When most people think of corporate responsibility, they are focusing on a business's effect on and relationship to stakeholders. A Responsible Business sees stakeholders as full partners and meaningful instruments for the evolution of healthier communities and more successful businesses. —from the Introduction The Responsible Business offers a new and strategic approach to doing business that holistically integrates responsibility into all aspects of an organization, allowing for returns at every level, business and social. This book goes beyond the often well intentioned but limited attempts at sustainability to present a framework that allows organizations to bring responsibility into everything they do and re-imagine success. From innovation, product development, and production processes to business management, strategic planning, and shareholder development, the author shows how being a Responsible Business is a practical skill that can be applied day-to-day at every level of the business. No longer just the role of a department or the job of CSR professionals, successful responsibility and business efforts start at the business level, are then taken to the corporate level, and are finally applied throughout the organization. The Responsible Business outlines a framework for building a responsibility and consciousness infrastructure that applies a living systems view to the business and inspires all of its stakeholders, including shareholders. Throughout the book, illustrated by examples from technology to manufacturing, large and small, public and private, Sanford demonstrates how to make responsibility integral to all aspects of a business as an engine for innovation, profitability, and purpose. Praise for The Responsible Business «This is a very significant book. It makes it clear that businesses have a single boss with five interrelated aspects. The stories are among the crispest, most evocative case histories I have seen. The book is for any corporate leader trying to do the impossible: create a business that recreates the world.» —Art Kleiner, editor-in-chief, strategy + business, and author, The Age of Heretics «Carol Sanford offers us a proven, practical, and systems-based approach that integrates five stakeholder groups into a business system working as an integral whole. Essential reading for leaders wanting a system framework for sustainability and business success!» —Otto Scharmer, MIT Sloan senior lecturer; author, Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges; and coauthor, Presence «The Responsible Business challenges many assumptions corporate leaders, investment advisors, and sustainability experts have long taken for granted. It provides a road map that can help innovative businesses think about how to be truly transformational.» —Sam Ford, Fast Company expert blogger and director, Peppercom «The powerful concepts in The Responsible Business have changed the process of sustainable development and how communities truly thrive. Indeed, these proven approaches will be the roadmap to truly achieve the deepest level of living communities.» —Bill Reed, founding member of LEED System and coauthor, The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building «Critical for re-imagining the future of business. Rarely a day goes by that I do not call on this way of thinking and looking at the world. It is useful for taking on the big business decisions that so many of us face every day.» —Chad Holliday, chairman, Bank of America
Do demons and devils have free will? Does justice exist in Menzoberranzan? What’s the morality involved with player characters casting necromancy and summoning spells? Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy probes the rich terrain of philosophically compelling concepts and ideas that underlie Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary fantasy role-playing game that grew into a world-wide cultural phenomenon. A series of accessible essays reveals what the imaginary worlds of D&D can teach us about ethics, morality, metaphysics and more. Illustrates a wide variety of philosophical concepts and ideas that arise in Dungeons & Dragons gameplay and presents them in an accessible and entertaining manner Reveals how the strategies, tactics, improvisations, and role-play employed by D&D enthusiasts have startling parallels in the real world of philosophy Explores a wide range of philosophical topics, including the nature of free will, the metaphysics of personal identity, the morality of crafting fictions, sex and gender issues in tabletop gameplay, and friendship and collaborative storytelling Provides gamers with deep philosophical insights that can lead to a richer appreciation of D&D and any gaming experience
How the actions of a few in Europe destroyed the prosperity of the many (and how it's happening again now in America) After the fall of the Roman Empire, vicious barbaric tribes including the Hunds lead by Atilla, the Mongols, Charlemagne and the Vikings invaded Europe, plundering property and destroying homes. But, they didn't just steal and destroy property in the villages; they also stole and destroyed any prosperity the villagers had previously enjoyed. What's worse is the barbarians of the Dark Ages did all of this not out of any deeply held religious or political belief, but, rather, for the oldest reason in the book – their own personal financial gain. Some things never change. Barbarians of Wealth examines how the greedy, self-serving decisions of a select group of politicians and financial institutions negatively impacts the economy and, ultimately, destroys America's prosperity and the American way of life. Compelling and engaging, the book Details how Goldman Sachs peddled mortgage backed securities up and down Wall Street while secretly betting against their demise Discusses how Sanford Weill, founder of Citigroup spent $100 million lobbying for the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act that prevented the merger of commercial and investment banks and got his way. Examines Christopher Dodd, head of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, has enriched himself while driving down the prosperity of his constituents Offers up examples of other modern barbarians, including the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, Hank Paulson, and Timothy Geithner. Highlights greed driven tactics of Wall Street corporations including JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and Salomon Brothers. Barbarians of Wealth is a timely must read for hard-working Americans concerned with their prosperity, as well as for those fascinated with the inner workings of Washington and Wall Street.
