This book will reveal cost reductions and how to slash your energy costs without having to invest a lot of money. You don’t need to spend a lot to save a lot! The three pillars of cost reduction are discussed: assembling your options and analyzing your risk, developing options with your utility, and cutting out obvious waste in your operation. Those who will benefit from this exceptional and unique text are business owners, CFOs, plant managers, plant engineers, and energy managers. You will learn how to distill what cost savings are possible and how you can quickly accomplish those savings from what you already know, and you can expect to walk away at the end of this book with confidence and a realistic plan of action for reducing your costs.

This book will reveal cost reductions and how to slash your energy costs without investing big money. The three pillars of costs reduction will discussed: Assembling your options and analyzing your risk; developing options with your utility; and cutting out obvious waste in your operation. Those who will benefit from this excellent text are business owners, CFOs, plant managers, plant engineers, and energy managers. You will learn how to distill what savings are possible and how you can quickly accomplish those savings from what you already know and can expect to walk away at the end of this book with confidence and a realistic plan of action for reducing your costs.

The Handbook of Polymer Testing: Physical Methods provides virtually currently used techniques for measuring and testing the physical properties of polymers. A concise but detailed technical guide to the physical testing methods of synthetic polymers in plastics, rubbers, cellular materials, textiles, coated fabrics, and composites, the book analyses a wide array of physical parameters and features complete coverage of mechanical, optical, and electrical, and thermal properties. Topics of interest include sample preparation, time-dependent properties, coated fabrics, weathering, permeability, and nondestructive testing.

Against My Better Judgment: An Intimate Memoir of an Eminent Gay Psychologist is an extraordinary and moving account of the life of a gay man in his late 60s after he loses his companion of 40 years to cancer. A leading professor of psychology at Harvard University, Roger Brown bravely comes forth with his compelling story of grief, loneliness, and a relentless search for intimacy, healing, and self-acceptance. Readers gain insight into a stage of life experienced by gay men of which little is written or spoken due to the ageism that characterizes homosexual culture. Against My Better Judgment reveals deeply personal truths that will prepare gay men for what to expect in the later stages of life. Universal in nature, these truths will speak to readers from various lifestyles and of all ages. Readers will recognize the book as a story of looking for love in all the wrong places, but will also see in it a process of discovery--both internal and external. In the aftermath of his lover's death, Brown turns to prostitutes for companionship, for relieving repressed sexual energy, and even for love. Through his unique relationships with three young men, he does not find the romantic love he so desperately seeks, but discovers that his idea of human nature has been formed by his particular life position and association with people who share his values, knowledge, and privileges. Once he goes outside his social and intellectual circle, he acquires a new perspective on life and realizes how far from universal truth his notions of humanity have been.Readers of Against My Better Judgment will gain a different perspective on the complexities of love, relationships, fidelity, human nature, and the hardships of life inevitably faced by all humans--straight, gay, or bisexual. Gay men, lesbians, psychologists, widowers, therapists, and anthropologists, as well as sensitive readers of any background, will heighten their understanding of what it means to be human. This remarkable story makes a tremendous contribution to existing gay literature and the timeless struggle of art and literature to make sense of the universe and the place of humans within it. Echoing life, Against My Better Judgment, with its brutal honesty, intrigues and repels alternately, just as it elicits both sadness and laughter.

The marketisation of higher education is a growing worldwide trend. Increasingly, market steering is replacing or supplementing government steering. Tuition fees are being introduced or increased, usually at the expense of state grants to institutions. Grants for student support are being replaced or supplemented by loans. Commercial rankings and league tables to guide student choice are proliferating with institutions devoting increasing resources to marketing, branding and customer service. The UK is a particularly good example of this, not only because it is a country where marketisation has arguably proceeded furthest, but also because of the variations that exist as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland increasingly diverge from England. In Everything for Sale, Roger Brown argues that the competitive regime that is now applicable to our Higher Education system was the logical, and possibly inevitable, outcome of a process that began with the introduction of full cost fees for overseas students in 1980. Through chapters including: Markets and Non-Markets The Institutional Pattern of Provision The Funding of Research The Funding of Student Education Quality Assurance The Impact of Marketisation: Efficiency, diversity and equity; He shows how the evaluation and funding of research, the funding of student education, quality assurance, and the structure of the system have increasingly been organised on market or quasi-market lines. As well as helping to explain the evolution of British higher education over the past thirty years, the book contains some important messages about the consequences of introducing or extending market competition in universities' core activities of teaching and research. This timely and comprehensive book is essential reading for all academics at University level and anyone involved in Higher Education policy.

