The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!
by Tim Harford
Published 2005 by Oxford University Press

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0195189779

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Jacket Notes:

Harford ranges from Africa, Asia, Europe, and of course the United States to reveal how supermarkets, airlines, health care providers, and coffee chains--to name just a few--are vacuuming money from our wallets.

Publisher's Marketing Text:

An economist's version of The Way Things Work, this engaging volume is part field guide to economics and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything from traffic jams to high coffee prices.
The Undercover Economist is for anyone who's wondered why the gap between rich and poor nations is so great, or why they can't seem to find a decent second-hand car, or how to outwit Starbucks. This book offers the hidden story behind these and other questions, as economist Tim Harford ranges
from Africa, Asia, Europe, and of course the United States to reveal how supermarkets, airlines, and coffee chains--to name just a few--are vacuuming money from our wallets. Harford punctures the myths surrounding some of today's biggest controversies, including the high cost of health-care; he
reveals why certain environmental laws can put a smile on a landlord's face; and he explains why some industries can have high profits for innocent reasons, while in other industries something sinister is going on. Covering an array of economic concepts including scarce resources, market power,
efficiency, price gouging, market failure, inside information, and game theory, Harford sheds light on how these forces shape our day-to-day lives, often without our knowing it.
Showing us the world through the eyes of an economist, Tim Harford reveals that everyday events are intricate games of negotiations, contests of strength, and battles of wits. Written with a light touch and sly wit, The Undercover Economist turns "the dismal science" into a true delight.

A Love Like No Other: Stories from Adoptive Parents
by Pamela Kruger
Published 2005 by Riverhead Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 1573223166

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Jacket Notes:

Twenty leading authors, all of whom are adoptive parents, discuss their personal experiences. Some of their stories soberingly address the potential complications of adoptive parenting, while others tell of happily enriched family lives.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 09/19/2005

From various perspectives, 20 adoptive parents offer evocative, sometimes provocative, personal essays that have the liveliness and immediacy of prose fiction. Biological parents are variously imagined, sought and found in the opening section, "Reflections on Birth Parents." In "Encounters with the Unexpected," adoptive parents confront "postadoption depression," family wariness, ethnic identity issues and disabling psychological problems. Each family (single parent, gay parent, divorced parents, intra-family adoption, blended family) is adoptive in its unique way, persuasively confirmed in "Variations on Family." While the early sections focus on the parent-child relationship, the concluding "Personal Transformations" leans toward the child-to-parent effect; as one writer puts it, "I knew a child would rearrange my home life, but upend my career and worldview? Those two items weren't even on my list." Any parent will find commonality here, but the collection will especially engage adoptive parents in conversation and controversy with people who share their dilemmas and delights. Diverse as this collection is, it's worth noting that the essayists are professional writers (they include Jacquelyn Mitchard, Emily Prager and Dan Savage), most of the children are preadolescent and 11 of the adoptions are transnational (five of them from China). Agent, Gail Hochman. (Nov.)

The Official Ebay Bible: The Most Up Date Comph Ht Manl for Everyone from 1st Time Users People Who Want
by Jim Griffith
Published 2003 by Gotham Books

Paperback, English. ISBN: 1592400078

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Jacket Notes:

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 04/28/2003

An object sells on eBay every 1.7 seconds. Someone buys a digital camera on the site every 90 seconds. And according to the company, more than 70,000 Americans make their living by selling on eBay. The site has revolutionized the way small-business owners run their operations, and in this guide, Griffin, who was the company's first customer service representative and is now "Dean of eBay Education," shows an impressive command of the ins and outs of using eBay, particularly how to set up and run a business selling merchandise there. Griffin, who travels around the country extolling eBay's virtues in lectures and seminars, is a relentless cheerleader, citing loads of examples of eBay success stories. While he doesn't address some obvious questions (e.g., how eBay makes money and what its responsibilities to users are), Griffin dexterously walks readers through the site, with impressive practical know-how about buying and selling everything from cowboy boots to computers. His book is clear, simple and well organized, and while there are many personal observations, they don't obstruct the instructional material. The lion's share of the advice is for sellers, with tips on how to set up an inviting "storefront" on eBay, how to use HTML programming language to enhance it, how to photograph items for sale, how to pack and insure them and how to deal with customers. The depth of Griffith's commonsense knowledge and the clarity of his writing will be worthwhile to anyone with a personal interest in eBay. (On sale June 2) Forecast: This isn't the only eBay book being published this season, but it is the only official one. Ebay will undoubtedly plug the book on the site and at its seminars, which should yield solid sales.

China: Its Most Scenic Places: A Photographic Journey Through 50 of Its Most Unspoiled Villages and Towns
by Reader's Digest
Published 2005 by Reader's Digest Association

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 0762106204

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Jacket Notes:

In this beautifully illustrated guide, discover the unique beauty and natural unspoiled splendor that make up the world's oldest civilization. Tucked in the deep forests or situated in remote mountainous areas are more than 80 scenic places whose natural beauty and unique customs of the people attract travelers who crave adventure and enjoy the untouched grandeur of these scenic wonders.

Publisher's Marketing Text:

In this beautifully illustrated guide, discover the unique beauty and natural unspoiled splendor that make up the world's oldest civilization. Tucked in the deep forests or situated in remote mountainous areas are more than 80 scenic places whose natural beauty and unique customs of the people attract travelers who crave adventure and enjoy the untouched grandeur of these scenic wonders.