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.

Frederic Lee sets out the foundations of a post-Keynesian price theory through developing an empirically grounded production schema. The administered, normal cost and mark-up price doctrines are explained in parts I-III of the book, as many of their theoretical arguments are important for developing the foundations. This involves discussing the work of Gardiner Means, Philip Andrews, and Michal Kalecki as well as the developers of the doctrines, such as Edwin Nourse, Paolo Sylos Labini, Harry Edwards, Josef Steindl and Alfred Eisner. Drawing upon the arguments and formal modelling offered by the doctrines, in conjunction with empirical evidence from one hundred studies on pricing and production, Dr Lee develops an empirically grounded pricing model and production schema. He argues that the model and the schema together constitute the foundations for post-Keynesian price theory.

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.

Examining the literature of slavery and race before the Civil War, Maurice Lee demonstrates for the first time exactly how the slavery crisis became a crisis of philosophy that exposed the breakdown of national consensus and the limits of rational authority. Poe, Stowe, Douglass, Melville, and Emerson were among the antebellum authors who tried - and failed - to find rational solutions to the slavery conflict. Unable to mediate the slavery controversy as the nation moved toward war, their writings form an uneasy transition between the confident rationalism of the American Enlightenment and the more skeptical thought of the pragmatists. Lee draws on antebellum moral philosophy, political theory, and metaphysics, bringing a fresh perspective to the literature of slavery - one that synthesizes cultural studies and intellectual history to argue that romantic, sentimental, and black Atlantic writers all struggled with modernity when facing the slavery crisis.

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.

This book challenges almost every popular assumption about how to manage mergers and acquisitions. It draws upon a wealth of theory and practice to provide the essential strategic frameworks for integrating mergers, acquisitions, and other collaborative ventures at a global level. It shows that the human factor is at the center of a successful acquisition strategy.

Creative Labour Regulation is an interdisciplinary response to the central contemporary challenges to effective labour regulation. Drawing on contributions by leading experts from the Regulating for Decent Work Network, it offers new ideas for research and policy.The book identifies three central challenges to contemporary labour regulation: intensifying labour market fragmentation; complex interactions between labour market institutions; and obstacles to effective enforcement. International in scope, the volume includes chapters on both advanced economies (Europe and the United States) and the developing world (Argentina, Cambodia, South Africa and Viet Nam).Topics addressed include the regulation of precarious and informal work, the role of minimum wage regulation in industrialized and low-income countries, the promise and limitations of 'hybrid' public-private enforcement mechanisms - including in the International Labour Organization/International Finance Corporation's Better Work programme - and the involvement of labour inspectorates and civil society organizations in implementing labour standards.Creative Labour Regulation acknowledges the complexity of ensuring labour protection in contemporary economies. It concludes, however, that innovation in devising more effective legal regulation is possible, in both the advanced industrialized world and in low-income countries.

In this issue, guest editors bring their considerable expertise to this important topic. Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in the field, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create these timely topic-based reviews.