An Economist Best Book of the Year A Financial Times Best Book of the Year A Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year A ProMarket Best Political Economy Book of the Year One of The Week's Ten Best Business Books of the Year A cutting-edge look at how accelerating financial change, from the end of cash to the rise of cryptocurrencies, will transform economies for better and worse. We think we've seen financial innovation. We bank from laptops and buy coffee with the wave of a phone. But these are minor miracles compared with the dizzying experiments now underway around the globe, as businesses and governments alike embrace the possibilities of new financial technologies. As Eswar Prasad explains, the world of finance is at the threshold of major disruption that will affect corporations, bankers, states, and indeed all of us. The transformation of money will fundamentally rewrite how ordinary people live. Above all, Prasad foresees the end of physical cash. The driving force won't be phones or credit cards but rather central banks, spurred by the emergence of cryptocurrencies to develop their own, more stable digital currencies. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies themselves will evolve unpredictably as global corporations like Facebook and Amazon join the game. The changes will be accompanied by snowballing innovations that are reshaping finance and have already begun to revolutionize how we invest, trade, insure, and manage risk. Prasad shows how these and other changes will redefine the very concept of money, unbundling its traditional functions as a unit of account, medium of exchange, and store of value. The promise lies in greater efficiency and flexibility, increased sensitivity to the needs of diverse consumers, and improved market access for the unbanked. The risk is instability, lack of accountability, and erosion of privacy. A lucid, visionary work, The Future of Money shows how to maximize the best and guard against the worst of what is to come.

Emerging market economies (EMEs) have become the darlings of international investors and the focus of enormous attention in academic, media, and policy circles. M. Ayhan Kose and Eswar Prasad present the definitive account of the evolution of EMEs and use the lens of the global financial crisis to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

Led by a set of large and dynamic countries --including Brazil, China, India, and Russia --EMEs have become a dominant presence in the world economy. They now account for a substantial share of world output and have been a major driver of global growth during the past decade. They are significant players in international trade and financial flows and are beginning to exert rising clout in global policy debates. However, the financial crisis of 2007?09 and the worldwide recession that followed cast a pall over the notion that EMEs had become self-reliant and "decoupled" from demand conditions in and financial flows from advanced countries.

Kose and Prasad, prominent experts on emerging market economies and globalization, draw on their extensive research to assess the resilience of EMEs in the face of the global financial crisis. Their analysis shows that EMEs, as a group, weathered the crisis much better than the advanced countries, and most of these economies have bounced back rapidly from the global recession. The authors track down the reasons for this resilience and explain why some countries in this group have done better than others. Based on this analysis, they draw lessons for the durability and sustainability of these economies' long-term growth. This book is important reading for anyone trying to anticipate the future growth of emerging markets or contemplating business opportunities in these economies.

This book presents a collection of articles on various aspects of current research on aging. These include model systems, cellular, biochemical and molecular aspects of experimental aging research, as well as selected intervention studies on age-related diseases. Aging is a global challenge to human society. Children are always in a hurry to become adults, while adults produce offspring and add to the gene pool. However, after adulthood or the attainment of reproductive maturity, all physiological parameters of the living organism start to undergo the aging process. Old age sets in slowly but surely, and usually continues for a prolonged period. If vigor and vitality are the main advantages of adulthood, old age offers the rewards of experience and maturity. Biologists ask questions such as: Why do we age? How do we become old? Is it possible to slow down, postpone or even prevent aging? In turn, medical experts ask: What are the diseases associated with old age? Are there medicines that can help affected elderly patients? In fact both groups are asking themselves how can we add more health to old age. Healthy aging is the dream of every individual. But to achieve this, it is fundamental that we first understand the cellular, biochemical and molecular basis of the aging process in mammalian cells, tissues and intact living organisms, which can serve as experimental model systems in Biomedical Gerontology. Once the biology of aging is understood at the genetic and molecular levels, interventional approaches to aging and its associated diseases may be easier to plan and implement at the preclinical level.

In response to the worldwide health problems caused by nutritional zinc deficiency, coupled with the remarkable advances in our knowledge of zinc metabolism, the author has written this monograph on the clinical effects of this important mineral. Dr. Prasad focuses on biochemical aspects, but also includes chapters on toxicity and assessment techniques in order to provide clinicians who encounter zinc related problems in their practice with a practical reference source.

An Economist Book of the Year A Financial Times Book of the Year A Foreign Affairs Book of the Year A ProMarket Book of the Year One of The Week’s Ten Best Business Books of the Year “A road map for money managers, market strategists, and others seeking to understand this new world.�—Barron’s “Money shapes economies, economies shape nations, nations shape history. It follows that the future of money is profoundly important. Here is a definitive report on where we are and where we are going.�—Lawrence H. Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury “Prasad manages to make the financial system intelligible and interesting without resorting to shortcuts and exaggeration…Previous overhauls mainly improved existing systems, he notes. The end of cash—likely within a decade or two—is revolutionary.�—The Economist The world of finance is on the cusp of a major disruption that will affect corporations, bankers, states—indeed, all of us. As Eswar Prasad makes clear, the end of physical cash will fundamentally rewrite how we live. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies are just the beginning: spurred by their emergence, central banks will increasingly develop their own, more stable digital currencies. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies themselves will evolve dramatically as global corporations like Meta, Apple, and Amazon join the game. Prasad shows how these innovations will redefine the very concept of money, unbundling its traditional functions. This transformation promises greater efficiency and flexibility, but also carries the risk of instability, lack of accountability, and erosion of privacy. A lucid, visionary work, The Future of Money shows how to maximize the best and guard against the worst of what is to come.

