Recommending Books for Purchase (Bulletin 101 - Aug 2020): Economics

Global capitalism is currently suffering from an unmistakable malaise, epitomized by wide and growing inequality that is eroding popular support for capitalism. Such anti-capitalist sentiment, coupled with a growing anti-globalization mood, delivered Brexit in a UK referendum and swept Donald Trump to the US presidency. In Capitalism in the 21st Century, internationally well-regarded economist Dr Donghyun Park articulately explains why more capitalism is needed to tackle global problems such as climate change and inhumane poverty. While defending capitalism against its unfair demonization, the author makes a positive case for entrepreneurial capitalism, which creates wealth and jobs as well as drives human progress. According to the author, reforming the financial industry, which has become a self-serving leviathan, and more fundamentally, tweaking the economic role of the government, which stifles growth-promoting entrepreneurship, are critical to restoring the vitality of capitalism. The book is explicitly written in such a way that the general reader without any background in economics or finance can easily understand it.

eBook Price : $68

The book, Economic Empowerment of Women in the Islamic World, discusses the economic, social, and political rights and status of women in Islam, which is theoretically given by the Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah law). The chapters in this volume will address historical practices in comparison to the status of women in the contemporary Muslim world. Men and women in Islam, regardless of their age, social class, and education, are equal as citizens and individuals, but not identical in their rights and responsibilities. It can be observed from Islamic history that in the early age of Islam, women were given full confidence, trust, and high responsibilities in leadership, educational guidance, and decision-making.This volume will try to clarify the confusion in the status of the women in Islam that is presented by the media, as it is assumed that theoretical Islamic empowerment of women bears little relation to the real conditions of women in modern Muslim societies. It has been widely claimed in the media that Muslim women suffer more than men in Muslim societies and communities in terms of insecurity, domestic abuse, and low access to education and medical care. It is also stated in the press and media that absence of good governance also results in gender inequality and violation of the rights of Muslim women.This volume also aims to provide the solutions for the empowerment of women in the Islamic world. We assumed that without good governance, the status of women is not likely to improve. Muslim women have the potential to play a fundamental role in curbing corruption, social ills, violence, and crime in the Muslim world. This volume will make the case that in order to achieve stability and prosperity, the government must ensure a platform for women to participate in decision-making and hence benefit from the rights they are accorded in Islam.By covering a range of perspectives on the economic lives of Muslim women around the world, it hopes to shed light on the problems faced and to offer possible solutions to the empowerment of women in the Islamic world.

eBook Price : $178

The complete study guide to your A Level Economics Exam: This study guide is based on the latest H2 and H1 Economics syllabus of the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A Level) examination.Economics students will find every chapter, complete with diagrams and topical discussions, useful for their learning. It draws extensively on real-world examples, especially those relating to Singapore.Also recommended for pre-tertiary economics assessment, including Cambridge International AS & A Level Economics.

eBook Price : $38

Exotic Betting at the Racetrack is unique as it covers the efficient-inefficient strategy to price and find profitable racetrack bets, along with handicapping that provides actual bets made by the author on essentially all of the major wagers offered at US racetracks. The book starts with efficiency, accuracy of the win odds, arbitrage, and optimal betting strategies. Examples and actual bets are shown for various wagers including win, place and show, exacta, quinella, double, trifecta, superfecta, Pick 3, 4 and 6 and rainbow pick 5 and 6. There are discussions of major races including the Breeders' Cup, Pegasus, Dubai World Cup and the US Triple Crown from 2012-2018. Dosage analysis is also described and used. An additional feature concerns great horses such as the great mares Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Treve, Beholder and Song Bird. There is a discussion of horse ownership and a tour through arguably the world's top trainer Frederico Tesio and his stables and horses in Italy.

eBook Price : $88

The past few centuries have seen an enormous increase in living standards in many parts of the world and these economies have become more complex than ever before. At the same time, progress in science and technology has reached unprecedented heights, taking us far beyond the wildest dreams of a few generations ago. Questions as to how science, technology and the economy interact are pertinent and important ones, whose partial answers require a view "from across the fence" between disciplines.This book provides an introduction to the vast and varied field of the economics of science. It is a unique blend of an economic perspective on the way science works, what makes scientists tick, and a study of the impact of scientific and technological progress on economies and their growth. Whether it is about the speculative market of ideas or science and technology as engines of the economy, there is something here for economists, engineers and scientists alike.

eBook Price : $76

Have you ever wondered how one can save from taxi rides during surge pricing? Why you would shop more under sunny weather? What effects does a bankrupt neighbour have on residents living in the estate? Kiasunomics(c)2 explores these issues and more in a light-hearted and easy-to-understand manner, by showing the economic ramifications of individual choices through the lens of Teng, the protagonist of this book, and his family and friends. Based on research from the National University of Singapore, the book explains the influences and consequences of the decisions made by all of us, using simple economic logic.This sequel to Kiasunomics(c), a finalist at the Singapore Book Awards 2018, fast forwards a couple of years and follows Teng in his mid-career as a taxi driver. Ferrying passengers for a living, Teng has to grapple with challenges arising from ride hailing services. As one of the breadwinners in a three-generation household, Teng's ability to make wise financial decisions in a fast-changing world becomes increasingly important in attaining his dream of moving his family up the socio-economic ladder.This book covers hot and timely topics, which include: falling prices of old Housing and Development Board flats, rising land prices, wealth disparity among households, the Central Provident Fund retirement policy, regulation of car population, ride hailing services, and mobile payments. These are unravelled through the authors' application of research findings.The book brings to light the relevance of research, often seen as esoteric, on our daily life and decision making. It also bears on policy implications, particularly issues on transportation, housing, and retirement.

eBook Price : $58

The theme of circular causation has nascent origin in the field of sociology of economics with vast development applications and with epistemological issues on modeling in the framework of the phenomenon of pervasive interconnectedness. Thus the sociological theme of epistemic unity of knowledge grounds the theory and application of the theory and models of circular causation to the vast realm of socioeconomic development issues.The theory and application of circular causation has methodological similarities with Gunnar Myrdal's theory of social causation and Joseph Schumpeter's and Hayek's learning models of evolutionary phenomena. One can re-engineer many important works by sociological economists in and by the methodology of circular causation. Among these other important works are capabilities and functioning by Amartya Sen; John Rawls' evolutionary good society aspiring for social justice; adaptation of Ilya Prigogine's theory of being and becoming to social, economic and development phenomenon; and George Soros' theory of reflexivity in history and financial markets. The proponent of this book has pioneered the area of theory and application of circular causation extensively.

eBook Price : $128

A unique title comparing rural policies and employment in the two most developed parts of the world -- the EU and USA. While both regions are concerned for their vast rural areas, each adopts a strikingly different approach to create and maintain employment there, making rural space attractive to businesses and residents.This book focuses on a major issue of socioeconomic and policy concern, i.e. whether jobs and incomes can be protected or created in rural areas, where often agriculture no longer provides a large and secure basis for employment. Within a 'paired' chapter structure covering both the European Union and the United States of America, it deals with several themes of interest including farm policies, labor entry and exit, and rural and household enterprise diversification. Specific 'special studies' also analyze recent developments within countries or regions.

eBook Price : $138