Panel data models have become increasingly popular among applied researchers due to their heightened capacity for capturing the complexity of human behavior, as compared to cross-sectional or time series data models. This second edition represents a substantial revision of the highly successful first edition (1986). Recent advances in panel data research are presented in an accessible manner and are carefully integrated with the older material. The thorough discussion of theory and the judicious use of empirical examples make this book useful to graduate students and advanced researchers in economics, business, sociology and political science.

What is the nature of the intellectual enterprise - general equilibrium analysis - that so many economists regard as the centerpiece of their discipline? In this book, Roy Weintraub considers both the modern history of the analysis, and the methodological puzzles that it, and mathematical economic theory in general, pose. Professor Weintraub argues that previous writings on the history and method of general equilibrium theory have been curiously biased and misleading. He provides a clear and careful presentation of the development of the theory from the 1930s through to the Arrow-Debreu work of the 1950s. This historical analysis is the centre of the book: a case study which permits the author to justify the status of general equilibrium theory in economics and the activity in which economic theorists engage. He argues that previous methodological investigations have been distorted by their use of inappropriate models taken from the philosophy of science that were developed to appraise work in the physical sciences.

The eleven papers in this volume show work in the theory and measurement of consumer behaviour. The eminent contributors offer papers ranging from theory to econometrics, from Engel curves to labour supply and fertility, and from consumer demand in England to consumer behaviour in the USSR. These papers were written and collected for this volume to honour Sir Richard Stone on the occasion of his retirement from his chair at the University of Cambridge.

For the second edition of this very successful text, Professor Binmore has written two chapters on analysis in vector spaces. The discussion extends to the notion of the derivative of a vector function as a matrix and the use of second derivatives in classifying stationary points. Some necessary concepts from linear algebra are included where appropriate. The first edition contained numerous worked examples and an ample collection of exercises for all of which solutions were provided at the end of the book. The second edition retains this feature but in addition offers a set of problems for which no solutions are given. Teachers may find this a helpful innovation.

The Chinese are famed as the first to have discovered and mastered the techniques needed to produce porcelain. Yet carefully crafted ceramics are valued not only for their beauty, but also as precious cultural artifacts shedding light on the period in which they were produced. Chinese ceramics represent works of art both in themselves and as a medium for painting, poetry, calligraphy and sculpture. This accessible, introductory survey takes the reader through the rich history of Chinese ceramics from primitive pottery to delicate porcelain, complemented by full color illustrations throughout.

The Chinese people have honoured, revered and cherished jade for over 8,000 years. Consequently, jade has played a unique role in the development of Chinese culture. Jade carvings survive not simply as beautiful works of art, but also as cultural relics shedding light on the spiritual life of ancient China. Utilising a wealth of archaeological evidence and illustrated with precious artifacts, Chinese Jade provides an introduction to the fascinating world of Chinese jade from ancient to modern times.

This is the first of three volumes containing edited versions of papers and commentaries presented in invited symposium sessions of the Eighth World Congress of the Econometric Society. The papers summarize and interpret recent key developments and discuss future directions in a wide range of topics in economics and econometrics. The papers cover both theory and applications. Written by leading specialists in their fields these volumes provide a unique survey of progress in the discipline.

Despite repeated predictions of collapse and disintegration, China has managed to sustain national unity and gain international stature since the 1989 Tiananmen crisis. Examining the sources and dynamics of the resilience, this volume's contributors reveal how China's leaders have adapted and reinforced key economic and political institutions. They also disclose that implementation of complex policies to regulate economic and social life (employment and migration, population planning, industrial adjustment, and regional disparities) has become more effective over time within a context of growing social and economic diversity. 1 Addresses the 'China Collapse' thesis and makes a strong argument explaining the sources of China's resilience 2 Multi-disciplinary project by specialists from political sciences and economics 3 Offers fresh perspectives on some of the most salient policy issues in contemporary Chinese political economy, including unemployment, population planning, industrial adjustment and regional development

Review "Murphy's approach to these and other issues is nuanced, drawing out the contradictions...All of this ethnographic detail provides rich ground for scholars seeking insights into social processes in rural China, and it is this audience that will find the book most appealing." Journal of Asian Business "Perhaps most critically, [Murphy] demonstrates, in almost Schumpeterian fashion, the various ways in which market reforms have made it possible for returning migrants, having acquired new skills or enhanced old skills, to act as entrepeneurial catalysts for the economic and cultural transformation of rural China. Recommended." Choice Book Description This study examines the changing effects of labor migration on the countryside of post-Mao China. Most of the changes are occurring because the migrants send money home and return to their villages for visits or to resettle. The return flows of money, people and information affects rural inequalities, rural spending patterns, agriculture, family relationships, the position of women, and the interactions between villagers and officials. Importantly, some returned migrants even create businesses at home. The book is based on in-depth fieldwork in the Chinese countryside, and it draws comparisons with migration and rural development in other countries.

The experimental approach in economics is a driving force behind some of the most exciting developments in the field. The 'experimental revolution' was based on a series of bold philosophical premises which have remained until now mostly unexplored. This book provides the first comprehensive analysis and critical discussion of the methodology of experimental economics, written by a philosopher of science with expertise in the field. It outlines the fundamental principles of experimental inference in order to investigate their power, scope and limitations. The author demonstrates that experimental economists have a lot to gain by discussing openly the philosophical principles that guide their work, and that philosophers of science have a lot to learn from their ingenious techniques devised by experimenters in order to tackle difficult scientific problems.

This investigation proposes a conceptual framework for measurement necessary for an analysis of household finance and economic development. The authors build on and, where appropriate, modify corporate financial accounts to create balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flows for households in developing countries, using an integrated household survey. The authors also illustrate how to apply the accounts to an analysis of household finance that includes productivity of household enterprises, capital structure, liquidity, financing, and portfolio management. The conceptualization of this analysis has important implications for measurement, questionnaire design, the modeling of household decisions, and the analysis of panel data.

A new book in the Econometric Exercises series, this volume contains questions and answers to provide students with useful practice, as they attempt to master Bayesian econometrics. In addition to many theoretical exercises, this book contains exercises designed to develop the computational tools used in modern Bayesian econometrics. The latter half of the book contains exercises that show how these theoretical and computational skills are combined in practice, to carry out Bayesian inference in a wide variety of models commonly used by econometricians. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying econometrics, this book may also be useful for students studying finance, marketing, agricultural economics, business economics or, more generally, any field which uses statistics. The book also comes equipped with a supporting website containing all the relevant data sets and MATLAB computer programs for solving the computational exercises.

Our understanding of the basic biology of owls is poor compared to that of other bird species. The Little Owl, Athene noctua, has become one of the best models for biological and conservation research, due to its commonness and the fact that it occupies nest-boxes very easily. In this unique book the authors synthesise the substantial literature, and detail current information regarding the Little Owl. They discuss its wide-ranging ecology, genetics and subspecies and population status by country. In addition, they outline a strategy and monitoring program for its conservation. The book features an outstanding bibliography of literature on the Little Owl, listing publications dated from 1769 to 2007, in many languages, including Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. Whilst being an invaluable resource for academic researchers, its straightforward style holds undoubted appeal for amateurs and enthusiasts.