History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests (Lionel Robbins Lectures)

Average customer rating:

Interesting Discussion but poor Presentation
Understanding International Trade
Trade For Dummies
Gripping Eye Opener
Great stuff!

Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests (Lionel Robbins Lectures)
Ralph E. Gomory , and William J. Baumol
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0262072092

Book Description

In this book Ralph Gomory and William Baumol adapt classical trade models to the modern world economy. Trade today is dominated by manufactured goods, rapidly moving technology, and huge firms that benefit from economies of scale. This is very different from the largely agricultural world in which the classical theories originated. Gomory and Baumol show that the new and significant conflicts resulting from international trade are inherent in modern economies.

Today improvement in one country's productive capabilities is often attainable only at the expense of another country's general welfare. The authors describe why and when this is so and why, in a modern free-trade environment, a country might have a vital stake in the competitive strength of its industries.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Discussion but poor Presentation.......2004-02-23

The first thing that struck me was the large number of typo's.
Starting with page 4: "when we does development abroad help"
and on through the rest of the book. Also, the graphics appear
crude.
In part 1, I could not find any reference to the fact that
"free" trade does not exist in the real world. Countries use
tariffs, taxes, subsidies, etc. to further their own interests.

Understanding International Trade.......2001-04-09

A must read book for anyone with an interest in International Trade. Gomory and Baumol take an insightful look into trade in this era of multinational companies, expanded trade and developing countries. They develop a technique to determine whether a trade decision is mutually beneficial (or detrimental) to the parties. While no "magic" formula to precisely determine the benefits of an individual trade decision, at least there is a cogent framework to start from.

As a lay reader it was apparent that to assure our continued growth and successes that we must continually innovate to create the next big retainable industry as well as continue productivity gains to compete with low wage developing countries in easy to enter industries where we have a major interest.

An exceptionally thorough analysis of today's world of trade.

Trade For Dummies.......2001-04-03

Don't be put off by the title. This book should be called "Trade for Dummies." The authors kindly start where most of us left off in Econ 101 - with comparative advantage. We all remember that nature endowed England with a comparative advantage in wool, and Portugal in wine, so that this trade was an obviously good thing.

But what about today's vastly more complex economy where considerations go far beyond the mere geography of natural resource distribution? What about the role of industrialization? Or technology? Or information? Who has what advantage? And how to measure it? The authors have solved this seemingly daunting task, and present their conclusions in a few simple graphs that could fit easily onto Mr. Laffer's napkin.

How do I know that they solved the problem of reducing all the complexities of international trade to a few simple graphs? Well, I really don't know because I am not enough of an economist or mathematician to follow the technical stuff, but the authors very kindly put all that in the second half of this slim volume as kind of an appendix for the professionals. That the two authors are a leading economist and a leading mathematician is obvious from the brief biographies. And that the work passes professional muster is obvious from the blurbs. So while I can't personally check the authors' assumptions and methodology, I can accept and fully understand their conclusions as set forth in the first half of the book - the only part I read.

Not surprisingly, the graphs show that most international trade is indeed mutually beneficial. But not all. The graphs also reveal what the authors call a zone of conflict. It is to this area that attention needs to be paid. What attention do the authors suggest? Well, they are a little coy. I suspect that at this stage they are just trying to get acceptance for their framework of analysis. Anyone questioning any aspect of unrestricted free trade today is subject to being labeled a protectionist, which is only one step above racist, so the authors understandably tread very carefully.

A splendid and provocative little book dealing with a very big subject.

Gripping Eye Opener.......2001-04-03

These 73 pages kept this layman engrossed and enlightened. You learn why World Peace through World Trade ain't necessarily so, but can be a win-win situation for nations who understand the theory of the Global Trade game.

In cogent and concise language,the two gifted authors upset the notion that a dollar of National Trading Income is indifferent to what is being traded. National Trading Income from a "retainable" industry like computer chips produce strategic strengths for a nation compared to the same amount of National Trading Income from potato chips.

