financial responsibility
In Search of a New World Order: The Future of U.S.- European
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Brandon, Henry, PUBLISHER: Brookings Institution Press, In the aftermath of the Cold War era, a new world order is being created at an extraordinary pace. Europe is becoming a more unified power, Germany is assuming a central role within that power, NATO is looking for a new mission, the former Soviet Union has ceased to be a superpower threat, and the United States is going through its own superpower adjustments. As these dramatic shifts occur, a crucial question for world stability is the future relationship between the United States and Europe. This volume brings together some of the best-informed and most-experienced international personalities to interpret the repercussions of these twists of the European kaleidoscope. They assess the impact the changes will have on future political, economic, trade, financial, industrial, and security developments, and above all, on U.S.-European realtionships. David Owen considers the future of the transatlantic partnership from his perspective as a former British foreign secretary and a member of Parliament; Michel Rocard, a former French prime minister, forsees a more balanced partnership, both in security matters and in economic relations; and Jean Franois-Poncet, a senator and leading columnist for Le Figaro and a former French foreign minister, points toward an ever greater need for U.S.-European cooperation in tomorrow's unstable world. Michael Strmer, the head of the think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, addresses the need for Germany and the United States to work together to strengthen the U.S.-European alliance. Leonhard Gleske, recently retired director of the Deutsche Bundesbank, considers the implications of European monetary integration and its effect on the United States. KurtBiedenkopf, Minister President of Saxony and former member of the Bundestag, focuses on the lessons from German reunification for the unification of Europe. Giovanni Agnelli, the head of Fiat, deals with the industrial role of the European Community as a " United States of Europe". James Schlesinger, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy, and Assistant Director of the Office of management and Budget, assesses the importance of the transatlantic partnership from an American perspective.
An Introduction to International Capital Markets,: Products,
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Chisholm, Andrew A., PUBLISHER: John Wiley & Sons, An Introduction to international capital markets, Second edition Products, Strategies, Participants Andrew Chisholm ""Clear, comprehensive and with many practical examples and case studies. An invaluable guide to the modern international capital markets and to the key products and techniques used in the industry."" --Sir George Mathewson CBE, DUniv, LLD, FRSE, FCIBS. Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in Scotland and Former Chairman of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. Fully revised and updated from the hugely popular first edition, this book is an accessible and convenient one-volume introduction to international capital markets, ideal for those entering or planning to enter investment banking or asset management. As well as serving as an invaluable reference tool for professionals already working in the industry looking to extend their knowledge base it will also benefit all those working in trading, sales and support roles. Describing how the key products and markets work, who the principle participants are and their overall goals and objectives, Andrew Chisholm provides a thorough overview of the global capital markets. The book covers a wide range of equity, debt, foreign exchange and credit instruments as well as the principal derivative products. In a step-by-step fashion, making extensive use of real world cases and examples, it explains money markets, foreign exchange, bond markets, cash equity markets, equity valuation techniques, swaps, forwards, futures, credit derivatives, options, option risk management and convertible bonds. An extensive glossary also explains concisely many of the 'jargon' expressions used in the financial markets. Boasting an international focus, examples are drawn from major international markets around the world. It makes extensive use of numerical examples and case studies to help explain a wide range of cash and derivative products used in the capital markets business. It covers both debt and equity products and includes new material on credit products such as collateralized debt obligations and credit derivative structures; equity fundamental analysis, portfolio theory and convertible bonds. Market data has been fully updated from the first edition and recent events such as the 'credit crisis' are discussed. ISBN
