market-economics

Frankly, I ordered this on a lark, being interested in market cycles and generally trying to collect any literature on the subject. But, hey! I found the book to be darn good. The writing style was very readable. The ideas presented were clear, logical and not over my head. All in all, very useful and worthwhile. A very nice introduction to market cycles and how to discern and use them.

I was looking forward to learning about new theories in Behavioral Finance, but was a little disappointed by this book. The 21 articles each examine a discrepancy in a free market situation and develop theories for explaining the discrepancy drawing upon the behavioral finance field. I have an MBA and have been an investor for more than 20 years. There are too many statistics and academic language to be an efficient book for me. I quickly switched to finding each of the 21 questions, then skipping to the summary to find the behavioral finance theory for the discrepancy. I did enjoy the credit card high interest rate explanation and consider this explanation alone worth the price of the book. I also enjoyed the closed end fund discount price explanation also very useful. Book is ok, but 90% of the material can be skipped unless you are a finance professor who enjoys the academic orientation and detail.

My colleague Dr. James McCluskey gives an insider's account of how to advise, operate, and manage a student radio station. He writes from first hand experience and shares from his personal accounts what can realistically be expected. He has sucessfully operated stations in various parts of the U.S. Dr. McCluskey has the academic credentials to go along with the experience he describes. Having obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his PhD from Kansas State University, he is a "hands on" academic. He has been on both sides of the podium, i.e., in the field and in the lecture room. In terms of staying active, he regularly presents research at professional conferences throughout the country. As a result he stays current in the field as it continually changes.

Before the Europeans arrived in the Bahama islands in 1492, the agricultural system developed by the Island Arawak people comprised shifting cultivation of starch and sugar-rich foods, garden plots, hunting fish and fauna, and collecting fruits. It has not stopped changing since. In AGRICULTURE IN THE BAHAMAS, the author, who was Director of Bahamas' Agriculture from 1973 to 1982, reviews agriculture before Columbus and the colonial centuries, tracking social and institutional transition from subsistence to a plantation economy. Until 1950, agriculture was the major employer and export earner, but now tourism dominates a largely urban economy, and finances a massive food import bill. Diets are based on imported preferences (Florida is only 30 minutes away) and agriculture strives to meet seasonal demand. Bahamian agriculture has been compressed to a state of uncertainty and is vulnerable to the dictates of the WTO, where "the interests of rich, industrialised countries outweigh those of small nations."

This book is a labour of love, is tender and thorough with a nation's agricultural history, and is fraught for its future, "shrouded with challenges of unknown dimensions." A tale for how many ACP states?

This book is a good neo-marxist critique of capitalism. The author effectively combats the idea that capitalism values the "individual" with convincing facts and figures. A good read, with a great deal of historical background and analysis.

The author undertakes a highly complex statistical study of 18 OECD countries during the period from 1950 to 1989 that correlates the growth of union density with the extent of left political parties, the centralization of worker representation and bargaining, that is, union structure and function, and union-paid unemployment benefits. The main point is that it is the class power of workers as reflected in pro-worker institutions that insulates unions from market forces such as the business cycle and permits unions to grow or maintain their standing.

This is not a book that makes an effort to find the historical basis of worker class power: why it exists in some places but not others. Furthermore, the reader cannot discern from this study the relative importance of class power as reflected in left political parties versus that reflected in centralized union structures and roles. Which way do the arrows of dependency point? Which comes first?

The author does show that those nations that have a strong mix of pro-worker institutions have been best prepared to withstand the forces of political conservatism, large unemployment levels, and globalization that emerged in the 1980s and continue to the present day.

The book is somewhat difficult and tedious to read. Its origin was for a PhD dissertation. It was assumed that the audience would have a background in advanced statistics, but there is room for the general reader. Furthermore, the book largely falls in the category of proving the obvious. At least by the 1930s it was obvious to all working classes that state and state-enabled or -permitted institutions ultimately based on workers' political power would be essential for their economic well being. Nonetheless, the book is interesting in its demonstrations of the importance of institutional power.

I'm going to be short with this review but I liked the book enough to log into Amazon and at least attempt to write something. First, easy read. Second, good analysis of yield curves. Third, provided a basic understanding of the concepts. Enough to get started.

I am going to buy yet another book on Bonds. It goes into more depth on each type of bond and investing for income.

However, this book was a great start to the cloudy world of bonds and the vocabulary that goes along with it.

The book is the result of an exhaustive research whose main goal is to help to understand the context of derivatives. Although these are new instruments, they are not a just made creation. Therefore it is important to understand their various application and its background.

I am currently doing an assignment on business process re-engineering. Many of the texts I have read so far have been thick on the theories and the benefits of re-engineering. As such, it comes across as cheap propagnada.

This book was different. In the first chapter, unlike other texts, it did not simply insists that TQM and other continuous process improvements are of the past and are not good enough for today's business environment. It explains how TQM has its place, if you are already a market leader. However, if you are way below, then TQM will not allow you to reach the apex before you are out of business. Re-engineering is the way.

This immediately pave the way for the rest of the book. The authors are balanced in their views and do not simply advertise the merits of re-engineering. They also cautioned throughout the text on the difficulties and pitfalls of re-engineering. I found their arguments more convincing than most authors.

The examples throughout the book were taken from different industries and prove a source for ideas for any re-engineering effort. The authors came across as extremely experienced in their work.

I would have given it five stars except the last chapter on the human aspect of re-engineering was rather dissapointing. I had expected to learn more from the authors about the very difficult human resource issues in re-engineering. Like most texts, the book mentioned difficulties and dished out textbook solutions without real solutions.

Still, it was one of the best re-engineering texts I have read and I believe it will help me greatly in my assignment.

I also believe that it is extremely useful for any managers or CEOs who want to re-engineer their business. Hammer's classic on re-engineering is not enough. You need to read this book for the practical advice and guiding framework if you are to have any chance for success in re-engineering.

While many business management books that take a page from Sun Tzu claim to apply his lessons, few truly do. This is one of few books that I've read that successfully outlines the similarities and differences between warfare and business and the ways in which a businessman can effectively apply the lessons of Sun Tzu. For those of you who have read the original art of war and didn't fully understand the subtleties of the program. Then this book is for you.