Academic literature on the topic 'Economic aspects of Book-making (Betting)'

This assessment of Scott Page's The Difference (Princeton University Press, 2007) emphasizes the depth and breadth of the book's coverage and arguments and checks them against existing empirical evidence, when available. It argues that the book navigates artfully between being a “manifesto” for diversity and rigorous science writing while at the same time marketing economic science in new ways. The review welcomes the book's popularization of richer aspects of everyday decision making, individual and collective, and its making an excellent case for the social significance of abstract economic theorizing, especially about problem solving. It praises the book's lively interpretations of statistical tools of decision making by means of enticing narratives. The book's rhetoric urges us to move beyond accepting diversity as a matter of taste, or even because of its beneficial effects on the “production function,” and ultimately adopts its powerful logic. It speculates that the book's true impact will likely come after thorough empirical research. In empirical endeavors, issues of definition, especially of identity and of measurement, and evaluation of policies that would enhance diversity would be decisive. In democratic societies, policies may pose new dilemmas as they benefit from public interest in overcoming the accumulation of past disadvantages. (JEL D23, Z13)

Jesse Perla of University of British Columbia reviews, “The Growth Spiral: Money, Energy, and Imagination in the Dynamics of the Market Process” by Hans Christoph Binswanger. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Revised translation of Die Wachstumsspirale (2006). Presents a new theoretical approach to understanding the modern economy, focusing on its dynamic aspects. Discusses the difference between market and barter—money and the making of markets; capital and the firm—the firm as the engine of the market process; money and money creation in a two-stage banking system; the development of the theories of production—valid insights and shortcomings; production involving nature and imagination; income distribution in the process of growth; the move from the theory of growth to the theory of the growing economy; the economic process as a growth spiral; the increase of the present value of profits as the growth impetus; the avoidance of losses as the growth imperative; and growth opportunities and growth obstacles—the role of the state. Binswanger is with the Institute for Economy and the Environment at the University of St. Gallen.”

It is quite remarkable that the study of Greek economic history has been long pursued in the absence of any overall synthesis. The revised translation of Alain Bresson'sThe Making of the Ancient Greek Economy, originally published in French in 2007, is undoubtedly a major contribution that will have a significant impact on how the subject is taught and studied in the Anglo-Saxon world. The volume is effectively divided into two parts. The first situates Greek economies in their environment, by exploring demography, sources of energy, agriculture, pastoralism, and non-agricultural production. The second part focuses on the nature of ancient markets, by examining internal and external markets, the international division of labour, and the role of currency, credit, and taxation. While the first part is primarily a useful summary of current research, the second part is an original contribution to our understanding of Greek markets. Not only are we given for the first time a detailed analysis of how theagoraand theemporionfunctioned, but Bresson is able to fully document the existence of complex networks creating an international division of labour. These are major advances, but the work has two major problems. Despite its size, it is a lopsided analysis. It is remarkable, for example, that there is not a single chapter devoted to labour, and that its nineteen-page index lacks any reference to terms such as wages, class, exploitation, poverty, or consumption. And, while Bresson offers an excellent description of many economic aspects, the book is distinctly unconvincing whenever it tries to explain patterns or the nature of Greek economic growth. It will be essential for any future work in Greek economic history, but for a comprehensive framework that can actually explain things, we will unfortunately have to wait.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to attempt a brief presentation of book exchange practices, as these are unfolding around the world. Then, the authors focus on free exchange libraries and analyse different aspects of the phenomenon. Finally, the authors are presenting the first hesitant steps of the phenomenon in Greece, linking it with the crisis that has lately been plaguing the Greek society. Design/methodology/approach The widespread and constantly surging movement of exchange libraries has attracted thousands of fans around the world; also, it is multifaceted and constantly transforming. In this paper, the authors are attempting to charter the phenomenon generally and specifically in Greece through relevant sources and on-the-spot observation. Findings The authors believe that free exchange libraries will continue to multiply both globally and in Greece, and that, through this movement, the audience gives an answer to the economic crisis and the crisis of values, making yet another step in the course towards satisfying the demand for a better world. Originality/value This paper is one of the few attempts to reflect-charter the phenomenon and probably one of the first to be accomplished under a sociological spectrum.

