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Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley's Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime
by Julian GuthrieA Financial Times Summer Book of 2019'The addictive stories of four incredible women who did things their own way and rewrote the code of a whole industry' Emerald StreetDescribed as 'the book that the world needs right now' (Adam Fisher, author of Valley of Genius), Alpha Girls is perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, Lean In and The Social Network.Silicon Valley has long been at the forefront of innovation, but it is renowned for its archaic sexist culture. Alpha Girls is the unforgettable story how a group of talented women achieved success in a tech world run by 'bro-grammers' through sheer grit and determination. Despite the instrumental role they played in building some of the foremost companies of our time, these women have been written out of history - until now. In Alpha Girls, award-winning writer Julian Guthrie reveals their untold stories.*Magdalena Yesil who arrived in America from Turkey with $43 to her name and would go on to help Marc Benioff build Salesforce. *Mary Jane Elmore - one of the first women in the United States to make partner at a venture capital firm. *Theresia Gouw, who helped land and build companies including Facebook, Trulia, Imperva and ForeScout. *Sonja Hoel, the first woman investing partner at Menlo Ventures who invested in McAfee, Hotmail, Acme Packet and F5 Networks as well as founding an all-women's investment group and a national nonprofit for girls.These women, juggling work and family, shaped the tech landscape we know today while overcoming unequal pay, actual punches, betrayals and the sexist attitudes prevalent in Silicon Valley. Despite the setbacks, they would rise again to rewrite the rules for an industry they love.
Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley's Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime
by Julian GuthrieA Financial Times Summer Book of 2019'The addictive stories of four incredible women who did things their own way and rewrote the code of a whole industry' Emerald StreetDescribed as 'the book that the world needs right now' (Adam Fisher, author of Valley of Genius), Alpha Girls is perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, Lean In and The Social Network.Silicon Valley has long been at the forefront of innovation, but it is renowned for its archaic sexist culture. Alpha Girls is the unforgettable story how a group of talented women achieved success in a tech world run by 'bro-grammers' through sheer grit and determination. Despite the instrumental role they played in building some of the foremost companies of our time, these women have been written out of history - until now. In Alpha Girls, award-winning writer Julian Guthrie reveals their untold stories.*Magdalena Yesil who arrived in America from Turkey with $43 to her name and would go on to help Marc Benioff build Salesforce. *Mary Jane Elmore - one of the first women in the United States to make partner at a venture capital firm. *Theresia Gouw, who helped land and build companies including Facebook, Trulia, Imperva and ForeScout. *Sonja Hoel, the first woman investing partner at Menlo Ventures who invested in McAfee, Hotmail, Acme Packet and F5 Networks as well as founding an all-women's investment group and a national nonprofit for girls.These women, juggling work and family, shaped the tech landscape we know today while overcoming unequal pay, actual punches, betrayals and the sexist attitudes prevalent in Silicon Valley. Despite the setbacks, they would rise again to rewrite the rules for an industry they love.
Alpha Male Syndrome: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
by Kate Ludeman Eddie ErlandsonThis chapter introduces the concept of alpha male syndrome, promising tools and advice for alphas, their families, coworkers, and organizations to harness the immense power of alpha males while minimizing their potential downside.
Alpha Project Managers: What the Top 2% Know That Everyone Else Does Not
by Andy CroweLooks at the top two percent of project manager's and tries to see what distinguishes them from the other 98%
Alpha Trading
by Perry J. KaufmanFrom a leading trading systems developer, how to make profitable trades when there are no obvious trendsHow does a trader find alpha when markets make no sense, when price shocks cause diversification to fail, and when it seems impossible to hedge? What strategies should traders, long conditioned to trend trading, deploy? In Alpha Trading: Profitable Strategies That Remove Directional Risk, author Perry Kaufman presents strategies and systems for profitably trading in directionless markets and in those experiencing constant price shocks. The bookDetails how to exploit new highs and lowsDescribes how to hedge primary risk components, find robustness, and craft a diversification programOther titles by Kaufman: New Trading Systems and Methods, 4th Edition and A Short Course in Technical Trading, both by WileyGiven Kaufman's 30 years of experience trading in almost every kind of market, his Alpha Trading will be a welcome addition to the trading literature of professional and serious individual traders for years to come.
