ISBN: 0199753784

 
Author: Barry Eichengreen

For more than half a century, the U.S. dollar has been not just America’s currency but the world’s. It is used globally by importers, exporters, investors, governments and central banks alike. Nearly three-quarters of all $100 bills circulate outside the United States. The dollar holdings of the Chinese government alone come to more than $1,000 per Chinese resident.

This dependence on dollars, by banks, corporations and governments around the world, is a source of strength for the United States. It is, as a critic of U.S. policies once put it, America’s “exorbitant privilege.” However, recent events have raised concerns that this soon may be a privilege lost. Among these have been the effects of the financial crisis and the Great Recession: high unemployment, record federal deficits, and financial distress. In addition there is the rise of challengers like the euro and China’s renminbi. Some say that the dollar may soon cease to be the world’s standard currency–which would depress American living standards and weaken the country’s international influence.

In Exorbitant Privilege, one of our foremost economists, Barry Eichengreen, traces the rise of the dollar to international prominence over the course of the 20th century. He shows how the greenback dominated internationally in the second half of the century for the same reasons–and in the same way–that the United States dominated the global economy. But now, with the rise of China, India, Brazil and other emerging economies, America no longer towers over the global economy. It follows, Eichengreen argues, that the dollar will not be as dominant. But this does not mean that the coming changes will necessarily be sudden and dire–or that the dollar is doomed to lose its international status. Challenging the presumption that there is room for only one true global currency–either the dollar or something else–Eichengreen shows that several currencies have shared this international role over long periods. What was true in the distant past will be true, once again, in the not-too-distant future.

The dollar will lose its international currency status, Eichengreen warns, only if the United States repeats the mistakes that led to the financial crisis and only if it fails to put its fiscal and financial house in order. The greenback’s fate hinges, in other words, not on the actions of the Chinese government but on economic policy decisions here in the United States.

Incisive, challenging and iconoclastic, Exorbitant Privilege is a fascinating analysis of the changes that lie ahead. It is a challenge, equally, to those who warn that the dollar is doomed and to those who regard its continuing dominance as inevitable.

Pages: 224	Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA	Year: 2011

ISBN: 0470930225

 
Author: Andrew Liveris

America used to define itself by the things it built. We designed and produced the world’s most important innovations, and in doing so, created a vibrant manufacturing sector that built the middle class. We manufactured our way to the top and became the undisputed economic leader among all nations. But over the last several decades, and especially in the last ten years, the sector that was America’s great pride has eroded, costing millions of jobs and putting our long-term prosperity at risk. Now, as we struggle to recover from the worst recession in generations, our only chance to turn things around is to revive the American manufacturing sector—and to revolutionize it. In MAKE IT IN AMERICA: The Case for Reinventing the Economy, Andrew Liveris — Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company—offers a thoughtful and passionate argument that America’s future economic growth and prosperity depends on the strength of its manufacturing sector. The book

• Explains how a manufacturing sector creates economic value at a scale unmatched by any other, and how central the sector is to creating jobs both inside and outside the factory.
• Explores how other nations are building their manufacturing sectors to stay competitive in the global economy, and describes how America has failed to keep up.
• Provides an aggressive, practical and comprehensive agenda that will put the U.S. back on track to lead the world.

It’s time to stop accepting as inevitable the shuttering of factories and staggering job losses that have come to define manufacturing. It’s time to acknowledge the cost of inaction. There is no better company to make the case for reviving U.S. manufacturing than the Michigan-based The Dow Chemical Company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and one of its most global corporations. And there’s no better book to show why it needs to be done and how to do it than MAKE IT IN AMERICA.

Andrew Liveris is Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company, one of the largest multinational corporations in the world and a leader in science and technology.

Q&A with Author Andrew Liveris

What is the biggest factor to explain the dramatic loss of U.S. manufacturing sector jobs that began in the 1970s?

Author Michael Burchell

There are a lot of reasons that the U.S. manufacturing sector has lost jobs over the last four decades, but they boil down to this. The world changed, and our policy approach did not change with it.

Think back to the years right after World War II. When it came to economic competitiveness, the United States was the only game in town. But after that, the European economies and Japan, with our help, came back robustly ? both with a strong orientation to manufacturing and quality. Next came the Asian Tigers, followed by Brazil, China, India, and Russia ? the so-called ?BRIC? countries. Other, smaller economies emerged as well.

