Like many other cities in the United States, Grand Rapids, Michigan has struggled with redeveloping its economic identity after the devastation of the Great Recession of 2008. "Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an" "American Community "demonstrates how Grand Rapids has been redefined as a hub for the greatest scientific minds in the world by developing what has come to be called the "Medical Mile."

The Medical Mile is cluster of prosperity that is anchored by a world-renowned research institute, a major healthcare organization, a Big Ten medical school, an allied health professions program at a nearby university, and an entrepreneurial incubator where new medical device and life sciences businesses are being born. None of this existed until a $1 billion donation from Jay Andel changed not only the way the world views Grand Rapids, but how the community views itself.

It has been a long journey of self-discovery for Grand Rapids that could serve as inspiration for other American communities.

Migrating to a different country can be difficult, especially when attempting to start a business. Africans who migrate to the UK manage to negotiate and forge relationships among themselves and with the members of their host society. In doing so, they not only demonstrate tactics to form self-employment relationships, but they also unveil socio-cultural patterns and identity formation. The Evolution of Black African Entrepreneurship in the UK explains why people leave Africa, what they encounter, their interactions with the host community, their strategies of inclusion, and perceived exclusions from the mainstream of British society. This publication also provides information on the social changes and policies that African countries are adopting to negotiate the immigration and emigration processes of the diaspora communities. Illustrating multiple aspects of Black African entrepreneurship that serve as a vehicle not only for self-employment relationships but also for the unveiling of socio-cultural patterns and identity formation, this publication covers gender biases, forced vs. voluntary migration, and diaspora entrepreneurship. It is designed for policymakers, managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, practitioners, professionals, scholars, students, and researchers.

The major purpose of this book is to clarify the importance of non-technological factors in innovation to cope with contemporary complex societal issues while critically reconsidering the relations between science, technology, innovation (STI), and society. For a few decades now, innovation-mainly derived from technological advancement-has been considered a driving force of economic and societal development and prosperity. With that in mind, the following questions are dealt with in this book: What are the non-technological sources of innovation? What can the progress of STI bring to humankind? What roles will society be expected to play in the new model of innovation? The authors argue that the majority of so-called technological innovations are actually socio-technical innovations, requiring huge resources for financing activities, adapting regulations, designing adequate policy frames, and shaping new uses and new users while having the appropriate interaction with society. This book gathers multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches in innovation that go beyond technology and take into account the inter-relations with social and human phenomena. Illustrated by carefully chosen examples and based on broad and well-informed analyses, it is highly recommended to readers who seek an in-depth and up-to-date integrated overview of innovation in its non-technological dimensions.

This book examines the gender context of HIV and critiques the global policy response. Anderson contributes to the feminist task of de-invisibilising gender as structural violence and identifies how gendered power structures are responded to at the local level in Malawi.

The economy of the ancient Middle East and Greece is reinterpreted by Morris Silver in this provocative new synthesis. Silver finds that the ancient economy emerges as a class of economies with its own laws of motion shaped by transaction costs (the resources used up in exchanging ownership rights). The analysis of transaction costs provides insights into many characteristics of the ancient economy, such as the important role of the sacred and symbolic gestures in making contracts, magical technology, the entrepreneurial role of high-born women, the elevation of familial ties and other departures from impersonal economics, reliance on slavery and adoption, and the insatiable drive to accumulate trust-capital. The peculiar behavior patterns and mindsets of ancient economic man are shown to be facilitators of economic growth.

In recent years, our view of the economy of the ancient world has been shaped by the theories of Karl Polanyi. Silver confronts Polanyi's empirical propositions with the available evidence and demonstrates that antiquity knew active and sophisticated markets. In the course of providing an alternative analytical framework for studying the ancient economy, Silver gives critical attention to the economic views of the Assyriologists I.M. Diakonoff, W.F. Leemans, Mario Liverani, and J.N. Postgate; of the Egyptologists Jacob J. Janssen and Wolfgang Helck; and of the numerous followers of Moses Finley. Silver convincingly demonstrates that the ancient world was not static: periods of pervasive economic regulation by the state are interspersed with lengthy periods of relatively unfettered market activity, and the economies of Sumer, Babylonia, and archaic Greece were capable of transforming themselves in order to take advantage of new opportunities. This new synthesis is essential reading for economic historians and researchers of the ancient Near East and Greece.