This new vector on Global Trade alerts business leaders to rearrange intellectually their risk-reward equation to secure a more favorable outcome.

Great stuff!.......2001-02-09

Gomory and Baumol are two heavy-weights from the world of Economics, Industry and Mathematics who have made use of a lifetime's worth of observations to create a new theory of international trade. Their work is truely original, theoretically rigorous, and highly applicable to real-world problems: A powerful combination. As a graduate student in economics, I have found few books so compelling.

The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade

Average customer rating:

A pretty good textbook with material not found elsewhere

The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade
Masahisa Fujita , Paul Krugman , and Anthony J. Venables
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0262561476

Book Description

Since 1990 there has been a renaissance of theoretical and empirical work on the spatial aspects of the economy--that is, where economic activity occurs and why. Using new tools--in particular, modeling techniques developed to analyze industrial organization, international trade, and economic growth--this "new economic geography" has emerged as one of the most exciting areas of contemporary economics.

The authors show how seemingly disparate models reflect a few basic themes, and in so doing they develop a common "grammar" for discussing a variety of issues. They show how a common approach that emphasizes the three-way interaction among increasing returns, transportation costs, and the movement of productive factors can be applied to a wide range of issues in urban, regional, and international economics. This book is the first to provide a sound and unified explanation of the existence of large economic agglomerations at various spatial scales.

Customer Reviews:

A pretty good textbook with material not found elsewhere.......1999-07-21

If you are considering buying this book, you will probably want to do so. If you are interested in applying regional analysis or the "new" spatial economics that they present, you will have a good starting point. The necessary background is probably be a year of Ph.D. level economic theory. Specific high points are the exposition of the Dixit-Stiglitz model of monopolistic competition and the evolution of urban systems. All new Ph.D. students will have a use for chapter 4, which is an easy-to-read discussion of monopolistic competition. Further, the book is rigorous enough to be used in academic work. I recommend it to anyone interested in regional or urban economics. It is useful to students and practicing economists alike. Its rigor makes it academic, but its ease of exposition makes it useful for those without extraordinary math backgrounds. Compared to similar books, you get a lot of value for the price.

Economics of Regulation and Antitrust - 3rd Edition

Average customer rating:

Regulators should read it
Horrible
Heavy life saver!
This Book Stinks
Review of Economics of regulation and antitrust

Economics of Regulation and Antitrust - 3rd Edition
W. Kip Viscusi , John M. Vernon , and Joseph E. Harrington
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Antitrust | Business | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Intellectual Property | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Law | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0262220628

Book Description

Departing from the traditional emphasis on institutions, this text emphasizes the use of economic theory and empirical analysis to understand regulatory and antitrust policies. Questions addressed include: What are the market failure rationales for, and appropriate form of, government intervention? What does theory show about competition in the presence of a market failure and the implications of government intervention to correct that failure? What do empirical analyses indicate about our regulatory experience and the direction of future intervention?

The third edition addresses many issues that have recently dominated the economic and political landscape. New material reviews the government's case against Microsoft, charges of anticompetitive pricing in NASDAQ and airlines, the blocked Staples-Office Depot merger, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This edition also covers the deregulation of the California electric power industry as well as recent deregulatory efforts in bank branching and natural gas transmission. On the social regulatory scene, it covers in detail recent cigarette litigation and the contentious issue of the contingent valuation of natural resource damages, as exemplified in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. New empirical evidence appears throughout the book.

Each part of the text can be used separately for a variety of courses including regulation and antitrust in undergraduate institutions, business schools, and schools of public policy, as well as background for doctoral courses. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

Regulators should read it.......2007-06-26

Economics of Regulation and Antitrust offers a broad conclusion on Regulation and Antitrust policies. The issues are well described and easily to understand. Best suited for graduate students in Economics.

