The role of chance changed in the nineteenth century, and American literature changed with it. Long dismissed as a nominal concept, chance was increasingly treated as a natural force to be managed but never mastered. New theories of chance sparked religious and philosophical controversies while revolutionizing the sciences as probabilistic methods spread from mathematics, economics, and sociology to physics and evolutionary biology. Chance also became more visible in everyday life as Americans struggled to control its power through weather forecasting, insurance, game theory, statistics, military science, and financial strategy. Uncertain Chances shows how the rise of chance shaped the way nineteenth-century American writers faced questions of doubt and belief. Poe in his detective fiction critiques probabilistic methods. Melville in Moby-Dick and beyond struggles to vindicate moral action under conditions of chance. Douglass and other African American authors fight against statistical racism. Thoreau learns to appreciate the play between nature's randomness and order. Dickinson works faithfully to render poetically the affective experience of chance-surprise. These and other nineteenth-century writers dramatize the inescapable dangers and wonderful possibilities of chance. Their writings even help to navigate extremes that remain with us today-fundamentalism and relativism, determinism and chaos, terrorism and risk-management, the rational confidence of the Enlightenment and the debilitating doubts of modernity.

A comprehensive guide to the mysteries of the I Ching. Originally discovered around 3,000 BCE, the I Ching is a collection of symbols that explain how patterns in the universe change and shift. These sixty-four symbols contain within them one of the most powerful keys to understanding the world around us. The Secrets of the I Ching is the definitive guide to understanding the ancient mysteries and foundations of the I Ching. Authors Dr. David Lee and Joseph K. Kim guide the reader from the very beginning of Eastern thought, the concepts of Tao and Tai Chi, through the theory of Yin-Yang, Trinity, the Five Elements, and other critical concepts that will unlock the full meaning of the I Ching. Instead of simply re-interpreting the myriad of meanings ascribed to the I Ching, they focus on the symbols themselves, offering a new way of understanding its unique power. Filled with over three hundred images and backed by in-depth research and study, The Secrets of the I Ching is the ultimate guide to the I Ching and essential reading for anyone interested in exploring the power of this ancient source of wisdom and knowledge.

Taiwan, once one of the world's leading manufacturing economies, is now transforming into a service economy, with an emphasis on knowledge-based services. This metamorphosis has not been easy. As well as major changes in the industrial sector, human resource and policy development have been required, the experiences and implications of which are addressed in this book. Although Taiwan is only in the initial stage of transition from a material- or capital-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, the process has already provided valuable lessons to be learnt. The ramification of transformations in manufacturing, agriculture, finance, services, and the information technology industry are examined and discussed. Tain-Jy Chen and Joseph S. Lee go on to reveal the problems and difficulties that Taiwan has encountered in creating itself a new knowledge based economy, including its outmoded service sector, the inability of businesses to pursue global production and services, and the lack of capacity to create knowledge and to innovate. Providing a discernible insight into the transformation of one of the most prominent newly industrialized countries into a knowledge-based economy, this book will greatly appeal to academics, researchers, and those with a specific interest in knowledge management or Asian economies, as well as to economic analysts.

The importance of soft power is one of the most striking features of contemporary international relations. The concept of soft power has a strong appeal outside the Western world, most countries now make serious business of developing their public diplomacy, and the challenge of engaging with overseas audiences is under close scrutiny in foreign ministries everywhere. Soft power possesses an almost magical attractive quality in East Asia, to a degree that it never attained in the United States or Europe. This study shows the continuing importance of empirical measurement and critical examination of this analytical concept. The awareness of public diplomacy's centrality in international relations is also shared in East Asia and recent experience has something to offer to current thinking. "Public Diplomacy and Soft Power in East Asia" helps to fill in empirical gaps and informs broader conceptual and theoretical debates.

The debate on whether high standards of labour market legislation affect economic growth and the rate of employment is topical and important. The contributors to this book address three main issues: how Taiwan's labour market was able to work so well prior to 1996, maintaining full employment for the last 40 years, regardless of the rapid change of industrial structure in the 1980s; what factors can be attributed to the rapid deterioration of Taiwan's labour market performance since 1996; the measures adopted by the Taiwan government in tackling the recent high unemployment rate, how effective these policies are and what lessons scholars and public policy makers in other countries can learn from Taiwan's experience. An integrated labour-market model (a revision of the Harris-Todaro dualistic labour market model) is presented which can be used to analyze labour market operation in other developing countries. The effectiveness of various policies adopted by the Taiwanese government in tackling high unemployment rate is examined and the findings shed light on public policies in other developing and newly industrialized countries.The Labour Market and Economic Development of Taiwan will appeal to scholars of Asian studies, public policy, economic development and labour economists.

Beech and Lee provide a definitive guide to the coalition's first year in office, offering compelling insights into their policy agenda, its chances of success, and a thought-provoking analysis of how the coalition government will affect the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Labour long-term.