Natural Elements
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Mason, Richard, PUBLISHER: Knopf Publishing Group, In his much celebrated debut novel, "The Drowning People," Richard Mason ("An Oxonian literary sensation" --"The" "New York" "Times Book Review") wrote with wisdom and mastery well beyond his twenty-one years--about love, betrayal, and revenge, and about the particular ritualized world of the English upper class. Now in his dazzling new novel Mason writes about mothers and daughters; aging and death; memory and longing; history and narrative; and about the high-stakes, full-tilt embrace of life. The setting is London. The time is the present. Mother and daughter are choosing an assisted-living facility and have come to The Albany, a late-nineteenth-century Victorian mansion, the flagship property of the TranquilAge(TM) chain of nursing homes. The mother, Joan--eighty years old, a gifted amateur pianist denied the pleasures of performance by arthritic hands--has recently been experiencing a rich inner world that she hides from her daughter, a world gained access through the (seemingly magic) pedals of her piano: a portal to adventure. She dreads the prospect of leaving her apartment, but her daughter has decided that she can no longer live on her own. The daughter, Eloise--forty-eight, a hedge fund manager, two decades in commodities--long ago rejected the possibilities of motherhood and has lived enviably free of responsibility. At her pressure-cooker job, Eloise has bought up $130 million (a quarter of the hedge fund's money) of osmium reserves--a transition metal--based on a casual remark by her former lover, a French metallurgist, a genius of sorts, with whom she lived and whom she almost married in Paris in the s. He's been working for years on the development of the compound, which will be tougher than diamonds for industrial use and is only months away from trials. If successful, it could more than double the value of the fund Eloise manages. While mother and daughter are on the trip-of-a-lifetime to the South African capital of the old Orange Free State, the city of Joan's girlhood, Eloise gets a frantic phone call. The price of osmium is in free fall; the fund is off-loading... Fighting panic with a coherent strategy, Eloise puts in motion a bold gamble that risks all--her future, the fund, her mother's well-being. As the stories of mother and daughter intersect, each in a race against time--Joan struggling to live in the present (she cannot believe her days will end in an institution); her daughter racing at breakneck speed toward the precipice of disaster--the novel rushes to its stunning conclusion.
How to Hit a Curveball: Confront and Overcome the Unexpected
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Singer, Scott R. / Levine, Mark, PUBLISHER: Portfolio, "None of us knows what the future holds. But once you've learned how to confront and overcome the unexpected, this lack of knowledge will cease to make you anxious. Tomorrow will no longer be something to fear. And believe me, that's a great feeling" As a professional, you want to be ready for anything. You'll spend hours, dars, even years, perfecting your technique, studying the competition and stepping up to challenges in order to make yourself an all-star. But at some point in your life, regardless of what you do or how far up the ladder you've climbed, you will be thrown a curveball-an unexpected challenge that comes at you quickly and without warning. The kind that forces you to rethink, well, everything. Whether it's the loss of a job, a newly assigned responsibility at work, or a global recession that threatens your entire company or industry, an unanticipated charge can knock even the most experienced among us off guard. So if you want to succeed in business-and in life-it's not enough to be the smartest in the room or even the hardest working; you have to be a great curveball hitter. Investment banker Scott R. Singer learned this lesson the hard way. But after a series of career challenges and personal setbacks, he started to develop a new approach to dealing with unforeseen problems by adopting a new attitude toward life. He realized that curveballs are a part of the game and the greatest players know how to knock them out of the park. Singer shares his personal story and insights as well as those of some prominent curveball hitters he interviewed, such as Leslie Moonves of CBS, Alan Schwartz of Bear Stearns, and actor Michael J. Fox. Singer's rules for surviving and thriving when faced with uncertainty include: Step up to the plate: Accept what's happened; don't fight it. Tell others right away, and let them help. Be the batter, not the ball: Don't let your imagination get the best of you. Be a realist, not a pessimist. Keep your eye on the ball: Focus on what you can do instead of worrying about what might happen or what's beyond your control. This fun yet practical book is full of valuable advice and anecdotes that can help anyone avoid striking out at work (or at home) and maybe even turn those surprising challenges into tremendous opportunities. Visit www.hitacurveball.com
