This book explores implications of the modern view of central banks rising from the proposition that words have no meaning beyond their use in a particular context and setting. It studies coded language to explain why a central bank's decisions and communicative interactions can't be devoted to a coded language which is an artificial language.

When Robert Z. Aliber's" The International Money Game" first appeared in 1973, it was widely acclaimed as the best - and most entertaining - introduction to the arcane mysteries of international finance on the market. The seventh edition of this classic work has again been fully rewritten to take account of the immense changes in the world economy since the previous edition, and includes a new chapter on asset pricing and bubbles.

The Ethics of Banking analyzes the systemic and the ethical mistakes that led to the crisis. It keeps the middle ground between excusing all failures by the argument of a systemic crisis not to be taken responsibility for by the financial managers and the moralistic reproach that only moral failure is at the origin of the crisis. It investigates the role of speculation in the formation of the crisis and distinguishes between productive speculation for hedging and for securing market liquidity on the one hand, and unproductive and even detrimental hyper-speculation going far beyond of the degree of speculation that is necessary in a developed economy for the liquidity of financial markets, on the other hand. Hyper-speculation has increased the risks of the financial system and is still doing so.

When Robert Z. Aliber's" The International Money Game" first appeared in 1973, it was widely acclaimed as the best - and most entertaining - introduction to the arcane mysteries of international finance on the market. The seventh edition of this classic work has again been fully rewritten to take account of the immense changes in the world economy since the previous edition, and includes a new chapter on asset pricing and bubbles.

This book evaluates the salient features of Japanese relation-based banking, particularly in the post war period, and Anglo-American mode of banking to explain the nature and extent of transition failure that caused prolonged financial and economic slump in Japan.

"Recent years have shown an increase in development and acceptance of quantitative methods for asset and liability management strategies. This book presents state of the art quantitative decision models for three sectors: pension funds, insurance companies and banks, taking into account new regulations and the industries risks"--Provided by publisher.

Financial capital, whether mediated through the financial market or Foreign Direct Investment has been a key factor in European economic growth. This book examines the interaction between European and global financial integration and analyses the dynamics of the monetary sector and the real economy in Europe. The key analytical focus is on the theoretical and empirical dynamics of financial markets in Europe, however, it also provides regional case studies of key institutional developments and lessons from foreign direct investment. There is a broad range of findings for Central, Eastern and Western Europe as well as EU Partner Countries. Crucially the analysis includes new approaches and options for solving the transatlantic banking crisis and suggests policy innovations for a world with unstable financial markets.

Iceland became one of the symbols of the global financial crisis. It provides an ideal test case for the perceptions of economists, in particular their ability to anticipate crises. The book contains papers and reports, written prior to the collapse of Iceland's financial system, about the economy. What did and didn't they see coming, and why?

Russian Banking considers the rise of commercial market-oriented banks in Russia, their links with government and non-financial companies and their role as intermediaries in the provision of finance for investment. The contributors explore the legacy of the Soviet past and current functions of the Russian banking system, contrasting these with those in other post-communist societies and describing peculiarities such as informal networks and corruption. The book also discusses the economic and global aspects of Russia's reform, focusing on financial crises, foreign depositors to Russian banks and the implications for Russian foreign debt. This up-to-date and comprehensive account of commercial banking in modern Russia will appeal to those concerned with the economics of transition or comparative banking. Political scientists and sociologists with an interest in forms of capitalism and the roles of banks will also find the book to be a fascinating read.

For over 2,000 years, banks have served to facilitate the exchange of money and to provide a variety of economic and financial services. During the most recent financial collapse and subsequent recession, beginning in 2008, banks have been vilified as perpetrators of the crisis, the public distrust compounded by massive public bailouts. Nevertheless, another form of banking has also emerged, with a focus on promoting economic sustainability, investing in community, providing opportunity for the disadvantaged, and supporting social, environmental, and ethical agendas. "Social Banking and Social Finance" traces the emergence of the "bank with a conscience" and proposes a new approach to banking in the wake of the economic crisis. Featuring innovations and initiatives in banking from Europe, Canada, and the United States, Roland Benedikter presents an alternative to traditional banking practices that are focused exclusively on profit maximization. He argues that social banking is not about changing the system, but about improving some of its core features by putting into use the "triple bottom line" principle of profit-people-planet. Important lessons can be learned by the success of social banks that may be useful for the greater task of improving the global financial system and avoiding economic crises in the future.

