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Books in Social sciences and humanities

  • Benefiting from Basic Education, School Quality and Functional Literacy in Kenya

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • June 28, 2014
    • T. O. Eisemon
    • English
    Studies of the retention of literacy and numeracy by adults who have only obtained primary schooling have given little encouragement to the belief that the cognitive effects of schooling are enduring for many school leavers. How these findings can be reconciled with the claims made for the importance of schooling as an instrument of social and economic change is the subject ofinvestigation in this volume. The cognitive outcomes of literacy acqusition and secular schools in coastal Kenya are the focus of this ethnographic study, which stresses the relevance of an international understanding of the particular problems and dilemmas that face the educational systems of individual countries.
  • Comparisons of Prices and Real Products in Latin America

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 194
    • June 28, 2014
    • J. Salazar-Carrillo + 1 more
    • English
    Contained in this book are studies related to the computation of purchasing power parities for comparing real income and product among Latin American countries. The principal components of income and product comparisons are discussed: from designing and executing benchmark studies, to extrapolating results for non-benchmark years. Different comparative methods and measurement techniques, including index number formulations, are considered. Comparisons of Latin countries with other countries are also undertaken.This volume aims to illuminate the thorny theoretical and methodological issues involved in regional comparisons, and to facilitate the practical application of the comparative approach to the many sided policy problems generated by a rapidly integrating international economy.
  • Corporate Planning

    The Human Factor
    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • M. J. Langham + 1 more
    • English
    Aimed at practitioners of corporate planning organisational development and personnel managers generally, together with students of management. The book sets out to draw together two streams of thought and literature, one dealing with human behaviour and the other with corporate planning and analysis. It shows how corporate planning may be made more effective by giving proper attention to the 'human factor' - and also offers a great deal of insight to those concerned with the personnel function which stresses the importance of their skills to 'planning' process. The book demonstrates how a considered blend of analysis and behavioural skills can bring a more effective approach to planning
  • Philosophy and Archaeology

    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • Merrilee H. Salmon
    • English
    Studies in Archaeology: Philosophy and Archaeology presents the circumstances under which archeological hypotheses can be considered confirmed or disconfirmed. This book discusses the role of analogy in archeological reasoning, particularly in ascribing functions to archeological items. Organized into seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of the relationship between archeology and philosophy. This text then examines the importance of laws for archeology and discusses some essential features of law statements. Other chapters consider the strong claims for the hypothetico–deductiv... method of confirmation in various works by archeologists. This book discusses as well the different uses of analogical reasoning in archeology and provides a discussion of the structure of analogical arguments, criteria for evaluating them, and their relations to the Bayesian arguments for confirmation. The final chapter deals with several issues related to the development of a theory of archeology. This book is a valuable resource for archeologists and philosophers.
  • History of Computing in the Twentieth Century

    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • Nicholas Metropolis
    • English
    A History of Computing in the Twentieth Century focuses on the advancements in the processes, methodologies, programs, and techniques in computing. The selection first elaborates on computing developments in Cambridge, U.S.A., pioneering work on computers at Bletchley, and the COLOSSUS. Discussions focus on secrecy and priority, the first COLOSSUS, MARK II COLOSSUS, postwar developments in computing, and the HEATH ROBINSON project. The text then ponders on Turing's work at the National Physical Laboratory and the construction of Pilot ACE, DEUCE, and ACE, the Smithsonian Computer History Project, and programming in America. Topics include origins of FORTRAN, optimization techniques in FORTRAN, DEUCE computer, and the Pilot ACE. The book takes a look at the development of programming in the USSR, advancement of programming languages, and reflections on the evolution of algorithmic language. The book also examines the computer development at Manchester University, the sieve process, MANIAC project, and the ENIAC project. The selection is a valuable reference for computer science experts and researchers interested in the development of computing.
  • Game Theory for Economic Analysis