AbstractBackground: The area of pension expectations in Hungary is barely researched. However, the importance of adequate financial literacy and self-provision is becoming obvious at the economic, the decision-making, and the individual level.Objectives: Our research is conducted to investigate state pension expectations and certain aspects of financial literacy of the young generation, and to find a behavioral explanation for their pessimistic attitude.Methods/Approach: Using a 14-question questionnaire, we collected answers from Hungarian financially educated, young people. Two hypotheses were investigated by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Besides, a comparative analysis was conducted to connect the survey results with the ten instincts published by Hans Rosling in his book ‘Factfulness’.Results: The outcomes are in harmony with prior expectations, i.e. i) students in finance major are aware of the connection between a longer working period and a higher retirement income; and ii) despite the unisex pension scheme there are gender differences in the expected pension age. In the comparative analysis with ‘Factfulness’, we identified five instincts that lie behind the general pessimism of respondents.Conclusions: State pension expectations of the Hungarian young generation are overly pessimistic, the same attitude being found in international literature, as well. Pessimistic expectations can be explained using some of the ten instincts by Rosling.

Said innovative policy and influencing movements, the circumstance of governing natural resources has been changing in the last decade. Along with the wave of democratization in the late 1990s, the global norms of transparency and accountability reach new leverage today, including in Southeast Asia. The norms ignite the active participation of civil societies in controlling extractive governance – a praxis that never been occurred in two or three decades ago. Meanwhile, the governments require people active participation to advance people trust and political legitimation. Innovative policy and influencing movements stand at the central argumentations of this book. Perceive as an introduction, this book denotes contributions on the extractive industry governance by using the lenses of civil society movements to acquaint intricacy of the sectors. There is a “resource curse” or paradox of plenty refers to the paradox that countries with an abundance of natural resources tend to have less economic growth and worse development outcomes. Therefore, the civil engagement has been perceived as a tool to ensure the benefit of extractive industries run for the greatest benefit of the people, as well as mitigates the risk and undesirable impacts of the extractive operations.Throughout the selected articles, the book addresses on how civil societies engage in the extractive industries governance and through what mechanisms. Instead of outlining resource revenues management as the crucial aspects to be monitored by the citizens, this book rather highlights political perspective to challenge conventional understanding that extractive industries are pure – exclusively – economic affairs. The analysis convinces that extractive industry is highly political since they draw elites into the core decision-making. The high intensity of money and high technology within sectors subsequently renders those activities beyond the reach of the public. Thus, strong civil societies with the active participation are required to undermine oligarch notions and miss use power of the extractive sectors.The discussion of civil society engagements in this book is divided into process and results. The selected cases depict experiences from the local, national, and transnational contexts enrich the discussion and provide civil society movements in a broader sense. The multi-governance perspectives are used to picture the multiple factors enabling the movements, including various challenges and opportunities for the engagements. The elaboration on the book’s content will become the entry point to the more critical discussion in the subsequent of this review.

The paper analyzes the opportunities of applying metaphorical framing in constructing a culturecentric image of Russia. Methodologically it relies on the conceptual metaphor theory elaborated by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, according to which metaphor is a fundamental cognitive mechanism and enables us to understand and structure a more complex abstract target domain in terms of a more concrete familiar and embodied source domain. Metaphors perform a function of a framing tool: they establish frames and boundaries of human understanding of the world around; focus our attention on a posed problem; affect a recipient's attitude to phenomena, personalities, events foregrounding some the features of a target domain while overshadowing others. In this connection, by applying metaphorical framing one can single out certain aspects of the Russian reality making them salient, either appealing or repulsive, components of the Russian image. Metaphorical frames also enable to disguise some aspects of reality, thus constructing positive or negative attitudes to the country. The study emphasizes that, although the image of Russia within and outside the country is commonly constructed by referring to its political position, economic climate, its negative aspects do not seem to affect the attitudes to the Russian culture, and its development is seen as a process unfolding contrary to the current situation. The cultural component in the image of Russia is currently expressed vaguely, yet some research findings show a high potential for its application in constructing a positive image of Russia, including through metaphorical framing. Promoting a culturecentric image of Russia is possible through employing a range of metaphors such as Russia is a Spring, Russia is a Family and Russia is a Book. The paper concludes that metaphors tuned to the Russian culture will contribute to a change in the deeply rooted negative stereotypes about Russia, to constructing a modern, stable positive image of Russia comprehensible both within and outside the country. Metaphors are capable of stressing the country's openness to interacting with other peoples, its willingness and interest in cooperating with them.

