Traditionally, the effectiveness of medical treatments is attributed to specific elements, such as drugs or surgical procedures. However, many other factors can significantly effect the outcome. Drugs with nationally advertised names can work better than the same drug without the name. Inert drugs (placebos, dummies) often have dramatic effects on some patients and effects can vary greatly amon…

This handbook showcases current research and thinking in the sociology of religion. Aimed at students and scholars who want to know more about the sociology of religion, this handbook provides a resource for sociologists by integrating broader questions of sociology into the analysis of religion.

Is a developmenta (TM) passA(c)? Is it merely a by-product or a a trickle downa (TM) effect of economic growth, spurred by globalisation? Will poverty simply diminish with increased global markets? This state-of-the-art critical a developmenta (TM) reader deals with these and related questions. Globalisation, Poverty and Conflict examines the inter-relationships between globalisation, poverty a…

This handbook focuses on the thinking processes necessary for learning by providing descriptions and evaluations of 42 major frameworks--including Bloom's taxonomy, de Bono's lateral and parallel thinking tools, Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Paul's model of critical thinking. Unique in its comprehensive coverage and interdisciplinary approach, it offers easy-to-grasp summary ta…

Shows the damage that is caused to economic welfare by high taxation. This book describes how unequal the distribution of public spending is across the regions of the United Kingdom. It examines future developments in public spending together with a programme for reducing the size of government to a manageable level.

The Blackwell Companion to Criminology provides a contemporary and global resource to scholarship in both classical and topical areas of criminology. Written accessibly, and with its international perspective and first-rate scholarship, this is truly the first global handbook of criminology. Editors and contributors are international experts in criminology, offering a comparative perspective on…

This text, like its previous editions, is an introduction to communication systems written at a level appropriate for advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate students in electrical engineering. An initial study of signal transmission and the inherent limitations of physical systems establishes unifying concepts of communication. Equal attention is then given to the analysis and design o…

How do states distinguish friends from enemies, partners from competitors, and communities from outsiders? Community Under Anarchy shows how the development of common social identities among political elites can lead to deeper, more cohesive forms of cooperation than what has been previously envisioned by traditional theories of international relations. Drawing from recent advances in social th…

This is the first book to cover not only the economics of the fine arts and performing arts, but also public policy toward the arts at federal, state, and local levels in the United States. The second edition offers greater coverage of the international arts sector. The work will interest academic readers as a supplementary text on the sociology of the arts, as well as general readers seeking a…

This book examines the nature and extent of business groups in East Asian countries and their restructuring subsequent to the 1997 Asian Crisis. The crisis significantly affected the nations discussed in this book. Interest rates and exchange rates skyrocketed. Banks and other financial institutions quickly became insolvent, and heavily indebted industrial firms, many of which were affiliated w…