Horrible.......2007-06-04

This read like a math book with a few interesting facts. I was dumbfouned by reading this book. I would get to class and my professor would explain things using the same examples from the book and I would understand. The book is impossible to follow. It will give you a million variables and different numbers to think about, and then later expect you to remember something it briefly mentioned two paragraphs ago. If you can learn from reading a math book and no class room instruction; I not only would like to meet you but hand you this book. You would probably love it and understand antitrustlaw and regulation as well as the douches at MIT that wrote the thing.

Heavy life saver!.......2005-02-13

Seldom books on economic theory, particularly on regulation and antitrust are as clearly and professionally written as this one. A student of economics and Ph.D. hopeful, I keep this book within my hand reach at all times.
Economics of Regulation and Antitrust cites numerous antitrust and regulatory cases from American and European history and is thought provoking rather than doctrinal. The graphs are exceptionally easy to read and understand. Particularly well written are chapters on regulation of American transportation.
I continue to use this book for my research and highly recommend it to anybody who is seriously interested in understanding the logic behind regulation acts, game theory, and franchise bidding.

This Book Stinks.......2004-04-21

If you are looking for a nonconsistant book that jumps around and does not follow through on its explanation of certain topics than this is the book for you!

Review of Economics of regulation and antitrust.......2000-05-15

This work provides an excellent overview of the field of regulation from an economic point of view. The primary focus is economic rather than institutional -- as a result it is more appropriate for economists than for legal scholars. Although the book does not require extensive training in economics, it does assume some formal knowledge of basic economic concepts. Since its focus is economic, little time is spent discussing legal cases surrounding many of the regulations compared with, for example, Law, Business, and Society, by McAdams, et. al.

Recent Developments in International Trade Theory (International Library of Critical Writings in Economics)

Average customer rating:

Recent Developments in International Trade Theory (International Library of Critical Writings in Economics)

Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1843768828

Book Description

The last decade has seen many important contributions to the field of International Trade Theory. This authoritative volume contains 27 seminal articles that represent the most significant of these recent developments. Topics include multinational firms, trade with heterogeneous firms, general equilibrium with oligopolistic firms, outsourcing, trade liberalization and factor returns, trade and labor markets, international networking, multilateralism and regionalism, trade and the environment, the political economy of trade policy, and tax regimes in open economies.

If the Workers Took a Notion: The Right to Strike and American Political Development

Average customer rating:

If the Workers Took a Notion: The Right to Strike and American Political Development
Josiah Bartlett Lambert
Manufacturer: ILR Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Labor & Employment | Business | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Labor Unions | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0801489458

Book Description

Once a fundamental civic right, strikes are now constrained and contested. In an unusual and thought-provoking history, Josiah Bartlett Lambert shows how the ability to strike was transformed from a fundamental right that made the citizenship of working people possible into a conditional and commercialized function. Arguing that the executive branch, rather than the judicial branch, was initially responsible for the shift in attitudes about the necessity for strikes and that the rise of liberalism has contributed to the erosion of strikers' rights, Lambert analyzes this transformation in relation to American political thought. His narrative begins before the Civil War and takes the reader through the permanent striker replacement issue and the alienation of workplace-based collective action from community-based collective action during the 1960s.

"If the Workers Took a Notion" maps the connections among American political development, labor politics, and citizenship to support the claim that the right to strike ought to be a citizenship right and once was regarded as such. Lambert argues throughout that the right to strike must be protected. He challenges the current "law turn" in labor scholarship and takes into account the role of party alliances, administrative agencies, the military, and the rise of modern presidential powers.

