Understanding what lay behind these events, the rise of "fictitious capital" and its opaque logic, is crucial to grasping the social and political conditions under which we live. Yet, for most people, the operations of the financial system remain shrouded in mystery.In this lucid and compelling book, economist C�dric Durand offers a concise and critical introduction to the world of finance, unveiling the truth behind the credit crunch. Fictitious Capital moves beyond moralizing tales about greedy bankers, short-sighted experts and compromised regulators to look at the big picture. Using comparative data covering the last four decades, Durand examines the relationship between trends such as the rise in private and public debt and the proliferation of financial products; norms such as our habitual assumptions about the production of value and financial stability; and the relationship of all this to political power.Fictitious Capital offers a stark warning about the direction that the international economy is taking. Durand argues that the accelerated expansion of financial operations is a sign of the declining power of the economies of the Global North. The City, Wall Street and other centres of the power of money, he suggests, may already be caked with the frosts of winter.

    Jonathan Ames, Judy Budnitz, Glen David Gold, Jonathan Lethem and A.M. Homes are amongst the writers spreading their wings in this fine collection and showing once more why McSweeney's is now a byword for brilliance, innovation and the unexpected.

    A visionary new program that businesses can follow to help restore the planet.

    Discusses the advertising establishment, revealing what advertisers know about human nature and how they exploit it to make a profit.

    Written for the non-scientist, Gaia is a journey through time and space in search of evidence with which to support a new and radically different model of our planet. In contrast to conventional belief that living matter is passive in the face of threats to its existence, the book explores the hypothesis that the earth's living matter-air, ocean, and land surfaces-forms a complex system that has the capacity to keep the Earth a fit place for life. Since Gaia was first published, many of Jim Lovelock's predictions have come true, and his theory has become a hotly argued topic in scientific circles. Here, in a new Preface, Lovelock outlines his present state of the debate.

    Since then, deformed frogs have been turning up in lakes around the world. Written by the only journalist granted access to secret hot spots where these deformed frogs are tested, and brainstorming sessions among the researchers, this compelling, fast-paced narrative is the first to offer a complete picture of what is quite possibly a global catastrophe in the making.

    We dive down to see coral reefs, not realizing that an ingredient in our sunscreen feeds a virus that kills the reef. We wear organic cotton t-shirts, but don’t know that its dyes may put factory workers at risk for leukemia. In Ecological Intelligence, Daniel Goleman reveals why so many of the products that are labeled green are a “mirage,” and illuminates our wild inconsistencies in response to the ecological crisis.Drawing on cutting-edge research, Goleman explains why we as shoppers are in the dark over the hidden impacts of the goods and services we make and consume, victims of a blackout of information about the detrimental effects of producing, shipping, packaging, distributing, and discarding the goods we buy.But the balance of power is about to shift from seller to buyer, as a new generation of technologies informs us of the ecological facts about products at the point of purchase. This “radical transparency” will enable consumers to make smarter purchasing decisions, and will drive companies to rethink and reform their businesses, ushering in, Goleman claims, a new age of competitive advantage.

    That hardback consists of four hundred and four interlinked dictionary entries, inviting readers to choose their own path through its radical vision.Recognizing that Lean Logic's sheer size and unusual structure can be daunting, Fleming's long-time collaborator Shaun Chamberlin has selected and edited one of these potential narratives to create Surviving the Future. The content, rare insights, and uniquely enjoyable writing style remain Fleming's, but are presented here at a more accessible paperback-length and in conventional read-it-front-to-back format.The subtitle Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy hints at Fleming's vision. He believed that the market economy will not survive its inherent flaws beyond the early decades of this century, and that its failure will bring great challenges, but he did not dwell on this: We know what we need to do. We need to build the sequel, to draw on inspiration which has lain dormant, like the seed beneath the snow.Surviving the Future lays out a compelling and powerfully different new economics for a post-growth world. One that relies not on taut competitiveness and eternally increasing productivity putting the grim into reality but on the play, humor, conversation, and reciprocal obligations of a rich culture.Building on a remarkable breadth of intellectual and cultural heritage from Keynes to Kumar, Homer to Huxley, Mumford to MacIntyre, Scruton to Shiva, Shakespeare to Schumacher Fleming describes a world in which, as he says, there will be time for music.This is the world that many of us want to live in, yet we are told it is idealistic and unrealistic. With an evident mastery of both economic theory and historical precedent, Fleming shows that it is not only desirable, but actually the only system with a realistic claim to longevity. With friendliness, humor, and charm, Surviving the Future plucks this vision out of our daydreams and shows us how to make it real.

    But earth gardens are a lot of work. They require a plot of plantable land and a significant time commitment to sowing, watering, weeding, and tending each plant. Is there a solution? Self-watering containers allow vegetable gardeners—from the casual weekender interested in a tomato plant or two to the very dedicated gardener with limited space—to grow richly producing plants in a controlled, low-maintenance environment. Lifelong gardener Ed Smith became fascinated with the possibilities of self-watering containers and began testing dozens of vegetables in various containers, experimenting with nutrients, soil mixtures, plant varieties, and container positioning. Now Smith is here to tell gardeners that anyone can grow and enjoy wonderful organic vegetables, using pots with continuous- flow watering systems. Smith shares advice on choosing appropriate containers, how to provide balanced nutrition using his secret soil formula, and what additional tools benefit the container gardener. The reader will also find advice on starting from seed versus buying plants, which vegetables thrive in containers and which might be a bit more challenging, along with space-saving tips on pairing plants in single containers. After the last green tomato has been picked and is ripening on the windowsill, Smith wraps everything up with a chapter on fall clean-up and preparing for next spring. Now there’s really no excuse for store-bought tomatoes!

