From 1973 to 1985, the Israeli economy suffered a deep crisis: the growth rate declined, foreign debt increased, and inflation soared to annual rates of a few hundred percent. This book analyzes the structural reforms initiated between 1985 and 1998 that transformed the Israeli economy from one of heavy government intervention to a market-oriented, open economy. The reforms introduced fiscal discipline, increased central bank independence, and reduced government intervention in capital, labor, and financial markets. Also, competition was fostered in monopoly-controlled markets. The results of these reforms include, among others: a decline from 77 percent to 55 percent in the government expenditure portion of the gross domestic product, a decline from 65 percent of credit volume to 5 percent in government involvement in directing credit, and almost complete elimination of the tight control of the foreign-exchange market. These reforms, together with the mass migration into Israel from the former Soviet Union a

Corruption has been a feature of public institutions for centuries, yet only relatively recently has it been made the subject of sustained scientific analysis. In an important contribution to this ongoing project, Johann Graf Lambsdorff shows how insights from institutional economics can be used to develop a better understanding of the institutions necessary to carry out corrupt transactions and those that are helpful in inhibiting them. He argues that, rather than being deterred by penalties, corrupt actors are more influenced by other factors such as the opportunism of their criminal counterparts and the danger of acquiring a reputation of unreliability. This suggests a novel strategy for fighting corruption-the "invisible foot" - whereby the unreliability of corrupt counterparts induces honesty and good governance even in the absence of good intentions.Combining interdisciplinary theoretical research with state-of-the-art empirical investigations, this book will be an invaluable resource for researchers an

随着香港与内地经济贸易往来日益密切，发生的纠纷和法律诉讼也愈来愈多，尤其是香港和内地的政治、经济及法律体系并不一样。 本书通过五十个香港与内地商贸纠纷的案例，详细介绍了两地贸易往来中经常遇到的法律问题，内容涵盖广泛，例如货物买卖、成套设备供应、知识产权、合资经营等各个方面。每个案例的评析均由三部分组成：案例的主要事实、案例涉及的法律问题以及案例的启示。本书更注重介绍内地法律与香港法律差异较大的地方，如内地法律中有关对外贸易经营权的制度、对外贸易代理制度、外观设计专利等，皆为内地独特的法律制度，对从事两地贸易人士来说是需要知道的；另一方面，作者又把抽象的法律原则与案例的具体事实结合起来，使死的法律原则变成活的经营策略。本书文笔浅白流畅，介绍法律原则及概念深入浅出，实为法律

BUST: GREECE, THE EURO, AND THE SOVEREIGN DEBT CRISIS In 2001, Greece saw its application for membership into theEurozone accepted, and the country sat down to the greatest freelunch in economic history. However, the coming years of globaleconomic prosperity would lead to unrestrained spending, cheapborrowing, and a failure to implement financial reform, leaving thecountry massively exposed to a financial crisis—which dulystruck. In Bust: Greece, the Euro, and the Sovereign Debt Crisis,Bloomberg columnist Matthew Lynn explores Greece's spectacular riseand fall from grace and the global repercussions of its financialdisaster. Page by page, he provides a thrilling account of theGreek financial crisis, drawing out its origins, how it escalated,and its implications for a fragile global economy. Along the way,Lynn looks at how the Greek contagion has spread like wildfirethroughout Europe and explores how government ineptitude as well asfinancial speculators compounded the problem. Blendi

"In this book, the reader will gain insights into one of the most dramatic economic and social transformations in the history of the world." - Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister, Singapore The World Economic Forum is an independent, international organization committed to improving the state of the world. The Forum provides a collaborative framework for the world's leaders to address global issues, engaging particularly its corporate members in global citizenship. Drawing on its unparalleled Asian network, this book offers a fascinating insight into how the region is managing its own political change and national governance challenges. Written by some of the world's most accomplished leaders, this unique collection outlines a way forward for Asia. By changing the way the region operates, these visionaries are turning conventional wisdom around, proving that to know Asia, one has to look at the attitudes and aspirations of those who lead its key institutions.