Purpose The behaviour of a library user is based on his ability to evaluate the consumption of library services based on alternative market services. The purpose of this paper is to study the usage behaviour in a public library building in the context of alternative costs instead of a narrow focus on book circulation data. Design/methodology/approach By library usage mining, using associative rules, the authors described the behaviour of library users and identified the typical behaviour during the visits. The authors analyse the results in the context of alternative costs assigned to the visits. Findings The results confirm that some underused services, such as digital services, deliver significantly greater benefit. The frequency of use, the duration of visit and the number of items used are associated with higher alternative costs. There were no significant differences in alternative cost within economic groups (excluding pensioners). This paper identified 41 frequent patterns with different alternative costs. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is the fact that data for library usage mining were collected using a questionnaire survey. Practical implications This may be particularly important for both policy makers and library management. The first beneficiaries are donors and patrons, who can learn about the benefit that libraries bring to society. The proposed system for library usage mining also enables managers to promote specific (effective) services, take steps to avoid readers leaving, and improve the adoption of library services. It can also be used to adapt the location of library services. Librarians, especially those who engage in acquisitions, may also use this information in their evidence-based decisions about the design of services. Originality/value So far, there has been no relevant research on the economic aspects of extracted behaviour patterns. Therefore, this study revealed users’ economic preferences using a questionnaire survey that supplemented transaction data. The ability to describe users’ behaviour can provide library management with enough information to realise evidence-based decision making.

In the contemporary world, modernising at an incredible pace, an increasing importance is being placed on education, which is supposed to prepare communities for this acceleration. A few areas can be separated during discussions on education: among the others it is the issue of competencies indispensable on the labour market of the future as well as values and global education. Such issues are also a starting point for the authors of the publication issued in English “Responsibility – Participation - Conscious Citizenship – The Dilemmas of Global Education. Global education – as it is the main subject matter of the publication - was implemented into Polish system of education in the school year 2009/2010 (it was placed in the core curriculum of general education). Prior to this, in 2002 in Maastricht European politicians developed Declaration of Global Education which put forward systemic solutions in this area. The significance of education in the world of multiculturalism and globalization was stressed out long before by researchers indicating the need to focus on such issues and prepare communities for the challenges of postmodernity. It emerges that after more than a dozen years of implementing and practicing global education there is still a need to intellectually deal with this difficult and complex notion. Real practice has revealed a number of areas which still are and will long continue to remain a challenge both for researchers and practitioners. The aim of the publication, edited by Klaudia Śledzińska, is to provide an answer to the question not so much about the essence of global education in Polish educational practice but rather about its axionormative dimension and values implemented in various social dimensions. The axis for deliberations undertaken by the authors is based on such values like responsibility, committed participation and social engagement. It is education – as observed by the editor in the introduction – that is supposed to “enhance the awareness and reflexive cognition of phenomena, social processes, interrelations between people and places, as well as to foster stronger social engagement” [s.8], It should also contribute to better understanding of mutual interrelations and the permeation of cultural, environmental, economic, social, political and technological systems. This, however requires a basic consensus regarding the understanding and interpretations of the values essential in education as well as their transmission methods. The publication is composed of three parts: the first two make an attempt to put in order the notions and conceptualize the categories of responsibility as well civic participation and civic society and akin ideas of a social bond and social capital. Part three deals with selected concepts of social life and experience, wherein we can discern the very essence of responsibility, participation and process towards conscious citizenship. Thus, presented are those aspects through which “we can appreciate the significance of educational actions towards the formation of responsible civic attitudes, notably work according to a corporational model, employee - volunteering, insurance reciprocity, horizontal and vertical gender segregation in scientific milieu as well as lifelong learning and activation of older people” [s.11]. It worth emphasizing several significant issues emphasized by the Authors and related to the notions related to global education, especially in the context of transformations of contemporary societies. One of them is a crucial issue present in public and academic discourse and dealing with the division of the world into global North and South, the impact of which is mostly “felt” by the countries of a global South. Global education which was supposed to increase sensitivity to the problems of inequality and bring closer or tame “the Other” has become an element of a specific symbolic violence and imposing on poor countries the civilizational and economic model incorporated in the countries of the North. Klaudia Śledzińska in her chapter focuses on a “hidden programme” of global education, thus a Europocentric, stereotyping model of creating a global awareness, taking no consideration of the specificity and local conditions, which the countries of the North “offer” to the global South. Another manifestation of organizing the world according to old post-colonial principles is “educational disease”, that is “forcing by the rich North the only vision of the development of the deprived regions, in both individual and group dimensions, by means of formal education towards achieving a high social status” [s.43]. Thus, paradoxically the present task of global education is to deconstruct itself and include/ take into consideration other perspectives and discourses, including the ones put forward by minorities. It is teaching responsibility, creating a strong personal subjectivity, stressing out respect to subjectivity of “the Other”, learning “out of Others and from Others [s.47]. Only such attitude where “personal subjectivity of “you” appears through “I” (and vice versa) (…) and thereby secures relationships which no longer carry the features of exploitation, injustice or dominance” [s.47]. In their publication, the Authors indicate and emphasize the significance of numerous citizen-making mechanisms, practices and strategies, which they place in the context of education, making it possible to disseminate and enhance them. Both the employee participation in companies, employee volunteering, pro-social activity on community portals but also more increasingly a common activity of women, the elderly not only on the labour market but also in the social sphere contributes to building a mature civic society. Nonetheless, it will not be lasting unless education provides substantial foundations based on commonly developed values. The proposal of the model of education offered in the publication means “focusing on teaching a pupil/student – not as an uprooted citizen of the world , but as a citizen endowed with his own unique identity, socially enrooted in concrete local contexts and capable of making rational choices”[s.52]. This statement - though perhaps controversial - gives the publication Authors- proprietary feature. It reveals that the recently depreciated locality and identity, built around universal values such as responsible partnership still remains valid. In the first chapters of the publication a certain nostalgia for the return of the “culture of character” instead of the currently functioning culture of personality is clearly seen (from the perspective of one of the authors, a crucial moment for an axio-normative shift and understanding responsibility took place in the early 20th century). It “was a shift from the culture of character to the culture of personality, from internal to external values” . “The culture of character was associated with the notions of, e.g.: citizenship, obligation, democracy, labour, honour, reputation, morality. The culture of personality, in other words, the culture of “making a good impression on others” and “standing out from the crowd” refers rather to the categories of: fascination, attractiveness, bewilderment, creativity, domination, strength, power or determination” [s.20]. Even though the publication is not easy to read and requires an attentive and careful reader, it is a great contribution to the discussion on the essence and directions of global education development, especially in its axionormative character. It is recommended not only for researchers but also non-academics who are committed to the idea of the world continuously improving but also learning from its own mistakes.

