In Greek mythology, the chimera was a hybrid monster. Similarly, bats look like they have the body of a mouse, the face of a gargoyle or fox, and the wings of a pterosaur, giving rise to this book's title. Evolution's Chimera describes the amazing physical and behavioural adaptations of bats, using them to illustrate the processes of natural evolution. Bats comprise a quarter of all mammals in the world and are the only mammals that can fly. They occupy every landmass and almost every habitat on Earth. They make up the second-most diverse group of mammals on the planet, numbering more than 1 270 species. And they are among the oldest mammals. They are therefore ideal for the study of how evolution generates biological diversity. David Jacobs, an expert on bats currently researching animal evolution, gives an accessible account of evolution using bats as a case study, from adaptation, competition and evolutionary arms races to the role of sensory systems in the adaptation of species. He explores why bats hang upside down, why they are so small and the diversity of their diets, from insects to blood. Based on research done over the last 10 years this book provides a review of the latest research into evolution and biology, indicates what research still needs to be done and introduces new hypotheses for testing.

As a result of its size, history, immigration flows, and institutional complexity at the city, county, state, and national levels, the United States is characterized by disparate yet coexisting systems of political economy and labor policy. Some of the northeastern, midwestern, and western states have at times had a kind of "laborist capitalism" in which public policy and prominent employers acknowledged union power and legitimacy. In the South, things are different: Mississippi and South Carolina are among the states least hospitable to unionism. In such states, local business interests have preserved low taxes, lax regulations, and low wages. The authors of Disunited States of America describe several dimensions of labor policy differentiation across the states as well as examine the underlying dynamics.

Contributors: Sarah Collins, Commonwealth Fund; Janice Fine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Ray Hogler, Colorado State University; David Jacobs, Morgan State University; Margaret Kahn, University of Michigan Flint; Richard Marens, California State University Sacramento; Michael Ogbolu, Howard University; John Schmitt, Center for American Progress; Roland Zullo, University of Michigan"

This book examines the coordination of renewable energy policies in the European Union using an innovative theoretical approach to explain national policy making. David Jacobs asks, why are national support instruments for electricity from renewable energy sources converging, even though the harmonisation of these frameworks at the European level has failed? Which causal mechanisms lead to cross-national policy similarities? And what are the implications for policy coordination in the EU? The author traces the evolution of feed-in tariffs - the most successful and most widely used support mechanism for renewable electricity - in Germany, Spain and France. He reveals increasing cross-national policy similarities in feed-in tariff design - despite the failure of harmonizing instruments at the European level. He explains these increasing policy similarities by applying policy convergence theory. Policy convergence can occur voluntarily, based on transnational communication, regulatory competition and technological innovations and these findings have important implications for European policy steering. The key to this book is the interrelation of an innovative theoretical concept (coordination of policies in the international arena via voluntary cooperation) with a very topical empirical research focus - the promotion of renewable energies in the EU. It will be essential reading for scholars and students of environmental policy, comparative politics and European studies.

This book examines the coordination of renewable energy policies in the European Union using an innovative theoretical approach to explain national policy making. David Jacobs asks, why are national support instruments for electricity from renewable energy sources converging, even though the harmonisation of these frameworks at the European level has failed? Which causal mechanisms lead to cross-national policy similarities? And what are the implications for policy coordination in the EU? The author traces the evolution of feed-in tariffs - the most successful and most widely used support mechanism for renewable electricity - in Germany, Spain and France. He reveals increasing cross-national policy similarities in feed-in tariff design - despite the failure of harmonizing instruments at the European level. He explains these increasing policy similarities by applying policy convergence theory. Policy convergence can occur voluntarily, based on transnational communication, regulatory competition and technological innovations and these findings have important implications for European policy steering. The key to this book is the interrelation of an innovative theoretical concept (coordination of policies in the international arena via voluntary cooperation) with a very topical empirical research focus - the promotion of renewable energies in the EU. It will be essential reading for scholars and students of environmental policy, comparative politics and European studies.

During the past five years there has been a reawakening of interest in the psychotherapy of patients with medical disorders characterized as psychosomatic. For three decades, psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy were used extensively to treat and study psychosomatic disorders. Early in the 1960s, interest in this approach to these conditions faded, and the .Psychosomatic Service. in most hospitals became the .Consultation Liaison Service. (Lipowski, 1967). The recent focus of biofeedback on psychosomatic conditions provides a new technique with which the physician or psychiatrist may treat these patients (Rickles, 1981). In addition, the successful application of biofeedback training to a variety of complaints such as those presented in this volume has heralded the addition of biofeedback to the treatment modalities used for medical complaints. Frequently, psychological factors can still be seen; for example, when biofeedback treatment may require lifestyle changes on the part of the patient, the exploration of secondary gains or resistances before the disorder can be success fully treated, and the establishment of rapport and empathy which is so important for truly effective biofeedback training. Aside from certain psychological dimensions that are always present in biofeed back training, in this case biofeedback is being used in a primarily medical setting for primarily medical complaints."

25 Years of Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime Time Soap takes readers behind the scenes of TV's legendary Dallas. It includes interviews with over 45 Dallas stars, including Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, photographs from Southfork and Steve Kanaly's personal collection, trivia and more!

25 Years of Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime Time Soap takes readers behind the scenes of TV's legendary Dallas. It includes interviews with over 45 Dallas stars, including Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, photographs from Southfork and Steve Kanaly's personal collection, trivia and more!

Social insurance and employee benefits are key elements of society's safety net for workers. Social Security, although popular and successful, is under attack by critics who advocate privatization and benefit cuts. In health care, the United States has charted a course unique in the industrial world: 110 years after the debut of national health insurance in Europe, the US still lacks comprehensive coverage, spends a higher proportion of its gross domestic product on medical care than any other nation, and fails to insure 44 million people. The U.S. safety net relies heavily on job-related coverage, which has imposed a major burden on collective bargaining. With competitive pressures causing many employers to cut benefits and shift costs and risks to workers, private employee benefits have been weakened just when the public safety net is being challenged. What, then, does the future hold for social insurance and employee benefits? In The Future of the Safety Net, leading experts address key aspects of this crucial question.