Academic

Discusses the interplay between the risk and returns of Indian equity investment Includes expected corporate and market returns in the Indian stock market Provides a comprehensive overview of equity returns, risk and price multiples in India Assesses the level of market efficiency in India during the period of the study, using the 'rational bubbles' methodology The book presents a comprehensive view of the Indian equity markets over the past two decades (1994-2014). Equity markets constitute the most important segment of stock exchanges; in fact, the status of equity returns is, by and large, considered as a barometer of the state of a country's economy. Returns earned by the equity investors on their funds invested in equity markets have become a decisive factor in the growth of such markets. In this context, the book discusses all the major aspects of equity returns and also conducts a dis-aggregative analysis based on underlying factors like age, size, ownership structure, industry affiliation/sector, among others, to explain the factors affecting returns and risk. While on the one hand the study ascertains the market rates of return (earned) on equities from the investors' perspective (by including both the capital gains and the dividend income), it also shows how to compute the rates of returns on equities from the corporate perspective (that is, rate of return earned on equity funds). It further assesses the required/expected rate of return and examines the volatility in stock returns, with a focus on its behaviour during the period of the study. It deepens investors' understanding of equity investment, helping them to make more-informed investments. While of interest to the investor community, this book also contributes significantly to the existing literature on market returns and is a valuable reference resource for academics, researchers and market participants, financial institutions and other intermediaries, regulators and policy makers.

Since money was invented, there has been a debate about better ways of creating it and better rules to govern how it works - until the last generation, when it began to seem that the money system had been handed down by God and remained unchanged ever since. But the last few years have seen an increasingly powerful resurgence of interest in changing the system fundamentally, and bringing the monetary trends that affect all our lives under our control. Few realize that the debate has roots and a tradition, covering mainstream economists like Keynes and Hayek, statesmen like Lincoln, entrepreneurs like Ford and Soros, as well as the imaginative mavericks behind local currencies and e-money. This volume collects together some of their most influential writings to provide a handbook on a vital train of ideas, and a guide to a debate on changing money that is becoming increasingly important.

This volume―a collaborative work between the World Bank’s Global Governance Practice and a team of researchers working with the Korean Development Institute―is dedicated to the proposition that there is much that can be learned from a careful and nuanced assessment of Korea’s experience with e-governance. It seeks to draw lessons both from the large reservoir of experience as to what has worked, as well as the more limited and isolated examples of what has not. In particular, it seeks to achieve two objectives. The first is to accurately understand, capture and distill the key dimensions of Korea’s e-governance experience so that it can be properly understood and appreciated. Towards this end, some of the world’s leading experts on Korea’s e-governance experience have been engaged in its preparation, and their conclusions have been carefully vetted and reviewed by other leading scholars of the role of IT systems within government. The goal is to avoid flip generalizations or characterizations, such as 'political will is important' or 'it is important to embed e-governance within a broader strategy to develop a domestic IT industry,' but to truly understand the complex interplay between differing political, economic and bureaucratic interests and how they shaped decisions about developing the technological and human infrastructure that would support Korea’s successful thrust to be the world’s leading nation in this area. The second is to ponder the lessons learned and what did and did not work from Korea’s experience for other developing countries seeking to strengthen the role of information technology within their public sectors.

This book gives a detailed account of the scarce water resources of Jordan, with a focus on their quantities, quality, and use for different sectors. It details the political, social, and economic dimensions of the scarce water resources along with their implications on Jordan's cooperation with its neighbors. The book includes implemented projects of dams, canals, water supply networks, waste water treatment, and more. It gives an overview of which projects have been successful and which have failed to achieve their purposes and why. Shared water with other countries and their developmental implications to the water sector are discussed and future water supply projects, such as the Red Sea-Dead Sea conduit project, are elaborated on. The book also touches upon the waves of refugees and their impact on the water sector and water strategies in Jordan.

Sebastian Meiswinkel studies optimization problems that arise at container ports from a classic optimization as well as from a mechanism design point of view. The first part of this dissertation is focused on scheduling problems with selfish job owners that have private information about their characteristics. Afterwards the transportations of containers between the quay and a storage area is considered. Variants of this problem are analyzed for utilization of reach stackers and straddle carriers.

