The Decoration of Houses: Alexandra Stoddard

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Alexandra Stoddard has reinterpreted and restated for a late-20th-century audience the basis of Edith Wharton's and Ogden Codman Jr.'s 1897 The Decoration of Houses, then a groundbreaking book. Stoddard's approach to interior design is sensitive, holistic, practical, and thorough, building a solid aesthetic on classical design principles. Readable and appealing, the book offers a thoughtful analysis of the intersection of architecture with personal style, interspersed with concrete and sensible suggestions for the decoration and use of floors, walls, furniture, and storage space. As in Stoddard's other books, her warm personality comes through on every page. (You have to love a woman who says, "Most rooms are improved by the presence of books.... A house with many books is a house with many mansions.")

Book Description

In 1897, Edith Wharton and architect Ogden Codman, Jr., collaborated on The Decoration of Houses, a groundbreaking book on the art of interior design. Now Alexandra Stoddard gives us her own version of decorating houses for today's world, making the wisdom and expertise from her thirty-six years of interior design experience accessible to all individuals, regardless of their budget or the size of their home.

While adhering to the classical principles espoused by Wharton and Codman, Alexandra Stoddard shows us how to see our homes as professional designers do: as an expression of our own personalities. She teaches us how to think about space, scale and proportion, color, light, and texture as she advises us on the different elements of a roomthe floor, furniture, lighting, fabric, art, and more. She captures the essence of interior design by attuning us to our own sense of beauty, giving us the confidence to create the home of our dreams.

Alexandra Stoddard's decorating clients range from notable individuals to young people starting out. She's designed the interiors of mansions and embassies as well as cottages and one-room studios.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful and beautifully written........2002-02-28

I love this book. When I got it- I read it cover to cover. It is beautifully written and a delightful informative read. Since I initially read it, however, I have referred to it many times. If you need to know how to hang a chandelier, solve storage problems, and a million things you only think of when the issue comes up - you can use the very helpful index in the back and find the information needed. For those who love Garden and English Country styles. This is a must have for your library. This is the most useful book I have ever purchased.

un livre utile même en France.......1998-11-06

J'ai pu consulter ce livre qui est d'une richesse iconographique sympathique.

Excellent!Detailed, invigorating,educational........1998-05-11

I found this book to be very educational. It is also very thought provoking. Learn to view your rooms and decorating practices with new insights. As always Alexandra's writing grabs you, stimulates you, and soothes you at the same time.

Wonderfully sumptuous and comprehensive.......1998-03-23

I got this book for a present for myself at Christmas and have not once regretted it. The author's conversational style makes you feel as if she's giving you a private consultation. I don't always find myself agreeing with her self-confessed tastes, but she's always clear about what are her tastes and what kinds of alternate styles are available. Stoddard tells you what cornice moldings are, what types go with what styles, what features of design are the most basic, what the general pricing ranges are for the various style motifs and details, and what the advantages and disadvantages of various design features are. The first part of the book provides prompts for analyzing your own style so that you can read the book in that context.

I keep this book by my bedside and read it a little each night, letting her advice soak into my subconscious, and then during the day, look around my house and think "hmm, I could put a molding here...a white tiling pattern there...." and yet I have not spent any money yet. Great way to start decorating!

Great Book.......1998-02-24

Good details for the do-it-yourself decorator and if you hire one, you'll be a more informed consumer!

Open Your Eyes: 1,000 Simple Ways To Bring Beauty Into Your Home And Life Each Day (Harperresource Book)

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Open Your Eyes: 1,000 Simple Ways To Bring Beauty Into Your Home And Life Each Day (Harperresource Book)
Glad I got it at the library
excellent book
A very disappointed Stoddard reader
Happy Happy Joy Joy

Open Your Eyes: 1,000 Simple Ways To Bring Beauty Into Your Home And Life Each Day (Harperresource Book)
Alexandra Stoddard
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380731444

Book Description

For nearly forty years and in numerous books, Alexandra Stoddard has shared her keen eye for design and sure sense of style. Now this renowned decorator and lifestyle philosopher teaches you hoe to see with the expertise and clarity of professional designers.

First, Alexandra helps you become more attuned to your surroundings-as you set a table, straighten out a linen closet, stroll through a garden, or browse in a thrift shop. Then, through personal anecdotes; examples from masters; a rich array of ideas, tips, and techniques, she reveals hundreds of ways to see and solve problems or proportion, pattern, color, and composition. Her simple suggestions-whether it's changing a lampshade, rearranging treasured objects on a table, or moving a chair-will yield dramatic results. Filled with practical solutions offered with warmth and encouragement , Open Your Eyes helps make each day a visual feats as it deepens your understanding not only of what makes something beautiful but what makes something beautiful to you.