Ernst Krenek: The Man and His Music
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Stewart, John Lawrence, PUBLISHER: University of California Press, When Ernst Krenek's opera "Jonny spielt auf" (Jonny plays on) opened in Leipzig in , it became an instant and spectacular success. Performed in over a hundred cities and translated into a dozen languages, it became the most popular opera of this century. And Austrian-born Krenek, easily one of this century's most prolific major composers, became a wealthy man. Ten years later, however, he found himself a destitute refugee, fleeing to the United States as Hitler's troops invaded Austria. His work, always avant-garde, had become increasingly political; Hitler banned it and labeled Krenek a "cultural Bolshevist." The composer endured long periods of hardship and neglect before his music, which was much admired by such colleagues as Stravinsky and Alban Berg but strange to American ears, was rediscovered by Europeans after the war. Eventually it brought him financial security and many honors, including the Gold Medal of Vienna and the Cross of Austria, and it has been celebrated by festivals in Vienna, Salzburg, Berlin, and other cities. Krenek, who in became an American citizen, has been as experimental and broad-ranging in his compositions as he has been prolific. His 240 musical works illustrate brilliantly the principal musical trends of the century: Neoromantic tonality, Neoclassicism, free atonality, the twelve-tone technique, integral serialism, and electronic music. In addition, Krenek has also been an accomplished teacher and writer. He has taught some of America's leading composers and has several collections of essays in both German and English to his credit. In this first major biography of Krenek, Stewart chronicles both the personal and the professional events of this brilliant, resilient composer's life. He not only explains Krenek's music in terms that enable us to comprehend and appreciate its character but vividly illustrates how Krenek's imagination has been affected by his experiences, his associates, and the massive social and artistic changes of the twentieth century. Many of the most important music figures cross the landscape of this life--Franz Schreker, Artur Schnabel, T. W. Adorno, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau--confirming Krenek's position as one of the world's foremost composers.
Drafting Wills & Trusts
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Marsh, Lucy A., PUBLISHER: Vandeplas Pub., Drafting effective wills and trust allows property to be given to the people or institutions that matter most to an individual. This book explains how to do the special, thoughtful drafting required by anyone who truly cares about distribution of property, care of elderly parents, guardians for young children, or care for pets after the owner is gone. The book is richly illustrated by samples of techniques used in the actual wills and trusts of well-known Americans. Topics covered include: WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT A WILL; CAPACITY TO MAKE A WILL; SELECTING THE TRUSTEES; DESIGNING PET TRUSTS. Realistic, thought-provoking DRAFTING EXERCISES followed by detailed POINTERS FOR DRAFTING help the reader develop the skills needed for effective drafting. The concluding chapters cover related documents, including: MEDICAL AND FINANCIAL POWERS OF ATTORNEY, MEDICAL DIRECTIVES and LIVING WILLS. About the author: Lucy Marsh, Professor of Law at University of Denver Sturm College of Law is a native to Denver. She is a graduate of Smith College and a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. While attending the University of Michigan, she played a key role in setting up the first legal clinic in Ann Arbor to serve the underprivileged. She has led a distinguished career as an attorney, professor and advocate for community causes. Admitted to the bar in both Connecticut and Colorado, she was the first woman elected to the Colorado Bar Association Real Estate Section's Title Standards Committee, served the city as member of the Denver District Attorney's Office in the 's, was a commissioner to the Colorado Real Estate Commission, and provided legal assistance to the Colorado AIDS project. Her academic career at the University of Denver began in as a part time professor and led up to her present position as a full professor in . Since that time she was voted DU Professor of the Year in and was elected by the students in to give the commencement address. She now leads a unique program in which the students in her Trust and Estates classes participate in a Will's Lab, providing free services for the indigent and elderly. She also employs a unique teaching tool called the Technicolor System, attributed to her father, Thompson Marsh, to assist in the learning process by color coding different types of information in student's legal drafts
