World Finance

We all know people who seem to move from success to success, with barely a pause or dip in between. They're always excited about the next big project or goal. When trouble comes, they land on their feet. They are role models and opinion makers who lead rewarding lives. In a world full of people who almost win, these are the few who do it repeatedly and consistently.

Are you currently in real estate and searching for new ways to take your business to the next level, or are you ready to take the plunge and become a top-performing realtor in your market? In either case, this book is for you!

Weak, corrupt, and politically unstable, the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are dismissed as isolated and irrelevant to the outside world. But are they? This hard-hitting book argues that Central Asia is in reality a globalization leader with more extensive involvement in economics, politics, and security dynamics beyond its borders than any other world region. Yet Central Asia's international activities are mostly hidden from view, with disturbing implications for world security.

Before Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492, no European had ever seen, much less tasted, tobacco or chocolate. Initially dismissed as dry leaves and an odd Indian drink, these two commodities came to conquer Europe on a scale unsurpassed by any other American resource or product. A fascinating story of contact, exploration, and exchange in the Atlantic world, Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures traces the ways in which these two goods of the Americas both changed and were changed by Europe.

From two-time, international best-selling author and futurist Doug Stephens, Resurrecting Retail is not just a riveting story of the unprecedented crash of an industry during this time of crisis but a road map for its rebirth. Meticulously researched in real time from inside the crisis, Resurrecting Retail provides a comprehensive and surprising vision of how COVID-19 will reshape every aspect of consumer life, including the very essence of why we shop.

Personal Finance in a Public World: How Technology, Social Media, and Ads Affect Your Money Decisions by Bob DePasquale gives you the tools to improve your financial situation, use technology to your benefit, and better manage your financial planning.

As we stand on the cusp of a new political reality, the contours of personal freedom and autonomy are becoming increasingly well-defined. The future holds the possibility of an existence where the barriers to living life on one’s own terms are ever-diminishing, where the power of voluntarily connected individuals challenges and reshapes the statist quo. Even though the journey toward this new reality is fraught with trade-offs and challenges, it has the potential for unprecedented freedom and philosophical fulfillment.

Will Africa be the world's next hub of manufacturing? China is answering in the affirmative and investing accordingly. This book dispels the notion that this crucial story is merely about China's exploitation of Africa's resources, illuminating deep questions about our own Western approach to development and the implications for the future of manufacturing. The fact that China sees Africa not for its poverty but for its potential wealth is a striking departure from the attitude of the West, in particular the United States.

Today the food and agricultural markets of India and China are in motion. The history of agricultural change is littered with hunger, poverty, and failure. Will that curse pass itself on to this Asian generation? Or is there a brighter future ahead of us? Now China is rapidly becoming the wealthiest country in the world. China's water shortages and its rice market are fault lines that finger their way beneath the surface of the world economy.

Personal Finance for the Real World teaches the basics of personal finance by involving the listener in various financial exercises and eventually constructing a personal financial plan. Users not only track their spending for a month, but also set personal financial goals and incorporate them into a realistic budget. This book also teaches time-value of money calculations, which enable listeners to calculate their necessary monthly savings in order to reach targeted investment goals.

A leading psychologist examines how our popularity affects our success, our relationships, and our happiness—and why we don’t always want to be the most popular No matter how old you are, there’s a good chance that the word “popular” immediately transports you back to your teenage...

Pour la plupart des gens, la réussite et la prospérité s'avèrent des secrets souvent impénétrables. Et pourtant, les saintes Ecritures nous révèlent que les plus grands bâtisseurs de tous les temps sont des hommes et des femmes de foi.

The 2018 Nobel laureate for economics analyzes the politics and economics of the central environmental issue of today and points the way to real solutions.

Eighteen years after the genocide that made Rwanda international news, yet left it all but abandoned by the West, the country has achieved a miraculous turnaround. Rising out of the complete devastation of a failed state, Rwanda has emerged on the world stage yet again - this time with a unique model for governance and economic development under the leadership of its strong and decisive president, Paul Kagame. Here, Patricia Crisafulli and Andrea Redmond look at Kagame’s leadership.

A new field of collective intelligence has emerged in the last few years, prompted by a wave of digital technologies that make it possible for organizations and societies to think at large scale. This "bigger mind" - human and machine capabilities working together - has the potential to solve the great challenges of our time. So why do smart technologies not automatically lead to smart results?

With more than 65 years of participation in and observation of political and economic systems -beginning with the Great Depression, extending through World War II, the postwar era of hope for a better life, the Cold War, the subjugation of democracy by oligarchy, and the subtle but continuous militarization of America - Paul T. Hellyer analyzes what he believes has gone wrong with the world and its economy.

The IMF and World Bank were created to help countries survive financial crises and to help them develop into prosperous economic actors. But their 75-year track record shows the opposite: their loans and structural adjustment policies have plunged poor countries into impossibly large debt traps and forced the Third World to focus on producing goods for consumption in the West, instead of growing consumption and industry at home.

In the last few years, China's aid program has leapt out of the shadows. But China's tradition of secrecy about its aid fueled rumors and speculation, making it difficult to gauge the risks and opportunities provided by China's growing embrace. This well-timed book, by one of the world's leading experts, provides the first comprehensive account of China's aid and economic cooperation overseas. Deborah Brautigam tackles the myths and realities, explaining what the Chinese are doing, how they do it, how much aid they give, and how it all fits into their "going global" strategy.

Are you in the short-term rental industry? An Airbnb host? Have you dreamt of becoming a host, or maybe you are just curious about what the industry is all about? Hospitable Hosts is a collection of true-life stories written by professional hosts from around the globe—Australia, Japan, USA, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. Get set to learn from some of the best in the industry as they share their journeys of how they found their passion and became a professional host.

Most of us give little thought to the hidden systems that bring us water and take it away when we’re done. But these underappreciated marvels of engineering face an array of challenges that cannot be solved without a fundamental change to our relationship with water.