Crunch

An audacious New Face of Fiction debut: nine riveting stories that announce a major writer in the tradition of Yann Martel and Barbara Gowdy. Unexpected humour and tenderness intertwine with loneliness and hopefulness in this remarkable book from an already acclaimed writer. In nine richly varied stories, written in intense, clear-eyed prose, the reader is led into an exploration of the human need for connection, however tenuous or absurd, and at whatever cost. The stories operate with heartbreaking precision, drawing us past the surface of characters’ lives and into the moments of decision and recognition that shape these people irrevocably. Here are stories striking in the range of their shifting tone and the reach of their subjects. We are introduced to a support group for people who suspect their benign nature has caused benign tumours to grow inside them. The title story zeroes in on a girl with Fred Hoyle syndrome whose age expands and contracts like the universe. A recently widowed woman talks to her husband’s ashes, which are entombed in a hollowed-out curling stone. A store detective’s valiant act to save a pair of pink calfskin gloves is entwined with the unfortunate results of an unsuccessful space mission. Rendering grief, loneliness, hope, love and happiness with exquisite subtlety and intelligence, Neil Smith proves himself an able chronicler of the human condition. Bang Crunch constitutes a significant achievement by a powerful writer.

Kayla Miller, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Click, Camp, Act, and Clash, returns with a new Olive story! Olive is balancing the too-many things she wants to do with the too-few hours in the day to do them. When everything adds up, suddenly it’s crunch time! It’s no secret that Olive loves trying new things. Between taking guitar lessons, making a short film, joining Berry Scouts, and leading the charge on her school’s dress code reform, Olive has her hands full! But she enjoys being busy, so staying on track with her jam-packed schedule should be no problem…right? As weeks fly by, it gets harder and harder for Olive to find time for her activities, never mind time for herself. Will she be able to accomplish her goals, or will all her sizzle turn to fizzle? The New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller delivers a vibrant and timely story about the importance of balance, effort, and reaching out for help. Don't miss any of the popular graphic novels in Kayla Miller's Click series: Click Camp Act Clash Crunch

In this interactive board book, kids will love pulling the tabs to help the nutcracker find the perfect snack on Christmas Eve! It's Christmas Eve, and the nutcracker is hungry! He jumps into little Clara's dreams to find the perfect snack before everyone wakes up on Christmas morning. Kids will love making the nutcracker take big bites of classic snacks from in this interactive, yummy adventure. Based on Alexandre Dumas retelling of the Nutcracker, made doubly famous by Tchaikovsky's immortal ballet, this new novelty board book is sure to be a delight!

The 1988 Basel I Accord set the common requirements of bank capital to promote the soundness and stability of the international banking system. The agreement required banks to hold capital in proportion to their perceived credit risks, and this requirement may have caused a “credit crunch,” a significant reduction in the supply of credit. We investigate the direct link between the implementation of the Basel I Accord and lending activities, using a data set spanning annual observations covering 1989–2004 for banks in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The results provide clear support for a significant increase in credit growth following the implementation of capital regulations, in general. Despite higher capital adequacy ratios, banks expanded credit and asset growth. Credit growth appears to be driven by demand fluctuations attributed to real growth, cost of borrowing, and exchange rate risk. Overall, the effects of macroeconomic variables, in contrast to capital adequacy, appear to be more dominant in determining credit growth, regardless of the capital adequacy ratio, and regardless of variation across banks by nationality, ownership, and listing.

Four students, who have formed a study group to prepare for the SAT exam, sustain each other through the emotional highs and lows of their junior year in high school.

This book is based on a national literature search focusing on the best practices of cities, of all sizes and geographic locations, intended to maintain public services while holding down taxes. Many public officials have great ideas, but tend to work in a vacuum, so they don't know what other cities are doing. This volume codifies knowledge in this new field for the first time. Every case study included in this book has the city's website listed. This reference work makes it easy for professionals seeking additional information on any and all budget reduction methods that seem to work somewhere.

Fascinating Insight into How the Financial System Works and How the Credit Crisis AroseClearly supplies details vital to understanding the crisis Unravelling the Credit Crunch provides a clearly written, comprehensive account of the current credit crisis that is easily understandable to non-specialists. It explains how the financial system was draw