In this volume, prominent civilian and military experts in defense, representing the maritime-continental coalition, military reform, and noninterventionist schools of thought, outline the changes in military strategy, policy, and force structure that they believe the United States must adopt if it is to cope successfully with threats to national security in the 1980s and 1990s. The authors analyze US interests and objectives, the changing strategic environment, and the major security threats facing the United States in the coming decades. They also discuss what they believe is the proper mix of political, economic, and military instruments for dealing with fixture threats. The alternative strategies they present are wide-ranging and comprehensive, running the gamut from a strategic withdrawal from global commitments to proposals for increasing US power projection and forcible entry capabilities in the Third World. In many ways the chapters are critical of current and past approaches to military strategy. The authors believe it is essential that strategists understand the existing critiques of current U.S. military strategy in order to make the correct policy decisions for the future.
This book is about the strategic importance of NATO-Europe and why Western Europe should continue to remain the primary geographic area of importance in U.S. national security planning. It argues that making fundamental changes in U.S. security commitment to Europe would not be in U.S. interests.
This book outlines the changes in military strategy, policy, and force structure that prominent civilian and military experts in defense believe the United States must adopt if it is to cope successfully with threats to national security in the 1980s and 1990s.
"Reviews a wide range of methods for soil physical analysis. Considers applications, accuracy, measurement time, and cost of equipment. Provides examples of applications."
Education policymaking is traditionally seen as a domestic political process. The job of deciding where students will be educated, what they will be taught, who will teach them, and how it will be paid for clearly rests with some mix of district, state, and national policymakers. This book seeks to show how global trends have produced similar changes to very different educational systems in the United States and Japan. Despite different historical development, social norms, and institutional structures, the U.S. and Japanese education systems have been restructured over the past dozen years, not just incrementally but in ways that have transformed traditional power arrangements. Based on 124 interviews, this book examines two restructuring episodes in U.S. education and two restructuring episodes in Japanese education. The four episodes reveal a similar politics of structural education reform that is driven by symbolic action and bureaucratic turf wars, which has ultimately hindered educational improvement in both countries.
Demonstrating the power religious language, ideas, and institutions had in shaping progressive reform in Pittsburgh, this cross-disciplinary study addresses significant debates in the fields of Progressive-Era political history and American religious history, while telling the story of an industrial city in a crucial era of change.
Education policymaking is traditionally seen as a domestic political process. The job of deciding where students will be educated, what they will be taught, who will teach them, and how it will be paid for clearly rests with some mix of district, state, and national policymakers. This book seeks to show how global trends have produced similar changes to very different educational systems in the United States and Japan. Despite different historical development, social norms, and institutional structures, the U.S. and Japanese education systems have been restructured over the past dozen years, not just incrementally but in ways that have transformed traditional power arrangements. Based on 124 interviews, this book examines two restructuring episodes in U.S. education and two restructuring episodes in Japanese education. The four episodes reveal a similar politics of structural education reform that is driven by symbolic action and bureaucratic turf wars, which has ultimately hindered educational improvement in both countries.
Demonstrating the power religious language, ideas, and institutions had in shaping progressive reform in Pittsburgh, this cross-disciplinary study addresses significant debates in the fields of Progressive-Era political history and American religious history, while telling the story of an industrial city in a crucial era of change.
Since 1966, Kwanzaa has been celebrated as a black holiday tradition – an annual recognition of cultural pride in the African American community. But how did this holiday originate, and what is its broader cultural significance?Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition explores the political beginning and later expansion of Kwanzaa, from its start as a Black Power holiday, to its current place as one of the most mainstream of the black holiday traditions. For those wanting to learn more about this alternative observance practiced by countless African Americans and how Kwanzaa fits into the larger black holiday tradition, Keith A. Mayes gives an accessible and definitive account of the movements and individuals that pushed to make this annual celebration a reality, and shows how African-Americans brought the black freedom struggle to the American calendar.Clear and thoughtful, Kwanzaa is the perfect introduction to what is now the quintessential African American holiday.
Since 1966, Kwanzaa has been celebrated as a black holiday tradition – an annual recognition of cultural pride in the African American community. But how did this holiday originate, and what is its broader cultural significance?Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition explores the political beginning and later expansion of Kwanzaa, from its start as a Black Power holiday, to its current place as one of the most mainstream of the black holiday traditions. For those wanting to learn more about this alternative observance practiced by countless African Americans and how Kwanzaa fits into the larger black holiday tradition, Keith A. Mayes gives an accessible and definitive account of the movements and individuals that pushed to make this annual celebration a reality, and shows how African-Americans brought the black freedom struggle to the American calendar.Clear and thoughtful, Kwanzaa is the perfect introduction to what is now the quintessential African American holiday.
