Book Description

Why should each country have its own exclusive currency? EricHelleiner offers a fascinating and unique perspective on this question in hisaccessible history of the origins of national money.

Our contemporary understandings of national currency are, Helleiner shows,surprisingly recent. Based on standardized technologies of production andextraction, territorially exclusive national currencies emerged for the firsttime only during the nineteenth century. This major change involved a narrowdefinition of legal tender and the exclusion of tokens of value issued outsidethe national territory. "Territorial currencies" rapidly became bound up withthe rise of national markets, and money reflected basic questions of nationalidentity and self-presentation: In what way should money be managed to servenational goals? Whose pictures should go on the banknotes?

Helleiner draws out the potent implications of this largely unknown history fortoday's context. Territorial currencies face challenges from many monetaryinnovations-the creation of the euro, dollarization, the spread of localcurrencies, and the prospect of privately issued electronic currencies. Whilethese challenges are dramatic, the author argues that their significance shouldnot be overstated. Even in their short historical life, territorial currencieshave never been as dominant as conventional wisdom suggests. The future of thiskind of currency, Helleiner contends, depends on political struggles across theglobe, struggles that echo those at the birth of national money. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

One hundred eighty million Americans file income tax returns, almost as many complain about the system, yet few understand the underlying social and economic outcomes. This book carves open the belly of the income tax for Americans who never have had the opportunity to learn about it, and empowers Americans to make informed judgments about what income tax laws would be best. John Fox explains how the laws represent the most comprehensive expression of official government values. Fox also elucidates how special relief provisions far exceed in sheer dollars and importance programs funded directly through the federal budget, and why these special provisions typically fail to advance tax justice or economic growth. Fox presents a compelling argument that our nation's interests would be best served by overhauling the system through reforms that eliminate all but the most essential special relief provisions, while reducing tax rates across the board. Such reforms, he argues, are far more compatible with principles of liberals and conservatives than is today's system. Part primer, part manifesto, If Americans Really Understood the Income Taxis sure to open the eyes of tax-paying Americans and earn the respect of policy experts. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Tax Connection
Fox gets right down to two essential questions: "First, can the income tax be made reasonably fair, simple and economically efficient?" and "Second, are its flaws worth repairing, or would it be preferable to adopt a very different tax system?" He explains, in the clearest - non-polemic - way, what the tax picture really is. Early on he gives an example, the taxes of the Gepetto and Anton families - an example that lights up the rest of the book. The exposition is very clear and yet detailed enough to illustrate the nitty-gritty of several issues, including homeownership (where I got a tip or two) and the capital gains controversy. Fox is broadminded and flexible in his approach - perhaps an endangered species writing about such a hot topic. There is immediacy about his writing making the book a gripping page-turner rather than pedantic.

great book
This book finally made me understand what this talk about income taxes is all about and did so in a way that was interesting, easy to follow and sophisticated at the same time. I hope that so many people read it that the hoped for impact on our lawmakers will indeed be felt. Thank you, John Fox.

Must read
John Fox's take on taxes is a must read for anyone who cares about tax equity and the well-being of the body politic. When I first studied taxes as an employee of the California Legislature -- now nearly four decades ago -- we learned that simple equity -- equal treatment of equals -- was the first principle of a fair and just tax system; absent equity the system would be manifestly unfair and eventually would lose its legitimacy, the greatest danger a democratic republic can face. As Fox points out,that's exactly what's happening with modern tax policy -- regressive, unfair, unjust are the attributes that leap out at you. But Fox does more than point the finger of blame; he offers constructive suggestions to get the system back where it belongs, to restore fairness and legitimacy.

Income Tax Ignorance
Plain and simple, the Amercan people know nothing when it comes to Income Taxes.They know nothing about their Constitutional Rights with regards to the Income Tax and they do not know how to use the three Internal Revenue Code Sections in the Prvacy Act Notice in the 1040 instruction booklet. An old saying is quoted by judges; "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse". The very first IRC section in the Privacy Act Notice is 6001. Most people would not know where to search for the information of this code section. The very first sentence implies Liability. In looking in the Index of the IRC under Liability for Tax, you will find all of the subjects that are taxed. Income is NOT one of them. For tax purposes, Income is defined by the Supreme Court as a Gain or Profit earned by Privlege. Every citizen of the USA has a Right to work for compensation. I rated this book low and the little bit of expose offered is proof that the author does not know or implies he does not know the Truth about the Income Tax.