Customer Reviews:

Open Your Eyes: 1,000 Simple Ways To Bring Beauty Into Your Home And Life Each Day (Harperresource Book).......2007-02-12

EXCELLENT ITEM!!

Glad I got it at the library.......2005-11-17

Some useful advice about solving problems like long rooms and such. But overall this book desperately NEEDED some good photographs or drawings to illustrate its suggestions and ideas. I think the messages are buried in the adjective-laden narrative and make the book much less useful than it could have been.
I do not recommend this book for that reason. Too much talk, not enough action.

excellent book.......2003-02-05

very informative. a pleasure to read. alexandra is a postive person and it shows in her words. great pictures of her own home...

A very disappointed Stoddard reader.......2003-01-16

I would have to say that this book was a disappointment in the extreme. Most of the ideas are old, tried, and true - there is nothing new in here, and her constant "name dropping" becomes quite annoying.

If you REALLY want a wonderful book... try Stoddard's "Living A Beautiful Life". It is much more worthwhile.

Happy Happy Joy Joy.......2000-02-03

This is one of the happiest little books you'll ever read. It makes you excited about decorating and improving your lifestyle.

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Yes......but......
Beautifully Written and Very Helpful
Wonderful advice and real-life examples
A Useful Book for People Decorating Their Homes

The Decoration of Houses
Alexandra Stoddard
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0380728591
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Book Description

Alexandra Stoddard continues her creative and insightful guidance by showing us how to make our homes a real expression of our true selves. Starting with the Fifteen Defining Principles of Interior Design, Stoddard grounds us in the classic standards that make any home timeless and follows with inventive suggestions. Her own bold ideas about color, pattern, and texture are affordable tips from her own vast experience involving every imaginable decoration problem. From lighting a room to adding fabrics, furnishings, and the perfect finishing touches, she offers her expertise while always encouraging us to listen to our inner voice for the final answer.

Customer Reviews:

Yes......but.............2007-01-05

Yes...this designer has some interesting things to say about design...lot's of experience no doubt & unquestionably a star studded clinetele list to boot. But too much religious/philisophical jargon intertwined between almost her every thought & opinion gets to be too much after awhile. Unfortunately the author seems to take readers for granted that only people practicing Eastern religion...especially Feng Shui are buying her books. I don't think she's considered that she spends far too much time emphasizing philisophical opinions instead of sticking to the meat & potatoes that most people bought the book for.

I wouldn't buy one of her books again...as I don't want to hear all the superstition about angled ceilings being negative energy & blah, blah, blah.

Too bad...a designer with her experience isn't teaching a new generation how to decorate instead of advocating her philosophies.

Don't recommend it!

Beautifully Written and Very Helpful.......2002-03-03

If you love Garden and English Country styles this book is a must for your library. It includes information about color and fabric to hanging chandeliers and dealing with contractors and everything between. It also includes a wonderful index that is easy to refer to after you've enjoyed reading it cover to cover. It is written in Alexandra's fun and personal style with bits of wisdom from many of her favorite authors. Don't miss this book!

Wonderful advice and real-life examples.......2001-08-16

This book is one of my all-time favorite design books. I read it over and over again. Alexandra's positive style of writing and emphasis on the personal statement a person makes when beautifying one's home is a joy to read. I am converted to her beleif that all homes should have wood floors and a personal collection. Her experiences with various clients are funny and interesting, and her enthusiasm is so catching! A must read!

A Useful Book for People Decorating Their Homes.......2000-03-27

Stoddard is an interesting writer. She is well-read and her work usually reflects her general rounded background. This book, unlike most of her others, gets down the the nitty-gritty of design. The illustrator does an amazing job rendering the different pieces of furniture, so that the reader can actually decide what style he or she prefers before wandering into stores. Stoddard gives tremendous detail about the basics and the essentials of design, as well as the practical point that if you don't like it you shouldn't do it.

This book is indispensible for people who are decorating or redecorating their home.

Book Description

10 3/4 X 12 In, 320 Pp, 156 Color Plates 63 Black & White Photographs With Magnificence and Vivid Imagery, This Stunning Revision of Utah Art Traces Utah's Artist and Their Creations From The First European Settlements In 1847 Through The Current Generation. In The 1800's Talented Young Men and Women Were Sent East and To Paris By The Lds Chruch To Study and Bring The Ideas of The Mainstream Art World Back To Utah. The Results Were Fascinating. Today Utah's Visual Artists Magnify This Tradition.