All of these nations were, and still are, are asking themselves the same thing. ?How can we create jobs? How can we grow our manufacturing base?? And they?re doing everything they can to compete ? tax holidays, low-cost loans, you name it.

Meanwhile, the United States has stood still. We?re still the world?s largest economy, but every day, we are losing ground. Unless American policymakers improve the business climate by addressing everything from taxes to R&D to education reform, the decline of American manufacturing is inevitable and irreversible.

I believe the world is entering a golden age of manufacturing, based in no small part on American innovation and technology. Jobs will be created. Value will be created. The question is, will they be created here or someplace else?

Are there pros to the American economy shifting from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy?
Frankly, no. Manufacturing creates jobs in a way that the service sector simply cannot. A new manufacturing facility supports an entire value chain ? demand for raw materials, construction, energy, supplies and services.

For too many Americans, the word ?manufacturing? has an old-fashioned ring to it. They think of it as a thing of the past. To them, manufacturing means lost jobs, closed factories, and a struggling middle class.

But here?s the truth about manufacturing in the United States. The workforce in this country contains 150 million people, and they can?t all be employed in the service sector. Manufacturing ? and only manufacturing ? can create the multiplier effect that is necessary if we?re going to have anything approaching full employment.

We have to stop pretending that a ?service-based? economy is a viable option. The consequences would be massive unemployment, even greater income inequality, and the gradual obsolescence of our entire economy. I?m not saying that there isn?t a place for service industries, because there absolutely is. But we need to have balance in the economy, and right now, our balance is dangerously off.

Where can the U.S. manufacturing industry look for inspiration right now?
All across the world. I have been in manufacturing for 35 years, and this is absolutely the most exciting time I have ever seen for manufacturing globally. That is why I call this a ?golden age.? The manufacturing sector is rapidly evolving, advancing, before our eyes. It is stunning to watch it unfold.

Look at any of the world?s great challenges, and manufacturing is central to the solution. The world needs semiconductors and microprocessors; wind turbines and solar cells; advanced batteries and state-of-the-art medical devices. Manufacturers make these things, and these things, in turn, will remake our future.

But unless we act, these innovations will be built somewhere else. Other countries are already out-competing the U.S. Take Germany–an excellent example of a high-wage country that has revived its advanced-manufacturing sector. In 1998, Germany had a trade deficit of $5.9 billion. By 2008 it had a trade surplus of $267.1 billion. That?s no accident. The German government invested in advanced manufacturing, and those investments are paying off.

Germany is investing in industries of the future, such as renewable energy, and that puts them in a great position to stay competitive into the future. So the German success story should be both an inspiration and a call to action. U.S. policymakers ignore it at their–and our–peril.

Is your sense that the U.S. government could be doing more to help stimulate the manufacturing sector in the U.S.?
Absolutely. As a businessman, I have great faith in the wisdom of markets. But I recognize that markets cannot replace the long-term strategic framework that only governments can build.

Other countries are out there competing for the same jobs, the same dollars, the same economic growth that we are. Our nation?and especially our government ?must get serious about rising to that challenge. It?s not often that you hear a CEO call for more government action, but my belief is anchored in a basic premise: in order to stay competitive, we need to reinvent the manufacturing sector in the U.S. And for that we need government as a partner.

Make It in America proposes a number of steps the federal government can take to restore American manufacturing?a comprehensive advanced manufacturing policy that would address everything from high corporate tax rates to contradictory regulations to failing schools. Neither the business community nor the government can do these things alone?we need to work together in the best interests of our nation?s economy.

We need to act more boldly than in the past. Take the example of education. Advanced manufacturing jobs require much more education than traditional manufacturing jobs, especially in science, technology, engineering and math. In those fields, the U.S. lags behind our competitors?and it costs us badly. According to McKinsey, the achievement gap between the U.S. and its high-performing competitors cost us $1 to $2 trillion in 2008 alone. If we want to keep our economy growing, we need to reform our education system.

A lot of people see the government as an adversary to business, but when we think about areas like education or R&D investment, it?s clear that is not the case. I see government as an essential partner. I believe the way of the future in this country is in public private partnerships so that we can build the new U.S. economy in a deliberate manner. We need the framework for investors and entrepreneurs to become more certain instead of suffering from the volatility and unpredictability of policies that operate on two-, four- and six-year cycles.