In Mortgage Power - An Asset in the Making, I show you how to convert your mortgage-often your biggest liability-into what can become your biggest asset, and why you must do it for your financial future. I not only present the underlying theory behind the premise of modifying a mortgage to create wealth, but I also give you real-world examples, with numbers that add up to prove the astounding benefits. I show you how to manage and modify your mortgage, and in so doing how to create tremendous wealth and prosperity from something as basic as a mortgage. By making simple changes to your mortgage, you can ultimately create an asset that will provide you benefits long into your retirement-benefits that would otherwise be unavailable to you. Mortgage Power reveals how to buy a home with a limited down payment, how to build your mortgage team, how to navigate the mortgage process, why you should own and not rent, and why you should avoid a 30-year fixed rate mortgage like the plague.

This book will be of interest to scholars and students of Asian studies, cultural industries, economic geography, and related areas of study. It discusses the results of a microscopic survey focusing on topics such as how animation studios form business relationships and how workers gain skills in the industry. The methodology was based on traditional Japanese economic geographical methods. The study also examines macroscopic issues such as why industrial agglomerations are formed in metropolises, why metropolises develop mutual networks, and how a type of cultural product is created in the metropolises. The methodology uses case studies of the animation industries in Japan, South Korea, and China. The detailed analysis covers the process of the industry s agglomeration within the East Asian metropolises of Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai as well as the division of labor among them. In addition, the transaction relationships among animation studios are examined, together with the promotion of the industry in the peripheral region of Okinawa, Japan. Differences in work styles and output among these cities are also examined. The research presented in this book contributes to understanding the spatial structure and reality of creativity inan innovative industry, particularly the East Asian content industry."

This highly topical book discusses the potential enlargement of the EU to embrace the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the enormous challenges, opportunities and threats this poses for parties on both sides. Understanding of the diversity of the issues raised, even by an experimental expansion, is limited and rarely extends beyond the concerns voiced in a particular policy arena. This volume brings together contributions from specialists across the spectrum of the social sciences who consider the possible outcomes of expansion per se. The authors consider the countries to which membership might rationally be extended, and discuss the future of a Union that continues to be exclusive, but which must advance in the context of the overall march of globalisation. The contributions from numerous disciplines are complementary and include both macro- and micro perspectives. EU Expansion to the East is designed to be accessible to all scholars of European affairs, as well as those interested in transition and policymakers at national, regional and local levels.

Is cost-benefit analysis the best means to determine and formulate public policies? To answer this question Jeffrey Leigh Sedgwick examines its application to crime and criminal justice and the implications of that application. In this interdisciplinary study, Sedgwick first assesses the value of applying economic models to the social problem of crime. He compares economic models to sociological ones and then addresses the question of whether economic models are compatible with the values of a liberal political order. He shows that cost-benefit analysis suffers from technical and ethical problems when used to set law enforcement goals. Current techniques for measuring the costs of crime are crude and unreliable, he argues, and overreliance on citizen and consumer preference may lead to the adoption of policies incompatible with American political traditions and respect for human rights. Sedgwick concludes that economic analysis cannot, by itself, lead to the adoption of effective and publicly defensible policies to combat crime.

For several decades conservatives set the political agenda in the United States, allowing them to focus the conversation on topics such as tax cuts, national security, and social issues. It is increasingly becoming apparent, however, that this has begun to change. Factors such as the election of the first African-American President and the increasing diversity of the population, the dramatic rise of income inequality, and the social liberalism of younger Americans indicate that progressive political ideas are more influential today than at any point in four decades. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive overview of progressive politics, combining historical analysis, a discussion of policy priorities today, and a survey of the challenges ahead. Featuring essays by leading scholars, analysts, and commentators, it is an indispensable guide to the ideas and debates that will shape American politics in the coming years.

The geography of networks and R&D collaborations, in particular the spatial dimension of interactions between organisations performing joint R&D, have attracted a burst of attention in the last decade, both in the scientific study of the networks and in the policy sector. The volume is intended to bring together a selection of articles providing novel theoretical and empirical insights into the geographical dynamics of such networks and R&D collaborations, using new, systematic data sources and employing cutting-edge spatial analysis and spatial econometric techniques. It comprises a section on analytic advances and methodology and two thematic sections on structure and spatial characteristics of R&D networks and the impact of R&D networks and policy implications. The edited volume provides a collection of high-level research contributions with an aim to contribute to the recent debate in economic geography and regional science on how the structure of formal and informal networks modifies and influences the spatial and temporal diffusion of knowledge.