In response to the worldwide health problems caused by nutritional zinc deficiency, coupled with the remarkable advances in our knowledge of zinc metabolism, the author has written this monograph on the clinical effects of this important mineral. Dr. Prasad focuses on biochemical aspects, but also includes chapters on toxicity and assessment techniques in order to provide clinicians who encounter zinc related problems in their practice with a practical reference source.

The U.S. dollar's dominance seems under threat. The near collapse of the U.S. financial system in 2008-2009, political paralysis that has blocked effective policymaking, and emerging competitors such as the Chinese renminbi have heightened speculation about the dollar's looming displacement as the main reserve currency. Yet, as "The Dollar Trap" powerfully argues, the financial crisis, a dysfunctional international monetary system, and U.S. policies have paradoxically strengthened the dollar's importance.

Eswar Prasad examines how the dollar came to have a central role in the world economy and demonstrates that it will remain the cornerstone of global finance for the foreseeable future. Marshaling a range of arguments and data, and drawing on the latest research, Prasad shows why it will be difficult to dislodge the dollar-centric system. With vast amounts of foreign financial capital locked up in dollar assets, including U.S. government securities, other countries now have a strong incentive to prevent a dollar crash.

Prasad takes the reader through key contemporary issues in international finance--including the growing economic influence of emerging markets, the currency wars, the complexities of the China-U.S. relationship, and the role of institutions like the International Monetary Fund--and offers new ideas for fixing the flawed monetary system. Readers are also given a rare look into some of the intrigue and backdoor scheming in the corridors of international finance.

"The Dollar Trap" offers a panoramic analysis of the fragile state of global finance and makes a compelling case that, despite all its flaws, the dollar will remain the ultimate safe-haven currency.

Essential and Toxic Trace Elements and Vitamins in Human Health is a comprehensive guide to the wide variety of micronutrients that affect human health, including fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins that support diverse biochemical functions, trace elements with established and suggested links to health maintenance, and elements with known human toxicity such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead. An essential reference text for nutritionists working in academia and functional food and supplement industries, dieticians, and clinicians, Essential and Toxic Trace Elements and Vitamins in Human Health provides an in-depth look at toxic trace elements and essential vitamins and minerals and their direct influence on the body's overall health with expert research from renowned scientists.

In a changing climate, livestock production is expected to exhibit dual roles of mitigation and adaptation in order to meet the challenge of food security. This book approaches the issues of livestock production and climate change through three sections: I. Livestock production, II. Climate change and, III. Enteric methane amelioration. Section I addresses issues of feed quality and availability, abiotic stress (heat and nutritional) and strategies for alleviation, livestock generated nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, and approaches for harnessing the complex gut microbial diversity. Section II discusses the effects of climate change on livestock diversity, farm animal reproduction, impact of meat production on climate change, and emphasising the role of indigenous livestock in climatic change to sustain production. Section III deals with the most recent approaches to amelioration of livestock methane such as breeding for low methane emissions, reductive acetogenesis, immunization/vaccine-based concepts and archaea phage therapy.

The U.S. dollar's dominance seems under threat. The near collapse of the U.S. financial system in 2008-2009, political paralysis that has blocked effective policymaking, and emerging competitors such as the Chinese renminbi have heightened speculation about the dollar's looming displacement as the main reserve currency. Yet, as The Dollar Trap powerfully argues, the financial crisis, a dysfunctional international monetary system, and U.S. policies have paradoxically strengthened the dollar's importance. Eswar Prasad examines how the dollar came to have a central role in the world economy and demonstrates that it will remain the cornerstone of global finance for the foreseeable future. Marshaling a range of arguments and data, and drawing on the latest research, Prasad shows why it will be difficult to dislodge the dollar-centric system. With vast amounts of foreign financial capital locked up in dollar assets, including U.S. government securities, other countries now have a strong incentive to prevent a dollar crash. Prasad takes the reader through key contemporary issues in international finance--including the growing economic influence of emerging markets, the currency wars, the complexities of the China-U.S. relationship, and the role of institutions like the International Monetary Fund--and offers new ideas for fixing the flawed monetary system. Readers are also given a rare look into some of the intrigue and backdoor scheming in the corridors of international finance. The Dollar Trap offers a panoramic analysis of the fragile state of global finance and makes a compelling case that, despite all its flaws, the dollar will remain the ultimate safe-haven currency.

