Author: Dean Baker File Type: pdf There is nothing wrong with economics, Dean Baker contends, but economists routinely ignore their own principles when it comes to economic policy. What would policy look like if we took basic principles of mainstream economics seriously and applied them consistently? In the debate over regulation, for example, Baker—one of the few economists who predicted the meltdown of fall 2008—points out that ideological blinders have obscured the fact there is no free market to protect. Modern markets are highly regulated, although intrusive regulations such as copyright and patents are rarely viewed as regulatory devices. If we admit the extent to which the economy is and will be regulated, we have many more options in designing policy and deciding who benefits from it. On health care reform, Baker complains that economists ignore another basic idea marginal cost pricing. Unlike all other industries, medical services are priced extraordinarily high, far above the cost of... There is nothing wrong with economics, Dean Baker contends, but economists routinely ignore their own principles when it comes to economic policy. What would policy look like if we took basic principles of mainstream economics seriously and applied them consistently? In the debate over regulation, for example, Baker--one of the few economists who predicted the meltdown of fall 2008--points out that ideological blinders have obscured the fact there is no free market to protect. Modern markets are highly regulated, although intrusive regulations such as copyright and patents are rarely viewed as regulatory devices. If we admit the extent to which the economy is and will be regulated, we have many more options in designing policy and deciding who benefits from it. On health care reform, Baker complains that economists ignore another basic idea marginal cost pricing. Unlike all other industries, medical services are priced extraordinarily high, far above the cost of production, yet that discrepancy is rarely addressed in the debate about health care reform. What if we applied marginal cost pricing--making doctors wages competitive and charging less for prescription drugs and tests such as MRIs? Taking Economics Seriously offers an alternative Econ 101. It introduces economic principles and thinks through what we might gain if we free ourselves from ideological blinders and get back to basics in the most troubled parts of our economy.

Author: Jules Verne File Type: pdf One of the great first novels in world literature is now available in a complete, accurate English translation. Prepared by two of Americas leading Verne scholars, Frederick Paul Walter and Arthur B. Evans, this edition honors not only Vernes farseeing science, but also his zest, style, and storytelling brilliance. Initially published in 1863, Five Weeks in a Balloon was the first novel in what would become the authors Extraordinary Voyages series. It tells the tale of a 4,000-mile balloon trip over the mysterious continent of Africa, a trip that wouldnt actually take place until well into the next century. Fusing adventure, comedy, and science fiction, Five Weeks has all the key ingredients of classic Verne sly humor and cheeky characters, an innovative scientific invention, a tangled plot thats full of suspense and surprise, and visions of an unknown realm. As part of the Early Classics of Science Fiction series, this critical edition features extensive notes, all the illustrations from the original French edition, and a complete Verne biography and bibliography. Five Weeks in a Balloon will be a prized addition to libraries and science fiction reading lists, and a must-read for Verne fans and steampunk connoisseurs.**

Author: Robert Ackerman File Type: pdf The enduring importance of his book The Golden Bough keeps J. G. Frazers name prominent on the list of the most significant figures in modern religious studies. But by no means was Frazer the sole influence on myth-ritualism - the Cambridge-based school of thought most often associated with him. In this intellectual history of the fellowship of scholars to which Frazer belonged, Robert Ackerman expands our acquaintance with the myth and ritual school to include Jane Harrison, Gilbert Murray, F. M. Cornford, and A. B. Cook, all of whom were instrumental in connecting the lines of thought in myth theory, classics, and anthropology that had begun to converge at the turn of the last century.

Author: Carolina Bank Muñoz File Type: pdf A story that involves as its main players workers and Walmart does not usually have a happy ending for labor, so the counternarrative offered by Building Power from Below is must reading for activists and union personnel as well as scholars. In 2008 Walmart acquired a controlling share in a large supermarket chain in Santiago, Chile. As part of the deal Walmart had to accept the unions that were already in place. Since then, Chilean retail and warehouse workers have done something that has seemed impossible for labor in the United States they have organized even more successful unions and negotiated unprecedented contracts with Walmart. In Building Power from Below, Carolina Bank Munoz attributes Chilean workers success in challenging the worlds largest corporation to their organizations commitment to union democracy and building strategic capacity. Chilean workers have spent years building grassroots organizations committed to principles of union democracy. Retail workers unions have less structural power, but have significant associational and symbolic power. Their most notable successes have been in fighting for respect and dignity on the job. Warehouse workers by contrast have substantial structural power and have achieved significant economic gains. While the model in Chile cannot necessarily be reproduced in different countries, we can gain insights from the Chilean workers approaches, tactics, and strategies. **Review Carolina Bank Munozs analysis of a success story in Chiles retail industry, which is known to be particularly antiunion, is fascinating and important. The comparison of retail and logistics is particularly novel. Building Power from Below will draw interest from a wide range of readers both inside and outside the academy. (Joel Stillerman, author of The Sociology of Consumption) Building Power from Below is a timely, fascinating, and highly readable book that provides insight into how it is possible to beat the bully. It provides a well-written, well-documented, and theoretically informed account as to how, even under neoliberalism, workers are able to deploy their power to overcome incredible odds. (Fernando Leiva, author of Latin American Neostructuralism) About the Author Carolina Bank Munoz is Associate Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College. She is the author of Transnational Tortillas, also from Cornell.