The marketisation of higher education is a growing worldwide trend. Increasingly, market steering is replacing or supplementing government steering. Tuition fees are being introduced or increased, usually at the expense of state grants to institutions. Grants for student support are being replaced or supplemented by loans. Commercial rankings and league tables to guide student choice are proliferating with institutions devoting increasing resources to marketing, branding and customer service. The UK is a particularly good example of this, not only because it is a country where marketisation has arguably proceeded furthest, but also because of the variations that exist as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland increasingly diverge from England. In Everything for Sale, Roger Brown argues that the competitive regime that is now applicable to our Higher Education system was the logical, and possibly inevitable, outcome of a process that began with the introduction of full cost fees for overseas students in 1980. Through chapters including: Markets and Non-Markets The Institutional Pattern of Provision The Funding of Research The Funding of Student Education Quality Assurance The Impact of Marketisation: Efficiency, diversity and equity; He shows how the evaluation and funding of research, the funding of student education, quality assurance, and the structure of the system have increasingly been organised on market or quasi-market lines. As well as helping to explain the evolution of British higher education over the past thirty years, the book contains some important messages about the consequences of introducing or extending market competition in universities' core activities of teaching and research. This timely and comprehensive book is essential reading for all academics at University level and anyone involved in Higher Education policy.

Along with funding, quality assurance has become one of the major issues in higher education today. This text provides an analytical account of the changes to quality assurance of UK universities and colleges from 1992 to 2003. It documents the shift from institutional self-regulation to increased involvement of the state and examines the accompanying debate about the purposes, forms and ownership of quality assurance, as well as a wider consideration of the best means of regulating professional activities. All the key developments and issues of quality assurance are covered, including: * the background to the current debates * the evolution of the post-1992 regime * the role of the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC) * changes to assessment and the creation of a single system * the formation and likely evolution of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Roger Brown writes with an authority derived from his varied experiences in quality assurance. He argues that the external quality regime to date has provided poor value for money, and draws from the lessons learnt during the 1990s to assess the conditions required for effective regulation.

The introduction of market forces into higher education is the most crucial issue facing universities and colleges today. As the role of universities in the knowledge society becomes ever more apparent, and as public funding reaches its limit, marketisation has become an issue of critical importance. Discussions about the ever-increasing cost of tuition, affordability, access, university rankings, information, and the commercialization of academic research take place not just in North America, Western Europe and Australasia, but also in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. Higher Education and the Market provides a comprehensive account of this phenomenon, and looks at its likely impact on key dimensions of university activity: system structure funding and resources the curriculum participation and achievement research and scholarship interactions with third parties. Contributors propose how market forces, government intervention and academic self-regulation can be combined to harness the benefits of increased competition and efficiency without losing the public good. It is of particular interest to government and institutional leaders, policy makers, researchers and students studying higher education.

The introduction of market forces into higher education is the most crucial issue facing universities and colleges today. As the role of universities in the knowledge society becomes ever more apparent, and as public funding reaches its limit, marketisation has become an issue of critical importance. Discussions about the ever-increasing cost of tuition, affordability, access, university rankings, information, and the commercialization of academic research take place not just in North America, Western Europe and Australasia, but also in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Higher Education and the Market provides a comprehensive account of this phenomenon, and looks at its likely impact on key dimensions of university activity:

• system structure
• funding and resources
• the curriculum
• participation and achievement
• research and scholarship
• interactions with third parties.

Contributors propose how market forces, government intervention and academic self-regulation can be combined to harness the benefits of increased competition and efficiency without losing the public good. It is of particular interest to government and institutional leaders, policy makers, researchers and students studying higher education.

Along with funding, quality assurance has become one of the major issues in higher education today. This text provides an analytical account of the changes to quality assurance of UK universities and colleges from 1992 to 2003. It documents the shift from institutional self-regulation to increased involvement of the state and examines the accompanying debate about the purposes, forms and ownership of quality assurance, as well as a wider consideration of the best means of regulating professional activities. All the key developments and issues of quality assurance are covered, including: * the background to the current debates * the evolution of the post-1992 regime * the role of the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC) * changes to assessment and the creation of a single system * the formation and likely evolution of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Roger Brown writes with an authority derived from his varied experiences in quality assurance. He argues that the external quality regime to date has provided poor value for money, and draws from the lessons learnt during the 1990s to assess the conditions required for effective regulation.