What do you hope will change by your writing this book?
The goal of Make It in America is to change the conversation about the manufacturing sector, to change how the citizen on the street sees and perceives the sector; that manufacturing is not a dinosaur, but a vital part of the U.S. economy. One might say to enable the U.S. economy. We need to change the perception, and make people aware of this when they vote for policies and politicians.

The world has changed, and unless our economic policies change with it, this country will experience a massive long-term economic crisis. High unemployment will become the rule, rather than the exception. The middle class will be, for all intents and purpose, obsolete. And time is running out, because our competitor nations aren?t waiting around to see which direction we?re going to choose. We have to make the right choices, and we have to make them before it?s too late.

That sounds pretty bleak, but to be honest, if I thought decline was inevitable, the book would never have been written. At the end of the day, I am an optimist. Americans have always adapted to the new and often unpredictable challenges of their time, and I believe we will adapt to this one as well.

So I think our leaders?in business and in government?will make the decisions they need to make. They will help usher in a golden age of American manufacturing and we will see the rebirth of a vital American sector. It is not hard to imagine a day when the world?s great inventions aren?t just created here, but are produced here as well. And put people to work here again.

My hope is that Make It in America will bring that day a little bit closer.

ISBN: 1423134494

 
Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps – the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series.

Pages: 160	Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH	Year: 2010

ISBN: 0767932773

 
Author: Hal Edward Runkel

Through the best-selling ScreamFree Parenting, Hal Runkel showed thousands of parents how keeping their cool can revolutionize their family life. In his groundbreaking new book, ScreamFree Marriage, Runkel now shows couples how learning to stay calm, in the face of common marital conflicts, is the key to creating and enjoying a deep, lifelong connection.
 
Every committed couple strives to hold on to the marriage they envisioned back when they first said “I do”–before the end of the honeymoon phase, before kids, mortgages, health crises, and all life’s inescapable issues. But the truth is this: conflict is unavoidable–it’s impossible for two people to see every single thing, face every issue, and experience every situation in exactly the same way. What results are couples “screaming” at each other–sometimes literally yelling out loud, sometimes shutting themselves down and shutting their partners out, and sometimes avoiding the issue altogether–none of which leads to the passionate, intimate connection we all crave.
 
In ScreamFree Marriage, Hal introduces some radical new concepts about marriage, teaching couples how to embrace this inevitable conflict as a profound vehicle for strengthening a marriage. Rather than just a source of pain and disagreement, these “Fires of Commitment,” as Hal describes them, can actually be the exact experience needed to grow couples into new levels of maturity and intimacy. By simply learning the ScreamFree formula of Calming Down, Growing Up, and Getting Closer, you too can cross through these fires and end up with a closer and more passionate marriage than ever before.  Using accessible anecdotes and the disarming humor that readers have come to love, Runkel disproves prevailing marital wisdom, puts couples on a path to “intimate independence” and reveals a whole new, fresh approach to marriage.
 

Pages: 304	Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Crown Archetype	Year: 2011

ISBN: 1451625510

 
Author: Glenn Beck

Radio and television host Glenn Beck has experienced the rollercoaster of life like few others.  From the suicide of his mother when he was just thirteen, to his eventual alcoholism, depression, divorce, unemployment, and health scares—Glenn has weathered life’s darkest storms.

Any one of those struggles could’ve ruined him, yet Glenn was able to keep moving forward.  He saw past the darkness into the light; past his grief and addictions and into what his life could be.

YOU CAN DO IT TOO

The process of finding happiness through personal redemption was not easy, but it left Glenn with a blueprint for how to confront future adversity.  Glenn is living proof that these steps—he calls them wonders—don’t just work on paper.  They helped transform his life and can they can help to transform yours as well.  

THE 7 WONDERS

Glenn Beck and Dr. Keith Ablow—two of the most popular and influential personalities in American media today—have joined forces to present a powerful guide to personal transformation and fulfillment that is as unique as their own unlikely partnership.  They are called the “7 Wonders” and they can be used by anyone who has made the decision that they are ready to change their life.

After the television talk show host and the bestselling psychiatrist struck up a fast friendship they realized that their experiences with life’s struggles were complementary.  What Keith had studied, Glenn had lived.  What Keith had counseled patients on for years, Glenn had suffered through for decades.