A review article devoted to the book of Andrzej Blikle – Doktryna jakości. Rzecz o skutecznym zarządzaniu. As pointed out by the Author, the book is a case of a work rare on the Polish publishing market, written by an outstanding scientist, who successfully runs a business activity. The combination of practical experience with theoretical knowledge gave a result that may be satisfying both for practitioners as well as theorists, and also those who want to get to know the ins and outs of an effective and efficient business management. The Author of the review believes that it is an important voice for shaping an inclusive socio-economic system, which constitutes a value in itself. Although the book is mainly concerned with business management, its message has a much wider dimension and is concerned with real measures of wealth, money and people’s lives. The book was awarded The SGH Collegium of Business Administration Award “For the best scientific work in the field of business administration in the years 2014-2015”. Andrzej Jacek Blikle Doktryna jakości. Rzecz o skutecznym zarządzaniu (The Doctrine of Quality. On Effective Management) Gliwice, Helion Publishing Company, 2014, p. 546 Introduction One of the distinctive features of the contemporary economy and contemporary world is a kind of obsession of quantity which is related to thoughtless consumerism, unfavourable to the care for the quality of the work and the quality of the produced and consumed goods and services. It is accompanied by culture (or rather non-culture) of singleness. Therefore, the book The Doctrine of Quality by Andrzej Blikle is like a breath of fresh air. It is a different perspective on the economy and the model of operation of enterprises, on the model of work and life of people. A. Blikle proves that it can be done otherwise. He proves it on the basis of careful studies of the source literature – as expected from a professor of mathematics and an economist, but also on the basis of his own experience gained during the scientific and educational work, and most of all through the economic practice. In the world governed by the obsession of quantity, characterised by fragility, shortness of human relationships, including the relationship of the entrepreneur – employee, A. Blikle chooses durability of these relations, creativity, responsibility, quality of work and production, and ethics. The Doctrine of Quality is a rare example of the work on the Polish publishing market, whose author is a prominent scientist, successfully conducting a business activity for more than two decades, which has contributed to the development of the family company – a known confectionery brand “A. Blikle”. The combination of practical experience with theoretical knowledge gave a result that may be satisfying both for practitioners as well as theorists, and also those who want to get to know the ins and outs of an effective and efficient business management, or develop the knowledge on this topic. In an attractive, clear narrative form, the author comprehensively presents the complexities of business management, indicating the sources of success, but also the reasons and the foundations of failures. At the same time, he presents these issues with an interdisciplinary approach, which contributes to thoroughness of the arguments and deeper reflections. Holism, typical to this book, is also expressed in the focus of A. Blikle not only on the economic, but also on social and ecological issues. Here, the author points to the possibility and need of reconciliation of the economic interests with social interests, and the care for the public good. Analyses of this subject are presented using the achievements of many areas of studies, in addition to economic sciences, including mathematics, sociology, psychology, medicine, and others. This gives a comprehensive picture of the complexity of business management – taking into account its close and distant environment. There are no longueurs in the book, although extensive (over 500 pages), or lengthy, or even unnecessary reasoning overwhelming the reader, as the text is illustrated with a number of examples from practice, and coloured with anecdotes. At the same time, the author does not avoid using expressions popular in the world of (not only) business. He proves that a motivational system which is not based on the approach of “carrot and stick” and without a devastating competition of a “rat race” is possible. The author supports his arguments with references not only to the interdisciplinary scientific achievements, but also to the economic historical experiences and to a variety of older and newer business models. There is a clear fascination with the reserves of creativity and productivity in the humanization of work. In fact, the author strongly exposes the potential of productivity and creativity in creating the conditions and atmosphere of work fostering elimination of fear of the future. He shows that such fear destroys creativity. It is not a coincidence that A. Blikle refers to the Fordist principles, including the warning that manufacturing and business do not consist of cheap buying and expensive selling. He reminds that Henry Ford, a legendary creator of the development of the automotive industry in the United States, put serving the public before the profit. The Doctrine of Quality is at the same time a book – proof that one of the most dangerous misconceptions or errors in the contemporary understanding of economics is finding that it is a science of making money, chremastics. Edmund Phelps and others warned against this in the year of the outbreak of the financial crisis in the USA in 2008, reminding that economics is not a science of making money but a science of relations between the economy and social life [Phelps, 2008]. Economics is a science of people in the process of management. Therefore, by definition, it applies to social values and ethos. Ethos is a general set of values, standards and models of proceedings adopted by a particular group of people. In this sense, ethos and economics as a science of people in the process of management are inseparable. Detaching economics from morality is in