The Rise of Robert Dodsley: Creating the New Age of Print
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Solomon, Harry M., PUBLISHER: Southern Illinois University Press, Robert Dodsley () started life humbly for a man destined to become his century's premier bookseller and publisher. He began as an apprentice weaver and developed into a poet and playwright. He served as protege, publisher, or patron of Pope, Johnson, Fielding, Richardson, Voltaire, Rousseau, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Edward Young, Joseph and Thomas Warton, Thomas Gray, Horace Walpole, David Garrick, Tobias Smollett, Oliver Goldsmith, Laurence Sterne, Thomas Percy, Edmund Burke, and others. Virtually all significant mid-century English writers had some connection with Dodsley or with Tully's Head, the bookshop Alexander Pope helped the young Dodsley initiate. Tully's Head, in fact, evolved into the center for the "Athenian Nights" memorialized by Dodsley's friend Samuel Johnson. Harry M. Solomon is the first scholar to integrate recent research by Elizabeth Eisenstein and Alvin Kernin on the impact of print--including print's impact on political activism and canon formation--into the study of an individual bookseller. Dodsley, he notes, presided over a period of transition: as Edmund Moore observed in a issue of Dodsley's periodical "The World, "the old patronage of learning by "the GREAT" has been superseded by "the new patrons, the BOOKSELLERS." Solomon takes this transformation seriously, treating Dodsley as much more than the stereotypical bookseller unimaginatively reacting to the marketplace. Formerly controlled by patronage and state censorship, the world of letters had been shaped by an oral, aristocratic, amateur, authoritarian, and court-centered tradition. Solomon shows Dodsley at the center of the change to a new democratic world of letters, a world driven by print technology and market demand. As the bookseller who played a pivotal role in the careers of both Pope and Johnson, Dodsley published the works of the last genius of the old aristocratic order (Pope) and of the first genius of the new age of print (Johnson). Solomon documents Dodsley's ingenious articulation of his financial interests in newspapers, journals, and book publishing, proving that contrary to the traditional view of booksellers, Dodsley was no insignificant tradesman accidentally associated with genius. Solomon presents Dodsley, in fact, as the most influential English literary force during his lifetime. Chronicling Dodsley's close involvement first with the couplet masterpieces of Pope and Johnson and later with the ambitious odes of Thomas Gray and the Wartons, Solomon argues that Dodsley's enterprises were the impetus for a conscious shift from the Augustan to the Romantic era--a shift that mirrors precisely the development of Dodsley's own plays and poems.
Machine Learning and Statistics: The Interface
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Nakhaeizadeh, Gholamreza / Taylor, C. C. / Nakhaeizadeh, G., PUBLISHER: Wiley-Interscience, The interface between statistics and machine learning (ML) is an increasingly popular research subject, as scientists and statisticians discover useful areas where these disciplines overlap. ML deals primarily with learning rules or structure, and while some books on the subject exist, this volume is the only one to integrate ML with statistics. It explores new areas where theory and methods can be shared and demonstrates the benefits to those working in either discipline. Written by leading experts in both fields, Machine Learning and Statistics is a result of the authors' participation in the European Conference in Machine Learning. This important collection of contributions was adapted from conference workshop material and reworked to address readers of diverse backgrounds and skills. For newcomers to the field, a thorough introduction surveys the various topics and supplies numerous references for further reading. The book's main focus is on classification, the most common area of intersection. The classification process uses information about a new example to assign the example to one of a known number of classes. Such methods