Against My Better Judgment: An Intimate Memoir of an Eminent Gay Psychologist is an extraordinary and moving account of the life of a gay man in his late 60s after he loses his companion of 40 years to cancer. A leading professor of psychology at Harvard University, Roger Brown bravely comes forth with his compelling story of grief, loneliness, and a relentless search for intimacy, healing, and self-acceptance. Readers gain insight into a stage of life experienced by gay men of which little is written or spoken due to the ageism that characterizes homosexual culture. Against My Better Judgment reveals deeply personal truths that will prepare gay men for what to expect in the later stages of life. Universal in nature, these truths will speak to readers from various lifestyles and of all ages. Readers will recognize the book as a story of looking for love in all the wrong places, but will also see in it a process of discovery--both internal and external. In the aftermath of his lover's death, Brown turns to prostitutes for companionship, for relieving repressed sexual energy, and even for love. Through his unique relationships with three young men, he does not find the romantic love he so desperately seeks, but discovers that his idea of human nature has been formed by his particular life position and association with people who share his values, knowledge, and privileges. Once he goes outside his social and intellectual circle, he acquires a new perspective on life and realizes how far from universal truth his notions of humanity have been.Readers of Against My Better Judgment will gain a different perspective on the complexities of love, relationships, fidelity, human nature, and the hardships of life inevitably faced by all humans--straight, gay, or bisexual. Gay men, lesbians, psychologists, widowers, therapists, and anthropologists, as well as sensitive readers of any background, will heighten their understanding of what it means to be human. This remarkable story makes a tremendous contribution to existing gay literature and the timeless struggle of art and literature to make sense of the universe and the place of humans within it. Echoing life, Against My Better Judgment, with its brutal honesty, intrigues and repels alternately, just as it elicits both sadness and laughter.

What are the causes of the rise in economic inequality in the West and what can be done about it? Inequality has at last taken centre stage in the political discourse, but there is very little to explain the inequality debates and to offer solutions for the UK. Written by an award-winning academic and policymaker, this introductory book provides a comprehensive survey of all the available evidence, looking at both sides of the inequality argument. Fully up-to-date with the latest developments from the 2017 election and Brexit in the UK to Donald Trump's election in the USA, this accessible and jargon-free introduction is international in scope and packed with fascinating facts and quotes. Roger Brown concludes by discussing whether current UK government policies will actually help reduce inequality and offers practical suggestions for what can be done, such as raising taxes on higher earners, tougher action against tax avoiders, helping people on lower incomes to save, and reducing inequalities in education.

This book assesses the impacts of the right within the US and UK, forty years on from their initial effects upon economic and social orthodoxies. It argues that one way of understanding the main developments in the political economies of the major Anglophone countries during these decades is to see them as a conservative reaction to the New Deal and the Welfare State, and the associated growth in state intervention, expenditure and regulation. The recent rise in 'authoritarian populism' can be seen as a popular response to the policies associated with this reaction, the response being exploited by populist demagogues like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Marine Le Pen. Written in a lively and engaging manner, this book will be of interest to academics and students in politics, economics, sociology and contemporary history, as well as general readers.

The failure of the established Church in 19th-century Wales to retain the allegiance of its parishioners is examined in this study. The appointed English-speaking Anglo-Welsh bishops misunderstood the character and spirituality of the Welsh people, which fomented a popular demand for Welsh-speaking clergy. This demand is considered within the historical context of the political climate of the day and the pressure of such a vociferous Welsh lobby, and expands beyond the scope of ecclesiastical history of Wales, by encompassing the growing movement for national unity in Wales.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of physical testing of elastomers (rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers) including mechanical, electrical, thermal and all aspects of durability. Elastomers are an important class of materials used in such products as tyres, seals and hose which have markedly different properties to other materials. The importance of testing of elastomers means that a comprehensive text on the subject is essential. The advantage over general materials testing books is being more specific while the advantage over general rubber technology books is that testing is dealt with in depth.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of physical testing of elastomers (rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers) including mechanical, electrical, thermal and all aspects of durability. Elastomers are an important class of materials used in such products as tyres, seals and hose which have markedly different properties to other materials. The importance of testing of elastomers means that a comprehensive text on the subject is essential. The advantage over general materials testing books is being more specific while the advantage over general rubber technology books is that testing is dealt with in depth.

Rubber is important in many engineering applications because of its unique properties. These properties must be measured with appropriate test methods developed specifically for this class of materials. This book provides, in one volume, comprehensive coverage of the procedures for measuring the whole range of the physical properties of rubber.

This new edition presents an up-to-date introduction to the standard methods used for testing, quality control analysis, product evaluation, and production of design data for rubber and elastomers. Factors to be incorporated in the revision include the effects of newer instrumentation, the cutting back of laboratory staff, increased demands for formal accreditation and calibration, trend to product testing, overlap of thermoplastic elastomers with plastics and increased need for design data.

Rubber is important in many engineering applications because of its unique properties. These properties must be measured with appropriate test methods developed specifically for this class of materials. This book provides, in one volume, comprehensive coverage of the procedures for measuring the whole range of the physical properties of rubber.

This new edition presents an up-to-date introduction to the standard methods used for testing, quality control analysis, product evaluation, and production of design data for rubber and elastomers. Factors to be incorporated in the revision include the effects of newer instrumentation, the cutting back of laboratory staff, increased demands for formal accreditation and calibration, trend to product testing, overlap of thermoplastic elastomers with plastics and increased need for design data.