contradiction to the classical Smithian concept of economics, as Adam Smith combined the idea of the free market with morality. He treated his first work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, as an inseparable basis for deliberations on the nature and causes of the wealth of nations, which was the subject of the subsequent work of this thinker [Smith, 1989; Smith, 2012]. Identifying economics with chremastics would then mean that all actions are acceptable and desired, if their outcome is earnings, profit, money. The book of A. Blikle denies it. It contains a number of case studies, which also stimulate broader reflections. Therefore, and also due to the features indicated above, it can be a very useful teaching aid in teaching entrepreneurship and management. The appearance of a book promoting the doctrine of quality and exposing the meaning of ethos of work is especially important because today the phenomenon of product adulteration becomes increasingly widespread, which is ironically referred to in literature as the “gold-plating” of products [Sennett, 2010, pp. 115-118], and the trend as “antifeatures”, that is intentionally limiting the efficiency and durability of products of daily use to create demand for new products. A model example of antifeature is a sim-lock installed in some telephones which makes it impossible to use SIM cards of foreign operators [Rohwetter, 2011, p. 48; Miszewski, 2013]. These types of negative phenomena are also promoted by the development of systemic solutions aiming at the diffusion of responsibility [Sennett, 2010]. This issue is presented among others by Nassim N.N. Taleb, in the book with a meaningful title Antifragile: How to Live in a World We Don’t Understand? The author proves that the economy and society lose their natural durability as a result of the introduction of numerous tools and methods of insurance against risks, but mostly by shifting the burden of risks on other entities [Taleb, 2012]. N.N. Taleb illustrates his arguments with numerous convincing examples and references to history, recalling, inter alia, that in ancient times there was no building control, but the constructors, e.g. of bridges had to sleep under them for some time after their construction, and the ancient aqueducts are still working well until today. So, he shows that a contemporary world, focused on quantitative effects, does not create a sound base for ethical behaviours and the care for the quality of work and manufacturing. Andrzej Blikle points to the need and possibility of opposing this, and opposing to what the Noble Price Winner for Economics, Joseph Stiglitz described as avarice triumphs over prudence [Stiglitz, 2015, p. 277]. The phrase emphasised in the book “Live and work with a purpose” is the opposition to the dangerous phenomena listed above, such as for example antifeatures. convincing that although the business activity is essentially focused on profits, making money, limited to this, it would be led to the syndrome of King Midas, who wanted to turn everything he touched into gold, but he soon realised that he was at risk of dying of starvation, as even the food turned into gold. What distinguishes this book is that almost every part of it forces in-depth reflections on the social and economic relations and brings to mind the works of other authors, but at the same time, creates a new context for them. So, A. Blikle clearly proves that both the economy and businesses need social rooting. This corresponds to the theses of the Hungarian intellectual Karl Polanyi, who in his renowned work The Great Transformation, already in 1944 argued that the economy is not rooted in the social relations [Polanyi, 2010, p. 70]. He pointed to the risk resulting from commodification of everything, and warned that allowing the market mechanism and competition to control the human life and environment would result in disintegration of society. Although K. Polanyi’s warnings were concerned with the industrial civilization, they are still valid, even now – when the digital revolution brings fundamental changes, among others, on the labour market – they strengthen it. The dynamics of these changes is so high that it seems that the thesis of Jeremy Rifkin on the end of work [Rifkin, 2003] becomes more plausible. It is also confirmed by recent analyses included in the book of this author, concerning the society of zero marginal cost and sharing economy [Rifkin, 2016], and the analyses concerning uberisation [Uberworld, 2016]. The book of Andrzej Blikle also evokes one of the basic asymmetries of the contemporary world, which is the inadequacy of the dynamics and sizes of the supply of products and services to the dynamics and sizes of the demand for them. Insufficient demand collides with the rapidly increasing, as a result of technological changes, possibilities of growth of production and services. This leads to overproduction and related therewith large negative implications, with features of wasteful economy of excess [Kornai, 2014]. It is accompanied by phenomena with features of some kind of market bulimia, sick consumerism, detrimental both to people and the environment [Rist, 2015]. One of the more compromising signs of the economy of excess and wasting of resources is wasting of food by rich countries, when simultaneously, there are areas of hunger in some parts of the world [Stuart, 2009]. At the same time, the economy of excess does not translate to the comfort of the buyers of goods – as in theory attributed to the consumer market. It is indicated in the publication of Janos Kornai concerning a comparative analysis of the features of socio-economic systems. While exposing his deep critical evaluation of socialist non-market systems, as economies of constant deficiency, he does not spare critical opinions on the capitalist economy of excess, with its quest for the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) and profits. As an example of the economy of excess, he indicates the pharmaceutical industry, with strong monopolistic competition, dynamic innovativeness, wide selection for the buyers, flood of advertisements, manipulation of customers, and often