This monograph deals with the entrepreneurs, the partnerships they formed and how these partnerships evolved through a time span of about fourteen centuries, that is, from the birth of Islam to the present. The first part of the book examines the evolution of medieval partnership forms in Europe and finally in the United States, while in the second part the much less known Islamic evolution is studied. The study of the Islamic evolution is based on extensive original research conducted in the Ottoman archives. Comparative economic and business historians of these two great civilizations will find this book highly important, while modern Islamic bankers and economists interested in the actual functioning of an Islamic economy will find this volume indispensable reading, for here they have a unique chance to observe an Islamic economy and business operating within an historical framework.

Each issue concentrates on a different topic.

Annual Reports in Computational Chemistry is a new periodical providing timely and critical reviews of important topics in computational chemistry as applied to all chemical disciplines. Topics covered include quantum chemistry, molecular mechanics, force fields, chemical education, and applications in academic and industrial settings. Each volume is organized into (thematic) sections with contributions written by experts. Focusing on the most recent literature and advances in the field, each article covers a specific topic of importance to computational chemists. Annual Reports in Computational Chemistry is a "must" for researchers and students wishing to stay up-to-date on current developments in computational chemistry.* Broad coverage of computational chemistry and up-to-date information * Topics covered include bioinformatics, drug discovery, protein NMR, simulation methodologies, and applications in academic and industrial settings * Each chapter reviews the most recent literature on a specific topic of interest to computational chemists

These authors examine the unique social roles of libraries and museums, review historical precedents as well as library-museum partnerships funded in recent years through IMLS grants, and forge an exciting vision of a new library-museum hybrid. The juxtaposition of library collections and museum artifacts, they assert, has the potential to create authentic, interactive experiences for community members, and it can help establish a distinct, meaningful, and sustainable role for libraries. In the authors' words, libraries can then reassert themselves as places devoted to contemplation, wonder, knowledge acquisition, and critical inquiry. Commercialization, edutainment, and the library as a learning community are just some of the fascinating topics addressed as the authors explore the future's terrain, and suggest how libraries might situate themselves upon it. Libraries, museums, and the ways in which they are used by patrons have drastically changed in past decades. Digitization projects, infotainment, and the Internet are redefining the library's and the museum's roles in the community. What are the implications for the future of these institutions? These authors examine the unique social roles of libraries and museums, review historical precedents as well as library-museum partnerships funded in recent years through IMLS grants, and forge an exciting vision of a new library-museum hybrid. The juxtaposition of library collections and museum artifacts, they assert, has the potential to create authentic, interactive experiences for community members, and it can help establish a distinct, meaningful, and sustainable role for libraries. In the authors' words, libraries can then reassert themselves as places devoted to contemplation, wonder, knowledge acquisition, and critical inquiry. Commercialization, edutainment, and the library as a learning community are just some of the fascinating topics addressed as the authors explore the future's terrain, and suggest how libraries might situate themselves upon it.