typically involve a rule learned from an initial set of data, which is where ML comes into play. Other topics covered include prediction, control, and an introduction to methods of knowledge discovery in databases--a skill that has become especially relevant with the explosion in large-scale databases. Timely, practical, and innovative, this book offers a number of new algorithms and draws on real-world examples including financial and medical applications. It also includes two chapters on loans/credit applications that help identify bad risks and good customers--useful for those working with credit scoring and bad debt analysis. Machine Learning and Statistics is an invaluable resource for researchers involved with artificial intelligence and ML in academia, government, or industry, as well as those working with pattern recognition in statistical departments; for students at the graduate level who seek to expand their horizons; and for anyone who would like to learn more about these cutting-edge methodologies. The first book to explore the theory, methods, and applications of the relationship between machine learning and statistics. Here is the first book to address the growing demand for applications that integrate machine learning and statistics. The only text to focus on the interface between the two disciplines, this volume explores a mutually beneficial relationship that is fast becoming recognized by scientists, engineers, and researchers in data analysis and intelligent systems worldwide. The book shows that machine learning shares several areas of common research with statistics, most notably classification, prediction, and control. It demonstrates that statistical and probability methodologies can be applied in developing different machine learning algorithms and that these algorithms can
Another Day in Which to Excel
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Barber, Paul A., PUBLISHER: Authorhouse, 404pgs-The Great Depression, Dust Bowl, and a Kansas tornado had left the Barber family reeling. Then came WW II and three sons were called to service. Air Corps planes began flying low level missions over the farm, capturing the imagination of yet a younger son, Paul. In this story of motivation, dedication and excellence, Paul Barber follows his dream, becomes an Air Force pilot, commands a flying unit, and with a simple statement, "Another Day in Which to Excel," challenges himself, his crews, and his family to be their very best. You will see the Cuban Missile Crisis from his vantage point; tag along on high altitude air-refueling missions; learn how the U.S. won the peace during the Cold War with the Soviets; feel the stress on him and his flight crews in the Vietnam War; and view near tragedies during critical phases of flight. You will understand his frustration in writing President Nixon's Plan of Withdrawal from Vietnam, as North Vietnam, seeing the discord in America, refuses to negotiate. In the Pentagon's National Military Command Center, you will observe crisis management at the highest level, as his team stands prepared to launch U.S. Nuclear Forces against the Soviet Union, if they attack America. You will witness his preparation of college ROTC students for military service, and finally, his preparation of older Americans for a financially secure retirement. Throughout this inspirational story, the strength of family and power of faith are highlighted. Reviews: "This is a fascinating story with great insights, a story written in ways that will interest people who appreciate our great American heritage, from the wheat fields of Kansas to the world-shaking events in the Pentagon and the White House. Historians, family leaders, church people, military personnel, farmers, financial specialists and others will find this book interesting reading. In it they will find wisdom and motivation for successful living. This book is confirmation of the power generated when an individual uses the combination of faith, family, education, and hard work to reach personal goals and live a productive and satisfying life." Patsy Johnson Hallman, Ph.D., Retiring Dean, College of Education, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., Nacogdoches, TX and author of "I HAD A TEACHER," "LETTERS FROM MISS EDNA," and several biographies of great leaders. "Another Day in Which to Excel is an exciting, interesting, and informative story that will be enjoyed by family, friends, people of faith, and those seeking inspiration and motivation in their lives. Writing by the same principle that has governed his life, Paul Barber's remarkable life story is a testimony of his desire to live in a way that pleases God." (1st Thess 4:1) Allen Reed, Dr. of Ministry, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Nacogdoches, TX.