My wife took my copy and I will have to buy another.
This is an excellent book. It has been written in a comprehensive style that can enlighten taxpayers as well as tax professionals. Every one can benefit from the collected information and well-conceived opinions of Mr. Fox. This book can serve as a wellspring to initiate questions, debate, or perhaps a citizen's revolt against our present archaic, confusing, and unequal tax system. Mr. Fox has obviously been working on this book for several years, but his phenomenal foresight has placed this brilliant work in our hands at just the right moment when we consider the major tax law changes now being considered by the U.S. Executive and Legislative branches of our government. The proposed changes could have a profound negative effect on our children and us. In the 18th century American citizens had a tea party in Boston because of unfair taxes. What will our generation do? Whimper and complain or become informed and proactive? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautifully produced survey.
Written by the coins and medals experts of the British Museum, this handsomely designed work succinctly but comprehensively explores the entire history of money, from its earliest beginnings to the electronic transactions of the 1990's.
The book features over 550 beautiful color and black-and-white illustrations, with essays covering ancient and modern coinage in global perspective, and relating the moral, political, religious, and social meanings inevitably associated with so powerful a force. Highly recommended as an excellent introduction to a complex subject, or just for enjoyable and informative browsing.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.) ... Read more

Book Description

Within a few months of assuming the position of curator of medieval coins at the American Numismatic Society in 1980, Alan M. Stahl was presented with a plastic bag containing a hoard of 5,000 recently discovered coins, most of which turned out to be from medieval Venice. The course of study of that hoard (and a later one containing more than 14,000 coins) led him to the Venetian archives, where he examined thousands of unpublished manuscripts. To provide an even more accurate account of how the Zecca mint operated in Venice in the thirteenth through fifteenth centuries, Stahl commissioned scientific analyses of the coins using a variety of modern techniques, uncovering information about their content and how they had been manufactured. The resulting book,Zecca: The Mint of Venice in the Middle Ages, is the first to examine the workings of a premodern mint using extensive research in original documents as well as detailed study of the coins themselves.

The first of the book's three sections traces the coinage of Venice from its origins in the ninth century as a minor, and unofficial, regional Italian coinage to its position at the dawn of the Renaissance as the dominant currency of Mediterranean trade. The second section, entitled "The Mint in the Life of Medieval Venice," illustrates the mechanisms of the control of bullion and the strategies for mint profit and explores the mint's role in Venetian trade and the emergence of a bureaucratized government. The third section, "Within the Mint," examines the physical operations that transformed raw bullion into coins and identifies the personnel of the mint, situating the holders of each position in the context of their social and professional backgrounds.

Illustrated with photos of Venetian coinage from the world's major collections,Zecca also includes a listing of all holders of offices related to the medieval Venetian mint and summaries of all major finds of medieval Venetian coins.

Book Description

Six Sigma -- the management strategy Jack Welch attributes GE's phenomenal success to -- is being implemented by many leading organizations looking for dramatic profit increases and improved customer satisfaction. But Six Sigma in production is less than half the story -- Six Sigma in design is where the money is. If you change a product after it is launched it will cost you 1,000 times more than if you made those changes during the design stage. Subir Chowdhury, the leading quality expert who introduced Six Sigma to the UK in his last book, has done it again. The current book attacks a company's problems at the product development stage and presents a revolutionary five-step process that takes a company all the way to Six Sigma. ... Read more

Book Description

Credit Union Investment Management provides an in-depth examination of the methods executives use to achieve investment objectives and maximize returns on invested capital, while measuring and minimizing risk. Complete coverage includes: detailed features of investment vehicles, yield measures and their limitations, total return analysis, and stress testing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fabozzi is the best source for all things financial
I am continually pleased with each and every fabozzi book I buy. The man is prolific and always provides you with real data, great overviews, and commentary by leading people in the field. This book is no exception. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The most comprehensive study of Romanian politics ever published abroad, this volume represents an effort to collect and analyze data on the complex problems of Romania's journey from sultanistic national communism to a yet-unreached democratic government ... Read more

Book Description

Exchange Rate Misalignment examines the severe dislocations that can be caused by exchange rate misalignment and shows how there is no systematic guidance on the definitions and measurement of prevention. It explores how recent macroeconomic disruptions support the argument that growing financial integration has increased the need for providing accurate measures of long-run equilibrium exchange rates. ... Read more

Book Description

This book, now available in paperback, provides the first comprehensive and accessible account of the evolution of exchange rate regimes in the twentieth century. It presents a chronological, non-technical history and in doing so manages to link the past with the present to shed new light on the merits of different exchange rate systems.