Average customer rating:

Interesting contribution to theory

Great points - but somewhat academic

The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States.

very good book about what oil does to a country

very good book about what oil does to a country

The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States (Studies in International Political Economy , No 26)
Terry Lynn Karl
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Oil & Energy | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Relations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Unraveling of Representative Democracy in Venezuela

The Magical State: Nature, Money, and Modernity in Venezuela

Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia, 1875-2002 (Latin America in Translation/En Traducción/Em Tradução)

Venezuelan Politics in the Chavez Era: Class, Polarization, and Conflict

Fujimori's Peru: Deception in the Public Sphere (Pitt Latin Amercian Studies)

ASIN: 0520207726

Book Description

The Paradox of Plenty explains why, in the midst of two massive oil booms in the 1970s, oil-exporting governments as different as Venezuela, Iran, Nigeria, Algeria, and Indonesia chose common development paths and suffered similarly disappointing outcomes. Meticulously documented and theoretically innovative, this book illuminates the manifold factors--economic, political, and social--that determine the nature of the oil state, from the coherence of public bureaucracies, to the degree of centralization, to patterns of policy-making.
Karl contends that oil countries, while seemingly disparate, are characterized by similar social classes and patterns of collective action. In these countries, dependence on petroleum leads to disproportionate fiscal reliance on petrodollars and public spending, at the expense of statecraft. Oil booms, which create the illusion of prosperity and development, actually destabilize regimes by reinforcing oil-based interests and further weakening state capacity.
Karl's incisive investigation unites structural and choice-based approaches by illuminating how decisions of policymakers are embedded in institutions interacting with domestic and international markets. This approach--which Karl dubs "structured contingency"--uses a state's leading sector as the starting point for identifying a range of decision-making choices, and ends by examining the dynamics of the state itself.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting contribution to theory.......2003-03-11

This book is a good contribution to the scholarship of one-good exporters, such as oil for many Middle Eastern countries and Venezuela. The author focuses on Venezuela, with occasional reference to other countries.

The main thesis is that aside from the traditional Dutch disease of such intense exporters, there is an organizational component in the downfall of such plenty. For example, she argues that a large self-serving infrastructure and bureaucracy is built around the "pot of gold". She argues this may be one of the main causes that coutnries squander such valuable resources without ever refocusing them on the development of people (health and education) or the country's economy (such as through the extension of value-added activities).

Overall, an interesting proposition, though I am not sure this is a phenomenon unique to countries faced with the plenty of oil or other products. It is a strong case that inefficiencies are added through bureaucracies, but I still believe much of the damage is caused by the traditional Dutch disease.

Great points - but somewhat academic.......2002-07-01

This book provides an iron-clad explanation for the failure of oil exporters - especially developing nations - to use their raw material blessings as a lever for improvement. The author provides outstanding comparisons among oil exporters, along with amazing parallels to the Spanish empire. There's an important point here about how human nature and government limitations often doom these "blessed" countries to failure. Call it the King Midas effect...

On the downside, her point is clearly made in the first 50 pages. In the remainder of the book the author goes into too much detail regarding the political evolution of Venezuela. And she fails to end with a reader-friendly synopsis or a glimpse of the future.

With today's troubles in the Mideast, this book could have been a lay-reader best seller. Unfortunately the author's writing is aimed more toward Political Science professors than the general public. Still worth the purchase, however.

The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States........2001-08-01

"[A]fter benefiting from the largest transfer of wealth ever to occur without war, why have most oil-exporting developing countries suffered from economic deterioration and political decay?" In her long-awaited study, Karl offers a sophisticated cross-cultural reply to this question, focusing on the capital-deficit countries of Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, and Venezuela. Finding inadequate the existing explanations that focus almost exclusively on economic disruption (the "Dutch Disease"), she notes the deep social and political roots of the problems and adds these much-needed dimensions to the discussion.

Her complex argument boils down to this: oil booms (like all commodity booms) put enormous power in the hands of the state that suddenly has vast sums at its disposal. "How these states collect and distribute taxes, in turn, creates incentives that pervasively influence the organization of political and economic life and shapes government preferences to respect to public policies." In other words, "the origin of a state's revenues influences the full range of its political institutions." What appears to be a chance to do almost anything, it turns out, is in fact a very circumscribed choice.