Radical Marketing: From Harvard to Harley, Ten Who Broke the
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Rifkin, Glenn / Hill, Sam, PUBLISHER: HarperBusiness, How did the Grateful Dead use its fanatical following to build a $100 million band that still thrives today, despite the fact that the band split up in ? How did upstart Boston Beer Company--makers of Sam Adams--revolutionize the beer industry and prevail over lumbering incumbent Anheuser-Busch without an advertising budget? And how did lams create the premium pet food market and grow from $16 million to $600 million in sales in just fifteen years, while charging twice the price of competitor Ralston-Purina? Through radical marketing. In the tradition of such bestsellers as "Thriving on Chaos" and "Built to Last, Radical Marketing" is a fresh, provocative approach to marketing and strategy that has proven hugely successful for organizations ranging from Harley-Davidson to Harvard Business School. In this book, Sam Hill, cofounder of Helios Consulting and an oft-quotes expert on marketing, and Glenn Rifkin, a veteran business writer for the "New York Times," identify the unconventional strategies that have enabled ten innovative companies to usurp valuable market share from traditional industry leaders. Just what do these organizations have in common? Each is in tune emotionally with their customer base--allowing them to glean superior marketing insight without spending millions of dollars on advertising or employing huge marketing departments. Each is focused more on the big picture--growth and expansion--than on short term profits. And, despite their current success, each started out with little more than a passion for their products, forcing them to do things more cheaply and creatively. How do these commonalties equal success? In "Radical Marketing," you willlearn how: by forging long-term strategic alliances and seeding the globe with enthusiastic missionaries, the NBA has become the most powerful global sports brand in the world, elevating ticket sales and TV rights to $2 billion; Harley-Davidson helped spur its regeneration by starting a club of owners--and, in so doing, re-established itself as an enduring brand, a darling of Wall Street, and nothing less than an American icon of freedom and individuality; little-known EMC became the dominant player in the computer storage market, eclipsing industry leader IBM--by aggressively courting IBM' s customer base and creating a community of users around EMC' s products; Snap-on Tools owns 60 percent market share and became a nearly $2 billion company, selling tools door-to-door to its core customer base of over one million auto mechanics; Providian Financial, whose CEO lacked any formal marketing training and expertise, cracked new markets and won an army of new customers without using focus groups or any traditional advertising; Harvard Business School created the market for graduate business schools and established itself as the gold standard of its industry not by resting on the laurels of the auspicious Harvar
Gaming Marketing Specialist
Lottoland give 8 million customers worldwide the chance to win astronomical record payouts by betting on the world’s biggest and most exciting lotteries. We’re a proud disrupter that offers jackpots into the hundreds the millions, reinventing the dream of becoming an instant multi-millionaire every day. We are one of the most innovative companies in the world and we’re confident that our newest products are set to revolutionise gaming.... but we can’t do it alone.Do you have a talent to share with us? Job title: Gaming Marketing Specialist Location: Gibraltar Contract: Permanent Reporting to: Gaming Promotions Manager Reporting to Gaming Promotions Manager, and working closely with the Gaming Operations team, we are seeking a Gaming Marketing Specialist to take responsibility for the creation, communication and management of promotions in a growing Gaming business. The objective of the role is to identify opportunities through thorough analysis of the customer database and capitalise on them with strategic marketing plans. The role will encompass both regular monthly retention focussed marketing plans as well as special projects – such as new product launches. The successful candidate will be expected to manage projects from inception, through briefing, execution and finally analysis stages. Together with the Gaming Promotions Manager, the successful candidate will act as an advisor to other areas of the business, particularly in the areas of Acquisition, Onboarding and VIP. Responsibilities: Managing multi-faceted projects – conducting in-depth analysis, presenting recommendations and collaborating with stakeholders business-wide to ensure excellent