The "Handbook of Asset & Liability Management: From Models to Optimal Return Strategies" is a Comprehensive resource for Asset and Liability Management (ALM) Professionals, providing the very latest global coverage of the topic.

Starting with a look at the history of Asset and Liability Management and the current climate, the book then examines a range of accounting and auditing obligations, including IFRS and balance sheet presentation. Balance sheet items and products modelling are then explained in detail as well as the entire associated range of financial and non-financial risks. As well as the practical issues encountered by ALM managers, the "Handbook of Asset Liability Management" also considers the growing quantitative aspects of the role, looking at a range of technical tools and applications including market simulations, stochastic calculations, delta equivalent computations, and traditional and non-traditional statistical tools.

The book then discusses capital requirements within the ALM context, notably the impacts of Basel II and solvency II and economic capital indicators. The final section of the book explains optimal return strategies, looking at risk perfect hedging, limits policies, income smoothing strategies and economic value management.

The accompanying CD ROM features demonstrations of some basic ALM problems such as ALM Delta Equivalent computation; FTP computation and ALM risk indicators computation. It also includes modelling examples such as demand deposits, savings and prepayment modelling; and practical examples taken from a simplified retail Banking ALM framework.

Although Salvador Dali's characteristically provocative behavior and bizarre pictorial language made him an outlier in high society, his body of work reflects his century's most important innovations and concerns. This introduction to Dali's work features dozens of exquisite reproductions as it traces the artist's development, life and career. Readers will learn how he was influenced by contemporaries Miro, Ernst, and de Chirico as well as by Raphael and Gaudi. It explores his early adoption of Surrealism, his fascination with the subconscious, and his antipathy toward war. It illustrates how Dali's return to the Catholic church and his interest in nuclear and atomic physics was manifested in his paintings; how he experimented in film and, later, even created holograms. By making Dali's often perplexing art accessible to audiences of every level, this engaging introduction helps readers understand why he remains one of the most influential-and imitated-artists of all time.

Throughout his career, Magritte subverted expectations about artists in the world by disguising himself as an unremarkable member of the bourgeoisie. While the public mined his work for symbolism and deep meaning, the truth is, that with Magritte, what you see is what you get. What readers will get with this gorgeous volume is a deeply engaging overview of Magritte's entire career, and an eloquent argument that his Surrealist masterpieces were simply an extension of the Romantic tradition. Chronologically arranged, this volume features full- page reproductions of thirty-five works, each paired with a concise text that highlights its significance in Magritte's catalog. In addition to greatest hits, such as Time Transfixed, 1938; The Treachery of Images, 1929; and The Lovers, 1928, the inclusion of several lesser-known works provides an overview of the range and character of Magritte's art. Readers will become acquainted with the main figures in the artist's life, including relatives, colleagues, rivals, and they will see how Magritte's relationships with collectors and dealers led to the production of particular works, as well as how his theories about painting evolved over the years. Across this compact but utterly satisfying book, Magritte's exquisite use of color, his grasp of collage and composition, and his superb gifts for invention and mood are luminously and thrillingly in evidence.

Why has identity become so central to judging art today? Why are some groups reluctant to defend free speech within culture? Has state support made artists poorer not richer? How does the movement for social justice influence cultural production? Why is post-modernism dominant in the art world? Why are consumers of comic books so bitterly divided? In Culture War: Art, Identity Politics and Cultural Entryism Alexander Adams examines a series of pressing issues in today's culture: censorship, Islamism, Feminism, identity politics, historical reparations and public arts policy. Through a series of linked essays, Culture War exposes connections between seemingly unrelated events and trends in high and popular cultures. From fine art to superhero comics, from political cartoons to museum policy, certain persistent ideas underpin the most contentious issues today. Adams draws on history, philosophy, politics and cultural criticism to explain the reasoning of creators, consumers and critics and to expose some uncomfortable truths.

Women and Art surveys the history of women in art and addresses the effects of feminist art history and art production. This book is among the first to offer a critical assessment of the role of feminism in art history and how it has presented and misrepresented women's roles in art. Seeking to counterbalance overwhelmingly pro-feminist narratives, it relies on evidence from artists, statisticians, and historians to support individual women artists while remaining critical of feminism. Cogent and persuasive, Women and Art stands as a key for students and researchers interested in art history, gender studies, feminism, and cultural studies.

THE "NEW YORK TIMES" AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
Four days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a 21-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly, a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber's tail--a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber in the squeeze of a trigger. What happened next would defy imagination and later be called "the most incredible encounter between enemies in World War II." This is the true story of the two pilots whose lives collided in the skies that day--the American--2nd Lieutenant Charlie Brown, a former farm boy from West Virginia who came to captain a B-17--and the German--2nd Lieutenant Franz Stigler, a former airline pilot from Bavaria who sought to avoid fighting in World War II. "A Higher Call" follows both Charlie and Franz's harrowing missions. Charlie would face takeoffs in English fog over the flaming wreckage of his buddies' planes, flak bursts so close they would light his cockpit, and packs of enemy fighters that would circle his plane like sharks. Franz would face sandstorms in the desert, a crash alone at sea, and the spectacle of 1,000 bombers each with eleven guns, waiting for his attack. Ultimately, Charlie and Franz would stare across the frozen skies at one another. What happened between them, the American 8th Air Force would later classify as "top secret." It was an act that Franz could never mention or else face a firing squad. It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would search for one another, a last mission that could change their lives forever.