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Utah Painting and Sculpture
Vern G., Robert S. Olpin and William C. Seifrit Swanson
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QFEOCO

Book Description

From rainforests to rocks and mountains, grasslands to the concrete jungle: with these fundamentals, photographers can capture the magnificence of any landscape, natural or urban. Through dozens of exquisite examples of professional work, acquire a better understanding of the magical craft of environmental photography. Here is all the information needed to improve your skills in recording and highlighting nature's intricacy and beauty. See how to control exposures and use filters. Find out the particular advantages of every camera type, from 35mm compact to 5x4 inch view cameras. Best of all, a photographer and scientist discusses his experiences in the field with engaging enthusiasm, and shares the technical and aesthetic lessons he's learned. Plus, there's invaluable advice on marketing photos-to help fund this marvelous hobby.

Book Description

This book reflects current thinking on communicating knowledge to achieve development in the urban environment. The subject is vital as by the year 2050 it is estimated that most of the world's population will be urban, and a very high percentage will be poor.
"Communicating for Development" examines this topic from a variety of perspectives, offers critical analysis and new ideas in relation to communication methods and suggests ways of overcoming gaps and barriers in the communication process. It highlights the role of social networks as social capital, NGOs, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) local academics and governments as a link between researchers and communities, and different types of media suitable for the community's culture. It also shows how specific communication tools can best be used to transfer knowledge to communities located in different geographical contexts with different cultures.
Moreover, the book challenges traditional participatory methods, and proposes instead the application of new communication and knowledge management methods currently used in business management.

Book Description

Recently, significant new productivity gains have been reported in important industries, both old and new. What is it about such industries, and individual firms in those industries, that has enabled them to regain their productive edge? In this book, a leading authority on this crucial issue searches five recent success stories--in automobiles, steel, semiconductors, electric power generation, and cellular communication--for clues to shape a new national strategy for economic growth. Taken together, these reports from the front lines of American industry point to a new agenda for growth, tailored to the volatile, unpredictable conditions that will persist in the economy for the foreseeable future. At the heart of the agenda is a proposal for a "new economic citizenship"--a new view of the rights, responsibilities, and resources that should be accorded to those who will contribute their ideas and labor to the new century.

Product Description

History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the reader. Eminent mathematician proves that: Jesus Christ was born in 1153 and crucified in 1186 The Old Testament refers to mediaeval events. Apocalypse was written after 1486. Does this sound uncanny? This version of events is substantiated by hard facts and logic - validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources - to a greater extent than everything you may have read and heard about history before. The dominating historical discourse in its current state was essentially crafted in the XVI century from a rather contradictory jumble of sources such as innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts whose originals had vanished in the Dark Ages and the allegedly irrefutable proof offered by late mediaeval astronomers, resting upon the power of ecclesial authorities. Nearly all of its components are blatantly untrue! For some of us, it shall possibly be quite disturbing to see the magnificent edifice of classical history to turn into an ominous simulacrum brooding over the snake pit of mediaeval politics. Twice so, in fact: the first seeing the legendary millenarian dust on the ancient marble turn into a mere layer of dirt - one that meticulous unprejudiced research can eventually remove. The second, and greater, attack of unease comes with the awareness of just how many areas of human knowledge still trust the three elephants of the consensual chronology to support them. Nothing can remedy that except for an individual chronological revolution happening in the minds of a large enough number of people.

Customer Reviews:

Has history been tampered with?.......2007-10-23

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!

The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.

Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but

there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.

Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.

You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!

The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!

New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.

The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.

The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.

Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.

We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.

Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.

The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.

When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.

There are no answers to simple questions:

When were these primary sources written?

Where and by whom were these sources found?

It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.

As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,

innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.

The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.

Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.

This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.

Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.

`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as

there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.

Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.

They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.

All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:

Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!

The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!

The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.

All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.

Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.

Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

Non-parametric determination of real-time lag structure between two time series: The ''optimal thermal causal path'' method with applications to economic ... [An article from: Journal of Macroeconomics]

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Non-parametric determination of real-time lag structure between two time series: The ''optimal thermal causal path'' method with applications to economic ... [An article from: Journal of Macroeconomics]
W.X. Zhou , and D. Sornette
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR57G8

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Macroeconomics, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
We introduce a novel non-parametric methodology to test for the dynamical time evolution of the lag-lead structure between two arbitrary time series. The method consists in constructing a distance matrix based on the matching of all sample data pairs between the two time series. Then, the lag-lead structure is searched as the optimal path in the distance matrix landscape that minimizes the total mismatch between the two time series, and that obeys a one-to-one causal matching condition. We apply our method to the question of the causality between the US stock market and the treasury bond yields and confirm earlier results on a causal arrow of the stock markets preceding the Federal Reserve Funds adjustments as well as the yield rates at short maturities in the period 2000-2003. The application to inflation, inflation change, GDP growth rate and unemployment rate unearths non-trivial causal relationships: the GDP changes lead inflation especially since the 1980s, inflation changes lead GDP only in the 1980 decade, and inflation leads unemployment rates since the 1970s. In addition, we detect multiple competing causality paths in which one can have inflation leading GDP with a certain lag time and GDP feeding back/leading inflation with another lag time.