bribing the doctors prescribing products [Kornai 2014, p. 202]. This type of abnormalities is not alien to other industries. Although J. Konrai appreciates that in the economy of excess, including the excess of production capacities, the excess is “grease” calming down and soothing clashes that occur in the mechanisms of adaptation, he also sees that those who claim that in the economy of excess (or more generally in the market economy), sovereignty of consumers dominates, exaggerate [Kornai, 2014, pp. 171-172], as the manufacturers, creating the supply, manipulate the consumers. Thus, there is an excess of supply – both of values as well as junk [Kornai, 2014, p. 176]. Analysing the economy of excess, J. Kornai brings this issue to the question of domination and subordination. It corresponds with the opinion of Jerzy Wilkin, according to whom, the free market can also enslave, so take away individual freedom; on the other hand, the lack of the free market can lead to enslavement as well. Economists willingly talk about the free market, and less about the free man [Wilkin, 2014, p. 4]. The economy of excess is one of the consequences of making a fetish of the economic growth and its measure, which is the gross domestic product (GDP) and treating it as the basis of social and economic activity. In such a system, the pressure of growth is created, so you must grow to avoid death! The system is thus comparable to a cyclist, who has to move forwards to keep his balance [Rist, 2015, p. 181]. It corresponds with the known, unflattering to economists, saying of Kenneth E. Boulding [1956], criticising the focus of economics on the economic growth, while ignoring social implications and consequences to the environment: Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or an economist. [from: Rist, 2015, p. 268]. GDP is a very much needed or even indispensable measure for evaluation of the material level of the economies of individual countries and for comparing their economic health. However, it is insufficient for evaluation of the real level of welfare and quality of life. It requires supplementation with other measures, as it takes into account only the values created by the market purchase and sale transactions. It reflects only the market results of the activity of enterprises and households. Additionally, the GDP account threats the socially desirable and not desirable activities equally. Thus, the market activity related to social pathologies (e.g. functioning of prisons, prostitution, and drug dealing) also increase the GDP. It was accurately expressed already in 1968 by Robert Kennedy, who concluded the discussion on this issue saying that: the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile [The Guardian, 2012]. While Grzegorz W. Kołodko even states that it should be surprising how it is possible that despite a number of alternative measures of social and economic progress, we are still in the corset of narrow measure of the gross product, which completely omits many significant aspects of the social process of reproduction [Kołodko, 2013, p. 44]. In this context he points to the necessity of triple sustainable growth – economic, social, and ecological [Kołodko, 2013, p. 377]. Transition from the industrial civilisation model to the new model of economy, to the age of information, causes a kind of cultural regression, a phenomenon of cultural anchoring in the old system. This type of lock-in effect - described in the source literature, that is the effect of locking in the existing frames and systemic solutions, is a barrier to development. The practice more and more often and clearer demonstrates that in the conditions of the new economy, the tools and traditional solutions turn out to be not only ineffective, but they even increase the risk of wrong social and economic decisions, made at different institutional levels. All this proves that new development models must be searched for and implemented, to allow counteraction to dysfunctions of the contemporary economy and wasting the development potential, resulting from a variety of maladjustments generated by the crisis of civilisation. Polish authors who devote much of their work to these issues include G.W. Kołodko, Jerzy Kleer, or Maciej Bałtowski. Studies confirm that there is a need for a new pragmatism, new, proinclusive model of shaping the social and economic reality, a model which is more socially rooted, aiming at reconciling social, economic and ecological objectives, with simultaneous optimisation of the use of the social and economic potential [Kołodko, 2013; Bałtowski, 2016; Kleer, 2015]. There is more and more evidence that the barriers to economic development growing in the global economy are closely related with the rooting of the economy in social relations. The book of A. Blikle becomes a part of this trend in a new and original manner. Although the author concentrates on the analyses of social relations mainly at the level of an enterprise, at the same time, he comments them at a macroeconomic, sociological and ethical level, and interdisciplinary contexts constitute an original value of the book. Conclusion I treat the book of Andrzej Blike as an important voice in favour of shaping an inclusive social and economic system, in favour of shaping inclusive enterprises, that is oriented on an optimal absorption of knowledge, innovation and effective reconciliation of the interests of entrepreneurs with the interests of employees and the interests of society. Inclusiveness is indeed a value in itself. It is understood as a mechanism/system limiting wasting of material resources and human capital, and counteracting environmental degradation. An inclusive social and economic system is a system oriented on optimisation of the production resources and reducing the span between the actual and potential level of economic growth and social development [Reforma, 2015]. And this is the system addressed by Andrzej Blikle in his book. At least this is how I see it. Although the book is mainly concerned with business management, its message has a much wider dimension and is concerned with real measures of wealth, money and people’s lives. null