Best known for his depictions of young dancers on the stage and in the studio, Degas was an accomplished draughtsman and portraitist of superb emotional depth. Much of his work eschewed bright colors and spontaneity for carefully studied interiors and scenes of daily life. This book explores the full range of Degas's work, from his celebrated paintings of dancers and depictions of cafe life to his pencil sketches and wax and bronze sculptures. Stunning reproductions help readers understand many aspects of Degas's oeuvre, such as his gift for capturing movement, the ways he drew inspiration from Japanese prints and Old Masters, and his experiments with color and form. A biographical text traces Degas's life from his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and his early history paintings to his friendships with Cassatt and Manet, his reliance on painting dancers to keep him financially afloat, and his lonely, final days in Paris. Accessible and engaging, this exploration of Degas's life and art looks beyond his well-known works to reveal a talented and complicated genius.

The world does not need another diet book. But what it does need, is a book that explains how to achieve and maintain a stable, healthy weight. With easy-to-understand chapters, focused firstly on why it is so easy to gain weight, and then how to effectively keep it off; this is an essential guide for anyone looking to take control of their weight in a safe and sustainable way. Combining their expert guidance with practical and accessible tips for making a change today, Dr Mike Dilkes and Alex Adams share the many life-changing reasons why we shouldn't be focusing on how to lose weight but instead, how to stop gaining it.

Many of us are affected by allergies, from the dreaded hayfever - the scourge of the summer - to much talked-about food allergies such as lactose and gluten. Dr Mike Dilkes, one of Harley Street's top Consultant ENT Surgeons, reveals his top tips for living with and treating an allergy. - Find out the difference between a sensitivity, an intolerance and an allergy - Discover how allergies affect your body and why - Learn how to see through the hype and take control of your own symptoms - Prevent attacks and treat outbreaks With a no-nonsense approach to this controversial topic, Stop Allergies from Ruining Your LIfe... The Easy Way provides a straightforward analysis ofthe latest scientific research, allowing you to live the life you want, whatever the season.

Stop Snoring the Easy Way & the Real Reasons You Need To will give you back control of your life, and explain why stopping snoring is not just desirable - it is essential. Dr Mike Dilkes has spent years developing this simple 5-minute exercise. His tried and tested method will cure your snore and... -Boost your mood -Strengthen your relationships -Improve your performance at work -Save you money -Make you look and feel younger -Reduce your risk of developing sleep apnea (a common disorder associated with impotence, loss of concentration, poor memory, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart attacks) Snoring is no joke, and a lack of restful sleep can seriously damage your health and relationships! So join the army of people taking small steps each and every day to Stop Snoring the easy way!

From Banksy to Extinction Rebellion, artivism (activism through art) is the art of our era. From international biennale to newspaper pages, artivism is everywhere. Both inside museums and on the streets, global artivism spreads political messages and raises social issues, capturing attention with shocking protests and weird stunts. Yet, is this fusion of art and activism all it seems? Are artivist messages as subversive and anti-authoritarian we assume they are? How has the art trade commodified protest and how have activists parasitised art venues? Is artivism actually an arm of the establishment? Using artist statements, theoretical writings, statistical data, historical analysis and insider testimony, British art critic Alexander Adams examines the origins, aims and spread of artivism. He uncovers troubling ethical infractions within public organisations and a culture of complacent self-congratulation in the arts. His findings suggest the perception of artivism - the most influential art practice of the twenty-first century - as a grassroots humanitarian movement could not be more misleading. Adams concludes that artivism erodes the principles underpinning museums, putting their existence at risk.

First they debunked the myth that snoring is hard to kick and saved thousands from noisy, sleepless nights. Now, Dr Mike Dilkes and Alex Adams are back- this time, with reliable, no-nonsense advice to STOP WRINKLES, THE EASY WAY. Our ageing population is investing more time and money than ever before in the pursuit of health, happiness and longevity. Not only is 60 the new 40, but a recent study by one of the UK's largest gyms revealed that increasing numbers of forty-something Brits are actually fitter than the average twenty-somethings of our nation! But when it comes to looking younger, even the slacking youngsters feel the pressure to preserve their youth, with the latest research suggesting that British women start worrying about wrinkles at the ripe (young) age of 24, and unprecedented numbers of women in their 30s are going 'under the knife' to thwart unwelcome crinkles, crows feet and laughter lines. STOP WRINKLES proves that expensive gym memberships and invasive surgery are NOT the only way to start loving a more youthful reflection, fast! Packed with practical information and clear, safe advice from a leading medical expert, this is a must-read for anyone looking to grow old gracefully but gradually.

Iconoclasm, Identity Politics and the Erasure of History surveys the origins, uses and manifestations of iconoclasm in history, art and public culture. It examines the various causes and uses of image/property defacement as a tool of political, national, religious and artistic process. This is one of the first books to examine the outbreak of iconoclasm in Europe and North America in the summer of 2020 in the context of previous outbreaks, and it examines the implications of iconoclasm as a form of control, censorship and expression.