Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment 2001 (Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment)

Book Description

Both in insurance and in finance applications, questions involving extremal events (such as large insurance claims, large fluctuations in financial data, stock market shocks, risk management, ...) play an increasingly important role. This book sets out to bridge the gap between the existing theory and practical applications both from a probabilistic as well as from a statistical point of view. Whatever new theory is presented is always motivated by relevant real-life examples. The numerous illustrations and examples, and the extensive bibliography make this book an ideal reference text for students, teachers and users in the industry of extremal event methodology.

Customer Reviews:

largest book written on extremes.......2002-01-30

This book presents extreme value theory and its applications with the finance industry as its primary target. There have been many excellent texts written on extreme value theory but none this extensive. As the authors admit even as extensive as it is the theory of multivariate extremes is neglected. They chose to only cover in detail the theory that is mature enough for application.

What you will find here that is not in many texts on this subject is a treatment of risk theory and fluctuations of sums and various time series models including cases with heavy-tailed marginal distributions.

Chapter 8 on special topics is particularly interesting with a lot of coverage for the extremal index, large claim index, ARCH processes, large deviations, reinsurance, stable processes and self-similarity. The book contains over 600 references to the literature and is a welcome resource for practitioners in finance and insurance as well as extreme value theorists.

Highly recommended.......2000-08-15

This book covers the theory and applications of extremal value theory (an area of applied probability). The mathematics is kept at an acceptable level, i.e. advanced undergraduates in math/physics/engineering, but the breadth and the sophistication of the statements are such that the results are never trivial. Chapters 2-3-4 introduce the reader to the property of sums, maxima and order statistics of random variables. Many results are only stated but not proved. Yet, this does not detract to the readability of the book. Chpater 5 treats point processes and requires a deeper mathematical background. Among the chapters, this was the most disappointing to me. The monographs of Resnick and of Kallenberg, as well as many good introductions to point processes in queueing theory, are in my opinion both a more intuitive and rigorous introduction to random measures. This is not a major flaw of the book, given its view toward applications; and besides this, the bibliographical notes will point the reader to the relevant literature. Chapter 6, on statistical analysis of extremal events, is enjoyable and extremely useful for practitioners in finance and insurance. Chapter 7 touches upon time series and its relation to heavy tails. Finally, chapter 8 is a put-pourri of topics: ARCH processes, stable processes, self-similarity. Overall, I found this book useful as a reference, but sometimes lacking in focus: some topics seem juxtaposed with no clear logical continuity. Another potential shortcoming of the book is that it is neither completely rigorous nor completely readable (i.e., an undergraduate-level book). At the same time, these can be considered as qualities: with regards to the former, there is plenty of material to consult and draw inspiration from; and at the same time each reader will find the "right" level of mathematics in the book. In my opinion the final balance is largely positive, and I would recommend this book without hesitation.

Book Description

Welcome to the bully pulpit where opinions fly but common sense rules. Here’s where you’ll find straight talk about the most pressing issues of the day, all delivered in the trademark commonsense style of one of America’s most popular and admired television news anchors. Always resisting the political label that attempts to place people in one ideological camp or another, Greta Van Susteren speaks from the mind and the heart, not as a liberal or a conservative, but as a right-thinking, sensible citizen. “Our country is at a critical juncture,” she writes, and “too many of us are caught up in old definitions of left and right that no longer apply. If I favor the death penalty in some cases, does that make me right-wing? If I think hate crimes legislation is stupid, does that make me a conservative? If I happen to like and enjoy Ozzy Osbourne and have him on my show, does that make me a liberal? And if I believe that corporations should be held accountable if their products harm citizens and they should be subject to the rulings of a jury—ditto for doctors who commit medical malpractice—does that make me a lefty trial lawyer?”

Here’s more of Greta in her own words:

On the military: Liberty isn’t free. As a nation, we must provide for the men and women who put their lives on the line for us. That means good pay, adequate funding for defense, and our heartfelt support. Vietnam was a very long time ago. We Baby Boomers have to wake up and realize that today’s military is a different military from the one we grew up with, and we are fighting a very different war. Patriotism is not a conservative or a liberal thing. Patriotism, as far as I am concerned, is the duty and obligation of every American.

On the Supreme Court: There should be a litmus test for Supreme Court and federal court judges, and that test should be their opinion about allowing public access to court proceedings. Let cameras inside the courthouse, or at least allow an audio feed to radio. What are they hiding?

On the death penalty: It should be legal and available to courts and juries . . . but it should be used extremely rarely, and only when we are absolutely certain that a fair trial has taken place.

On how you look: It’s your business and nobody else’s. Your looks and your life are not a democracy—not everybody gets a vote. Make your appearance and your choices a totalitarian regime—you are the boss.