A practical guide to building fully operational financial cash flow models for structured finance transactions Structured finance and securitization deals are becoming more commonplace on Wall Street. Up until now, however, market participants have had to create their own models to analyze these deals, and new entrants have had to learn as they go. Modeling Structured Finance Cash Flows with Microsoft Excel provides readers with the information they need to build a cash flow model for structured finance and securitization deals. Financial professional Keith Allman explains individual functions and formulas, while also explaining the theory behind the spreadsheets. Each chapter begins with a discussion of theory, followed by a section called "Model Builder," in which Allman translates the theory into functions and formulas. In addition, the companion website features all of the modeling exercises, as well as a final version of the model that is created in the text. Note: Companion website and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
A BUILDER'S GUIDE to Construction graphics What do drawings mean to you as a builder? When you're in the midst of a construction project, you have to be able to bridge the gap between the outcome described by the design professional in the construction drawings and the myriad materials and processes required to build the structure. With hundreds of illustrations and photographs from actual working drawings, Construction Graphics: A Practical Guide to Interpreting Working Drawings, Second Edition demonstrates what construction graphics mean to managers of the construction process and how you can make the best use of them. From site excavation to forming, roof, and electrical systems, Construction Graphics provides up-to-date material and helpful exercises on the critical tasks involved in constructing a project from graphic depictions of it. This updated new edition gives you an overview of graphic communication, the construction business environment, the design professional's work product, and construction drawing fundamentals, and adds valuable new commentary on important topics, including: Building Information Modeling (BIM) Project delivery systems Interpreting working drawings The similarities between residential and commercial building construction drawings Executing a site section in preparation for an earth quantity take-off Additional commentary on welding and welding symbology Adhering to the Construction Specifications Institute's UniFormat classification system, Construction Graphics, Second Edition will be a valuable aid to any building professional.
A serious source of information for those looking to reverse engineer business deals It’s clear from the current turbulence on Wall Street that the inner workings of its most complex transactions are poorly understood. Wall Street deals parse risk using intricate legal terminology that is difficult to translate into an analytical model. Reverse Engineering Deals on Wall Street: A Step-By-Step Guide takes readers through a detailed methodology of deconstructing the public deal documentation of a modern Wall Street transaction and applying the deconstructed elements to create a fully dynamic model that can be used for risk and investment analysis. Appropriate for the current market climate, an actual residential mortgage backed security (RMBS) transaction is taken from prospectus to model by the end of the book. Step by step, Allman walks the reader through the reversing process with textual excerpts from the prospectus and discussions on how it directly transfers to a model. Each chapter begins with a discussion of concepts with exact references to an example prospectus, followed by a section called "Model Builder," in which Allman translates the theory into a fully functioning model for the example deal. Also included is valuable VBA code and detailed explanation that shows proper valuation methods including loan level amortization and full trigger modeling. Aside from investment analysis this text can help anyone who wants to keep track of the competition, learn from others public transactions, or set up a system to audit one’s own models. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
"I've worked with simulation in business for over 20 years, and Allman really nails it with this book. I admit that I own his previous book on structured finance cash flows, but I was surprised by what I found in here. He addresses the fundamental questions of how decision makers react to simulations and his read was very much in accordance with what I've experienced myself. When it came to the nuts and bolts of describing the different types of simulation analysis the book becomes incredibly detailed. There is working code and models for a fantastic array of the most common simulation problems. If you're so inclined, the book very carefully steps through the tricky math needed to really understand the theory behind stochastic modeling in finance. If you're preparing models that include any kind of randomization or stochastic modeling component, this book is a must-read, a tremendous value and time-saver." — David Brode of The Brode Group A practical guide to understanding and implementing financial simulation modeling As simulation techniques become more popular among the financial community and a variety of sub-industries, a thorough understanding of theory and implementation is critical for practitioners involved in portfolio management, risk management, pricing, and capital budgeting. Financial Simulation Modeling in Excel contains the information you need to make the most informed decisions possible in your professional endeavors. Financial Simulation Modeling in Excel contains a practical, hands-on approach to learning complex financial simulation methodologies using Excel and VBA as a medium. Crafted in an easy to understand format, this book is suitable for anyone with a basic understanding of finance and Excel. Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, each chapter takes you through the theory behind a simulation topic and the implementation of that same topic in Excel/VBA in a step-by-step manner. Organized in an easy-to-follow fashion, this guide effectively walks you through the process of creating and implementing risk models in ExcelA companion website contains all the Excel models risk experts and quantitative analysts need to practice and confirm their results as they progressKeith Allman is the author of other successful modeling books, including Corporate Valuation Modeling and Modeling Structured Finance Cash Flows with Microsoft Excel Created for those with some background in finance and experience in Excel, this reliable resource shows you how to effectively perform sound financial simulation modeling, even if you've yet to do extensive modeling up to this point in your professional or academic career.