The deeply personal insights they shared brought them to realize that their life stories had seven key principles in common; seven wonders that seemed to be essential ingredients for anyone attempting to transform their life. 

Where does the courage to persevere come from when everything seems hopeless? Why is it nearly impossible to succeed with faith?  How much do family and friendships matter in our journey? How do we break down our walls and reveal our inner truths? What does having compassion really mean? How do you tell real friends apart from those who are holding you back? If there’s no one to blame for my past, what do you do with your anger and resentment?

These kinds of questions are the starting point toward fundamentally changing how you view past damaging relationships, toward breaking the debilitating grip of addiction and depression, toward injecting life with new meaning and purpose and toward helping you embark on a new journey based on hope, strength, and personal empowerment.

As you unwrap each of the seven wonders for yourself, you’ll discover exactly what Glenn Beck found as he transformed his own life from darkness to light, from dead ends to endless possibilities, from addiction to freedom: it doesn’t take a superhero to find the strength to change—it just takes the courage to take the first step. 

This book, which was only possible by combining together decades of personal struggle with world-class professional experience, can be that first step for you.

The 7 Wonders grows out of a unique friendship that we’ve developed over the last five-years. It is unique because it brought together a psychiatrist who naturally burrows toward the truth, and a recovering addict who spent decades running from it.

As we spent more time together we began to let our guards down.  Over time we reached a level of honesty with each other that is rare.  As a result, we learned that the principles that have guided the well-honed healing techniques of one of us are precisely the same principles that instinctively guided the other to replace nearly unbearable pain with genuine happiness.

We believe that it was God’s plan for us to meet; that it was God’s plan for us to speak so openly with one another; and it was God’s plan that we share with you the seven wonders we discovered together.

We also firmly believe that it was God’s plan that this book now finds you at this exact moment in your life.

 —Glenn Beck & Dr. Keith Ablow

Pages: 304	Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Threshold Editions	Year: 2011

ISBN: 0061958948

 
Author: Adriana Trigiani

As devoted readers of Adriana Trigiani’s New York Times bestselling novels know, this “seemingly effortless storyteller” (Boston Globe) frequently draws inspiration from her own family history, in particular from the lives of her two remarkable grandmothers, who have found their way into all Trigiani’s cherished novels. In Don’t Sing at the Table, this much-beloved writer has gathered their estimable life lessons, revealing how her grandmothers’ simple values have shaped her own life, sharing the experiences, humor, and wisdom of her beloved mentors to delight readers of all ages.

Lucia Spada Bonicelli (Lucy) and Yolanda Perin Trigiani (Viola) lived through the twentieth century from beginning to end as working women who juggled careers and motherhood. From the factory line to the family table, Lucy and Viola, the very definition of modern women, cut a path for their granddaughter by demonstrating moxie and pluck in their fearless approach to life, love, and overcoming obstacles.

Lucy’s and Viola’s traditions and spiritual fortitude will encourage you to hold on to the values that make life rich and beautiful. Their entrepreneurial spirit will inspire you to take risks and reap the rewards. And their remarkable resilience in the face of tragedy will be a source of strength and comfort.

Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today at work and at home. This is a primer, grand-mother to granddaughter, filled with everyday wisdom and life lessons that are truly “tiramisu for the soul” (The Examiner), handed down with care and built to last.

ISBN: 1437708250

 
Author: Linda Anne Silvestri RN MSN PhD

There is a reason Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN^? Examination has been called “the best NCLEX exam review book ever.” You’ll find everything you need to review for the NCLEX exam under one cover – complete content review and over 4,500 NCLEX examination-style questions in the book and on the free companion CD! Don’t make the mistake of assuming the quality of the questions is the same in all NCLEX exam review books, because only Silvestri’s Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN^? Examination includes the kind of questions that consistently test the critical thinking skills necessary to pass today’s NCLEX exam. And, what’s even better is that ALL answers include detailed rationales to help you learn from your answer choices, as well as test-taking strategies that provide tips for how to best approach each question. It’s easy to see why Silvestri is THE book of choice for NCLEX examination review. But don’t just take our word for it – read any customer review or ask your classmates to see why Silvestri users believe that there’s nothing else like it!

