Books in Social sciences and humanities

Towards an Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Life Course

1st Edition
Volume 10
November 17, 2005
René Levy + 4 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 6 0 8 0 2

Despite the well-established consensus on the need for an interdisciplinary research paradigm to understand the unfolding of human lives within their social context, existing empirical research rarely embraces this belief. This volume aims at examining the feasibility and hurdles of interdisciplinarity specific to given research fields by bringing together leading North-American and European researchers in sociology, psychology, social psychology and social demography, all highly concerned with fostering an interdisciplinary perspective for the study of the human life course. The contributions are organized along four major axes, three of them substantive (agency and structure, transitions, and biographical re-constructions) and one methodological (methodological innovations), leaving ample leeway for the contributions to address the specific gains and difficulties of empirical interdisciplinary research within their particular domain. The editors introduce the volume by discussing general features, theoretical linkages, and transversal substantive themes of interdisciplinarity in life course research. Likewise, the volume is ended by the editors’ conclusions based on the contributions; they single out major challenges and difficulties for the interdisciplinary study of the life course, together with some promising research meant to address such difficulties and improve current knowledge about the life course.The volume speaks to both experienced scholars and graduate students of the life course. Advanced scholars will benefit from the latest in life course research domains and from a comprehensive overview of life course methodologies. Graduate students of the life course will find in the book an original introduction to many empirical aspects of life course research and to the application of innovative methods to various research settings, as well as rich bibliographical references from the research literature in English, German and French.

Contemporary Management Accounting Practices in UK Manufacturing

1st Edition
November 15, 2005
David Dugdale
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 9 2 5 8 2

This report investigates the presentation and analysis of financial information in 41 UK Manufacturing companies. Traditional and contemporary accounting techniques are exemplified in the case studies. With old and new techniques explored, the research shows that there is little that is new in management accounting theory and practice. The study concludes that there is not one set of practices which all should follow.

Essays in Animal Behaviour

1st Edition
November 7, 2005
Jeffrey R. Lucas + 1 more
English
Paperback
9 7 8 0 1 2 3 6 9 4 9 9 7
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 9 4 8 2 1

Recently, the 50th anniversary of the publication of Animal Behaviour has passed. To mark the occasion, a group of prominent behaviourists have written essays relevant to their fields. These essays provide a glimpse of the study of behaviour looking in all directions. History and future aside, it is imperative to broadcast this information from the perspective of the behaviourists who have helped shape both the past and the future. It is important for any field to be both retrospective and prospective: where have we been, where are we going, where are we now? These essays provide a unique personal reflection on the history of animal behaviour from John Alcock, Stuart and Jeanne Altmann, Steve Arnold, Geoff Parker, and Felicity Huntingford. Six topics are reflected on and include: The History of Animal Behavioural Research, Proximate Mechanisms, Development, Adaptation, and Animal Welfare.

Jeff's View

1st Edition
November 7, 2005
Gottfried Schatz
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 4 4 4 5 2 1 3 3 0
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 9 5 9 2 7

Jeff’s Views provide witty, insightful, and thought-provoking looks into the life of a modern scientist. From starting off to letting go, Gottfried (“Jeff”) Schatz leads us through the trials and triumphs of scientific life. With his tongue firmly in his cheek, and his humour always intact, the Austrian essayist leads us through the confusing and seemingly insurmountable hill that is the career path of European scientists. In addition to giving useful insights into how to get funding, give seminars, and still find time to make that leading edge scientific discovery, Jeff explores the philosophical dimensions of recent biological breakthroughs such as the sequencing of the human genome, the evolution of sensory receptors, and cellular suicide. Gottfried Schatz is one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of bioenergetics and mitochondria biology. Born in a small Austrian village, he started his scientific career at the University of Graz, and ended it as President of the Swiss Science and Technology Council. With stints as a violinist in Austrian opera houses, professorships in the USA and Switzerland, and numerous prestigious awards along the way, Jeff is a true European, whose unique, and often controversial, viewpoints are appreciated by scientists and politicians alike. These essays look at science from a very personal angle – often critical, sometimes sad, but always with excitement, wonder, and admiration. It is hoped that they will make you look at science with a slightly different view.

Management Accounting Official Terminology

2nd Edition
November 7, 2005
Graham Eaton
English
Paperback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 6 8 2 7 9
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 9 2 9 3 3

The ever-evolving nature of accountant and emphasis on professional accountability means that all busness professionals need to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest developments. This latest revision of CIMA's Official Terminology addresses this need defining relevant terms used in today's business environment.

