Since opening to the outside world and embarking on an economic reform programme in 1978, China has had one of the highest rates of sustained economic growth and poverty reduction in the world. However, during the 1990s several challenges emerged in relation to levels of inequality and environmental degradation. This evaluative report on the relative effectiveness of World Bank assistance to China focuses on the period 1993-2002, although it includes some references to developments in earlier and more recent years also. Findings include that the World Bank has made important contributions to economic reform, poverty reduction, infrastructure development, and environmental protection, but has fallen short of its objectives in promoting fiscal and financial reforms to reduce inequality and risk.

Hailed a "medical breakthrough" by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Eat to Live offers a highly effective, scientifically proven way to lose weight quickly. The key to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's revolutionary six-week plan is simple: health = nutrients / calories. When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, you lose weight. The more nutrient-dense food you eat, the less you crave fat, sweets, and high-caloric foods. Eat to Live has been revised to include inspiring success stories from people who have used the program to lose shockingly large amounts of weight and recover from life-threatening illnesses; Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density index; up-to-date scientific research supporting the principles behind Dr. Fuhrman's plan; new recipes and meal ideas; and much more. This easy-to-follow, nutritionally sound diet can help anyone shed pounds quickly-and keep them off. "Dr. Furhman's formula is simple, safe, and solid." --Body and Soul

This book explores the global impact of the Syrian conflict, and the roles of Russia, Iran and the US in its wake. It looks closely at origins of political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by analysing the growing influence of Russia and Iran – militarily, economically and diplomatically – juxtaposed against US defense and national interests. The book: challenges the conventional scholarship to show how non-democratic states such as Russia, Iran and China exhibit a consistent strategic intent in their foreign-policy-making; underlines the convergence of Syrian foreign policy with Russia’s (the USSR before 1989) and Iran’s regional outlook post-1979; takes stock of the shifts in the US foreign policy in MENA in light of new realities. Drawing on detailed fieldwork and archival material, including National Security Archival documents, this book is a tour de force in understanding global politics and contemporary history. It will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of politics and international relations, political theory, foreign policy, Middle East studies, and peace and conflict studies.

China has been subject to floods, droughts and heat waves for millennia; these hazards are not new. What is new is how rapidly climate risks are changing for different groups of people and sectors. This is due to the unprecedented rates of socio-economic development, migration, land-use change, pollution and urbanisation, all occurring alongside increasingly more intense and frequent weather hazards and shifting seasons. China’s leadership is facing a significant challenge – from conducting and integrating biophysical and social vulnerability and risk assessments and connecting the information from these to policy priorities and time frames, to developing and implementing policies and actions at a variety of scales. It is within this challenging context that China’s policy makers, businesses and citizens must manage climate risk and build resilience. This book provides a detailed study of how China has been working to understand and respond to climatic risk, such as droughts and desertification in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to deadly typhoons in the mega-cities of the Pearl River Delta. Using research and data from a wide range of Chinese sources and the Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) project, a research-to-policy project, this book provides a fascinating glimpse into how China is developing policies and approaches to manage the risks and opportunities presented by climate change. This book will be of interest to those studying global and Chinese climate change policy, regional food, water and climate risk, and to policy advisors.

The book that fills the practitioner need for a distillation of the most important tools and concepts of corporate finance In today's competitive business environment, companies must find innovative ways to enable rapid and sustainable growth not just to survive, but to thrive. Corporate Finance: A Practical Approach is designed to help financial analysts, executives, and investors achieve this goal with a practice-oriented distillation of the most important tools and concepts of corporate finance. Updated for a post-financial crisis environment, the Second Edition provides coverage of the most important issues surrounding modern corporate finance for the new global economy: Preserves the hallmark conciseness of the first edition while offering expanded coverage of key topics including dividend policy, share repurchases, and capital structure Current, real-world examples are integrated throughout the book to provide the reader with a concrete understanding of critical business growth concepts Explanations and examples are rigorous and global, but make minimal use of mathematics Each chapter presents learning objectives which highlight key material, helping the reader glean the most effective business advice possible Written by the experts at CFA Institute, the world's largest association of professional investment managers Created for current and aspiring financial professionals and investors alike, Corporate Finance focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed in today's global corporate world.

Is globalization good for democracy? Or has it made our governing institutions less accountable to citizens? Located at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics, this book explores the effects of globalization on national governance. Under what circumstances do the transnational forces that embody globalization encourage or discourage political accountability? Among the transnational forces discussed in the book are the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, multinational corporations, the United Nations, private military contractors, peacekeepers, the European Court of Human Rights, and several transnational social movements. Using in-depth case studies of situations in which these transnational institutions interact with national governments and citizens, Valerie Sperling traces the impact of economic, political, military, judicial, and civic globalization on state accountability and investigates the degree to which transnational institutions are themselves responsible to the people whose lives they alter.

Since 2008, foreign land acquisitions have attracted international attention under the term »land grabbing.« Illustrated by rich and nuanced empirical accounts of forty Chinese and British investment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ariane Goetz explains the phenomenon of »land grabbing« from the perspective of two investor countries. She reflects on Chinese and British public policy, state-society relations, national developmental contexts, ideologies, and international relations and thereby gives insights into the political economies that enable these investments as well as the development ambitions and institutionalized paradigms of which they form a part.

China has been experiencing extraordinary economic growth for over two decades. Behind the remarkable statistics, however, it is facing a pressing issue: balancing its economic development needs with protecting its environmental resources. The environmental issue in China has a profound impact on the rest of the world as well, in such concerns as global warning and ethical and legal considerations about environmental enforcement. This book covers a broad range of topics, from specific environmental assessments in key sectors (i.e. desertification) to the policy implications of China's entry into the WTO. The contributors include scholars, government officials, business consultants, environmental science and technology experts, and others based in China and the United States. Sharing perspectives that reflect their diverse backgrounds, these experts offer valuable insights for handling the emerging opportunities and challenges of doing business in China.