• Each question includes the correct answer, a complete rationale for all responses, and a test-taking strategy to help you develop techniques for locating the correct response.
• Each question includes a page reference to an Elsevier textbook to allow for further research and study.
• All alternate item-format questions are included, with multiple response, prioritizing, fill-in-the-blank, figure/illustration, chart/exhibit, and audio questions to prepare you for the wide variety of question types on the NCLEX-RN examination.
• Organization by nursing content area provides a logical, effective review to use throughout your nursing program.
• Pyramid Terms define key terms at the beginning of each major unit or chapter.
• Pyramid Points within each chapter highlight content that is important in preparing for the NCLEX-RN examination.
• Pyramid to Success sections provide an overview of major units or chapters and specific content related to the latest NCLEX-RN examination test plan.
• Pharmacology is emphasized with 13 pharmacology chapters, a medication and intravenous calculation chapter, and a pediatric medication calculation chapter to reflect this priority content on the NCLEX exam.
• Introductory chapters cover preparation for the NCLEX-RN exam, test-taking strategies, the NCLEX-RN exam from a student’s perspective, and transitional issues for the foreign-educated nurse.
• A comprehensive exam consists of 265 questions that cover all content areas in the book and mirror the percentages identified in the NCLEX-RN examination test plan.
• A companion CD allows practice in quiz, study, or exam modes, with questions selected from content area, integrated process, category of client need, or alternate item-format type.

• Completely updated content is based on the new NCLEX-RN examination test plan, effective April 2010.
• A total of 4,500 questions ensure that you’re thoroughly prepared for the content covered on the NCLEX-RN Exam.
• New chapter on physical assessment highlights the key components of physical examination and health history often encountered on the NCLEX exam.
• Audio and video questions on the companion CD provide experience with these new types of questions before the exam.
• Unique! Audio review summaries included on the CD cover the three core areas of pharmacology, fluids and electrolytes, and acid-base balance.
• Expanded coverage of prioritization, delegation, and nursing leadership and management provides critical information for these growing areas of nursing.
• Unique! Priority Nursing Actions boxes outline and explain clinical emergent situations requiring immediate action, including detailed rationales and textbook references to help strengthen your prioritizing skills in clinical and testing situations.
• Pyramid Alert boxes highlight important nursing concepts to help you focus on the content that is most frequently tested on the NCLEX examination.
• Automatic software updates on CD make it easy to check for changes and updates throughout the life of the edition.

ISBN: 1426206348

 
Author: National Geographic

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition showcases the Earth in stunning detail, through a magnificent collection of world, continental, and regional maps that represent up-to-the-minute political geography. Throughout the Ninth Edition, state-of-the-art cartographic technologies and thousands of updates deliver accuracy and quality. Innovative new physical and thematic sections address the most compelling issues facing our world today. Preeminent scientists and experts in geographical specialty fields have consulted on all topics, to ensure that the maps, graphs, and text convey significant trends and findings relevant to modern science. Innovative design makes the wide-ranging content wonderfully accessible, resulting in an accurate, useful, and user-friendly reference to the world.

Map coverage in the Ninth Edition is more comprehensive and up-to-date than ever before:

? Newly generated regional maps reveal in great detail the geography of places in the news today, strengthening the reference aspect of the Atlas in its coverage of newsworthy developments, from conflict in the Middle East to global warming in North America.
? Dramatic, state-of-the-art ocean floor maps show more detail, more features, and more soundings than in any other atlas.
? Extraterrestrial maps chart the Northern and Southern skies, the Solar System, the Milky Way, and the Universe, with new maps of Mars and the Moon that denote physical features, spacecraft landings, and impact sites.

Twenty new thematic spreads illustrate crucial aspects of the human and physical world: population, urbanization, and their environmental impact, as well as human rights, health and wellness, culture, climate, technology, and many other topics. In this section, world maps appear in the same scale and projection to make it easier for the reader to compare layers of information. Plus, new highlighted notes called “connections” point out the interrelationships between topics.

The reference value of the National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition is unparalleled, with the place-name index now exceeding 150,000 entries to incorporate the thousands of features covered on the new spreads. Simple, straightforward index design provides readers with ease of navigation in finding the places they want to explore.

This blend of mapping expertise, comprehensive coverage, and award-winning design places the National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition in a class by itself.

Free gift: The Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition also comes with two free frameable map prints! This premium map is a two-piece, antique-styled map of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, reflecting current political boundaries. The two sheets can be mounted separately or together in one frame.?Dimensions for?each?sheet are: 11-1/2″ x 14-5/8″.