From the earliest days of aviation where the pilot would drop simple bombs by hand, to the highly agile, stealthy aircraft of today that can deliver smart ordnance with extreme accuracy, engineers have striven to develop the capability to deliver weapons against targets reliably, safely and with precision. Aircraft Systems Integration of Air-Launched Weapons introduces the various aspects of weapons integration, primarily from the aircraft systems integration viewpoint, but also considers key parts of the weapon and the desired interactions with the aircraft required for successful target engagement. Key features: Addresses the broad range of subjects that relate directly to the systems integration of air-launched weapons with aircraft, such as the integration process, system and subsystem architectures, the essential contribution that open, international standards have on improving interoperability and reducing integration costs and timescalesDescribes the recent history of how industry and bodies such as NATO have driven the need for greater interoperability between weapons and aircraft and worked to reduce the cost and timescales associated with the systems integration of complex air-launched weapons with aircraftExplores future initiatives and technologies relating to the reduction of systems integration costs and timescales The systems integration of air-launched weapons with aircraft requires a multi-disciplinary set of engineering capabilities. As a typical weapons integration life-cycle spans several years, new engineers have to learn the skills required by on-the-job training and working with experienced weapons integrators. Aircraft Systems Integration of Air-Launched Weapons augments hands-on experience, thereby enabling the development of subject matter expertise more quickly and in a broader context than would be achieved by working through the life-cycle on one specific project. This book also serves as a useful revision source for experienced engineers in the field.
Examines the critical role that the economic ideas of state leaders play in the creation and maintenance of the international economic order. Drawing on a detailed study of the fifteen post-Soviet states in their first decade of independence, interviews with key decision-makers and the use of closed ministerial archives, the book explores how the changing ideas of state officials led countries to follow one of three institutional paths: rapid entry into the World Trade Organization, participation in a regional Customs Union based on their prior Soviet ties, or autarky and economic closure. In doing so, the book traces the decisions that shaped the entry of these strategically important countries into the world economy and provides a novel theory of the role of ideas in international politics.
With the expansion of trade and empire in the early modern period, the status of sugar changed from expensive rarity to popular consumer commodity, and its real and imagined properties functioned as central metaphors for the cultural desires of West Indian Creoles. Sandiford's 2000 study examines how the writings of six colonial West Indian authors explore these properties to publicise the economic value of the consumer object, and to invent a metaphor for West Indian cultural desires. Sandiford defines this metaphorical turn as a trope of 'negotiation' which organises the structure and content of the narratives: his argument establishes the function of this trope as a source of knowledge about the creolised imagination, and about its social and political idealism. Based on extensive historical knowledge of the period as well as postcolonial theory, this book suggests the possibilities negotiation offers in the process of recovery of West Indian intellectual history.
With the expansion of trade and empire in the early modern period, the status of sugar changed from expensive rarity to popular consumer commodity, and its real and imagined properties functioned as central metaphors for the cultural desires of West Indian Creoles. Sandiford's 2000 study examines how the writings of six colonial West Indian authors explore these properties to publicise the economic value of the consumer object, and to invent a metaphor for West Indian cultural desires. Sandiford defines this metaphorical turn as a trope of 'negotiation' which organises the structure and content of the narratives: his argument establishes the function of this trope as a source of knowledge about the creolised imagination, and about its social and political idealism. Based on extensive historical knowledge of the period as well as postcolonial theory, this book suggests the possibilities negotiation offers in the process of recovery of West Indian intellectual history.
Examines the critical role that the economic ideas of state leaders play in the creation and maintenance of the international economic order. Drawing on a detailed study of the fifteen post-Soviet states in their first decade of independence, interviews with key decision-makers and the use of closed ministerial archives, the book explores how the changing ideas of state officials led countries to follow one of three institutional paths: rapid entry into the World Trade Organization, participation in a regional Customs Union based on their prior Soviet ties, or autarky and economic closure. In doing so, the book traces the decisions that shaped the entry of these strategically important countries into the world economy and provides a novel theory of the role of ideas in international politics.
The story of the Wilmot family begins in 1794, Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland, and follows a path of immigration in the early 19th century to Atlantic Canada and on to New York in the mid-19th century. The hardships, sickness, and poverty of early immigrants in Manhattan, New York, takes its toll on the Wilmot family with death and the subsequent family breakup. This leads to one orphaned Wilmot traveling to the Midwest on the legendary Orphan Train where he is placed in servitude until such age as he marries and begins a family in Missouri. We follow the family from Missouri to Nebraska where the trail ends for now. Thus, this is the story of the Wilmot family and one man's search for who we are.
