Casino. The Rise and Fall of the Mob in Las Vegas

In 1991 Gerald Ratner was booked to make what should have been an everyday speech at the Institute of Directors. Should have been. When the words «total crap» come out of his mouth in connection with a decanter and glasses set sold by his company, H. Samuel, it all turned out slightly different. The Rise and Fall…And Rise Again tells the full story, in Gerald Ratner's own words, of what lead him to that point at the IoD, the horror of what happened in the immediate aftermath, the fallout and the comeback. This is the fi rst time Gerald Ratner has given his side of the story. And what a story it is. You'll fi nd out: * How he wiped ?500m off the value of his own company virtually overnight * All the details about the initial gaffe and how he compounded it by remarking that some of the earrings were «cheaper than an M&S prawn sandwich but probably wouldn't last as long» * How «doing a Ratner» has entered into the vocabulary of British business * The wilderness years sitting glued to the sofa in front of Countdown * How he has bounced back, rediscovering his entrepreneurial spark by building up a health club business and, more recently, the immensely successful online jewellery retailer Geraldonline.com * The story's not over yet…

The mortgage meltdown: what went wrong and how do we fix it? Owning a home can bestow a sense of security and independence. But today, in a cruel twist, many Americans now regard their homes as a source of worry and dashed expectations. How did everything go haywire? And what can we do about it now? In The Rise and Fall of the U.S. Mortgage and Credit Markets, renowned finance expert James Barth offers a comprehensive examination of the mortgage meltdown. Together with a team of economists at the Milken Institute, he explores the shock waves that have rippled through the entire financial sector and the real economy. Deploying an incredibly detailed and extensive set of data, the book offers in-depth analysis of the mortgage meltdown and the resulting worldwide financial crisis. This authoritative volume explores what went wrong in every critical area, including securitization, loan origination practices, regulation and supervision, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, leverage and accounting practices, and of course, the rating agencies. The authors explain the steps the government has taken to address the crisis thus far, arguing that we have yet to address the larger issues. Offers a comprehensive examination of the mortgage market meltdown and its reverberations throughout the financial sector and the real economy Explores several important issues that policymakers must address in any future reshaping of financial market regulations Addresses how we can begin to move forward and prevent similar crises from shaking the foundations of our financial system The Rise and Fall of the U.S. Mortgage and Credit Markets analyzes the factors that should drive reform and explores the issues that policymakers must confront in any future reshaping of financial market regulations.

The Rise of the Project Workforce «Melik brings a difficult subject into focus by adding a detailed and feasible approach to managing complex projects in the digital age. Not only is The Rise of the Project Workforce a strong entry-level primer, but an extremely valuable reference guide for any seasoned project or program manager.» —Jonathan W. Rider, Vice President and CIO, Gilbane Inc. «Project professionals remain challenged with business solutions that force-fit production and manufacturing discipline and tools to meet the needs of knowledge-based information workers. This book provides a comprehensive reference for enterprises that are making the shift to a service-based and project-based world.» —Ray Wang, Analyst, Forrester Research «This is a must-read for anyone looking for a framework to manage complex projects where speed, quality, and managing diverse competencies are critical success components of the project.» —Rich LaBarbera, President and CEO, Kintera Inc. and former president, Niku Corporation «The strength of The Rise of the Project Workforce is in the breadth of the topics covered-in both the realm of project management as well as human capital management. Lots of books do one well, but Melik manages to successfully educate readers on the importance of balancing and linking both areas.» —John Colbert, CEO, Guidance Software Inc. «This book is a well-organized, college-level course for professionals preparing for the changes and challenges of the twenty-first century. It touches on current and future issues associated with risk mitigation and regulatory compliance that affect every company competing in the global marketplace today.» —David Hofferberth, Analyst, SPI Research

In this book Jonathan Garner and his colleagues at Credit Suisse First Boston, argue that by 2014 the Chinese consumer will likely have displaced the US consumer as the engine of growth in the global economy. Government policy is rebalancing demand within the Chinese economy from investment spending to consumption spending. Strong trend economic growth over the cycle, a rise in the consumption to GDP ratio and steady exchange rate appreciation will likely generate an 18% compound annual growth rate in the US dollar value of Chinese consumption spending over the next ten years and lead to a quadrupling in China's share of global consumption spending. In order to identify the companies and brands which are best placed to succeed in China's rapidly developing mass consumer market, Garner and his colleagues discuss the results of the first comprehensive survey of consumer attitudes and preferences to have been conducted in China, covering 2,700 persons in eight major Chinese cities. This survey provides valuable data for the business executive or academic seeking detailed local information on sectors including automobiles, beverages, electronic goods, financial services, food producers, food retail, food services, household & personal care, luxury goods, telecommunication equipment, tobacco, and transport and leisure travel. «China is likely to be the single most important influence on the fortunes of investors and corporates alike over the next five years, and yet little is known of what motivates and drives the Chinese consumer. By canvassing the people that matter and reflect the changing face of this massive country, Jonathan Garner has provided investors with a unique insight.» Philip Ehrmann, Head of Pacific & Emerging Markets, Gartmore Investment Management Plc.