    Pettifor argues that democracies can, and indeed must, reclaim control over money production and restrain the out-of-control finance sector so that it serves the interests of society, as well as the needs of the ecosystem.The Production of Money examines and assesses popular alternative debates on, and innovations in, money, such as “green QE” and “helicopter money.” She sets out the possibility of linking the money in our pockets (or on our smartphones) to the improvements we want to see in the world around us.

    Eco discusses how Joyce's fiction was suffused by its author's reading of St Thomas Aquinas, Giordano Bruno, and Nicola De Cusa.

    In fact, you'¬?d probably be better off without one. In this groundbreaking guide, award-winning journalist Chris Balish exposes the true costs of car ownership and shows how car-free living can put anyone on the path to financial freedom. Using the book'¬?s car cost worksheet, first figure out how much owning a car really costs-you'¬?ll be surprised. Then, see how easy it is to transition to a car-free or car-lite lifestyle using Chris'¬?s strategies for commuting, running errands, taking trips, dating, socializing, and more. You'¬?ll also find hundreds of tips and success stories from car-free people in cities and suburbs across America. Without car payments, rising gas prices, and traffic jams to worry about, you'¬?ll have more money and leisure time to spend as you choose. Discover why getting rid of your car may be the soundest and sanest lifestyle change you can make.ReviewsView a video clip from NBC's Today Show: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25609661/ "Chris Balish offers a mix of the practical-a worksheet to figure out a car's total cost and impact-as well as the horrifying: The average American walks just 300 yards a day."-Sierra Magazine "If ever there was a practical inducement to get out of the car trap, this is it. For the multitude of Americans stuck in traffic and spending thousands of dollars a year on their cars, Chris'¬?s lively and pragmatic step-by-step solutions provide a way out."-Jane Holtz Kay, author of Asphalt Nation"Chris Balish's book can help environmentally conscious Americans live their values. If you're concerned about pollution and global warming, follow the program in these pages. There can be life without a car. And a good life at that!"-Ed Begley, Jr., actor and environmental activist"[Chris Balish's] prescriptions are feasible and most important, reasonable."-San Antonio Express News"Even if living car-free or car-lite isn't for you, you'll still learn a lot from this book. I did."-Michelle Singletary, Washington PostListen to Chris Balish talk about living car-free in Los Angeles on NPR's Morning Edition.

    It's not in stocks. It's not in bonds. It's in commodities -and some smart investors will be riding that bull to record returns in the next decade. Before Jim Rogers hit the road to write his bestselling books "Investment Biker "and" Adventure Capitalist, " he was one of the world's most successful investors. He cofounded the Quantum Fund and made so much money that he never needed to work again. Yet despite his success, Rogers has never written a book of practical investment advice-until now. In "Hot Commodities, " Rogers offers the lowdown on the most lucrative markets for today and tomorrow. In 1998, gliding under the radar, a bull market in commodities began. Rogers thinks it's going to continue for at least fifteen years-and he's put his money where his mouth is: In 1998, he started his own commodities index fund. It's up 165% since then, with more than $200 million invested, and it's the single-best performing index fund in the world in any asset class. Less risky than stocks and less sluggish than bonds,, commodities are where the money is-and will be in the years ahead. Rogers's strategies are simple and straightforward. You can start small-a few thousand dollars will suffice. It's all about putting your money into stuff you understand, the basic materials of everyday life, like coal, sugar, cotton, corn, or crude oil. Once you recognize the cyclical and historical trading patterns outlined here, you'll be on your way. In language that is both colorful and accessible, but Rogers explains why the world of commodity investing can be one of the simplest of all-and how commodities are the bases by which investors can value companies, markets, and whole economies. To be a truly great investor is to know something about commodities. For small investors and high rollers alike, "Hot Commodities" is as good as gold . . . or lead, or aluminum, which are some of the commodities Rogers says could be as rewarding for investors.

    This new edition of a key, accessible text to the work of the most influential psychoanalytic and literary critic alive today includes a new introduction by Christopher Norris setting these key early interviews in the context of the full trajectory of Derrida's thought.

    The Blake Brothers are three brothers that know what they want and will do anything to get it! Each story is steamy, sweet, and short. Be ready! I'm sure you're going to find your next book boyfriend in either Jason, Jack, or Jared. If I Say YesAn Alpha Tattooed Man and Curvy Woman Romance ChelseyHe made me fall in love with him. I couldn't stop it.He's a professional baseball player, with women falling all over him... but he chose me, the plus-size woman in the stands.But the day of the wedding, his true colors come out and with my heart broke in two, I escape and leave him standing at the altar.JasonI knew the first time I saw her that she would be the woman I'd marry.In a whirlwind, we set the date.But with a case of misunderstandings and mistaken identity, she leaves for our honeymoon... single.I do what any man in love would do... I follow her - and make her mine. Love Like OursAn Alpha Older Man and Curvy Younger Woman Romance EmilyI met him for the first time and it felt like I've known him forever.When we're thrown together on vacation because of a misunderstanding, well, it just gives me more time to fall in love.Guarding my heart should be my number one priority... because he's leaving in a week.JackI never dreamed that I would want to settle down.But from the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was special.It may take some convincing, and a change in my ways, But I'm going to make her mine. Never Been Kissed KrissyFour years ago, he was the nerd in high school. I was the captain of the cheerleading squad. I liked him then, but nothing ever came of it.When I see him again, all those old feelings come up and I know that I won't let him go again.JaredI've followed her for four years... from afar.I've taken care of her, even though she doesn't know it.When I need her help, I try to prove to her exactly how I feel about her.But when she finds out how hard I worked to make this happen, will she forgive me?