The success of any regional economic story depends on how much the political economy and financial economy complement each other. The BRIC grouping (Brazil, Russia, India and China) was deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development when Goldman Sachs coined the acronym in 2001. As a new asset class for the financial economy, portfolio funds were launched and as a consequence political economic initiatives lent the BRIC grouping status and cohesiveness. The Bay of Bengal: The Next BRICS Asset Class has been written to demonstrate the economic potential of the grouping, and the benefits of creating a distinct asset class. The author compares economic/corporate performance data of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) grouping with other regions of developing countries (BRICS, ASEAN, SAARC, EAC, MENA, EEC, CIS, MINT, CIVETS, Pacific Alliance, etc.) to show that the Bengal group is expected to reach a combined GDP of $6 trillion by 2021, just as the BRICS did in 2006 (five years after BRIC was coined). The BoB grouping has relatively the best linear/synchronised growth, a high proportion of companies generating consistent profits/return on equity, a more diversified profit pool and a fair mix of economic-growth drivers compared to other economic groupings. The economic relevance of this region is clear and statistically substantiated, and The Next BRICS Asset Class sets out to reverse the current lack of awareness amongst the financial economy. The authors aim is to justify the economic substance of this grouping so that it complements the political economys initiatives that will follow.

Measuring Human Capital addresses a country's most important resource: its own people. Bettering human capital benefits individuals and their country and leads to improved sustainability for the future. For many years economists only used Gross Domestic Product (GDP), now acknowledged to be inadequate without supplemental measures, to gauge a country's overall value. There is now a recognition that many variables contribute to a country's worth, which make accurate measurement difficult. Looking beyond GDP by focusing on human capital, researchers, policymakers, government officials, and students can understand what elements impact human capital and how they might improve it in order to increase economic growth and well-being.

For the past 150 years, architecture has been a significant tool in the hands of city planners and leaders. In Creating Cities/Building Cities, Peter Karl Kresl and Daniele Ietri illustrate how these planners and leaders have utilized architecture to achieve a variety of aims, influencing the situation, perception and competitiveness of their cities. Whether the objective is branding, re-vitalization of the economy, beautification, development of an economic and business center, status development, or seeking distinction with the tallest building, distinctive architecture has been an essential instrument for those who manage the course of a city's development. Since the 1870s, and the reconstruction of Chicago following the Great Fire, architecture has been affected powerfully by advances in design, technology and materials used in construction. The authors identify several key elements in such a strategic initiative, and in the penultimate chapter examine several cases of cities that have ignored one or more of these elements and have failed in their attempt. A unique set of insights into this fascinating topic, this study will appeal to specialists in urban planning, economic geography, and architecture. Readers interested in urban development will also find its coverage accessible and enlightening.

Market Behavior During Crisis explores the causes, impacts and linkages of contemporary geopolitics, markets and conflict, along with their economic impacts on all stakeholders. The book compiles the most current research and insights about market behaviors during conflicts of different types and severity, detailing how markets actually respond and what readers can do to implement a proactive early-response strategy. Whenever a global or regional conflict occurs, markets of every sort react based on fears which are largely unfounded. The book illustrates that preconceived notions can be self-fulfilling prophecies when they occur.