Kat Severn is a daughter of privilege, born to money and power. Half her relatives are military legends, the other form the political and economic power running Nu new England, the principle city of the post-war, early 22nd century Federation of America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She has been raised only to be beautiful and marry well, but looking for a chance to prove herself through merit, rather than connections, Kat decides to join the Fleet, against the wishes of her powerful parents. If ensuring she doesn't disappoint her family's high expectations wasn't enough, Kat is soon leading a mission to rescue a kidnapped child. Then she and her high-tech computer Safi are sent into Alaska where a volcanic eruption has caused famine and a complete breakdown of society. After varying degrees of success, Kat leads a rebellion against her commander to prevent a cohort of military hawks from turning a peaceful ceremony into a bloodbath, with repercussions that can only herald another war. For Kat, failure is not an option.

Is there somewhere you really want to travel to, or just yearn to know better? Do you want all the essential facts about the UK at your fingertips? If you want to know what it's really about (rather than the things your parents think you should see!), The Real UK is a great place to start. What's hot: UK highlights you really won't want to miss Take a walking tour of London - with a difference! Check out the UK's music scene, including the Glastonbury Festival and the music you should be listening out for Explore the mysterious standing stones and other spooky sites The best places to check out next year's fashions - today! Need-to-know information about internet access, mobile networks, dialling codes and more Whether you are planning a trip or a holiday, just day-dreaming about one or simply need to know the facts, The Real UK is your essential guide. It is part of a series of books that help young people find out what a country is really about.

Since the modern wave of lotteries began over twenty-five years ago in New Hampshire, state-operated lotteries have become an area of tremendous growth for public sector financing. Gambling taxes of all kinds have been steadily increasing, and thirty-three states are now operating lotteries. In this work, Mary Borg, Paul Mason, and Stephen Shapiro examine the economic impact and consequences of state lotteries, focusing specifically on the efficiency and equity of state government revenue and expenditure policy.

The study begins with an overview of statistical information characterizing the nation's lotteries, and a review of the scholarly literature concerning lotteries and the economic evaluation of the lottery tax. A pair of chapters then explore the equity and efficiency of lotteries. The equity issues are addressed by considering the budgetary impact of the lottery in Illinois and Florida, while the efficiency issues focus on the six education-supporting lottery states, covering such topics as whether taxes are allocated to designated recipients and are efficiently administered. Subsequent chapters detail the effect of lottery taxes on other sources of state tax revenue, and the issue of whether money spent on lottery tickets comes at the expense of necessities or alternative expenditures. A final chapter offers policy prescriptions that could enhance efficiency and equity, as well as a discussion of whether lotteries should be discontinued. This volume will be an important resource for scholars and policy makers in economics, state and local government, and public administration, and a valuable addition to both public and academic libraries.