Until quite recently, almost no philosophers trained in the continental tradition saw anything of value in realism. The situation in analytic philosophy was always different, but in continental philosophy realism was usually treated as a pseudo-problem. That is no longer the case. In this provocative new book, two leading philosophers examine the remarkable rise of realism in the continental tradition. While exploring the similarities and differences in their own positions, they also consider the work of others and assess rival trends in contemporary philosophy. They begin by discussing the relation between realism and materialism, which DeLanda links closely but which Harman tries to separate. Part Two covers the many different meanings of realism, with the two authors working together to develop an expanded definition of the term. Part Three features a spirited exchange on the respective virtues and drawbacks of DeLanda's realism of attractors and singularities and Harman's object-oriented theory. Part Four shifts to the question of the knowability of the real, as the authors discuss whether scientific knowledge does full justice to reality. In Part Five, they shift the focus to space, time, and science more generally, and here Harman offers a defence of actor-network theory despite its obvious anti-realist elements. Lively, accessible and engaging, this book is the best attempt so far to clarify the different paths for realism in continental philosophy. It will be of great value to students and scholars of continental philosophy and to anyone interested in the cutting-edge debates in philosophy and critical theory today.

Fascinating insights into the changing supply chain industry in China, from leading international experts A fascinating look at the enormous changes taking place in China today as it evolves from global manufacturer to global consumer marketplace, The Shipping Point: The Rise of China and the Future of Retail Supply Chain Management explores how China's ascension will have a profound impact on the future of retail supply chain management. Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of leading supply chain and retail professionals from around the world to illuminate opportunities that are likely to develop over the next decade in China, the book is essential reading for anyone working with or looking to better understand how supply chains work. Focusing on cutting edge logistics programs, processes, and technologies that will drive supply chain innovation in the twenty-first century, the book highlights innovative logistics programs that link the Asia Pacific manufacturing base, with international retailers and end consumers. Providing real examples of supply chain innovation in the marketplace to clearly illustrate the ideas in action, the book explores multi-country consolidation in China, strategies for greening the supply chain, supply chain & logistics IT systems, contingency planning strategy, and much more. Explores the programs, processes, and technologies that will drive supply chain innovation in the years ahead, with a particular focus on China Incorporates case studies contributed by retail executives and logistics industry professionals from around the world Highlights innovative logistics programs that link the Asia Pacific manufacturing base with international retailers and end consumers In The Shipping Point, international transportation and logistics expert Peter Levesque and a team of contributing authors provide practical expertise and insights into present and future opportunities for consumer retail and supply chain management—and what it will take to turn those opportunities into reality.

The rise of the renminbi and what it means for forex markets Chinese authorities have ambitious plans to «internationalize» the renminbi, transforming it from a tightly controlled domestic legal tender into a global currency for international trade, held by both private and public sector asset managers. The Offshore Renminbi examines this impending currency revolution, outlining why the emergence of China as a major economic power will likely soon be matched by a transformation of the renminbi's role in the global financial system. It explains how new markets for «offshore» renminbi are developing outside mainland China since the country is not yet ready to fully open up its economy to international capital flows, and the regulations that govern them. The potential growth for the renminbi market is vast, thanks to China's role in the global trading community. The early stages of the internationalization effort were small-scale, but momentum has greatly increased over the past 18 months, making this book more relevant than ever. These developments offer new opportunities (and challenges) for corporate treasurers and investors, as China's profound economic success and growing prominence in global trade may transform offshore renminbi into a new global reserve currency and a legitimate competitor to the U.S. dollar. Explores how the «internationalization» of the renminbi is likely to yield a new global currency to rival the U.S. dollar Examines «offshore» renminbi and the host of new financial markets they have created, from a spot FX market to Dim Sum bonds in Hong Kong Covers broad themes of interest to general readers and policymakers, as well as more detailed issues of practical and direct importance to corporate treasurers and investors The Chinese government has ambitious plans to make the renminbi a global currency. The Offshore Renminbi explains the complexities of this strategy and the dramatic implications for the global FX markets.

This book is about the global crisis and the right to resistance, about neoliberal biopolitics and direct democracy, about the responsibility of intellectuals and the poetry of the multitude. Using Greece as an example, Douzinas argues that the persistent sequence of protests, uprisings and revolutions has radically changed the political landscape. This new politics is the latest example of the drive to resist, a persevering characteristic of the human spirit. The EU and the IMF used Greece as a guinea pig to test the conditions of social reconstruction in times of crisis. But the manifold resistances turned the object of experimentation into a political subject and overturned the plans of elites. The idea and limits of democracy are redefined in the place of their birth.