This book chronicles the history of education policymaking in India. The focus of the book is on the period from 1964 when the landmark Kothari Commission was constituted; however, to put the policy developments in this period into perspective major developments since the Indian Education Commission (1882) have been touched upon. The distinctiveness of the book lies in the rare insights which come from the author’s experience of making policy at the state, national and international levels; it is also the first book on the making of Indian education policy which brings to bear on the narrative comparative and historical perspectives it, which pays attention to the process and politics of policymaking and the larger setting –the political and policy environment- in which policies were made at different points of time, which attempts to subject regulation of education to a systematic analyses the way regulation of utilities or business or environment had been, and integrates judicial policymaking with the making and implementation of education policies. In fact for the period subsequent to 1979, there have been articles- may be a book or two- on some aspects of these developments individually; however, there is no comprehensive narrative that covers developments as a whole and places them against the backdrop of national and global political, economic, and educational developments.

Early modern Amsterdam was a prosperous city renowned for its relative tolerance, and many people hoping for a better future, away from persecution, wars, and economic malaise, chose to make a new life there. Conversos and Jews from many countries were among them, attracted by the reputed wealth and benevolence of the Portuguese Jews who had settled there. Behind the facade of prosperity, however, poverty was a serious problem. It preoccupied the leadership of the Portuguese Jewish community and influenced its policy on admitting newcomers. This book looks at poverty and welfare from the perspective of both benefactors and recipients. The book analyses benefactors' motives for philanthropy and charts its dimensions; it also examines the decision-making processes of communal bodies and private philanthropists, identifying the cultural influences that shaped their commitment to welfare. At the same time the book succeeds in bringing the poor to life: it examines what brought them to Amsterdam, aspects of their daily life in the petitions they sent to the different welfare institutions, and the survival strategies offered by work, education, and charity. The book also considers the related questions of social mobility and the motivation of the poor for joining the Amsterdam Portuguese community, and finally, to the small but active groups of Sephardi bandits who formed their own clandestine networks. Special attention is paid to poor women, who were often singled out for relief. In this way the book makes a much-needed contribution to the study of gender, in Jewish society and more generally.