The eagerly anticipated new edition of the bestselling introduction to x86 assembly language The long-awaited third edition of this bestselling introduction to assembly language has been completely rewritten to focus on 32-bit protected-mode Linux and the free NASM assembler. Assembly is the fundamental language bridging human ideas and the pure silicon hearts of computers, and popular author Jeff Dunteman retains his distinctive lighthearted style as he presents a step-by-step approach to this difficult technical discipline. He starts at the very beginning, explaining the basic ideas of programmable computing, the binary and hexadecimal number systems, the Intel x86 computer architecture, and the process of software development under Linux. From that foundation he systematically treats the x86 instruction set, memory addressing, procedures, macros, and interface to the C-language code libraries upon which Linux itself is built. Serves as an ideal introduction to x86 computing concepts, as demonstrated by the only language directly understood by the CPU itself Uses an approachable, conversational style that assumes no prior experience in programming of any kind Presents x86 architecture and assembly concepts through a cumulative tutorial approach that is ideal for self-paced instruction Focuses entirely on free, open-source software, including Ubuntu Linux, the NASM assembler, the Kate editor, and the Gdb/Insight debugger Includes an x86 instruction set reference for the most common machine instructions, specifically tailored for use by programming beginners Woven into the presentation are plenty of assembly code examples, plus practical tips on software design, coding, testing, and debugging, all using free, open-source software that may be downloaded without charge from the Internet.
From a leading trading systems developer, how to make profitable trades when there are no obvious trends How does a trader find alpha when markets make no sense, when price shocks cause diversification to fail, and when it seems impossible to hedge? What strategies should traders, long conditioned to trend trading, deploy? In Alpha Trading: Profitable Strategies That Remove Directional Risk, author Perry Kaufman presents strategies and systems for profitably trading in directionless markets and in those experiencing constant price shocks. The book Details how to exploit new highs and lows Describes how to hedge primary risk components, find robustness, and craft a diversification program Other titles by Kaufman: New Trading Systems and Methods, 4th Edition and A Short Course in Technical Trading, both by Wiley Given Kaufman's 30 years of experience trading in almost every kind of market, his Alpha Trading will be a welcome addition to the trading literature of professional and serious individual traders for years to come.
An up-to-date look at the latest innovations in mortgage-backed securities Since the last edition of Mortgage-Backed Securities was published over three years ago, much has changed in the structured credit market. Frank Fabozzi, Anand Bhattacharya, and William Berliner all have many years of experience working in the fixed-income securitization markets, and have witnessed many cycles of change in the mortgage and MBS sectors. And now, with the Second Edition of Mortgage-Backed Securities, they share their knowledge on many of the products and structuring innovations that have taken place since the financial crisis and fiscal reform. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, and containing numerous illustrations, this timely guide skillfully addresses the investment characteristics, creation, and analysis of mortgage-backed securities. Each chapter contains cutting-edge concepts that you'll need to understand in order to thrive within this arena. Discusses the dynamic interaction between the mortgage industry, home prices, and credit performance Addresses revised valuation techniques in which all non-agency MBS must be treated as credit pieces Examines the shift in this marketplace since the crisis and the impact on industry and investors Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Second Edition offers you a realistic assessment of this field and outlines the products, structures, and analytical techniques you need to know about in this evolving arena.
