Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Life in Nyack, New York had become a repetitive bore for Aaron Adams since graduating from college, weeks turning into months with little distinguishing one from the next. When a personal tragedy changed Aaron's existence, he began to reexamine his life and realized he must make a major change or be forever trapped in a cycle of boredom and depression.So Aaron went away.He chose Italy as his destination by luck and wanted nothing more than a fresh start. He arrived at the Florence airport without knowing the language or culture he was entering and dove further into Italy until he found himself standing on the banks of the Lima in Bagni di Lucca.Once there, he would meet a stranger who would change his life; an unexpected connection bonding them perpetually in ways neither of them could have imagined on Aaron's journey of discovery.Robert Taylor's stunning, witty and emotional debut novel tracks the journey of one man rediscovering who he is and coming to terms with his sexuality against the stunning backdrop of Tuscany in the springtime.

It's 1945. American soldiers return home to ticker tape parades and overjoyed families; Private First Class Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, returns with the hope of rebuilding his life with just the shirt on his back and a dream in his heart. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation's next swing band sensation, Donny joins forces with a motley group of fellow veterans, and together they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen. However, complicated relationships, the demands of the competition, and the challenging after-effects of war may break these musicians. But, when Donny meets a beautiful, young singer named Julia, he finds the perfect harmony in words and music that could take this band of brothers all the way to the live radio broadcast finale in New York City. Victory will require every ounce of talent, stamina, and raw nerve that these musicians possess.

This book deals with a number of contentious issues in Chinese management as China emerges as a global economic player, with a greater role in international business during a global economic crisis. This step is in tandem with an economically driven foreign policy. Since the 1980s, Chinese management while still in transition, has benefited from an infusion of capital, technology and managerial expertise through inward direct investment via joint and wholly-owned foreign ventures. As the so-called 'workshop of the world', China and its exports, especially labour-intensive goods, face protectionism in the United States and the European Union. To circumvent these barriers, the Chinese leaders are emphasising domestic consumption, itself dependent on rising personal income levels and an improved national social insurance system, and a move to high-tech products, themselves requiring indigenous innovation. The creation of a knowledge economy, in addition to outward investment in manufacturing, could lead to a distinctive independent style of Chinese management. Simultaneously, China's participation in intra-regional trade underlines the nation's role in Asian regional business networks. Such developments in turn present a challenge to Western and global business. This book was published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

Bob Waldo was without a fulfilling love all his young life. As a spirited Naval officer he was too lackadaisical to know love when charming and beautiful Leslie Taylor entered his life. Bob never realized his love for Leslie until it was too late and she walked out of his life. The heartbreak of losing Leslie drove Bob to a life of hedonism and he fell vulnerable to the charms of beautiful and strong-willed Mandy Cambridge, the one who occupied his time but not his heart. During his on and off relationship with Mandy, Bob still longed for Leslie. He volunteered for Vietnam, where he uncovered the secret schemes of two tratorous Americans. This would change his life and the life of the ones he loved forever.

This book examines the current main sustainable development issues in Asia from a socio-economic, macroeconomic, and financial perspective, beyond a plain environmental context. The book further analyzes both financial or health crises, which jeopardize the economic sustainability of countries, particularly in Asia where a sustained economic growth path is an occurrence of the recent past. By doing so, the volume presents case studies on countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries, like Thailand. In some instances, the book provides a comparative analysis of the experience of European Union countries. The book is divided into two parts. The first part presents contributions with socio-economic perspectives under the broad heading of sustainable development. Each contribution examines a specific Asian country. Additionally, it looks into China's rise in adjacent regions like the Middle East, discussing China's positioning in the world in the current post Covid19 context. The second part presents the experiences of a number of Asian countries in terms of financial and economic perspectives, including an analysis of the issue of sovereign debt. The book further examines broader topics, like the sustainability of the top financial centers, and micro-finance. The volume is a must-read for scholars, students, and practitioners, interested in a better understanding of sustainable development issues in Asia in particular, and economics in general.