Author: Jonathan Silvertown
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: diversity, plant, paradox, eden, demons
Number of Pages: 202
Published: 2008-08-01
List price: $16.00
ISBN-10: 0226757722
ISBN-13: 9780226757728

Jonathan Silvertown here explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary novelties—and exotic plant life—have earned it the sobriquet “the Galapagos of botany.” Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light o

Author: Norman J. W. Thrower
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: society, third, culture, cartography, civilization, maps
Number of Pages: 362
Published: 2008-10-15
List price: $25.00
ISBN-10: 0226799743
ISBN-13: 9780226799742

In this concise introduction to the history of cartography, Norman J. W. Thrower charts the intimate links between maps and history from antiquity to the present day. A wealth of illustrations, including the oldest known map and contemporary examples made using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), illuminate the many ways in which various human cultures have interpreted spatial relationships.The third edition of Maps and Civilization incorporates numerous revisions, features new material throughout the book, and includes a new alphabetized bibliography.Praise for previous editions

Author: David M. Primo
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: politics, political, economy, series, american, institutions, restraint, government, spending, design, rules
Number of Pages: 216
Published: 2007-10-01
List price: $20.00
ISBN-10: 0226682609
ISBN-13: 9780226682600

Government spending has increased dramatically in the United States since World War II despite the many rules intended to rein in the insatiable appetite for tax revenue most politicians seem to share. Drawing on examples from the federal and state governments, Rules and Restraint explains in lucid, nontechnical prose why these budget rules tend to fail, and proposes original alternatives for imposing much-needed fiscal discipline on our legislators. One reason budget rules are ineffective, David Primo shows, is that politicians often create and preserve loopholes to protect programs that be

Authors:Jurgen Brauer, Hubert van Tuyll,
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: military, history, explains, economics, battles, bombs, castles
Number of Pages: 424
Published: 2008-05-01
List price: $29.00
ISBN-10: 0226071634
ISBN-13: 9780226071633

Castles, Battles, and Bombs reconsiders key episodes of military history from the point of view of economics—with dramatically insightful results. For example, when looked at as a question of sheer cost, the building of castles in the High Middle Ages seems almost inevitable: though stunningly expensive, a strong castle was far cheaper to maintain than a standing army. The authors also reexamine the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II and provide new insights into France’s decision to develop nuclear weapons. Drawing on these examples and more, Brauer and Van Tuyll sugges

Author: Anne Goldgar
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: dutch, golden, knowledge, honor, money, tulipmania
Number of Pages: 446
Published: 2008-09-15
List price: $22.50
ISBN-10: 0226301265
ISBN-13: 9780226301266

In the 1630s the Netherlands was gripped by tulipmania: a speculative fever unprecedented in scale and, as popular history would have it, folly. We all know the outline of the story—how otherwise sensible merchants, nobles, and artisans spent all they had (and much that they didn’t) on tulip bulbs. We have heard how these bulbs changed hands hundreds of times in a single day, and how some bulbs, sold and resold for thousands of guilders, never even existed. Tulipmania is seen as an example of the gullibility of crowds and the dangers of financial speculation. But it wasn’t

Authors:James J. Heckman, Carmen Pages,
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: economic, bureau, research, conference, report, national, caribbean, employment, lessons, latin, america, law
Number of Pages: 475
Published: 2004-10-01
List price: $102.00
ISBN-10: 0226322823
ISBN-13: 9780226322827

Law and Employment analyzes the effects of regulation and deregulation on Latin American labor markets and presents empirically grounded studies of the costs of regulation.Numerous labor regulations that were introduced or reformed in Latin America in the past thirty years have had important economic consequences. Nobel Prize-winning economist James J. Heckman and Carmen Pages document the behavior of firms attempting to stay in business and be competitive while facing the high costs of complying with these labor laws. They challenge the prevailing view that labor market regulations affect onl

Authors:David A. Wise, Naohiro Yashiro,
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Keywords: economic, bureau, research, conference, report, national, japan, care, issues, united, states, health
Number of Pages: 256
Published: 2006-11-15
List price: $65.00
ISBN-10: 0226902927
ISBN-13: 9780226902920

Recent data show wide disparity between Japan and the United States in the effectiveness of their health care systems. Japan spends close to the lowest percentage of its gross domestic product on health care among OECD countries, the United States spends the highest, yet life expectancies in Japan are among the world’s longest. Clearly, a great deal can be learned from a comprehensive comparative analysis of health care issues in these two countries. In Health Care Issues in the United States and Japan, contributors explore the structural characteristics of the health care systems in bot