On fun: It isn’t a curse word. It’s actually quite serious business, as it makes the hard times livable and the sad times bearable. Fun should be part of a work environment, too. Stuffed shirts and snobs who can’t stop and laugh at themselves should be banished!

In Greta’s company you’re guaranteed to get a fresh dose of common sense and a good hearty rant on many of the most important issues we face today. One more guarantee: you’ll have some good fun while you’re at it.

Customer Reviews:

"Give everybody a chance".......2005-11-24

We've all seen our share of "talking heads".However,I always liked Greta,felt she was different and when I saw this book,I was hoping to find what separates her from the run of the mill.I was not disappointed and found that she was her own self and had well thought out opinions on many subjects.
I have found her strong asset is in putting her personal views ,or even worse some agenda,aside and asking good,fair questions and allowing the guest give their answer without being cut off when the answer doesn't suit the questioner.
It was also enlightning to read why she left CNN and I found her reasons were much the same as mine when I left CNN and opted for FOXas a listener.
Greta summed it up with:"I believe in good strong aggressive debate".
Greta was described as a no-spin lady by Bill O'Reilly and I certainly think he got it right.

Who edited this book?.......2005-08-09

I am a GVS fan, and I watch On The Record as often as I can. However, an accomplished lawyer/commentator does not a writer make. This book was not edited,(well or otherwise), and it shows in the first few pages when you realize that Greta has overused the word FUN....over, and over, and over. It is bland and boring. The fact that she had assistance in writing it is even more of an insult.
Check it out of your local library-or skip it altogether.

Easy read, but not all that interesting.......2004-03-08

This book is exactly as advertised - Greta's opinions on a variety of issues. While I may agree with her on a lot of issues, I'm not sure why I should care.

I learned a little about tort reform, was creeped out by her section on the death penalty and found the CNN slams a little annoying by the end.

Overall, this was an easy read but not all that interesting.

excellent book.......2003-12-19

This is a must read! If you love Greta on FNC, then you will equally love her book.

Much Like Her Show - Informative and Entertaining.......2003-11-25

Maybe I'm biased but I've always liked Greta Van Susteren. She is one of those people that when she is on television, you are drawn to watch her. I think I feel that way because she is bright, articulate, and can engage an interview subject and challenge them without attacking them. Moreover, she can display a sense of humor and seems to have fun.

This book is much like she is on television. It's concise and to the point and most normal people should be able to read the whole thing in a few hours.

My only quibble with the book is that the title seems a bit misleading. While Greta does weigh in on a number of important topics such as patriotism, the death penalty, her plastic surgery, cable news, corporate ethics and even professional sports, she is smart enough to temper her views. She rarely jumps on the soap box to take hard stances on most of the issues.

Still I enjoy the book because in what she does write, she reveals more of herself. That works to her advantage because the same appeal she demonstrates on television comes through in the book. This is especially true in the last chapter of the book that provides some examples of the e-mails she has traded with viewers of her show.

This book won't go down as one of the most important books of our day but if you like Greta, it's worth your time.

Average customer rating:

this is a review of the audio, which I couldn't post with the audio offer

My Turn at the Bully Pulpit: Straight Talk About the Things That Drive Me Nuts
Greta Van & Lafferty, Elaine Susteren
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IOER5W

Customer Reviews:

this is a review of the audio, which I couldn't post with the audio offer.......2006-10-17

Greta Van Susteren, former lawyer, is now a talking head for Fox News, having left that same position on CNN. My Turn at the Bully Pulpit is five more hours of Greta talking. The sub-title is an honest commentary on the content. It seems quite a few things drive Greta nuts.

There is no perceivable order to her discourse. Without going into great detail, here is a rough table of contents after the Introduction:

Getting the "GET" - the interviewee du jour, ratings, guests
Patriotism and the Military
the Death Penalty
Loyalty vs Conflict
Cameras in courtrooms, specifically the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court
her plastic surgery
the "sero tolerance" policy in our schools
Personal Responsibility and Tort Reform
Fun - and the differences between CNN and FOX News
Sports, Fairness, and Loyalty
The Packers vs Corporate Ownership of Teams
Tiger Woods, Augusta, and opening membership to women
Nascar Racing
CEO's - acquiring riches through failure, fraud, and greed, with examples
Viewer e-mails, with Greta's responses

Not ever having seen Greta Van Susteren in any of her professional venues, I had no idea what to expect. I was not surprised to find that, based on certain similiarities in our backgrounds, we agreed on a lot of basic concepts. That's always nice; I hate listening to five hours of someone I really disagree with.

