Efficient Monopolies or International Handbook on Innovation

Efficient Monopolies: The Limits of Competition in the European Property Insurance Market

Author: Thomas Von Ungern Sternberg

This book presents startling evidence that state monopolies can produce better outcomes than the free market. It provides an empirical comparison of the property insurance market in five European countries: Britain, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany. The market and cost structures of insurers in each country are described, and particular features of each market and the outcomes for customers examined. The regulatory frameworks vary widely from country to country and so do the market outcomes, both in terms of premium level and in terms of available insurance cover.

Table of Contents:

	List of Figures
	List of Tables
	Introduction	1
1	Britain	21
2	Spain	56
3	France	75
4	Switzerland	105
5	Germany	125
	References	152
	Index	156

New interesting book: The Federalist Papers or Introduction to Intelligence Research and Analysis

International Handbook on Innovation

Author: Larisa V Shavinina

The International Handbook on Innovation is the most comprehensive and authoritative account available of what innovation is, how it is measured, how it is developed, how it is managed, and how it affects individuals, companies, societies, and the world as a whole. Leading specialists from around the world, responsible for much of the current research in the field, analyze the multidisciplinary and multifaceted nature of innovation, its types and levels, its criteria, its development, its management, its specificity in various domains and contexts, and societal demands on it. They consider innovation from the viewpoints of psychology, management science, business, technology, sociology, philosophy, economics, history, education, art, and public policy.

With contributions from over 90 distinguished authors covering 17 nations, readers will obtain expert insight into the latest research and future developments in the field of innovation. The Handbook will present many facets of innovation including its nature, its development, its measurement, its management, and its social, cultural, and historical context. The breadth of this work will allow the reader to acquire a comprehensive and panoramic picture of the nature of innovation within a single handbook. The reader will develop an accurate sense of what spurs potentially creative and innovative people and companies toward their extraordinary achievements and exceptional performances.

The handbook can be used as a reference source for those who would like information about a particular topic, or from cover to cover either as a sourcebook or as a textbook in a course dealing with innovation. Anyone interested in knowing the wide range of issues regarding innovation will want to read this handbook.