This book is based on presentations from the Conference ‘Arctic Marine Resource Governance’ held in Reykjavik Iceland in October 2015. The book is divided into four main themes: 1. Global management and institutions for Arctic marine resources 2. Resource stewards and users: local and indigenous co-management 3. Governance gaps in Arctic marine resource management and 4. Multi-scale, ecosystem-based, Arctic marine resource management’. The ecosystem changes underway in the Arctic region are expected to have significant impacts on living resources in both the short and long run, and current actions and policies adopted over such resource governance will have serious and ultimately irreversible consequences in the near and long terms.

Combining impartial analysis with reliable facts and figures, this fully revised and updated 24th edition provides up-to-date commentary on these vast North American nations. General Survey Essays by leading experts analyse topics of regional importance, including: - US-Canadian integration, US foreign policy in the Arctic region, and the COVID-19 pandemic in North America. Country Surveys Each country is dealt with in greater detail within its own section. Country chapters include: - a chronology of political events - essays covering key socio-political and economic themes, including: recent political developments; foreign policy; constitution; the economy; energy policy; agriculture; trade; health and social policy - additional essays examining timely subjects such as religion in US politics and the US Judicial system - historical, political and economic surveys of each of the US states and Canadian provinces and territories - statistical surveys of economic and demographic indicators - comprehensive directory sections covering public affairs, the economy and society, which provide contact details and other useful information for the most significant institutions in the region.

The global financial market has undergone tremendous growth during the thirty years from 1980 to 2009. This period can be described as one of the most memorable in the history of financial markets. The growth of leading economies - in combination with the unparalleled bounce in the emerging economies - pushed global financial markets to new dimensions during this period. This development provided us with new investment products that changed the landscape of traditional investment methodology. However, the achievement has not been an easy one. During this span of time, we witnessed several political, economic, and technological developments that changed the course of financial history. I convey my understanding of those developments in the context of my own vast experience in the global financial market. This book will be a good reference guide for students of finance and professionals (mainly due to an array of market data and a summary of lessons learnt from various market events). Finally, I bring together reasonable market scenarios that will likely manifest in the near term.

The text explores the changes in America's internal power structure after the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. It acts as the central bank of the country but is a foreign body by its origin, conduct, and lack of normal affiliation with the constitutional bodies of power: Congress, Government, and the Judicial. It allows the institution to openly ignore the formal mandates given it by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, allowing it to act independently and without accountability for its acts and their consequences. By all evidence, it is the ruling power of the country in domestic and also foreign matters. Its independence in policy setting and implementation has put it on a direct collision course with its historic purpose, yet without any official inquiries or questions asked. Its imperial behavior leaves the proud and powerful American nation in a status equal to a colony of its former British masters.

This book, part of a series, seeks to re-conceptualize Asian geographies; rather than a static East Asia core, this volume analyzes Asia's southern fringe, as symbolized in the trading group ASEAN and its role in Asia's evolving international relations. The contributors include many leading experts in the field, ensuring that this book will be the go-to text for students, scholars, and civil society decision makers exploring Asia's contemporary political spectrum in real time.

This book examines suitable approaches to and makes policy suggestions on China's industrial upgrading according to the requirements of the transformation of economic growth. It is divided into two major parts, the first of which provides an in-depth analysis of the impact that transforming economic growth will have on industrial development, particular regarding export policy adjustments, the rise of labor wages, and the development of a low-carbon economy, offering valuable insights into the difficulties entailed by the transformation process. In turn, Part II discusses the paths chosen for China's industrial upgrading, examines its past failures and current orientation, and puts forward corresponding policy suggestions for the future.

The economic literature on international migration interests policymakers as well as academics throughout the social sciences. These volumes, the first of a new subseries in the Handbooks in Economics, describe and analyze scholarship created since the inception of serious attention began in the late 1970s. This literature appears in the general economics journals, in various field journals in economics (especially, but not exclusively, those covering labor market and human resource issues), in interdisciplinary immigration journals, and in papers by economists published in journals associated with history, sociology, political science, demography, and linguistics, among others.