What didn't I like? Well, five hours of any one person talking can wear after a while. I found myself being unusually irritated in the section on the death penalty - not because I disagreed with Greta, but because she doesn't pronounce the "t" in penalty. At times, her pronounciation gets a little sloppy, and the volume goes up and down for no apparent reason every now and then. At one point, partway through disc 4 (I think) Greta's voice sounds totally different than it did just seconds before, different enough that I thought someone else was speaking.

Greta is very careful, in the Introduction, to state that what follows are nothing more or less than her opinions - not expert, not immutable, but hers. I found it annoying, at times, when she would state that someone else's opinion was "stupid", and then not explain why she felt that way.

I thought the weakest section was the final one, viewer e-mails and her responses. Some of the e-mails she had referred to earlier in the book; reading them again was redundant. Her responses didn't always strike me as addressing the issues in the e-mails, they were sometimes abrupt. They did nothing to illuminate her skills as an interviewer or commentator. All in all, this five hours did nothing to make me interested in watching Greta Van Susteren on television. If she is a commentater/interviewer that you like, this is probably worth your time.

Book Description

Spontaneous self-cloning or clonality is a widespread phenomenon in the plant kingdom, and has a wide array of ecological and evolutionary implications. This volume is the outcome of an international workshop on clonal plant biology aimed at illustrating current progress and recent developments in the scientific study of clonality in plants. The first section of this book includes a collection of original research articles which demonstrate the wide variety of approaches and scientific challenges linked to clonality in plants. The topics covered in this section include ecological and evolutionary implications of sexual versus asexual propagation, including life-history evolution and sex-ratio dynamics, the importance of internal resource transport and remobilization of storage products for the invasiveness and competitiveness of clonal plants, a survey of clonal growth forms in grassland communities, and studies on the interactions between clonal plants and animals and fungi. The approaches used range from experimental studies on a broad variety of systems to mathematical modeling of clonal growth and its consequences. The second part features discussion and review papers on a diverse array of subjects, ranging from developmental considerations of clonality, principles of selection and evolution in clonal plants, a survey of clonality in algae, to potential implications of clonality for plant mating, and beyond. This part of the volume aims at presenting novel ideas and hypotheses, and at summarizing existing knowledge in previously under-researched areas, thereby providing directions for future research initiatives.

This book captures ongoing cutting-edge research in the field of clonal plant ecology and evolution. It is directed to anyone from the undergraduate to specialist level who is interested in the biology of the intriguing phenomenon of asexual propagation in plants.

Book Description

A search for the enthalpy of formation of a particular compound can be a difficult task. So it is of great benefit that the values be collected together in one comprehensive compilation. Thermochemical Data and Structures of Organic Compounds presents approximately 3000 enthalpies of formation of organic compounds. There are many instances of large discrepancies reported for a particular compound. Thus, selection of the "best" value becomes a challenge for the person who is not a practicing thermochemist, but who only wishes to use the data. A critical evaluation of the values presented becomes desirable. This compilation presents about 3000 enthalpies of formation of organic compounds, all critically evaluated.

Thermochemical Data of Organic Compounds

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Thermochemical Data of Organic Compounds
J. B. Pedley , R. D. Naylor , and S. P. Kirby
Manufacturer: Chapman & Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

It's been a pilgrimage for Annie Dillard: from Tinker Creek to the Galapagos Islands, the high Arctic, the Pacific Northwest, the Amazon Jungle--and now, China. This informative narrative is full of fascinating people: Chinese people, mostly writers, who encounter American writers in various bizarre circumstances in both China and the U.S. There is a toasting scene at a Chinese banquet; a portrait of a bitter, flirtatious diplomat at a dance hall; a formal meeting with Chinese writers; a conversation with an American businessman in a hotel lobby; an evening with long-suffering Chinese intellectuals in their house; a scene in the Beijing foreigners' compound with an excited European journalist; and a scene of unwarranted hilarity at the Beijing Library. In the U.S., there is Allen Ginsberg having a bewildering conversation in Disneyland with a Chinese journalist; there is the lovely and controversial writer Zhang Jie suiting abrupt mood changes to a variety of actions; and there is the fiercely spirited Jiange Zilong singing in a Connecticut dining room, eyes closed. These are real stories told with a warm and lively humor, with a keen eye for paradox, and with fresh insight into the human drama.

Average customer rating:

Encounters With Chinese Writers
Annie Dillard
Manufacturer: Wesleyan Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MFGUDE

Encounters With Chinese Writers 1ST Edition

Average customer rating:

Encounters With Chinese Writers 1ST Edition
Annie Dillard
Manufacturer: WESLEYAN UNIV PRESS +
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PZVN92

Average customer rating:

Encounters with Chinese Writers.
Annie. DILLARD
Manufacturer: Middleton: Wesleyan University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDE1FM

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