Since the golden age before the First World War, the international monetary system has experienced several changes in exchange rate regimes, alternating between fixed and floating rate systems interspersed with managed or dirty floats. The authors examine and assess the evolution of exchange rate regimes since the first world war to the present day. They discuss the forces that have brought about change in order to determine how different regimes affected the economic environment. They consider the merits or otherwise of the respective regimes and assess the evidence and arguments for and against fixed and floating exchange rate systems.

Exchange Rate Regimes in the Twentieth Century provides a coherent and manageable analysis of a complex subject. It will prove invaluable to both undergraduates and postgraduates studying economic history, international economics and monetary economics. ... Read more

Book Description

This book takes a global approach, with an emphasis on North and Latin America respectfully, by discussing one of today's most controversial topics in business; Dollarization.With the collapse of the former Soviet Union, and the formation of the Euro in Europe, many countries and debating whether or not a common currency is in their best interest.This intriguing volume brings together the leading participants in the current dollarization debates.Many advocate the notion of a common currency, while others feel that in doing so will create financial costs for all that take part, with the severity varying from country to country. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

What's Inside
•••••••••
Attitudes & Actions That Create Lasting Wealth:

1. Learn the Universal Laws of Prosperity.

2. Discover the Six Steps to W.E.A.L.T.H.

3. Overcome Mental Money Glitches.

4. Cultivate Emotional Money Maturity.

5. Harness the Power of Focus.

6. Build Your Millionaire Master Plan.

7. Learn 21 Millionaire Money Habits.

8. 50 Money Moves You Can Make Now.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE MILLIONAIRE MINDSET
1. Manifesting a Million
2. Why would you want to be a millionaire?
3. Who are the millionaires so far?
4. Can you become a millionaire?


PART 2: MASTERING THE MILLIONAIRE MINDSET
5. The Five Laws of Manifestation
6. Six Steps to W.E.A.L.T.H.
7. Visualizing Prosperity
8. Affirming Prosperity
9. Denying Prosperity
10. Cultivating Emotional Money Maturity
11. The Power of Focus


PART 3: APPLYING THE MILLIONAIRE MINDSET
12. Your Millionaire Master Plan
13. Millionaire Money Habits
14. Leveraging Your Resources
15. 50 Money Moves You Can Make Now
16. Getting Started

Millionaire Wannabe

Good book! Makes you think about what is really required to become a millionaire. Builds a logical case to demonstrate it can be done with discipline and the right attitude.

Back to Reality

After being burned in the stock market over the last 3 years, I went back to basics to figure out what to do next. This book got me grounded in reality again.

A Good Primer

A very good primer. Easy-to-read and well-written. Makes a complex subject fairly simple to understand and digest. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive presentation of how monetary policymakers can use market prices to produce price stability. Drs. Johnson and Keleher show why other, conventional methods have failed and why market prices are superior guides for setting monetary policy. Their book presents the rationale, history, and philosophy underlying their approach; offers three forms of empirical research evidence to support it; and then presents special methods to use market prices as policy setting guides. This book is important and challenging reading for monetary policymakers and economists, bankers, financial analysts, and professional investors, as well as their colleagues in the academic community with similar interests. ... Read more

Book Description

Alfred Marshall (1842-1924) was the foremost British economist of his time.Among his areas of expertise was monetary analysis.Written in 1923, MONEY, CREDIT, AND COMMERCE devoted to this subject, is his last major work.

Among the proposals made in this work for which Marshall is most remembered is the adoption of symmetallism, a plan for the combined use of gold and silver as the monetary base.He expresses his views on the relation of business fluctuations and the credit market to general unemployment.Marshall also sees reckless inflation of credit as the main source of economic instability.

MONEY, CREDIT, AND COMMERCE remains a valuable work for students of economics and monetary policy. ... Read more