Praise for Distress Investing «Marty Whitman has distilled decades of distressed investing experience into a text that is a must-read for everyone interested in the field, whether a student or a professional investor.» —Wilbur L. Ross, Chairman and CEO, WL Ross & Co. LLC «Distress Investing: Principles and Technique represents a detailed and unique perspective on an arcane arena of investment that is going to get a lot more attention. Marty Whitman is the master, and has set the standard for many years.» —Sam Zell, Chairman, Equity Group Investments, LLC «Martin Whitman and Professor Diz have produced a seminal work on the ins and outs of distressed investing for all distressed debt investors. It is jam-packed with information and guidance for the novice and the experienced. A must-read for anyone interested in distressed investing.» —Lewis Kruger, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP «Marty Whitman, a legend in distress investing, packs decades of experience into these pages. The restructuring of the capital markets currently under way is sure to provide great distress investment opportunities, which this guide book can make count for you.» —Bruce Flatt, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. «The principles found in this book are those I used in the reorganization of my business from bankruptcy to an S&P 500 company with an investment grade rating and a multibillion-dollar market capitalization. An excellent premier by Marty Whitman and Professor Diz, integrating economic theory with real-world investment to help investors of all shapes and sizes understand and invest in distressed securities.» —Gene Isenberg, Chairman and CEO, Nabors Industries, Inc. «Marty Whitman, the unquestioned 'Dean' of active distressed investors, and Fernando Diz, one of the few academics specializing in distressed investing, have teamed up to provide perhaps the best and most comprehensive primer on distressed securities and markets. I learned so much from this remarkable volume.» —Edward I. Altman, Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business, Director of credit and debt markets research at the NYU Salomon Center and adviser to several financial institutions including, Paulson & Co. and Concordia Advisers
Wiley GAAP Workbook provides easy-to-understand guidance and clarity to practical applications of GAAP. Enhancing your comprehension of GAAP to enable practical application of a variety of situations that you may encounter in practice, this workbook and guide simplifies application of GAAP standards and interpretations to specific real-world situations. Provides easy-to-understand clarity and guidance on interpretation and application of the overwhelming and voluminous GAAP standards Offers explanations supplemented with examples, case studies, solutions, and illustrations for enhanced understanding of GAAP Includes newly issued accounting pronouncements and information on the GAAP codification Wiley GAAP: Practical Implementation Guide and Workbook is a quick reference guide on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and their application with easy to understand outlines of FASB standards, practical insights, case studies with solutions, illustrations, and multiple choice questions with solutions. It greatly facilitates understanding of the practical implementation issues involved in applying these complex rules-based standards.
Embrace strategies for improving your business and reaching your organization's goals «I wholeheartedly agree with Patrick Stroh: Good leaders understand strategy and good strategists need to be good leaders. Make this book a strategic tool for improving your business strategy.» – Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellerSwim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive In today's fast-moving and competitive business environment, strong leadership, insightful strategy, and effective innovation are critical links to staying ahead of your competition. Getting your business house in order can often be complicated, but does it really have to be? How do you take MBA 101 lessons, great models, and exceptional concepts and put them into play in the real world? Business Strategy: Plan, Execute, Win! strives to answers these questions in an educational and entertaining format. Working as a Fortune 20 practitioner with C-level executives, author Patrick Stroh has a keen understanding of the role played by current day strategists. With 5 chapters following the format of «All I Ever Needed to Learn About Business Strategy I Learned…» At the Movies, On the Farm, On Shark Tank, On Hell's Kitchen, and From the Bible, readers will gain valuable strategic insight regardless of industry, business maturity, or current business turbulence and how to apply these insights based on the factors impacting their own business. Each chapter ends with a One Chapter Conclusion, Two Gold Nuggets the reader is to write down and Three Additional Resources/Tools for more information, offering a practical roadmap to simplifying your success.
This practical guide reveals the nine major “fatigue factors” that can block the path to innovation success, along with solutions to energize innovation. Original advances in innovation practice and new case studies are applied to guide inventors, entrepreneurs, companies, universities, and even policy makers in conquering innovation fatigue. Cost-effective solutions include guidance on intellectual assets, dealing with disruptive innovation, and driving innovation using the “Horn of Innovation” and “Circuit of Innovation” models. A surprising view of DaVinci as an engine of open innovation is presented. Throughout the book, a unique aspect is exploring the journey of innovators, including corporate employees and entrepreneurs, at the often-overlooked personal level using the metaphor of immigrants in a strange land to identify barriers and solutions.