For the greater part of recorded history the most successful and powerful states were autocracies; yet now the world is increasingly dominated by democracies. In A Free Nation Deep in Debt, James Macdonald provides a novel answer for how and why this political transformation occurred. The pressures of war finance led ancient states to store up treasure; and treasure accumulation invariably favored autocratic states. But when the art of public borrowing was developed by the city-states of medieval Italy as a democratic alternative to the treasure chest, the balance of power tipped. From that point on, the pressures of war favored states with the greatest public creditworthiness; and the most creditworthy states were invariably those in which the people who provided the money also controlled the government. Democracy had found a secret weapon and the era of the citizen creditor was born. Macdonald unfolds this tale in a sweeping history that starts in biblical times, passes via medieval Italy to the wars and revolutions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and ends with the great bond drives that financed the two world wars.

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Third Book in the NYT Bestselling Series. “I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.” Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all. She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more. But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win. Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect. The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

TO TAKE BACK LIFE, ONE MUST FIRST FACE DEATH… One man stripped of his freedom, his morals… his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unremorseful, unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. Death and brutality are the masters of his fate. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge… bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who lied. Revenge on the man who wronged him. Revenge on the man who condemned him and turned him into… this: a rage-fueled killing machine. A monster void of humanity; a monster filled with hate. And no one will stand in the way of getting what he wants. ***** One woman stripped of her freedom, her morals… her life. Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Red’ bosses of New York’s Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring—The Dungeon—ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. As manager of her father’s death match enterprise, only grief and pain fill her days. Her mafiya boss father, in her world, rules absolute. And her fiancé, Alik Durov, is no better: The Dungeon’s five-time champion, a stone-cold killer, the treasured son of her father’s best friend, and her very own—and much resented—personal guard. Unrivaled in both strength and social standing, Alik controls every facet of Kisa’s life, dominates her every move; keeps her subdued and dead inside… then one night changes everything. While working for her church—the only reprieve in her constant surveillance—Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. He’s a man beyond saving, and a man she must quickly forget… for both their sakes. But when days later, out of the blue and to her complete surprise, he’s announced as the replacement fighter in The Dungeon, Kisa knows she’s in a whole lot of trouble. He’s built, ripped and lethally unforgiving to his opponents, leaving fear in his wake and the look of death in his eyes. Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man… … this man they call Raze. Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit and non-consensual sexual situations, excessive violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up*

If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

Build up your money muscles with America’s favorite finance coach.

Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby expenses into a well-toned budget? Do you want to transform your sad and skinny little bank account into a bulked-up cash machine? Then get with the program, people. There’s one sure way to whip your finances into shape, and that’s with The Total Money Makeover.

By now, you’ve heard all the nutty get-rich-quick schemes, the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of kooky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. Hey, if you’re tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this—it’s the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. And it’s based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. With The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition, you’ll be able to:

•Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt—meaning cars, houses, everything
•Recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths (these will kill you)
•Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement!

Every student wants Extra Credit! Extra Credit is not just another boring finance book. You’ll learn: • The top 10 ways credit card companies trick you. • When to use debit cards and when to use cash. • What is a credit score? • How to choose the right student loan. • The keys to succeed in college. • And much more…

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Gambling Debt is a game-changing contribution to the discussion of economic crises and neoliberal financial systems and strategies. Iceland’s 2008 financial collapse was the first case in a series of meltdowns, a warning of danger in the global order. This full-scale anthropology of financialization and the economic crisis broadly discusses this momentous bubble and burst and places it in theoretical, anthropological, and global historical context through descriptions of the complex developments leading to it and the larger social and cultural implications and consequences.

Chapters from anthropologists, sociologists, historians, economists, and key local participants focus on the neoliberal policies?mainly the privatization of banks and fishery resources?that concentrated wealth among a select few, skewed the distribution of capital in a way that Iceland had never experienced before, and plunged the country into a full-scale economic crisis. Gambling Debt significantly raises the level of understanding and debate on the issues relevant to financial crises, painting a portrait of the meltdown from many points of view?from bankers to schoolchildren, from fishers in coastal villages to the urban poor and immigrants, and from artists to philosophers and other intellectuals.