This book explores and explains how and why the five current socialist countries (China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam) have changed their constitutions since the fall of the Cold War and the rise of globalization. It demonstrates that constitution-making, replacement, and amendment in the contemporary socialist world display the dynamic constitution, party institutionalization, power distribution, rights universalization, and economic marketization. The function of this progressive constitutional change is to facilitate the active role of the party-state in improving the living conditions of local residents. Integrating comparative constitutional law and social sciences, this book explains the intellectual foundations, legal-institutional aspects, and political economy of socialist constitutional change. This book identifies five divergent models of socialist constitutional change depending on the prominence of influential factors: universal convergence (Vietnam), ethnic integration (Laos), historical reservation (Cuba), exceptional attitude (China), and personal rule (North Korea).

The book gives broad coverage of monetary policy issues in Low Financial Development Countries (LFDCs). These low- and lower-middle-income countries are characterized by a predominance of bank finance, shallow financial markets, low financial inclusion, weak integration with world capital markets, and a high degree of informality in economic activity. Monetary policy acquires special twists, making it different in many aspects from the policies followed in advanced and emerging market economies. The book covers the main facets of monetary policy-making, using an approach that combines discussion of theoretical arguments, of results from empirical studies, and of policy experiences relevant for LFDCs. The book presents the monetary policy instruments used in these countries, and assesses the specificities of their monetary transmission mechanism. It evaluates the advantages, drawbacks, and challenges of the different nominal anchors they may choose from: exchange rate targeting, monetary targeting, and inflation targeting. This discussion is set against the background of the three main goals pursued by central banks: price, output, and financial stability. Particular attention is devoted to the issue of the credibility of central banks and to the trade-offs they face when external shocks, to which these countries are very vulnerable, lead to conflicts among the three goals they pursue. The book also covers more specific topics, such as challenges raised by fiscal dominance and by dollarization, implications of informal labour markets and of microfinance institutions for monetary policy-making, and the role of models for forecasting and policy evaluation.

This chapter book will analyze different systems of indicators by which maintenance management is evaluated. The models analyzed are: 1) The Balanced Scorecard. 2) The Alsyouf Model. 3) The Maintenance Scorecard Model. 4) The Metrics for Maintenance of SMRP (Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals). 5) The EN-15341-Maintenance Key Performance Indicators (European Standard). This paper presents a model for indicators based on various hierarchical levels and different functions and processes taking place in a maintenance department. With this model a comprehensive assessment of the most important aspects at all levels of the organization is achieved and shows the relationship between the various indicators to understand the overall performance of maintenance management and so align departmental objectives with the strategic objectives. Also is developed the C-KPI-M model, which is the definition of 18 chains of key indicators for viewing the cause and effect of the maintenance KPI that contribute to achieving the maximum Economic Value Added (EVA).

Problems of social revolutions and/or transformations belong to the classical agenda of social inquiry, as well as to the most prominent real and potential challenges encountered by contemporary societies. Among revolutionary events of the last decades, particular attention has been drawn to the changes that unfolded at the turn of the 1990s and brought the supposedly bipolar (in fact incipiently multipolar) world to an end. The downfall of East Central European Communist regimes in 1989 and of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the beginning of a new era, originally characterised on the one hand by the relaxation of international tensions and on the other by the ascendancy of Western unilateralism. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Soviet collapse prompts the authors of this book to reflect on revolutions and transformations, both from a long-term historical perspective and with regard to the post-Communist scene. The social changes unfolding in Eastern and Central Europe are not only epoch-making historical turns; their economic, social and political aspects, often confusing and unexpected, have also raised new questions and triggered debates about fundamental theoretical issues. Moreover, they have had a significant impact on developments elsewhere in the world, in both Western and developing countries.

The production of copper in prehistory was a complex undertaking, involving a sequence of inter-related activities that required specialist knowledge and informed organization. The operation of early copper mines demanded a long-term commitment that had important implications for the societies in question. There are obvious parallels with modern mining in terms of the multi-stage nature of the process, from the initial search for copper ores to their extraction, treatment, and eventual conversion to metal. This explains why early mining is often characterized as an ‘industry’, with its own specialists and techniques. Given their professional background, it is not surprising that the earliest researchers in this field focused on the geological setting, technology, and engineering aspects of prehistoric copper mines. Modern research also deals with these aspects, but is more concerned with understanding the wider societal context of this activity. It is now recognized that any reconstruction of the chaîne opératoire of early copper mining cannot be based solely on technique and process, but needs to incorporate the dynamic social context of this activity. It also needs to recognize that human choice played a significant role in determining the process of mining. While some areas are not amenable to archaeological enquiry, a reconstruction of task structure and work routines should capture many aspects of decision making in these mines. This will be revisited in the next chapter to explore the distinctive nature of prehistoric mining communities and how they interacted with the external world. Before doing so, it is necessary to examine the process of mining in terms of the techniques employed and the work environment of these miners. The opening chapter of this book considered the concept of ore, as it would have applied in prehistory. The modern definition is essentially an economic one that relates the cost of mining a mineral deposit to perceived financial returns or strategic interests. The effort of extraction must be set against the concentration or ‘grade’ of metal present in the rock, which will determine whether it can be profitably extracted.