Since The Boom

Marked by a period of massive structural change, the 1970s in Europe saw the collapse of traditional manufacturing. The essays in this collection question aspects of the narrative of decline and radical transformation.

Is the notorious 'Generation X' any different from other generations in terms of its voting behavior, economic circumstances, or general social and political outlook? This book of original essays by distinguished political scientists, economists, and sociologists (some Xers themselves) will be among the first to examine patterns of political and social behavior among this least understood, yet widely maligned, generational group.

How does a building boom happen? Who inflates a real-estate bubble and why? What causes companies to move from seemingly usable office space into new quarters only blocks away? Rachel Weber digs into these questions and more in her detailed analysis of Chicago's downtown development during the "Millennial Boom" (1998-2008). Weber shows what happens when the real estate industry, financial markets, and public planning all operate at warp speed to build new structures and destroy older ones. She draws on years of interviews with real estate actors across the country, participant observation in a secretive sector, analyses of financial and development data, as well as the history of the appraisal, brokerage, and real estate finance professions. As a result, Weber's book is an unprecedented historical, sociological, and geographic look at how markets and urban change actually happen.

After skyrocketing over the past decade, commodity prices have remained stable or eased somewhat since mid-2011—and most projections suggest they are not likely to resume the upward trend observed in the last decade. This paper analyzes what this turn in the commodity price cycle may imply for output growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. The analysis suggests that growth in the years ahead for the average commodity exporter in the region could be significantly lower than during the commodity boom, even if commodity prices were to remain stable at their current still-high levels. Slower-than-expected growth in China represents a key downside risk. The results caution against trying to offset the current economic slowdown with demand-side stimulus and underscore the need for ambitious structural reforms to secure strong growth over the medium term.

The United States is coming off a period of growth and prosperity unlike anything the world has ever seen before. Unfortunately the wave has now hit the beach and Americans have entered an unprecedented demographic winter, something as yet unknown to the modern world.

The meteoric rise of the largest unregulated financial market in the world-for contemporary art-is driven by a few passionate, guileful, and very hard-nosed dealers. They can make and break careers and fortunes. The contemporary art market is an international juggernaut, throwing off multimillion-dollar deals as wealthy buyers move from fair to fair, auction to auction, party to glittering party. But none of it would happen without the dealers-the tastemakers who back emerging artists and steer them to success, often to see them picked off by a rival. Dealers operate within a private world of handshake agreements, negotiating for the highest commissions. Michael Shnayerson, a longtime contributing editor to Vanity Fair, writes the first ever definitive history of their activities. He has spoken to all of today's so-called mega dealers-Larry Gagosian, David Zwirner, Arne and Marc Glimcher, and Iwan Wirth-along with dozens of other dealers-from Irving Blum to Gavin Brown-who worked with the greatest artists of their times: Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, and more. This kaleidoscopic history begins in the mid-1940s in genteel poverty with a scattering of galleries in midtown Manhattan, takes us through the ramshackle 1950s studios of Coenties Slip, the hipster locations in SoHo and Chelsea, London's Bond Street, and across the terraces of Art Basel until today. Now, dealers and auctioneers are seeking the first billion-dollar painting. It hasn't happened yet, but they are confident they can push the price there soon.

A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree" Countless children -- and there parents -- can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. The perfect pairing of Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault's lively rhymes, and Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert's bright, bold, cheerful pictures made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom an instant hit and a perennial favorite. This full-sized, quality paperback edition will bring even more fans to this endearing, enduring classic. Chicka chicka boom boom will there be enough room? There will always be room for Chicka Chicka boom Boom on every child's bookshelf!

Why do stock and housing markets sometimes experience amazing booms followed by massive busts and why is this happening more and more frequently? Boom and Bust reveals why bubbles happen, and why some bubbles have catastrophic economic, social and political consequences, whilst others have actually benefited society.