The historical response to bank crises has always been more regulation. A pattern emerges that some may find surprising: regulation often contributes to bank instability. It suppresses competition and effective response to market changes and encourages bankers to take on additional risk. This book offers a valuable history lesson for policy makers.

The book describes the birth and growth of financial institutions and stock exchanges in Scandinavia and Finland from 1656 to 2010, including their banking crises and the history of banking regulation. It argues that quantitative regulations cannot, in the long run, produce the desired results and bear the seeds of future financial crises.

Chinese banks have been making headlines recently, but what lies beneath? Banking in China appears different. What explains the current arrangement? What can we expect from such a banking industry in the future? This book answers these two questions in a fully revised second edition and contributes to a new understanding of Chinese banks.

Iceland became one of the symbols of the global financial crisis. It provides an ideal test case for the perceptions of economists, in particular their ability to anticipate crises. The book contains papers and reports, written prior to the collapse of Iceland's financial system, about the economy. What did and didn't they see coming, and why?

Restructuring the balance sheets of Western governments, banks and households is an important issue in the recovery after the recent crisis. Chorafas' latest book focuses on sovereign debt, sovereign risk and the developing economic and financial business climate and explains why the year of the big crisis may fall in the middle of this decade.

As the real economy is increasingly digitalized, banking lags behind. It is thus not well placed to support the new economy. The book provides some perspective on the changes taking place, identifying the systemic weaknesses in the traditional financial infrastructure, and proposing some radical rethinking to address systemic financial instability.

This book explores the causes and effects of the rise of neoliberalism in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It provides a political economy analysis of the role of central banks, and identifies them as a key actor in the production and dissemination of the neoliberal economic policies.

This book sheds light on the emotional side of risk taking behaviour using an innovative cross-disciplinary approach, mixing financial competences with psychology and affective neuroscience. In doing so, it shows the implications for market participants and regulators in terms of transparency and communication between intermediaries and customers.

"The historical response to bank crises has always been more regulation. A pattern emerges that some may find surprising: regulation often contributes to bank instability. It suppresses competition and effective response to market changes and encourages bankers to take on additional risk. This book offers a valuable history lesson for policy makers"--

This book contains original readings on Reserves Management for central banks and sovereign wealth funds. It aims to outline best practice in respect of strategic asset allocation, facilitating knowledge-sharing across organizations and encouraging collaboration and dialogue between reserves and asset management specialists in the organizations.

A PDF version of this book is available for free in open access via the OAPEN Library platform, www.oapen.org. This book examines the emergence of both financial markets and carbon markets, and provides an in-depth investigation on the fundamental determinants of financial development.

The book describes the birth and growth of financial institutions and stock exchanges in Scandinavia and Finland from 1656 to 2010, including their banking crises and the history of banking regulation. It argues that quantitative regulations cannot, in the long run, produce the desired results and bear the seeds of future financial crises.

Philipp Maier offers a unique examination of the extent to which governments and various interest groups have exerted pressure on central banks. The book looks in particular at the Deutsche Bundesbank - which acted as the blueprint for the European Central Bank (ECB) - and utilises an original set of indicators to measure external pressure and support from the government and other institutions. The author demonstrates that although some of the rhetoric of the Bundesbank may have been a response to political pressure, the operation and conduct of German monetary policy has not been influenced. The role of various pressure groups remains a more contentious issue, as there is evidence that the Bundesbank may have acted to appease the financial sector. The author also finds that a high degree of public support towards the Bundesbank has helped to mitigate the effect of external forces. As the ECB was closely modelled on its German counterpart, the author is able to extend his analysis to the European level and draw out explicit predictions for the ECB. He argues that external pressure is unlikely to influence the conduct of monetary policy, as it will be less efficient and organised, and public support is likely to be high. In the future, however, this could be jeopardised by a rapid enlargement of EMU which may result in more concentrated and powerful pressure groups. This interesting empirical study of the effect of governments, interest groups and public support on the behaviour and rhetoric of Central Banks will be welcomed by financial and monetary economists, students and scholars of European finance and European policymakers.

This book explores the causes and effects of the rise of neoliberalism in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It provides a political economy analysis of the role of central banks, and identifies them as a key actor in the production and dissemination of the neoliberal economic policies.

As the real economy is increasingly digitalized, banking lags behind. It is thus not well placed to support the new economy. The book provides some perspective on the changes taking place, identifying the systemic weaknesses in the traditional financial infrastructure, and proposing some radical rethinking to address systemic financial instability.