This book is the first to directly address Asia's new rich with an easy-to-follow guide to investment and the world of global finance. There are currently approximately 15 million high net worth households in the world today, a number that is growing by 900,000 new millionaires in the world each year. Many of the Asian new rich, however, lack even basic information about investment strategies and how to put their wealth to work. With rich experience in the private sector, Bruce Von Cannon makes it seem easy in this enjoyable and readable new book. Keywords Finance, Personal Wealth, Asset Management, Asia, Pacific, New Wealth Investment

After a meteoric rise, China's once inexorable growth has come to a screeching halt. With it ends China's dream of establishing a new tianxia ('harmonious order') in Asia with China at its centre. Salvatore Babones provides an up-to-date assessment of China's economic problems and how they are undermining China's challenge to the Western-dominated world order. As China's neighbours and many of its own most talented people look to the United States to ensure their security and prosperity, global power is slowly but surely consolidating in a twenty-first century American Tianxia. A closely argued antidote to defeatist accounts of Western decline, this book tells the story of how liberal individualism has become the leitmotif of the American Tianxia, an emerging world-system in which people of all nationalities seek a share in the economic, cultural, and political system that is America writ large.

Produced by the Urban Institute for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank Institute, the sourcebook gives access to a wealth of knowledge and information on intergovernmental finance issues in Central and Eastern Europe by providing electronic links to a large number of documents included on a CD-ROM. The documents discuss basic concepts and principles, and describe the evolution of intergovernmental finance in the countries of the region, which include: Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, and Romania. The printed sourcebook, which is also on the CD-ROM, serves as a roadmap to help the reader explore the documents and locate relevant materials. Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Central and Eastern Europe is especially useful for policy analysts and trainers interested in promoting an understanding of those issues in their countries. The sourcebook also provides direct electronic links to relevant training and educational materials, also included on the CD-ROM.

This book is the first to directly address Asia's new rich with an easy-to-follow guide to investment and the world of global finance. There are currently approximately 15 million high net worth households in the world today, a number that is growing by 900,000 new millionaires in the world each year. Many of the Asian new rich, however, lack even basic information about investment strategies and how to put their wealth to work. With rich experience in the private sector, Bruce Von Cannon makes it seem easy in this enjoyable and readable new book. Keywords Finance, Personal Wealth, Asset Management, Asia, Pacific, New Wealth Investment

The IPS-Nathan Lectures series was launched by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in 2014. It is part of the S R Nathan Fellowship for the Study of Singapore. The Fellowship was set up to fund further research into public policy, with the S R Nathan Fellow, who is appointed annually, delivering between four and six lectures each year. These lectures aim to advance public understanding and discussion of issues of critical national interest. Ho Kwon Ping was the 2014/15 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book contains the five IPS-Nathan Lectures he gave between October 2014 and April 2015, as well as highlights of the accompanying dialogue with the audience. In his lectures, Ho looks forward to the next 50 years, offering innovative ideas and robust views on how governance and key institutions can evolve to ensure the sustainable continuation of Singapore the "improbable nation". This book illuminates Ho's vision of a cohesively diverse Singapore lasting beyond the lifespan of his generation, and aims to get the young to ponder and discuss the kind of home, and future, they wish for.

Focusing on adult patrons ages 19 through senior citizens, this book explains how libraries can best serve this busy portion of their community's population at different life stages and foster experiences that are "worth the trip"-whether actual or virtual. Helps librarians make their libraries the go-to places in the community for both information and recreation Enables librarians to accurately analyze the demographics of their communities and identify the services needed Offers simple suggestions to help librarians with limited resources provide age-appropriate services Describes information and resources most likely needed during each life stage, making it easier to target the audience for both programming and publicity About the Author Ann Roberts is a reference librarian at the United State Patent and Trademark Office, Public Search Facility. She has worked in public, academic, and government libraries, as well as with historical collections.

After a meteoric rise, China's once inexorable growth has come to a screeching halt. With it ends China's dream of establishing a new tianxia ('harmonious order') in Asia with China at its centre. Salvatore Babones provides an up-to-date assessment of China's economic problems and how they are undermining China's challenge to the Western-dominated world order. As China's neighbours and many of its own most talented people look to the United States to ensure their security and prosperity, global power is slowly but surely consolidating in a twenty-first century American Tianxia. A closely argued antidote to defeatist accounts of Western decline, this book tells the story of how liberal individualism has become the leitmotif of the American Tianxia, an emerging world-system in which people of all nationalities seek a share in the economic, cultural, and political system that is America writ large.

Reports by the public of suspected underreporting of taxes or other tax violations can help IRS detect millions of dollars in taxes that would otherwise go uncollected. Productive referrals can help address the net $385 billion tax gap-the difference between the amount of taxes paid voluntarily on time and the amount owed. IRS received about 87,000 information referrals in fiscal year 2015. This book describes IRS's process for screening and routing information referrals; assesses the controls for the information referral screening and routing process; and evaluates the coordination between the information referral process, the Whistleblower Office, and other IRS referral programs.