    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • Tatsuro Ichiishi
    • English
    Game Theory for Economic Analysis provides information pertinent to the more general game-theoretical concept. This book discusses fundamental aspects of a social coalitional equilibrium. Organized into six chapters, this book begins with an overview of the mathematical tools and theorems that play critical roles in n-person game theory. This text then provides a systematic account for the first strand of n-person game theory and presents the mathematical foundation for economic analysis. Other chapters consider the concept of Nash equilibrium of a game in normal form, wherein a solution of a game is based on the postulate that each player behaves individualistically and passively. This book discusses as well the central concept of the core of a game in characteristic function form, with or without side-payments. The final chapter deals with the Shapley value of a side-payment game. This book is a valuable resource for economists, economic theorists, and research workers.
  • The Small Business Computer Guide

    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • Joseph Beckman
    • English
    Anyone who needs information about computer systems for small or home businesses will find The Small Business Computer Guide to be an invaluable, thorough review of all aspects of computer systems and technology suited to small businesses.In clear, easy-to-understand language, The Small Business Computer Guide explains hardware components, software, and telecommunications, with an emphasis on productivity, efficiency, and how systems and components can be configured to best serve anindividual business' needs. Consideration is given to budgetary restraints, and Joseph S Beckman offers numerous tips and suggestions on how to put together the right system. Joseph S Beckman is a lawyer in private practice and has spent many yearsusing coputers in his legal work. He lives in Plantation, Florida.
  • Formal Theories of Politics

    Mathematical Modelling in Political Science
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 20
    • June 28, 2014
    • P. E. Johnson
    • English
    Formal Theories of Politics demonstrates the role of formal mathematical models in political science, and aims to convey a sense of the questions and methods which govern the political science research agenda. While there is still much interest in empirical patterns of voting behaviour and public opinion data, there has been substantial growth in emphasis on mathematical theory as a technique for the derivation of testable hypotheses. Topics discussed include: optimal candidate strategies and equilibria in competitive elections; voting agendas and parliamentary procedure in the multidimensional events; revolution, repression and inequality as outputs of dynamics systems. The mathematical techniques are widely varied, including game theory, functional analysis, differential equations, expert systems, stochastic processes and statistical models.
  • Sociolinguistic Metatheory

    • 1st Edition
    • June 28, 2014
    • E. Figueroa
    • English
    Linguistics is a discipline with ever expanding boundaries and interests. Despite the narrow definition of linguistics which dominates academia, sub-fields continue to flourish and ways of doing linguistics continue to expand. As ways to do linguistics increase, and as approaches to linguistics accumulate over time, it becomes increasingly necessary for students of linguistics to have ways of understanding and comparing developments in linguistics.Sociolin... Metatheory is a book which explains foundational developments in linguistics by taking the past three decades of developments in sociolinguistics and relating them to contemporaneous developments in received linguistics. Sociolinguistic Metatheory takes the reader through the basic philosophical questions which drive linguistic research. It looks in detail at three models of sociolinguistics - Dell Hymes and the Ethnography of Communication, William Labov and Sociolinguistic Realism, and John Gumperz and Interactional Sociolinguistics - and focuses on such questions as: Where is language located? How is an utterance-based approach to linguistics different from a sentence-based approach? How do metatheoretical paradigm assumptions such as realism or relativism affect the development of linguistic theory? What interesting developments in linguistic theory and analysis have sociolinguistics provided?
  • Price Level Measurement

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 196
    • June 28, 2014
    • W.E. Diewert
    • English
    Among the theoretical issues covered in this volume are the "economic" and the "axiomatic" or "test" approaches to the problem of constructing and choosing among alternative cost-of-living index formulas; "bounds" and "econometric" alternatives for developing empirically computable approximations of theoretically desirable indexes; recommendations concerning the incorporation of leisure time in measures of the cost-of-living; and the formulation of social and group cost-of-living indexes. The Jorgenson-Slesnick paper also presents a far-reaching empirical study of price changes in the U.S.The importance of this book to those with an interest in economic theory is obvious. However, this book also holds out the opportunity and challenge to applied researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the index numbers of which they make daily use.