Though a Latin American specialist, Karl understands the Algerian and Iranian encounters with oil and has insights to offer all those who study Middle Eastern oil states-as well as those who lead them.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1997

very good book about what oil does to a country.......2000-04-25

Basically, this book is a very strong and appealing summary of the consequences of over-reliance on oil production for developing countries. Not only results, but also underlying causes are considered: most attention is given to institutional and political aspects of what Karl calls "petrolization" of the state. He argues that petroleum is the only product, which creates strong long-lasting ties among politicians and institutions involving them into constant seeking of oil revenues (for their own as well as for state benefit). Future decisions in this environment are determined by actions taken in the past, which makes it very hard to break away from this circle. The case of Venezuela is especially well considered; much of the information is taken from Karl's conversations with Venezuelans top governmental officials and, hence, is of a great value. Carefully chosen data are well presented on a passionate manner which conveys the dramatic nature of changes brought by petroleum in this country.

The future of new oil-producers becomes less shinning as we look at the data provided by the author. Only Norway, who managed to overcome most of the negative aftermaths of its oil windfalls, deemed as a winner within the group of oil producers. Karl ascribes this success to a well-prepared and robust bureaucracy and stable democracy existing in Norway.

very good book about what oil does to a country.......2000-04-25

Basically, this book is a very strong and appealing summary of the consequences of over-reliance on oil production for developing countries. Not only results, but also underlying causes are considered: most attention is given to institutional and political aspects of what Lynn calls "petrolization" of the state. He argues that petroleum is the only product, which creates strong long-lasting ties among politicians and institutions involving them into constant seeking of oil revenues (for their own as well as for state benefit). Future decisions in this environment are determined by actions taken in the past, which makes it very hard to break away from this circle. The case of Venezuela is especially well considered; much of the information is taken from Lynn's conversations with Venezuelans top governmental officials and, hence, is of a great value. Carefully chosen data are well presented on a passionate manner which conveys the dramatic nature of changes brought by petroleum in this country.

The future of new oil-producers becomes less shinning as we look at the data provided by the author. Only Norway, who managed to overcome most of the negative aftermaths of its oil windfalls, deemed as a winner within the group of oil producers. Lynn ascribes this success to a well-prepared and robust bureaucracy and stable democracy existing in Norway.

The only problem I see in this book is its superficial treatment of economic factors related to "petrolization" of the state. In this context, Oil Windfalls: Blessing or Curse? by Alan Gelb and Associates (1988) or Sustainable Development In Mineral Economies by R. Auty and Mikesell (1998) or would be a great supplement.

Average customer rating:

Not the best book in international trade

Best thoughts in international trade compiled

excellent book to learn from

the castor oil of international trade theory

Lectures on International Trade - 2nd Edition
Jagdish Bhagwati , Arvind Panagariya , and T. N. Srinivasan
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
General | Economics | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Advanced International Trade: Theory and Evidence

Rethinking International Trade

Foundations of International Macroeconomics

Imperfect Competition and International Trade (Readings in Economics)

Multinational Firms and the Theory of International Trade

ASIN: 0262024438

Book Description

The greatest strength of this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Lectures on International Trade is its rigorous algebraic and geometric treatment of the various models and results of trade theory. The authors, who now include Arvind Panagariya, offer both policy insights and empirical applications. They have added nine entirely new chapters as well as new sections to several existing chapters (e.g., a greatly expanded treatment of the growing theory of preferential trade agreements). The new chapters are on:

- the specific-factors model

- the "higher-dimensional" trade theory and empirical verification of the Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek theory

- duality in trade theory

- algebra of the Heckscher-Ohlin and specific-factors models

- the theories of international trade in the presence of scale economies

- nontariff instruments of trade policy, chiefly AD, VERs, and VIEs

- trade policy under oligopoly and monopolistic competition

- trade policy reform

- application of the new literature on endogenous growth to trade theory and policy

Customer Reviews:

Not the best book in international trade.......2003-12-29

The book tries to solve most of the mathematical problems by diagrams and it skips algebra and regorous reasoning in most cases. Few chapters overcome this or have technical appendices. The technicality and theory is below graduate level. The book is fit more for an undergraduate program. A lot of ideas are being touched on (or cited) very briefly that makes it somehow confusing and forces one to refer to papers to get a more complete discussion. Chapters are very short (there are 34 chapters in 602 pages!) and normally jump into conclusions without enough reasoning. Also note that chapters don't have exercises. Some chapters are well written, while others are just a shadow of the whole idea. I think this book can be used to give you some idea what internation trade is, but it is not a complete package.