The former socialist countries’transition to market economies is one of the momentous transformations in modern history。The pace and degree of success have varied widely，and there is increasing divergence in performance， structure，and institutions among the transition economies。hese differences are largely determined by country-specific conditions and political configurations。This book compares the experiences of the countries involved over the first ten years to determine what has worked and failed，as well as the nature of the challenges that lie ahead。 After two overviews of the transition process to date，the book presents eleven specific country cases：the reunification of East and West Germany； the most successful transition countries，Poland，Hungary，the Czech Republic，Croatia，and Slovenia；the less successful experience of countries in the former Soviet Union，namely，Russia，Belarus，and Ukraine；and the dissimilar developments in two major Balkan countries，B

The only book on the market that provides a simple nonmathematical presentation of the statistics needed by Six Sigma Green Belts. Every concept is explained in plain English with a minimum of mathematical symbols. Includes real-world examples, step by step instructions and sample output for Minitab and JMP software as well as downloadble, ready to use data sets and templates. Includes applications to service industries to help managers understand the role of Six Sigma in nonmanufacturing industries.

Essential resources for training and HR professionals KennethH. Silber and Lynn Kearny Organizational Intelligence A Guide toUnderstanding the business of your organization for HR, Training,and Performance Consulting Organizational Intelligence To succeed,those who practice as training, HPT, ID, OD, HR, or ITprofessionals must understand the "language of business," and thekey business issues and measures of the organizations we work for.Organizational Intelligence shows how to use the proven BusinessLogics Model to gather and synthesize the information needed tounderstand organizations, and how to align our work to key businessissues, explain it in appropriate language, and measure it in ameaningful way. "Kearny and Silber have taken the complexinterrelated aspects of a business and broken them into componentsand key questions that can help anyone understand the essence ofthat business." —Julie O'Mara, past president, American Society forTraining and Development "This book should be in your professio

An on-the-ground playbook for competing successfully against China’s best-in-class entrepreneurs—for Westerners and local Chinese businesses alike—and for importing their strategies and principles for use in any unpredictable business environment. China's 7-8% annual growth and steady march towards capitalism has helped it to rival America as one of the best places to seek success and wealth. But China is also one of the riskiest markets to operate it. In spite of these risks, some Chinese companies have managed not only to survive, but to thrive during the country’s most turbulent period. This book introduces managers to some of China’s hottest entrepreneurs, reveals the success strategies that have enabled them to compete so effectively, and codifies these strategies into a small set of principles for managing in China or any turbulent environment. This is the guide no manager considering—or already conducting—business in China can afford to be without.

With these opening words, Freedom from Oil takes the reader to the highest levels of government, as Cabinet members and White House aides debate how to break our addiction to oil. In a fast-moving narrative, David Sandalow shows how to solve this problem while offering a unique window into the White House at work. A White House veteran, Sandalow explores what would happen if the next President made breaking the United States' addiction to oil a top priority. In crisp and clear prose, Sandalow explains the size of the challenge and then offers a powerful message of hope. “This issue unites Americans,” he writes. “Game-changing technologies are at hand.” Plug-in cars, biofuels and measures to improve traffic are all part of the solution. Throughout the book, profiles of fascinating individuals help bring serious policy dialogue to life. From the commander of U.S. forces in western Iraq to a grandmother in northern Alaska to an electric car entrepreneur to the winner of the Indianapolis 500,

Will the sun set on the greatest currency in the history ofthe world? For decades the dollar has been the undisputed champ. It’s not onlythe currency of America but much of the world as well, the fuel ofglobal prosperity. As the superengine of the world’s onlysuperpower, it’s accepted everywhere. When an Asian company tradeswith South America, those transactions are done in dollars, thecurrency of international business. But for how much longer? Economists fear America is digging a holewith an economy based on massive borrowing and huge deficits thatcloud the dollar’s future. Will the buck be eclipsed by the euro oreven China’s renminbi? Should Americans worry when the value of themighty U.S. dollar sinks to par with the Canadian “loonie”? Craig Karmin’s in-depth “biography” of the dollar explores theseissues. It also examines the green-back’s history, allure, andunique role as a catalyst for globalization, and how the Americanbuck became so almighty that $ became perhaps the most po

The widespread diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) has had controversial, seemingly paradoxical consequences. ICT are viewed as driving growth and employment in the United States, while contributing to European unemployment and the so-called Eurosclerosis. At the same time, both the United States and Europe have seen increased wage inequalities between skilled and unskilled workers. This book explores the computer's puzzling effects on the economy, at both the micro and macro levels. The contributions include data from field work, small samples of firms, and national surveys of management practice; econometric studies; and macroeconomic theoretical analysis.