delivery. These projects will include work on acquisition, onboarding, automated promotions and loyalty. Identifying player trends that present promotional opportunities and recommend promotions to exploit them. Managing promotions from inception, through briefing, execution and finally analysis. With the help of the Business Intelligence team, analysing promotions in depth and recommending ways to optimise and improve them. Presenting plans and findings to the Gaming team and to the wider business. Signing off promotional assets and copy, ensuring they present the right marketing message to the customer. Strategically considering the positioning of Games and promotions on the site ensuring that the customers see the material relevant to them. Supporting the Gaming Promotion Manager in managing the promotional calendar of a growing Gaming business in multiple domains. Supporting Gaming Promotion Manager in communicating the promotions plan to stakeholders throughout the company. Supporting the Gaming Promotion Manager in briefing the promotions to the marketing teams. Supporting Gaming Promotions Manager on bonus cost reporting. Essential Skills & Experience required: 2+ years’ experience in Online Gaming, ideally in a Marketing function. Analytical and commercial mindset – able to see opportunities in player trends and know how to act on them. Ability to self-manage and self-motivate. Experience operating in multiple territories, languages, and currencies. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Tools (Word; Excel; Outlook; PowerPoint; SharePoint). Desired Skills & Experience: Working knowledge of Optimove and Microstrategy. Understanding of various Game providers and the promotion tools they offer. Excellent presentation and public speaking skills. Team player but able to work independently as well. Experience with Real Time Marketing Lottoland Benefits: Competitive salary Annual bonus 25 days holiday and 12 days Gibraltar bank holidays International premium healthcare subsidised gym membership within a variety of locations in Gibraltar Weekly subsidised Yoga sessions Continuous learning/development opportunities and progressive career paths. Cultural Fit: Lottoland is a dynamic, creative and technologically advanced organisation. Passion for innovation is a strength that is valued in Lottoland employees. Managers need to inspire and develop their teams to get the most out of them. Putting customers first is key to Lottoland’s success as is collaboration across the business. Employees are empowered to do their best but held accountable for their actions. Grit and determination is a prerequisite for all Lottolanders. Honesty, integrity and trust are a given. Lottoland could be just the place for you. We like it here and we’re sure you will too! Our corporate website has lots more information - check it out! www.lottolandcorporate.com
Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Cagan, Joanna / Mause de, Neil / de Mause, Neil, PUBLISHER: Common Courage Press, Are you a sports fan distraught over seeing your home team move to another city? Or a happy sports fan whose city has just lured that team to your home turf with a brand new stadium? Or maybe you don't follow sports, but as a taxpayer are decrying cutbacks in school funding and other services. Whoever you are, state and local officials have thrown you a financial curve ball. While President Reagan made famous the false and chiding comment about "welfare queens" who ride around in Cadillacs, Field of Schemes introduces you to some real welfare kings -- who not only prefer BMWs, thank you, but also know the meaning of fun: -- A millionaire pizza baron wants more corporate luxury seating than his historic old ballpark provides, so he demands a new stadium at taxpayer expense, saying the old one is falling down. A group of grass-roots activists reveal that his engineering reports are faked, and that it would be far cheaper to renovate the old ballpark -- but the city and state go ahead with the project anyway. -- A used-car salesman turned baseba11 team owner promises to pay for a new stadium out of his own pocket, if the state government just agrees to move a highway to clear the land. Several backroom deals later, the state is paying to move the highway and raising a quarter-billion dollars towards the stadium costs, -- and the team owner is getting his stadium scott-free. -- The billionaire co-founder of Microsoft wants to buy a football team, but only if the state will build him a new stadium first. So he pays the state $4 million to hold an emergency referendum -- then spends millions more in advertising to make sure he wins. In exchange, he gets over $400 million in statetax money to build his team's new home. -- When an economically