Economists and theologians usually inhabit different intellectual worlds. Economists investigate the workings of markets and tend to set ethical questions aside. Theologians, anxious to take up concerns raised by market outcomes, often dismiss economics and lose insights into the influence of market incentives on individual behavior. Mary L. Hirschfeld, who was a professor of economics for fifteen years before training as a theologian, seeks to bridge these two fields in this innovative work about economics and the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. According to Hirschfeld, an economics rooted in Thomistic thought integrates many of the insights of economists with a larger view of the good life, and gives us critical purchase on the ethical shortcomings of modern capitalism. In a Thomistic approach, she writes, ethics and economics cannot be reconciled if we begin with narrow questions about fair wages or the acceptability of usury. Rather, we must begin with an understanding of how economic life serves human happiness. The key point is that material wealth is an instrumental good, valuable only to the extent that it allows people to flourish. Hirschfeld uses that insight to develop an account of a genuinely humane economy in which pragmatic and material concerns matter but the pursuit of wealth for its own sake is not the ultimate goal. The Thomistic economics that Hirschfeld outlines is thus capable of dealing with our culture as it is, while still offering direction about how we might make the economy better serve the human good.--

"Should we pay children to read books or to get good grades? Should we allow corporations to pay for the right to pollute the atmosphere? Is it ethical to pay people to test risky new drugs or to donate their organs? What about hiring mercenaries to fight our wars? Auctioning admission to elite universities? Selling citizenship to immigrants willing to pay? In What Money Can't Buy, Michael J. Sandel takes on one of the biggest ethical questions of our time: Is there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale? If so, how can we prevent market values from reaching into spheres of life where they don't belong? What are the moral limits of markets? In recent decades, market values have crowded out nonmarket norms in almost every aspect of life---medicine, education, government, law, art, sports, even family life and personal relations. Without quite realizing it, Sandel argues, we have drifted from having a market economy to being a market society. Is this where we want to be? ... What is the proper role of markets in a democratic society---and how can we protect the moral and civic goods that markets don't honor and that money can't buy?"--Back cover.

" Finance for Normal People teaches behavioral finance to people like you and me - normal people, neither rational nor irrational. We are consumers, savers, investors, and managers - corporate managers, money managers, financial advisers, and all other financial professionals. The book guides us to know our wants-including hope for riches, protection from poverty, caring for family, sincere social responsibility and high social status. It teaches financial facts and human behavior, including making cognitive and emotional shortcuts and avoiding cognitive and emotional errors such as overconfidence, hindsight, exaggerated fear, and unrealistic hope. And it guides us to banish ignorance, gain knowledge, and increase the ratio of smart to foolish behavior on our way to what we want. These lessons of behavioral finance draw on what we know about us-normal people-including our wants, cognition, and emotions. And they draw on the roles of these factors in saving and spending, portfolio construction, returns we can expect from our investments, and whether we can hope to beat the market. Meir Statman, a founder of behavioral finance, draws on his extensive research and the research of many others to build a unified structure of behavioral finance. Its foundation blocks include normal behavior, behavioral portfolio theory, behavioral life-cycle theory, behavioral asset pricing theory, and behavioral market efficiency. "-- "Behavioral finance is finance for normal people, like you and me. This book is also about transformation from normal-ignorant to normal-knowledgeable, learning the lessons of behavioral finance and applying them to banish ignorance, gain knowledge, and increase the ratio of smart to stupid behavior on our way to what we want. This book offers behavioral finance as a unified structure that incorporates parts of standard finance, replaces others, and includes bridges between theory, evidence, and practice"--

Party of One shatters the many myths and caricatures that shroud one of the worlds most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers misread Xi during his early years in power, projecting their own hopes that he would steer China toward more political openness, rule of law, and pro-market economics. Having masked his beliefs while climbing the party hierarchy, Xi has centralized decision-making powers, encouraged a cult of personality around himself, and moved toward indefinite rule by scrapping presidential term limits, stirring fears of a return to a Mao-style dictatorship. Today, the party of Xi favors political zeal over technical expertise, trumpets its faith in Marxism, and proclaims its reach into every corner of Chinese society with Xi portraits and hammer-and-sickle logos. Under Xi, China has challenged Western preeminence in global affairs and cast its authoritarian system as a model of governance worthy of international emulation.

"Now updated for today's bullish real estate market, this is the go-to, classic entrepreneurial guide for landlords and real estate investors who want to buy and manage rental properties for long-term wealth. There's never been a better time for buying rental properties--interest rates are low and credit is more freely available to those who want to buy and invest. But where does one begin? With more than twenty plus years of experience in real estate and as the founder of The Landlord Property Management Academy, Bryan M. Chavis knows all phases and aspects of working with rental properties. In Buy It, Rent It, Profit! he explains why rental properties are such a wise investment in today's real estate world and outlines the steps and systems you need to implement to become a successful landlord and property manager. This updated edition of the modern classic includes advice on being a profitable and professional landlord, protecting your investment, learning what types of property you should be purchasing, and adapting to the ever-changing world of technology in real estate. Chavis also provides systems on how to attract quality tenants, negotiate lease agreements, collect rent, finance a mortgage, and manage the property overall--everything you need to become a smart, profitable, and professional property manager. In addition, this updated edition features a workbook section with easy-to-use, universal forms for leases, evictions, property evaluations, and more. Buy It, Rent It, Profit! is the ultimate how-to procedures manual for buying and managing rental properties and a practical, realistic tool you can follow to become a profitable landlord and property manager"-- "Now updated for today's bullish real estate market, this is the go-to, classic entrepreneurial guide for landlords and real estate investors who want to buy and manage rental properties for long-term wealth"--

Drawing on more than a decade of new work, the authors demonstrate how to move beyond competing, inspire confidence, and seize new growth, discussing how to take an organization into an uncontested market space.

"Tweet your company to the top of the market with a tailored approach to TwitterTwitter Power 3.0 is the newly updated guide that shows smart businesses and entrepreneurs how to use Twitter to their advantage. This book is the best business leader's guide to Twitter, with the most up to date information on trends in social media, branding, and competitive research. Readers will learn that viral content doesn't happen by accident, why videos and photos are crucial to engagement, and how to measure the success of a Twitter strategy using specific and accurate metrics. This new edition contains brand new case studies, user profiles, features, and images, helping readers create a stronger overall Twitter strategy whether they're already engaged or just wondering if Twitter's important for their business future. Tip: it most definitely is important!Twitter has grown up. It's now a public company, worth over $30 billion, and it means business. Twitter has changed over time, but remains a crucial tool for business branding and a key place to engage with customers and build long-term client relationships. This book demonstrates how Twitter can play an important role in business growth, 140 characters at a time. Understand how Twitter differs from other social media platforms Build a savvy Twitter strategy as part of a broader social media plan Create viral content that effortlessly spreads your message and gains you huge numbers of followers Learn which metrics matter, and how to measure and track them Firms need to understand how Twitter is a vital element in any social media marketing, and craft strategies specific to each. Twitter Power 3.0 is the complete guide to Twitter for business, with the latest information, proven techniques, and expert advice"--

"America is hurtling toward socialism. What should a free-market capitalist do with his money?"--