A Fair Deal

"Jones catches the beauty of fair trade in the way it strengthens morale and human dignity for all those engaged."—Kirkus Reviews Fair trade is not about spending more money or buying more stuff. It's about helping producers in developing countries get a fair price for their goods. A Fair Deal: Shopping for Social Justice provides a history of trade, explaining what makes trade systems unfair and what we can do about it. By examining the ways in which our global trade systems value some people over others, the book illustrates areas in which fair trade practices can help families all around the world and suggests ways to get involved in making the world a more equitable place.

"Survival has been the Sledge way since Reuben’s father first moved to Des Moines. Yet the family seems cursed, and one by one, they are slipping away. First Reuben’s oldest brother is hanged for the murder of his wife. Then another brother is committed to the asylum for spying on the woman he loves. But it’s the rape and disgrace of his beloved sister Nellie that drives Reuben into a despair so deep that he sets himself in opposition to the people of Des Moines. Into the depths of this depression wanders Tabor, lovely and vulnerable, who revives Reuben and sets him alive with the promise of her love. Beneath it all hangs the City, “not a city like Des Moines itself, but an inner City of Des Moines . . . or a lower City. No one has ever gotten out of the City.” The City has claimed each of his dead relatives, and when Reuben learns that Tabor has descended into the City, he determines, in a moment of panic, to enter himself and bring her out. Thus begins the novel’s second act, a harrowing journey through the horrors of the City and among its inhabitants, a ghastly assemblage of dwellers who’ve crafted new lives for themselves in the underworld." --Publisher.

This book follows a conversational approach in five dozen stories that provide an insight into the colorful world of financial mathematics and financial markets in a relaxed, accessible and entertaining form. The authors present various topics such as returns, real interest rates, present values, arbitrage, replication, options, swaps, the Black-Scholes formula and many more. The readers will learn how to discover, analyze, and deal with the many financial mathematical decisions the daily routine constantly demands. The book covers a wide field in terms of scope and thematic diversity. Numerous stories are inspired by the fields of deterministic financial mathematics, option valuation, portfolio optimization and actuarial mathematics. The book also contains a collection of basic concepts and formulas of financial mathematics and of probability theory. Thus, also readers new to the subject will be provided with all the necessary information to verify the calculations.

Where did your banana come from? And why should you care?

The legal profession is in crisis and respect for lawyers seems everywhere in decline This is largely due to how lawyers bill their clients and lawyers'' denial that improper billing practices are causing the destruction of the profession. Fair Deal for All Clients is dedicated to improving the image of lawyers by educating the public about how lawyers bill clients and by convincing lawyers that their billing practices are harming the profession. This book gives concrete suggestions on making clients more knowledgeable about billing practices, teaching lawyers to recognize improper billing practices, and having bar associations provide ethical guidelines to ensure that billing statements are honest. Every client and potential client should read this book to learn how to negotiate fair retainer agreements to protect themselves from unreasonable billing. Every lawyer and law student should read this book so that they can contribute to preserving the legal profession through proper hourly billing practices. "Fair Deal has numerous practical suggestions for attorneys determined to bill fairly and to be paid for their work. Indeed, the book''s target audience is not limited to lawyers but also includes clients, law students, and the general public." -- Richard S. Amador, California Lawyer "Gerry Phillips has provided the legal profession a comprehensive and much needed ethical perspective for twenty-first century practitioners. The moral obligations of the legal profession are clearly articulated in a forthright manner that will inspire those coming into the profession and reignite a sense of purpose for those who have established themselves as members of the legal community. This is a book that should be on every legal professional''s bookshelf!" -- Aine Donovan, Director of the Ethics Institute at Dartmouth College "Gerald Phillips has done the legal profession a great service by digging deep into that most troubling of day-to-day issues: billing clients. His book [...] is a must read for all who practice law, and especially for those responsible for teaching how to bill, whether in law schools or firms. He teaches how to both protect oneself as well as how to be fair to clients. His many years of experience and intense, long-term interest in this subject has enabled him to collect in one place all you could ever want to know about this troubling and crucially important subject." -- Abraham D. Sofaer, Stanford University (USDJ, SDNY, 1979-85) "Gerry Phillips aptly discusses the crime of bill padding that runs rampant in our industry. Our future, as ''holders of the public trust'' means we need to do something about it...now! ...[This ] book provides us with a fascinating look inside what is happening behind the scenes, and the ugly story that is improper client billing by attorneys. He also gives us a good sit-down, talking-to, about why it has to stop." -- Mary Culbert, Loyola Law School Los Angeles "...Fair Deal for All Clients: How to Rekindle Pride in the Legal Profession addresses an extremely important issue in the modern practice of law. The billing practices of lawyers have important implications relating to client relationships, integrity of the profession, ethical conduct, and a host of related issues. The many topics covered in this book are good guidelines for lawyers at all stages in their careers and in all kinds of law-related employment situations. I applaud Gerald Phillips for undertaking this timely and very helpful description of the many considerations involved in legal billing practices." -- Deanell Reece Tacha, Duane & Kelly Roberts Dean, Pepperdine University School of Law "In this important and timely book, Mr. Phillips provides a wealth of highly practical suggestions to help attorneys bill their clients in a fair and ethical manner. The book is much more than a useful roadmap for billing procedures, however, for it explains how unethical billing has eroded respect for the bar and it admonishes attorneys to bill their clients in a manner that will honor the integrity of the legal profession." -- William G. Ross, professor of law at Samford University and author of The Honest Hour: The Ethics of Time-Based Billing by Attorneys. "Gerry Phillips takes on and exposes the inherent conflicts in much of attorney billing methods. He offers/presents alternatives to financing legal services that better align both client and attorney interests -- individual, financial, and moral. An important study for an important profession under scrutiny and stress." -- Maureen Weston, professor of law, Pepperdine School of Law