Vulnerability Assessment of Physical Protection Systems

1st Edition
November 7, 2005
Mary Lynn Garcia
English
Paperback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 7 7 8 8 2
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 8 1 6 7 8

Vulnerability Assessment of Physical Protection Systems guides the reader through the topic of physical security with a unique, detailed and scientific approach. The book describes the entire vulnerability assessment (VA) process, from the start of planning through final analysis and out brief to senior management. It draws heavily on the principles introduced in the author’s best-selling Design and Evaluation of Physical Protection Systems and allows readers to apply those principles and conduct a VA that is aligned with system objectives and achievable with existing budget and personnel resources. The text covers the full spectrum of a VA, including negotiating tasks with the customer; project management and planning of the VA; team membership; and step-by-step details for performing the VA, data collection and analysis. It also provides important notes on how to use the VA to suggest design improvements and generate multiple design options. The text ends with a discussion of how to out brief the results to senior management in order to gain their support and demonstrate the return on investment of their security dollar. Several new tools are introduced to help readers organize and use the information at their sites and allow them to mix the physical protection system with other risk management measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level at an affordable cost and with the least operational impact. This book will be of interest to physical security professionals, security managers, security students and professionals, and government officials.

Physical Security Systems Handbook

1st Edition
November 7, 2005
Michael Khairallah
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 7 8 5 0 6
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 8 0 0 0 8

A practical reference written to assist the security professional in clearly identifying what systems are required to meet security needs as defined by a threat analysis and vulnerability assessment. All of the elements necessary to conduct a detailed survey of a facility and the methods used to document the findings of that survey are covered. Once the required systems are determined, the chapters following present how to assemble and evaluate bids for the acquisition of the required systems in a manner that will meet the most rigorous standards established for competitive bidding. The book also provides recommended approaches for system/user implementation, giving checklists and examples for developing management controls using the installed systems. This book was developed after a careful examination of the approved reference material available from the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International) for the certification of Physical Security Professionals (PSP). It is intended to fill voids left by the currently approved reference material to perform implementation of systems suggested in the existing reference texts. This book is an excellent “How To” for the aspiring security professional who wishes to take on the responsibilities of security system implementation, or the security manager who wants to do a professional job of system acquisition without hiring a professional consultant.

OS X for Hackers at Heart

1st Edition
November 5, 2005
Chris Hurley + 4 more
English
Paperback
9 7 8 1 5 9 7 4 9 0 4 0 5
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 8 9 4 8 3

The sexy, elegant design of the Apple PowerBook combined with the Unix-like OS X operating system based on FreeBSD, have once again made OS X the Apple of every hacker’s eye. In this unique and engaging book covering the brand new OS X 10.4 Tiger, the world’s foremost “true hackers” unleash the power of OS X for everything form cutting edge research and development to just plain old fun.OS X 10.4 Tiger is a major upgrade for Mac OS X for running Apple’s Macintosh computers and laptops. This book is not a reference to every feature and menu item for OS X. Rather, it teaches hackers of all types from software developers to security professionals to hobbyists, how to use the most powerful (and often obscure) features of OS X for wireless networking, WarDriving, software development, penetration testing, scripting administrative tasks, and much more.

Wealth Management

1st Edition
November 1, 2005
Dimitris N. Chorafas
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 6 8 5 5 2
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 6 1 6 4 9

Wealth Management has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors – looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them. Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of an underlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author’s intensive research.

Cotton Trading Manual

1st Edition
October 30, 2005
Terry Townsend
English
eBook
9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 0 9 2 2

Cotton Trading Manual (CTM) is the first work to provide a comprehensive reference source to the conduct of the complex international cotton market. CTM begins by looking at the history of the cotton trade, and then moves on to assess the current global picture, including a discussion of trends in the market, as well as production and consumption analysis. The third and fourth parts focus on trading in physical cotton and futures respectively. Finally, the last section deals with administrative and management issues within the cotton trade as a whole, such as contracts, insurance and risk management. CTM is an indispensable practical companion for all those involved with trading in this commodity.

Related subjects

Arts and humanities

Business management and accounting

Decision sciences

Economics and finance

Forensics

Psychology

Social sciences

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health