Privatizing China: Inside china's Stock Markets goes behind the hype and the headlines to show the reality of China's stock markets. Understanding these markets and knowing how they need to develop is essential to the rising generation of foreign investors, fund managers, executives and regulators who only recently have been given access. It is the only book to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the market was established and how this history has shaped its current strengths and weaknesses. In this second edition of Privatizing China, the authors Carl Walter and Fraser Howie have completely revised and updated their account of the evolution of China's equity markets. As long-term market participants, the authors have added three new chapters that provide an insider's view of the political struggle over market reform, an in-depth look at the resulting 2005 G share reforms and a full treatment of the policies and market practice of the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor （QFll）channel.

Each year, millions of Americans sink further into debt and the sad truth is that most Americans have been conditioned to believe that debt is a normal part of life. If credit problems are adversely affecting your life, there are ways to improve your financial situation, and Credit Hell: How to Dig Out of Debt can show you how. Written by Howard S. Dvorkin—a nationally known expert in the debt counseling field—Credit Hell walks you through the "getting-out-of-debt" process from assessing the state of your finances and developing a budget, to negotiating with your creditors, consolidating your debts, and rebuilding your finances after your money troubles are over. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, this user-friendly guide: Shows you how to deal with important debts like your mortgage, car loans, and taxes owed to the IRS Discusses why having a good credit history and a high credit score is important; how to order your credit report from each of the three national credit rep

The field of economics proves to be a matter of metaphor and storytelling--its mathematics is metaphoric and its policymaking is narrative. Economists have begun to realize this and to rethink how they speak. This volume is the result of a conference held at Wellesley College, involving both theoretical and applied economists, that explored the consequences of the rhetoric and the conversation of the field of economics. The field of economics proves to be a matter of metaphor and storytelling - its mathematics is metaphoric and its policy-making is narrative. Economists have begun to realize this and to rethink how they speak.

“Engrossing…（Rivoli）goes wherever the T-shirt goes，and there are surprises around every corner..，full of memorable characters and vivid scenes.” “An engaging and illuminating saga Rivoli follows her T-shirt along its route，but that is like saying that Melville follows his whale Her nuanced and fair-minded approach is all the more powerful for eschewing the pretense of ideological absolutism，and her telescopic look through a single industry has all the makings of an economics classic.” “Rarely is a business book so well written that one would gladly stay up all night to finish it. Pietra Rivoli’s The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy is just such a page-turner.” “Succeeds admirably…T-shirts may not have changed the world，but their story is a useful account of how free trade and protectionism certainly have.” “〔A〕 fascinating exploration of the history，economics，and politics of world trade…The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global E

Statistics II for Dummies Learn to: Increase your skills indata analysis Sort through and test models Make predictions Applystatistics to real-world situations Deborah Rumsey, PhD Author ofStatistics For Dummies and Statistics Workbook For Dummies The funand easy way(R) to enhance your grasp of statistics Need to expandyour statistics knowledge and move on to Statistics II? Thisfriendly, hands-on guide gives you the skills you need to take onmultiple regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-squaretests, nonparametric procedures, and other key topics. StatisticsII For Dummies also provides plenty of test-taking strategies aswell as real-world applications that make data analysis a snap,whether you're in the classroom or at work. Begin with the basics-- review the highlights of Stats I and expand on simple linearregression, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests Start makingpredictions -- master multiple, nonlinear, and logistic regression;check conditions; and interpret results Analyze variance