Ponzi schemes are a particularly vicious form of financial fraud, in that the overly trusting victims, who are often wiped out, typically share an affiliation with the fraudster. They are interesting, in that they share some features with legitimate financial phenomena (such as stock manias) and shed light on the human tendency towards behaving foolishly, especially when encouraged or modeled by others. In Understanding Ponzi Schemes, Mervyn Lewis has written what is probably the best and most comprehensive book on the topic. Extremely readable, this book uses both theoretical models and real-life case studies to provide readers with an answer to two questions: 'How do Ponzi schemes work and why are they successful?' Lewis also provides useful answers to a third question: 'What can regulators and individuals do to be protected from future incarnations of Charles Ponzi?''' - Stephen Greenspan, University of Connecticut, US and author of Annals of Gullibility'Starting with very readable (and well-referenced) accounts of various Ponzi fraudsters from Ponzi himself through to Madoff and Stanford, lessons are drawn from such diverse disciplines such as psychology and statistical analysis to advocate novel approaches to the regulation of Ponzi schemes. A 'must read' for regulatory policy-makers and a fascinating read for the general reader, Professor Lewis is to be congratulated for advancing the debate on this age-old phenomenon by suggesting distinctive and innovative strategies to tackle it.' - Eva Lomnicka, Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, UK 'Readers looking for a clear explanation of how Ponzi schemes work and description of recent and historical examples, both large and small scale, will find that in this very readable book. But the author, Professor Mervyn Lewis, goes well beyond those topics by drawing on behavioural economics and psychology to help understand how 'victims' get caught in such schemes, and the motives and behaviours of the scheme operators. That analysis also provides a valuable checklist for readers to help them avoid becoming victims.' - Kevin Davis, University of Melbourne, Australia A Ponzi scheme is one of the simplest, albeit effective, financial frauds to engineer, and new schemes keep coming forward. Despite this, however, people continue to invest in them. How are we to account for the seemingly never-ending lure of such schemes? In providing answers to this central question, this concise and well-researched book examines how Ponzi schemes operate, how they differ from pyramid schemes, Ponzi finance and other financial arrangements. The author questions whether the victims have only themselves to blame, why fraudsters think that they can avoid detection, and what important insights behavioural finance theory and psychology can add. Particular attention is paid to the reasons behind the failure of financial regulation, and the types of regulatory changes needed to protect investors and avoid repetitions. The analysis is informed by case studies of 11 Ponzi schemes in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Finance and business academics interested in the operation of Ponzi schemes, and how they differ from pyramid schemes, will find this book invaluable, as will students of economics, finance, behavioural decision-making and psychology. Lawyers, psychologists, regulatory agencies and financial institutions will also benefit considerably from the analysis.

The birth of philosophical thought across the ancient world brought with it a keen interest in the study of leadership - reflections on who should lead and on how to create the best leadership structures became central to the debates of most prominent ancient philosophers. Philosophy and Leadership offers a panorama of the main philosophies, both ancient and modern, which form the basis of contemporary leadership theories. This book will draw on many philosophical positions to offer a critique of the most important nodes of modern leadership studies – such as ethics, purpose, meaning and legacy. It will include probing questions and theoretical as well practical exercises aimed at reinforcing the points discussed in each chapter, as well as examples from history, literature, films and music. This book will be invaluable reading for scholars on undergraduate and postgraduate leadership courses, as well as those studying philosophy, leadership ethics and business ethics, and responsible leadership.

Here in one volume are two classics of the foundations of modern finance from America's first celebrated economist, Irving Fisher, for whom the Fisher equation, the Fisher hypothesis, and the Fisher separation theorem are named. In 1892's Mathematical Investigations in the Theory of Value and Prices and 1896's Appreciation and Interest, Fisher explores: . how the numbers of consumers and the numbers of available commodities are more mysterious than they seem at first glance . what happens when production and consumption are examined jointly . how commodities influence one another . the relationship between appreciation and debt . formulas for varying rates of interest and appreciation . the impacts of zero and negative interest . and much more. American economist IRVING FISHER (1867-1947) was professor of political economy at Yale University. Among his many books are The Rate of Interest (1907), Why Is the Dollar Shrinking? A Study in the High Cost of Living (1914), Booms and Depressions (1932), and The Purchasing Power of Money (1912).