Unemployment, Market Structure and Growth (Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems)

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Unemployment, Market Structure and Growth (Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems)
Rüdiger Wapler
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Labor Policy | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 354040449X

Book Description

The recent labour-market performance varies greatly between the United States and continental Europe on the one hand, and between the low- and high-skilled on the other. This book starts by presenting up-to-date empirical evidence on these stylised facts and on the importance of the intensity of product-market competition for the labour market. It then integrates models of union wage bargaining, efficiency wages and matching with modern analyses of imperfect competition on product markets. Subsequently, the analysis is extended to include the effects of exogenous and endogenous productivity growth as well as skill-based technological change. This makes it possible to not only explain the influence of product-market competition and growth on aggregate unemployment, but also how they affect the unemployment rates for the low- and high-skilled differently.

Book Description

This remarkable book examines how the economic power of Britain and the US limits the opportunities for small states to develop. Following the history of the Atlantic economy since the 16th century, Denis O'Hearn shows how Ireland's repeated attempts to industrialize were frustrated by British and American power. After partition, Ireland tried to industrialize but was transformed into a platform for US companies seeking access to European markets. Irish attempts to follow the development paths of the wealthier Atlantic regions were limited by power structures, many of which were created when it was integrated into the Atlantic economy in the 16th and 17th centuries. Explaining the problems of economic growth and industrialization from the perspectives of both the developed and developing countries, this book addresses the most important question in developmental politics--how can a developing country emerge from a historical cycle of underdevelopment?

Customer Reviews:

A perfectly orthodox iconoclast?.......2005-08-24

The title of this book is a bit misleading. This book is not really about the Atlantic economy per se but is more of a history of Irish economic development since the 1600's. O'Hearn's book looks at Irish economic development from the perpective of world system and dependency theories. For those who are unfamiliar with the terms it basically means that this book's intoduction is full of unreadable neo-Marxist jargon. Unless you are already familiar with basic Irish economic history, I recommend you take a look at Wallerstein's "World System Analysis: An Introduction" (available from Amazon.com!)before attempting to read this book.

O'Hearn's basic thesis is that Ireland's economic development has been constraned and limited throughout its history first by English colonization and then by American hegemony. Under English rule, Ireland was forced to play a supporting and subordinate role in the English quest for dominating the Atlantic militarily and economically. After gaining independence from England, Ireland was absorbed into a new version of the Atlantic economy this time under U.S. control and again basically became a pawn in a game not of its own making. U.S. multinationals found a ideal window to the European market in Ireland and rushed in essentially crowding out native industries and creating a nominally prosperous but perhaps unsustanable "Celtic Tiger" economy in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

O'Hearn's book is well researched and packed full of fascinating information of the history of the Irish economy. While O'Hearn has perhaps broken some new ground in applying world-systems analysis to Irish history, unfortunately I didn't feel that O'Hearn really brings much of anything new and innovative to that school of thought. This book presents the reader with a very orthodox neo-Marxist view of the world economy. The world has "core" countries that exploit and "perihery" countires which bear the full brunt of the exploitative world capitalist system. If only these exploited nations could throw off the yoke of neo-liberalism and imperialism and imbrace economic isolationism and "social justice" everything would be hunky-dory. The book then ends with the required bit about finding hope in "anti-systemic" movements which will allow the masses to finally rise up and realize the egalitaian utopia we have all been waiting for.

Sorry, I got a bit carried away with myself. All I am trying to say is that this book presents Irish history through the lens of a very specific world view. One that you either agree with or disagree with. If you agree with a neo-Marxist take on things this book is a work of genius. If you don't this is a interesting book which is worth reading but ultimately not terribly convincing in its central premise. In this sense the book will be of interest only to those who already have some interest in world-system theory, history of the Irish economy or debates on the nature of the "Celtic Tiger" economy. If you are not one of these people I suggest you give this book a pass.

excellent analysis of hegemonic control over periphery.......2002-01-28

This is without doubt one of the best books I've ever read. It traces the ways that Ireland was incorporated into first British and later U.S. economic hegemony, touching on such far-reaching issues as the true nature of the Marshall Plan (a calculating attempt to create European dependence on the U.S. and open European markets to U.S. products) and the ways in which core economic powers control the economic policies and decisions of apparently autonomous peripheral nations. It is an extremely valuable study, not least because of the relative proximity* of the players--culturally, racially and geographically--which sidesteps many of the other distracting variables that appear in many cases of core-periphery interaction. O'Hearn combines quantitative analytical depth with a readable and compelling style, making this book useful to professional economists and sociologists, yet accessible to undergrads and other well-read individuals. A must-have for anyone interested in political economy in any region or time period within the last milennium.

*British and Irish readers: I said _relative_ proximity. There's no need to take offense.

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