"Getting agreement between finance theory and finance practiceis important like never before. In the last decade the derivativesbusiness has grown to a staggering size, such that the outstandingnotional of all contracts is now many multiples of the underlyingworld economy. No longer are derivatives for helping people controland manage their financial risks from other business andindustries, no, it seems that the people are toiling away in thefields to keep the derivatives market afloat (Apologies for themixed metaphor ) If you work in derivatives, risk, development,trading, etc. you'd better know what you are doing, there's now abig responsibility on your shoulders. In this second edition of"Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance" I continue inmy mission to pull quant finance up from the dumbed-down depths,and to drag it back down to earth from the super-sophisticatedstratosphere. Readers of my work and blogs will know that I thinkboth extremes are dangerous. Quant finance should inhabit th

《PICC培训教材：保险基础知识（2014版）》是遵循科学创新、与时俱进的原则，在2006年版的基础上进行的一项工作。新修订的教材保持了原教材的基本框架，根据保险市场及公司业务发展，补充和调整了相关章节及内容。新修订的教材共分16章，力争突出内容新颖、结构完整、实操性强的特点。

Like it or not, every company finds itself a pioneer in the digital frontier. And like all frontiers, this one involves exploration, potentially high returns……and high risks. Consider this: according to Computer Economics, the worldwide economic impact of such recent attacks as Nimda, Code Red(s), and Sircam worms totaled $4.4 billion. The "Love Bug" virus in 2000 inflicted an estimated $8.75 billion in damage worldwide. The combined impact of the Melissa and Explorer attacks was $2.12 billion. Companies were hurt as much in terms of image and public confidence as they were financially. Protecting the "digital frontier" is perhaps the greatest challenge facing business organizations in this millennium. It is no longer a function of IT technologists; it is a risk management operation requiring sponsorship by management at the highest levels. Written by leading experts at Ernst & Young, Defending the Digital Frontier: A Security Agenda deconstructs digital security for executive management and

As China embarks on a stage of fast growth, or more accurately, continues on its path of rapid development, many of its industry sectors are undergoing drastic changes. Nowhere is this more evident than in the major adjustments made in the financial services industry. This guide is a comprehensive review of many critically important sub-sectors, such as banking, securities and insurance, and includes their development, changing regulatory environments, competitive landscapes, key statistical data and major players. Enhancing the depth of the guide are a set of special reports which address a range of hot topics: restructuring of the state-owned banks, "Going Public: Paths taken by the Big Four"; organization of stock markets, "Full Circulation: An Urgent Task Languishes on the Backburner"; and, market potential of the insurance industry, "Insuring a market of 1.3 billion people?" With the most updated data and comprehensive information, this is your quick guide and handy reference tool on China

Business guru and author Peter Drucker provides an incisiveanalysis of the major world transformation taking place, from theAge of Capitalism to the Knowledge Society, and examines theradical effects it will have on society, politics, and business nowand in the coming years. 50,000 copies already sold inhardcover.

In this book W. Edwards Deming details the system of transformation that underlies the 14 Points for Management presented in Out of the Crisis. The system of profound knowledge, as it is called, consists of four parts: appreciation for a system, knowledge about variation, theory of knowledge, and psychology. Describing prevailing management style as a prison, Deming shows how a style based on cooperation rather than competition can help people develop joy in work and learning at the same time that it brings about long-term success in the market. Indicative of Deming's philosophy is his advice to abolish performance reviews on the job and grades in school.

Research–driven and clearly written, bestselling economist Richard Florida addresses the growing alarm about the exodus of high–value jobs from the USA. Today's most valued workers are what economist Richard Florida calls the Creative Class. In his bestselling The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida identified these variously skilled individuals as the source of economic revitalisation in US cities. In that book, he shows that investment in technology and a civic culture of tolerance (most often marked by the presence of a large gay community) are the key ingredients to attracting and maintaining a local creative class. In The Flight of the Creative Class, Florida expands his research to cover the global competition to attract the Creative Class. The USA once led the world in terms of creative capital. Since 2002, factors like the Bush administration's emphasis on smokestack industries, heightened security concerns after 9/11 and the growing cultural divide between conservatives and liberals