The United States experienced a meltdown in its financial system that devastated much of the economy in the years 2007 to 2008. In Gambling with Borrowed Chips, author Christopher C. Faille reexamines what is becoming settled wisdom about that financial crisis and the economic troubles that have plagued the country ever since. In his analysis, Faille challenges what he calls the common misdiagnosis that speculationespecially on the short sidecombined with indebtedness, leverage, deregulation, and greed, produced mayhem. In Gambling with Borrowed Chips, Faille contends that speculation, or gambling, serves valuable functions in an economy. It steers money and other resources to where they can be most of use; it punishes profligacy and rewards foresight; and it disturbs overly cozy arrangements such as those of entrenched corporate managements. Gambling with Borrowed Chips argues that it is acceptable to gamble, even with borrowed chips. Faille helps us understand the real problem: gambling in a casino that hands out the chips too readily or one that is always eager to manufacture new chips in order to stimulate activity.

Roll the Bones tells the story of gambling: where it came from, how it has changed, and where it is now. This is the new Casino Edition. which updates and expands the global history of gambling to include a greater focus on casinos, from their development in European spas to their growth in Reno and Las Vegas. New material chronicles in greater depth the development of casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and their spread throughout the United States. A new chapter better places Atlantic City's casinos into their correct context, and new material accounts for the rise of casinos in Asia and online gaming. From the first modern casino in Venice (1638), casinos have grown incredibly. During the 18th and 19th century, a series of European spa towns, culminating in Monte Carlo, hosted casinos. In the United States, during those same years, gambling developed both in illegal urban gambling halls and in the wide-open saloons of the western frontier. Those two strands of American gambling came together in Nevada's legal casinos, whose current regime dates from 1931. Developing with a healthy assist from elements affiliated with organized crime, these casinos eventually outgrew their rough-hewn routes, becoming sun-drenched pleasure palaces along the Las Vegas Strip. With Nevada casinos proving successful, other states, beginning with New Jersey in 1976, rolled the dice. From there, casinos have come to America's tribal lands, rivers, and urban centers. In the last decade, gambling has moved online, while Asia--with multi-billion dollar projects in Macau and Singapore--has become a new casino frontier. Reading Roll the Bones, you'll get a better appreciation for how long casinos and gambling have been with us--and what they mean to us today.

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly. In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results: • The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients • The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping • The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Maximize your odds on the casino floor Casinos are designed for distraction, so it helps to know a bit about when the odds are in your favor and when they’re not before you push a stack of chips onto a table. Professional blackjack player Kevin Blackwood and lifelong sports bettor Swain Scheps know a thing or two about casino gambling. In Casino Gambling For Dummies, these seasoned gaming veterans guide you through the essential strategies for walking out of the casino ahead of the game. They also show you the most common mistakes made by players, helping you avoid gambling risks while you enjoy what the gaming industry has to offer. Learn to see past the flashing lights, decide how much you’re willing to wager, and find out how to enjoy yourself. In this book, you’ll also discover: Step-by-step walkthroughs of casino etiquette and the rules of common casino games, including poker and blackjack Explanations of video poker and slots and ways to avoid losing more than you’re comfortable with Explorations of online gambling, so you can enjoy the fun of a casino from the comfort of your home The perfect guide for anyone looking for an easy introduction to the world of casino gaming, Casino Gambling For Dummies is also an essential resource for those seeking to improve their odds at blackjack, craps, video poker, slots, and other games.

While most research has examined the legal, economic and psychological sides of gambling, this innovative collection offers a wide range of cultural perspectives on gambling organizations. Contributors not only examine the global influence of commercial gambling, but also demonstrate how the local qualities of gambling organizations remain unique.

This one-volume reference provides a comprehensive overview of gambling in the Americas, examining the history, morality, market growth, and economics of the gaming industry. This is the most complete encyclopedia of gambling, covering the industry in great detail including the players, the games, the venues, and the surrounding social issues. Updates in this second edition reveal the impact of technological advances on the games, the growing legislation regulating the industry, and the expanding global footprint of gambling across the world—from Manitoba to Montana. Author William N. Thompson postulates on the impact of gambling on local communities and shows how the U.S. gaming industry is tied to the global market, most notably gaming expansion in Macau and Singapore. The book addresses the various forms of gaming, such as casino-based and online gambling, sports betting, and lotteries. Additional content examines the social issue of problem and pathological gambling and addresses the rehabilitation programs available for the mitigation and treatment of gambling problems.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.

The most complete single-source collection on gambling ever assembled gives readers access to the best possible information about one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The International Encyclopedia of Gambling seeks to explain the gambling phenomenon through an in-depth exploration of gambling operations around the world. More than 300 entries reflect the global stretch of the industry as they examine games, venues, players and other leading figures, legal issues, the history of gaming, and the literature on the subject. The work is enhanced with a dozen contributed articles on gambling-related topics, including commentaries on the history and growth of Las Vegas and a description of major law cases involving gambling. Coverage includes Internet gambling and a section incorporating reviews of more than 50 films about gambling.

The principle of party autonomy in contractual choice of law is widely recognised in the law of most jurisdictions. It has been more than 30 years since party autonomy was first accepted in Chinese private international law. However, the legal rules provided in legislation and judicial interpretations concerning the application of the party autonomy principle are abstract and open-ended. Without a critical understanding of the party autonomy principle and appropriate interpretations of the relevant legal rules, judges have not exercised their discretionary power appropriately. The party autonomy principle has been applied in a way that undermines its very purpose, that is, to protect the legitimate expectations of the parties and promote the predictability of outcomes in transnational commercial litigation. Jieying Liang addresses the question of how, when, and with what limitations, parties' choice of law clauses in an international commercial contract should be enforced by Chinese courts.