriors by the same author, which also covers recent changes/developments that have taken place since this book was written!

This is one of the most important books on finance law and regulation for 21st century and will be welcomed by all in the industry. So much has changed so quickly with the arrival of easy and cheap access to the internet, and the authors explain what has happened so far. Our new technologies have created new products like e-money which require legislation of sorts such as the E-Money Directive and the E-Commerce Directive.

Lovells law firm have masterminded this work under the editorial expertise of Paul Anning, Emily Reid and Heather Rowe. The team, with their excellent specialist contributors, have set out the fast pace of technological change in a fast changing environment creating legal challenges for all involved with financial services businesses and all the advisory support which goes with it.

The book has five parts covering:
Part I - an introduction to e-commerce and the key European and UK legislation;
Part II - the legal and regulatory considerations relevant to particular kinds of activity particularly working online and based around the lifecycle of a customer relationship like creating a website, advertising and marketing financial products, online contracts and the management of online customer relationships;
Part III - specific areas of law which apply to e-finance providers, such as the protection of data, money laundering and issues of jurisdiction;
Part IV - explaining what e-money is and the regulatory regime with which e-money issues must comply; and
Part V - the IP and IT aspects of e-finance.

There is a chapter summary at the beginning of each of the 14 chapters plus a glossary at appendix 1 and an excellent website checklist at appendix 2 (which will need to be kept up to date) with a comprehensive index at the back. Lovells might think of establishing an online updating service for updates.

Every chapter holds great importance for lawyers but the ones which stand out are chapter 6 concerning contracting on-line, chapter 13 on electronic signatures and chapter 3 on what is confusingly called "co-ordinated field" but is what we know as the legal and regulatory frameworks.

I was very impressed with this publication which links the traditional law book with the feeling of a computer manual, although don't take that the wrong way! The layout was very helpful with the short summary at the beginning and then a trenchant conclusion at the end of each chapter to reinforce points. I came away knowing a great deal more, but always having the feeling that my overall knowledge had been consolidated with each of the different strands of the new legislative agenda we have been given with IT.

This is a book for the future, it's about the future and it's given a very fair statement of where the law and the regulation of e-finance stood 4 years ago when it was written: the trouble is all our moving financial goalposts. I would think a new edition inevitable as the 2008 credit crunch and the massive shifts in global finance change the way we think about e-finance, the internet, and how much regulation we will need for that future.

The EU Strucutral Funds is a pioneering book that provides the first systematic and critical examination of the role of the EU Structural Funds and other financial instruments in European integration. The examination is important because of the substantial sums of money involved and shows that these sums are not necessarily being used effectively or efficiently. Total Structural Fund spending from 1994 to 1999 is to be almost Euro 170 billion and this sum represents around 33 per cent of the Union budget and around 0.4 per cent of the Union gross domestic product. For the years 2000 to 2006 spending up to Euro 218.4 billion is proposed. The issues raised by Andrew Evans are highly topical because of the challenges to established practice entailed by the introduction of a single currency, the 'Euro', and by plans for the future accession of several countries of the Central and Eastern Europe of the Union.

Great book. Basically, Hoff just goes through the basic logic of why calculation is impossible in a truly socialist economy. He covers both non-monetary and monetary versions. Its an excersize in rational thought about market and non-market possible economies and he comes to the conclusion that it is basically impossible to have a non-market economy (with or without money) with any ability to plan, as prices will not be discovered and calculation will be impossible; he also concludes that any market economy will fall either into the previous category if totally socialized (and will cease to be market in any but the most illusive of ways) or it will be basically capitalist, not socialist as defined by the socialists of those days.

Originally written in the thirties, this book has probably not recieved the long-term acclaim that it should have. The conclusions are those that many did not fully recognize for another few decades. A valuable contribution to the socialist calculation debate, this is critical reading for the economics lover. Read all the Mises you want, but don't miss out on this fun, engrossing, captivating gem.

Fantastic book. It describes what education really is. No need for huge federal budgets when this books advices are followed. Forget about more computers and less pupils in the classroom that's not what education is about. Read the book and understand what a real classic education is.

This book offers useful, practical guidelines to support nonprofit managers in their efforts to maximize the effectiveness with which their organizations use their valuable resources.

Nonprofit managers and leaders must advance their mission while balancing the agendas of trustees, funders, staff, and government. In this context, this group of expert authors explores core operating decisions that face all organizations and provides solutions that are unique to nonprofits of any size. Their chapters cover such key decisions as pricing of services, compensation of staff, outsourcing, fundraising expenditures, and investment and disbursement of funds.