Best thoughts in international trade compiled.......2003-02-16

This book contains all the very best thinking done in international trade. The book is very densely written, and definitely aimed at those taking graduate level courses (with a good mathematical background). The explanations are very good, especially for graphs (a major shortcoming of most economics texts I think). This book serves as a permanent one-volume reference to any issues regarding international trade.

excellent book to learn from.......2002-10-13

Although international trade theory/international economics is not the field I would like to specialize in, this is one of the textbooks I would like to buy and keep as a reference. The writing is clear; the authors make an effort to explain almost every step of an equation. Moreover, the graphs are fully explained. I highly recommend this book. I regret that I only used this book for one course, so we were not able to use it more. For graduate level trade theory, I do not think this textbook has a competitor.

the castor oil of international trade theory.......2000-11-09

This volume synthesizes decades of research in international trade theory. It is comprehensive, and graduate students and working professionals will find it a handy summary of a huge corpus of research. Material is presented in verbal, graphical, and light algebraic form, and the key background references are given at the end of each chapter. These are a little sparse but this is a quibble.

Book Description

For the most part, competition policy literature has focused on large economies. Yet the economic paradigms on which such policies are based do not necessarily apply to small market economies. This book demonstrates that optimal competition policy is very much dependent on the size of an economy. Whether and how firms compete is a matter of the natural conditions of the markets in which firms operate. A critical feature of small economies is the concentrated nature of many of their markets, which are often protected by high entry barriers. Competition policy must be designed to deal effectively with these unique obstacles to competition. Accordingly, applying the same competition policy to all economies alike may be contrary to the policy's goals.

Michal Gal's thorough analysis shows the effects of market size on competition policy, ranging from rules of thumb to more general policy prescriptions, such as goals and remedial tools. Competition policy in small economies is becoming increasingly important, since the number of small jurisdictions adopting such policy is rapidly growing. Gal's focus extends beyond domestic competition policy to the evaluation of the current trend toward the worldwide harmonization of policies. This book will provide important guidance to academics, policy makers, and practitioners of competition policy as well as to anyone interested in the globalization of competition laws.

Book Description

In the twenty-first century, globalization poses major challenges to the key players in U.S. domestic politics--challenges similar to many that Americans have faced from abroad since the nation's founding. But it is only in recent decades that links have been drawn between the study of American political development and international relations; even now, emphasis falls primarily on how domestic politics affects the world arena. This book redresses the imbalance.

Ten leading scholars explore how, over the past two centuries, the changing positions of the United States in the world economy and in the international political order have shaped U.S. political institutions and domestic politics. Ira Katznelson, Aristide R. Zolberg, and Robert O. Keohane demonstrate the central role that efforts to contend with foreign military and economic competition played in forming the major institutions of U.S. government from the framing of the Constitution through the Civil War. Martin Shefter, Theda Skocpol (writing with Ziad Munson, Andrew Karch, and Bayliss Camp), Ronald Rogowski, and Judith Goldstein show how the nation's political institutions were transformed by problems of war and trade the U.S. subsequently faced. Aaron L. Friedberg, Bartholomew H. Sparrow, and Peter A. Gourevitch conclude the volume by analyzing how international conflicts during and after the Cold War influenced governmental institutions and domestic politics in the United States over the past fifty years. Shaped by War and Trade sets the agenda for further exploration of a topic whose discussion is long overdue.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books