This book is for anyone interested in financial troubles and neoliberal politics as well as students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, economics, philosophy, political science, business, and ethics.

Publication supported in part by the National Science Foundation.

Contributors: 
Vilhjálmur Árnason, Ásmundur Ásmundsson, Jón Gunnar Bernburg, James Carrier, Sigurlína Davíðsdóttir, Dimitra Doukas, Níels Einarsson, Einar Mar Guðmundsson, Tinna Grétarsdóttir, Birna Gunnlaugsdóttir, Guðný S. Guðbjörnsdóttir, Pamela Joan Innes, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Örn D. Jónsson, Hannes Lárusson, Kristín Loftsdóttir, James Maguire, Már Wolfgang Mixa, Evelyn Pinkerton, Hulda Proppé, James G. Rice, Rögnvaldur J. Sæmundsson, Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir, Margaret Willson

The essential guide to global sukuk markets worldwide

Sukuk Securities provides complete information and guidance on the latest developments in the burgeoning sukuk securities markets. Written by leading Islamic finance experts, this essential guide offers insight into the concepts, design features, contract structures, yields, and payoffs in all twelve global sukuk markets, providing Islamic finance professionals with an invaluable addition to their library. The first book to fully introduce the market, this book provides a detailed overview of the sukuk market, with practical guidance toward applying these instruments in real-world scenarios. Readers will learn how sukuk securities are regulated and the issues that arise from regulations, and gain insight into the foundation and principles of Islamic finance as applied to these instruments. Extensive tables illustrate t-test comparisons between conventional bonds and sukuk, risk factors, and the issuance of different types of sukuk securities by country to give readers a deeper understanding of the markets.

In 2010, the World Bank recommended sukuk as the best form of lending for growth in developing countries; since then, the value of new issues has grown at 45 percent per year. The market’s present size is close to US $1,200 billion, with private markets in major financial centers like London, Zurich, and New York. This book provides comprehensive guidance toward understanding and using these instruments, and working within these markets.

Get acquainted with the sukuk market, definitions, classification, and pricingLearn the different approaches to structuring and contract designDiscover how sukuk is applied, including regulations, ratings, and securitizationExamine payoff structures and suggested sukuk valuation in the context of Islamic finance principles

With the sukuk market growing the way it is, regulators, investors, and students need to fully understand the mechanisms at work. Sukuk Securities is the complete guide to the sukuk markets, with expert insight. July 2014 saw the first sukuk listing in London. Hong Kong and Seoul have also entered this niche market. Predictions are that there will be continued high growth of sukuk debt markets around the world, all providing targeted funding via sukuk contracting modes.

Tuition and fees are just the tip of the iceberg! To properly manage college costs, you need to understand the real price tag of a higher education, including hidden fees that surprise students after they enroll in a college or university. College Secrets and its companion book, College Secrets for Teens, reveal the true costs of earning a college degree – and then provides hundreds of money-saving ideas to help students and parents reduce or eliminate these expenses. In this book, you’ll discover: 22 hidden costs that college officials never talk about 24 tricks to slash in-state and out-of-state tuition costs 7 tips to keep room and board expenses under control 13 strategies to save money on books and supplies 14 lifestyle costs that students must manage wisely  6 do’s and don’ts to avoid credit card debt in college 12 steps to boost your odds of winning scholarships 15 common mistakes that reduce your financial aid … and much, much more! The College Secrets series is your roadmap to paying for college the smart way – with some sanity, truth and planning in the process, and without going broke or winding up deep in debt.

It all started with a pinky swear… Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him. Beautiful, funny and an ambitious businesswoman (with one hell of an ass), Stephanie Robson is one of Linden McGregor’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as he’s known her. But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed. Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them were in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty. It sounded like fun and games at the time but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life. Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line. The pact is about to change everything.

The author explains how he shed over $300,000 in debt–twice–all while working as a public school teacher. The book offers a compelling view of the debt burden in America today and how the writer made radical choices to pay off everything and to enjoy a life in the black. Included are secrets on boosting income and sources of generating funds while simultaneously slashing costs. Perfect for those searching for answers when it comes to reigning in debt.