The intent of this book is to highlight innovative developments in engineering research and technical work. The first section described machines that process information into useful output by learning their own models. The next sections addressed the question, "How will we power our future?" The answer will be multifaceted and involve power generation and storage, new grid technologies, and transportation electrification. Contents Preface MACHINES THAT TEACH THEMSELVES Machines That Teach Themselves Humans and Computers Working Together to Measure Machine Learning Interpretability ENERGY STRATEGIES TO POWER OUR FUTURE Energy Strategies to Power Our Future Agile Fractal Systems: Reenvisioning Power System Architecture Big Data and Analytics for Wind Energy Operations and Maintenance: Opportunities, Trends, and Challenges in the Industrial Internet Across Dimensions and Scales: How Imaging and Machine Learning Will Help Design Tomorrow's Energy Conversion Devices Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles UNRAVELING THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BRAIN Unraveling the Complexity of the Brain Technologies to Interface with the Brain for Recording and Modulation Brain-Machine Interface Paradigms for Neuroscience and Clinical Translation The Roles of Machine Learning in Biomedical Science Efficient Feature Extraction and Classification Methods in Neural Interfaces MEGATALL BUILDINGS AND OTHER FUTURE PLACES OF WORK Megatall Buildings and Other Future Places of Work The Evolution of Elevators: Physical-Human Interface, Digital Interaction, and Megatall Buildings Supertail Timber: Functional Natural Materials for High-Rise Structures Applications of Insights from Biology and Mathematics to the Design of Material Structures APPENDIXES

This simple guide to the art of feng shui provides easy-to-use tips and techniques for improving the energy in your life. You will learn to harmonize and lay out spaces in your home to enhance your personal energy, improve your overall wellbeing, and bring good fortune and balance into your life. This plain and simple guide discusses how to: Declutter to clear the energy in your home Use the Chinese bagua (number square) to map out rooms to enhance energy Employ the five elements to harmonize the energy of your home Use feng shui for the exterior of your home and outside landscaping This wonderful primer will be hailed by anyone interested in interior design, Chinese legend and lore, and the creation of healing and harmonious living spaces.

Forest bathing is a gentle, meditative practice of connecting with nature. Simply being present, with all of our senses, in a forest or other wild area, can produce mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. It is a simple, accessible antidote to our nature-starved lives and can inspire us to become advocates for healing our relationships with the more-than human world. This book is both an invitation to take up the practice of forest bathing and an inspiration to connect with nature as a way to help heal both the planet and humanity. Forest Therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. In Japan, forest bathing is known as shinrin-yoku. Studies there have demonstrated a wide variety of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood and cognition. In Your Guide to Forest Bathing, Amos Clifford draws on four decades of wilderness experience to introduce readers to the medicine of being in the forest. Learn about the roots of the practice, how to deepen your relationship to nature, and how to begin a practice of your own. Practical matters such as finding a suitable trail and what to bring are also included.

Palmistry is an ancient science and an unsurpassed tool for character and emotion analysis. Everyone has the ability to tap its potential for insight, reflection, and greater understanding-and world acclaimed palmistry expert Vernon Mahabal will show you how. Talk to the Hand reveals the tricks of the palm reader's trade and is organized around the most popular questions and inquiries the author has received over the years. It serves as a fascinating field guide for those who want a quick, accurate way to assess their own and other people's talents, abilities, psychology, and emotional personality. The diagrams and accompanying texts are deliberately simple and straightforward, providing quick access to vital answers and potential solutions to pressing questions. The information found here is based upon extensive background research and years of the author's experience working with thousands of people.

With proper care and maintenance, these unique creatures cna make great pets. Learn why they are becoming so popular and how to keep them healthy and safe. The Quick & Easy series features educational, value-priced books. All pet owners will benefit from reading the wide variety of titles in this series, each offering an abundance of advice in a delightfully concise format.

Quantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This lively and accessible introduction to Plato focuses on the philosophy and argument of his writings, drawing the reader into Plato's way of doing philosophy, and the general themes of his thinking. This is not a book to leave the reader standing in the outer court of introduction and background information, but leads directly into Plato's argument. It looks at Plato as a thinker grappling with philosophical problems in a variety of ways, rather than a philosopher with a fully worked-out system. It includes a brief account of Plato's life and the various interpretations that have been drawn from the sparse remains of information. It stresses the importance of the founding of the Academy and the conception of philosophy as a subject. Julia Annas discusses Plato's style of writing: his use of the dialogue form, his use of what we today call fiction, and his philosophical transformation of myths. She also looks at his discussions of love and philosophy, his attitude to women, and to homosexual love, explores Plato's claim that virtue is sufficient for happiness, and touches on his arguments for the immortality of the soul and his ideas about the nature of the universe.