Drawing upon the expertise of a team of established researchers, The Conservatives under David Cameron provides a detailed analysis and evaluation of the ideas, policies and electoral strategy developed during the tenure of David Cameron as Conservative Party leader. For students of developments in British politics, the book provides the essential guide to key domestic and foreign policy choices, including the Conservative Party's agenda for economic policy, reform of the public services, welfare reform, law, order and immigration, the environment, constitutional reform, foreign affairs and defence, the European Union, and international development. These choices are placed in historical context by an introduction which also includes a detailed analysis of Conservative Party ideology.

An American in Finland, a Finnish contemporary jazz band and corporate sabotage all combine to make "No Feta Cheese," a unique journey through a land of endless lakes, forests and quiet people. Karl Hafstad, a Norwegian-American, left his quiet life in Boise, Idaho, for a job in the Scandinavian music business. Peter Bengstromm was a boss unlike any he had ever had. Although he appeared to be a playboy and a sports addict, he was actually implementing a secret plan that could devastate musicians and record stores throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Skiing, tennis and meeting beautiful women all seemed to be higher priorities for Peter, than his career in music marketing, for Polydonn Records. Karl could tell something was going on behind the scenes, that just didn't make sense. Mina Tervonen had a voice like no one else and wanted to make a name for her band, along with Pekka, Teemu and Hannu, beyond their small town in central Finland. Karl shared the challenging and difficult journey of adapting to Scandinavian life with two American friends. Karen Dosher was an old college friend and an investment consultant for an American venture capitol firm. Gerald Bingham was a professional basketball player in the European League, playing for a team in Warsaw. It would be his last shot to make a living from his athletic talent, before returning to a dreary life, back in Baltimore. They learned that their employers had quite a different sense of ethics and that working and living in Europe was dramatically different than being a tourist in Stockholm or Milan. While the band toured all over Europe, only Karl knew that the future of the band and an entire segment of the Scandinavian music industry could collapse in a matter of weeks. He was faced with one of the toughest decisions of his life, which could dramatically change his life in ways he could only imagine. Selling records and managing a jazz band, developed into something that was both exciting and eventually terrifying. He was in a country that few Americans knew much about. It was truly off the beaten path and not on the way to anywhere, except for Russia. The quiet, reserved temperament of the Finns along with their love of nature, made them quite a contrast to the Americans Karl saw in the airport, the day he moved to Helsinki. Living in Finland changed Karl forever. On that amazing summer night in August, Karl found himself with a life he never dreamed of.

Even 35 years after Harold Macmillan's resignation in 1963, opinions are sharply divided over his achievements as a politician and prime minister. This volume contributes to the debate about Macmillan's political role, his successes and his failures, by examining key aspects of his political life. Biographers, historians, and contemporaries present facets of Macmillan's life, his political visions, his skills, successes and failures in his personal life as well as in his domestic and foreign policies. With most official papers covering his active political life until his resignation now in the public domain, a more considered judgement about his party political and his governmental activities is possible. Taking account of this newly available documentary evidence, there is much yet to be written on Harold Macmillan's career, but this collection bears witness to the fact that his was a magnificent life.

This title evaluates the Blair government from 1997-2007 conducting high quality research into aspects of British politics with particular emphasis on parties, policies and ideologies.It includes contributions from key figures in the field including three peers of the realm - Lord Norton, Lord Giddens and Lord Plant. This is the timely - cutting edge title published to coincide with a period of intense scrutiny of the New Labour administration's first decade. It is a core title in Palgrave Macmillan's market leading, established group of practical British politics titles and those focused specifically on New Labour. It's publication coincides with and mark the opening of a new British Politics research centre at Hull, with funding and publicity attached to it.With contributions from key figures in the field further topics include New Labour's record on social policy, defence policy, constitutional reform and public expenditure.

Despite the important methodological critiques of the mainstream offered by heterodox economics, the dominant research method taught in heterodox programmes remains econometrics. This compelling handbook provides a comprehensive introduction to a range of alternative research methods, invaluable for analyzing the data prominent in heterodox studies. Providing a solid basis for a mixed methods approach to economic investigations, the expertly crafted contributions are split into three distinct sections: philosophical foundation and research strategy, research methods and data collection, and applications. Introductions to a host of invaluable methods such as survey, historical, ethnographic, experimental and mixed approaches, together with factor, cluster, complex, and social network analytics are complemented by descriptions of applications in practice. Practical and expansive, this handbook is highly pertinent for students and scholars of economics, particularly those dedicated to heterodox approaches, as it provides a solid reference for mixed methods not available in mainstream economics research methods courses. Contributors: V. Adams, S. Austen, A. Basole, M. Bewley, N. Bracarense, T. Cardao-Pito, Z.B. Catanzarite, L. Chester, J.F. Cogliano, B. Cronin, B. Davidson, C.D. Deere, P. Downward, A. Gezici, G.C. Gu, T. Jefferson, X. Jiang, A.R. Johnson, T.E. Lambert, F.S. Lee, G. Lewin, N.O. Martins, A. Mearman, M. Meurs, J. Morgan, J.K. Moudud, J. Munoz, M.J. Murray, R. Ong, L. Pickbourn, S. Ramnarain, S.K. Schroeder, R. Sharp, R. Szostack, G. Zezza