China's currency, the renminbi (RMB), has taken the world by storm. The RMB is well on its way to becoming a significant international currency, one that is used widely in international trade and finance. This book documents the RMB's impressive rise, with China successfully adopting a unique playbook for promoting its currency. China's growing economic might, expanding international influence, and the rise of its currency are all intricately connected. The book documents how China's government has tied these goals together, enabling faster progress towards each of them. But there are many pitfalls ahead, both for China's economy and its currency. The book shows how the government has so far navigated its way around domestic and international dangers, but enormous risks still lie ahead. The International Monetary Fund has elevated the RMB to the status of an official reserve currency, a currency that foreign central banks use to keep their rainy day funds. If China plays its cards right, with reforms that put its economy and financial markets on the right track, the RMB is going to become an important reserve currency that could rival some of the traditional reserve currencies such as the euro and the Japanese yen. But this book argues that there are limits to the RMB's ascendance-the hype about its inevitable rise to global dominance is overblown. The Chinese leadership's apparent commitment to financial sector and other market-oriented reforms-coupled with unambiguous repudiation of political, legal, and institutional reforms-sets the RMB on a clear course. It will attain the status of a reserve currency over time but has essentially given up its claim of being seen as a safe haven currency, one that investors turn to for safety. The RMB will erode but not seriously challenge the U.S. dollar's dominance in international finance.

From the author who brought you Plenty Of Freaks: Are You Sold On Online Dating? Have you ever regretted not obeying your gut instinct about someone you chatted with online? You end up proceeding with the date and find yourself in the most bizarre circumstances. A rescue call is out of the question because you're certain that no one would believe the hole that you have dug yourself into. Prepare to get entertained about a hilarious tale involving Plenty Of Freaks: Worst Online Dating Mistakes

Are you new to the world of online dating? Have you ever had or heard of a blind date from hell? Prepare to get intrigued by the most bizarre, outrageous, and insane online dating stories

Have you ever been bamboozled or felt used by your date? Has anyone ever made you feel like that love has a price? Are you sick and tired of people freeloading off you? Prostitution is one of the world's oldest industries, which commonly involves the trade of money for sex. If a person is willing to have sex with someone in exchange for meals, entertainment, or even a luxurious lifestyle, then is it fair to ask you: IS DATING LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION?

Have you ever been mesmerized by a highly respected figure in the business world? You put your life on hold because you desperately want to become their apprentice. Then when you finally meet them you make the startling discovery that the media and business magazines were completely wrong. Life works in mysterious ways and sometimes people are the polar opposite of what they appear to be. Sit back and let me entertain you with a tale about My Stupid CEO

This book is a hilarious collection of the world's most outrageously funny street sign names, places and people.

All most everyone in society has served or a prison like sentence working for their insane boss. We sometimes question how can our managers be so inhumane and treat us like crap. But it's even scarier when five minutes later the same maniac who just ripped a strip off us in the boardroom buys us lunch. We can all unanimously agree that the workplace would be dramatically improved if our employers practiced what they preached and truly left their problems at the door.

Are you sick and tired of being asked silly questions? Society has been raised to believe that there are no dumb questions and the only dumb question is the one not asked. However, just when you thought you heard the dumbest, ludicrous question someone takes it down to the next level with their sheer stupidity. Have you ever wondered if this is the dullest time in history? Has society lost all of its brain cells? Get ready to get entertained but please Don't Ask Dumb Questions Over 1000 of the most hilarious questions ever asked all in one complete book.

Are you sick and tired of reading generic fortune cookie descriptions? Can you imagine if the tables were turned and you got to write fortune cookie inscriptions for each customer in the restaurant? Wouldn't it be a perfect world if there was no limit or sensor on what you could insert in a fortune cookie? Get ready to have a chuckle as I entertain you with Misfortune Cookies

Do you ever get frustrated with those pesky telemarketers who call at the worst of times and wont take no for an answer? If I could show you a way to get even with those pushy telephone agents and piss them off royally, would you be interested? Wouldn't you love to be equipped with creative and innovative defences the next time you are caught of gaurd and propositioned? This book was designed to educated, entertain and most of all show you How To Piss Off A Telemarkter

The global financial crisis has led to a sweeping reevaluation of financial market regulation and macroeconomic policies. Emerging markets need to balance the goals of financial development and broader financial inclusion with the imperative of strengthening macroeconomic and financial stability. The third in a series on emerging markets, "New Paradigms for Financial Regulation" develops new analytical frameworks and provides policy prescriptions for how the frameworks should be adapted to a world of more free and more volatile capital.

This volume provides an overview of the global regulatory landscape from the perspective of Asian emerging markets. The contributors discuss the many challenges ahead in developing sound and flexible financial regulatory systems for emerging market economies. The challenges are heightened by the rising integration of these economies into global trade and finance, the growing sophistication of their financial systems as globalization and emergence processes accelerate, and their potential vulnerability to instability arising from the financial markets in the advanced economies.

The contributors provide guidance about pitfalls to be avoided, general principles that should guide the creation of sound regulatory systems, and valuable analytic perspectives about how to continue to broaden the financial sector and innovate while still maintaining financial and macroeconomic stability.