depressed city is faced with losing its football team, it scrambles to allocate $220 million for a new, state-of-the-art stadium. The next day, the city school system announces that it plans to lay off up to 160 teachers and eliminate interscholastic athletics. -- A Sunbelt town builds a new arena at public expense in order to lure expansion basketball and hockey franchises to the region. Just nine years later, the city is forced to build two new arenas, one for each sport, to keep the teams from bolting town. Total cost: almost $400 million, including $50 million for the soon-to-be-abandoned first arena. From Seattle Sea Hawks owner Paul Allen of Microsoft to New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, from Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza who destroyed Tiger Stadium to the building of Camden Yards, the stories are all here in a uniquely accessible journalistic style that brings you up close and personal to the moguls -- to the activists protecting your wallet. You'll be gripped by the behind-the scenes threats and political machinations in this play-by-play draining of billions of dollars from the public treasury. Between and , U.S. cities spent some $1.5 billion on building or r
Lo schiavo del manoscritto - amitav ghosh - neri pozza
Titolo: LO SCHIAVO DEL MANOSCRITTO Autore: AMITAV GHOSH Editore: NERI POZZA - Biblioteca Neri Pozza Anno: 1a EDIZIONE - Agosto ISBN: Note: CONDIZIONI PERFETTE, COME NUOVO eccetto pochi lievissimi segni d'uso - BROSSURA CON COPERTINA MORBIDA ED ALETTE. Traduzione di Anna NADOTTI - Pagine 416 - Formato 12 x 18 x 3 - Prezzo copertina ? Nell'estate del d.C. Khalaf ibn Is.h. aq, mercante in Palestina, scrive una lettera all'amico ebreo Abraham Ben Yij, che viveva allora in una città di nome Mangalore, un porto sulla costa sudoccidentale dell'India. Era una stagione movimentata quella, in Palestina. In aprile era arrivata un'armata tedesca al comando dell'anziano re Corrado III di Hohenstaufen, noto agli arabi come Alm n. Al seguito del re c'era il nipote, il giovane e carismatico Federico di Svevia. Subito dopo era giunto a Gerusalemme Luigi VII di Francia con il suo esercito, la moglie, l'affascinante Eleonora d'Aquitania, destinata a essere successivamente regina di Francia e d'Inghilterra, e un corteo di nobili. Il 24 giugno del d.C. la più massiccia armata di crociati di tutti i tempi si era accampata nei frutteti intorno a Damasco. Scrivendo a Ben Yij, tuttavia, Khalaf non si dilunga affatto su questi avvenimenti. Parla di alcune merci inviategli da Ben Yij, un carico di noci d'areca, due serrature prodotte in India, due coppe d'ottone, e annuncia all'amico che insieme con la lettera gli manderà alcuni doni: due vasi di zucchero, un vaso di mandorle e due di uvetta. Alla fine della missiva, Khalaf ibn Is.h. aq nomina quasi di sfuggita uno schiavo indiano di Ben Yij al quale raccomanda di porgere «moltissimi ringraziamenti». La lettera è catalogata come manoscritto H.6 alla Biblioteca Nazionale e Universitaria di Gerusalemme. Attraversando i sottili confini che separano il presente dal passato, con in mano soltanto il frammento di questa lettera, Amitav Ghosh si mette alla ricerca dello schiavo indiano che vi è nominato, una figura che gli appare come una chiave per intendere e raccontare una Storia fatta di tante storie, diaspore e guerre, tradizioni e incontri, rotture e sparizioni. Centro della vicenda sono due villaggi egiziani, luoghi di uno straordinario apprendistato linguistico e umano, e punti di partenza per una lunga indagine: per piú di dieci anni Ghosh insegue lo sconosciuto, costruendo un meraviglioso romanzo in cui tutto è rigorosamente vero. Ombra consapevole dell'antico schiavo, il moderno ricercatore percorre un duplice itinerario: quello nell'universo medievale, lungo le rotte mercantili che dal Maghreb attraverso l'Egitto portano in India; e quello nell'universo contemporaneo, lungo le rotte aeree che da oriente portano a occidente – e da una religione all'altra, da una lingua all'altra. «Amitav Ghosh è un grande narratore, un maestro della lingua». Die Zeit «Ghosh è uno scrittore seducente… un maestro, una fonte di infinito piacere per il lettore». The Age «Ghosh è uno degli scrittori della sua generazione dalla prosa più raffinata». Financial Times «Lo schiavo del manoscritto è un viaggio ricco e avvincente». The Times Amitav Ghosh è nato a Calcutta nel , ha studiato a Oxford e vive tra la sua città natale e New York. Considerato «uno dei più grandi scrittori indiani» (la Repubblica), è autore di Lo schiavo del manoscritto (Neri Pozza ), Mare di papaveri (Neri Pozza ), Il cromosoma Calcutta (Neri Pozza ), Il palazzo degli specchi (Neri Pozza ), Circostanze incendiarie (Neri Pozza ), Il paese delle maree (Neri Pozza ).