AlphaBrain: How a Group of Iconoclasts Are Using Cognitive Science to Advance the Business of Alpha Generation
by Stephen DuneierSmarter decision-making based on cognitive science AlphaBrain is the investor's guide to achieving more, doing better, and reaching higher. At its core, the magnitude of your success is based on the quality of your decisions. The problem is that human beings are poor decision-makers; we tend to approach problems after they arise instead of planning for them in advance. We put too much weight on instinct, belief, and "gut feeling." We make the same mistakes over and over again—so reliably, in fact, that cognitive science can accurately predict exactly which mistakes we'll make and when. This book offers a way to understand and plan for the human mind's usual tendencies to help you make smarter investment decisions. Using a framework based on cognitive research, you'll learn how to approach decisions objectively, systematically, and constantly review your process; you'll take action based on evidence instead of intuition, and get ahead of potential problems before they get the best of you. With so much riding on the correctness of your choices, natural tendency can be a dangerous thing. This book shows you how to remove the bias and emotion to start making choices backed by hard evidence and objective data and lower your stress. Shift your processes from reactive to proactive Base decisions on reality over belief Eliminate cognitive bias and reduce common mistakes Make better decisions with a systematic, objective approach Why do we begin managing risk only once it becomes apparent? Why do we react to the market instead of making the big decisions before emotion takes over? Investing has always been a largely reactive field, but those who dominate it approach decision-making less like a human and more like a machine. AlphaBrain shows you how to get real about investing, with cognitive techniques that lead to smarter, evidence-based decisions.
AlphaGo Simplified: Rule-Based AI and Deep Learning in Everyday Games
by Mark LiuMay 11, 1997, was a watershed moment in the history of artificial intelligence (AI): the IBM supercomputer chess engine, Deep Blue, beat the world Chess champion, Garry Kasparov. It was the first time a machine had triumphed over a human player in a Chess tournament. Fast forward 19 years to May 9, 2016, DeepMind’s AlphaGo beat the world Go champion Lee Sedol. AI again stole the spotlight and generated a media frenzy. This time, a new type of AI algorithm, namely machine learning (ML) was the driving force behind the game strategies.What exactly is ML? How is it related to AI? Why is deep learning (DL) so popular these days? This book explains how traditional rule-based AI and ML work and how they can be implemented in everyday games such as Last Coin Standing, Tic Tac Toe, or Connect Four. Game rules in these three games are easy to implement. As a result, readers will learn rule-based AI, deep reinforcement learning, and more importantly, how to combine the two to create powerful game strategies (the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts) without getting bogged down in complicated game rules.Implementing rule-based AI and ML in these straightforward games is quick and not computationally intensive. Consequently, game strategies can be trained in mere minutes or hours without requiring GPU training or supercomputing facilities, showcasing AI's ability to achieve superhuman performance in these games. More importantly, readers will gain a thorough understanding of the principles behind rule-based AI, such as the MiniMax algorithm, alpha-beta pruning, and Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), and how to integrate them with cutting-edge ML techniques like convolutional neural networks and deep reinforcement learning to apply them in their own business fields and tackle real-world challenges.Written with clarity from the ground up, this book appeals to both general readers and industry professionals who seek to learn about rule-based AI and deep reinforcement learning, as well as students and educators in computer science and programming courses.
Alphabet Eyes New Frontiers
by Kerry Herman Juan Alcacer Raffaella Sadun Olivia HullIn October 2015, Google restructured into Alphabet, a holding company, which analysts said would facilitate innovation among its diverse subsidiaries. But when news reports surfaced revealing struggles within Alphabet companies including Nest, the smart thermostat maker, observers began to wonder if the reorganization made sense after all.
Alpinista de sueños: Los 8 poderes del emprendedor
by Patricia ArmendárizEmpresaria social. Economista. Inversionista. Financiera. Mentora. Mujer. Estas son algunas de las palabras que caracterizan el perfil único de Patricia Armendáriz, fundadora y presidenta de Financiera Sustentable. Poderosa e inspiradora, la amazona de las finanzas y la economía comparte las claves para alcanzar el éxito en la vida, los negocios y en Shark Tank. A partir de sus memorias relata cómo el poder de la escasez, la misión, la feminidad, el riesgo, el fracaso, la espiritualidad, la experiencia y la mentoría la han guiado cuesta arriba en su labor por empoderar a los microempresarios mexicanos con el fin de que eleven su calidad de vida, alcancen el bienestar, se reduzca la pobreza, haya una mejor distribución de la riqueza y tengamos un país más justo. A lo largo de una intrépida historia de vida, la empresaria admirada por los emprendedores mexicanos ha sorteado grandes retos: enfrentar la desigualdad económica desde su lugar de origen en Comitán, Chiapas, estudiar la carrera más difícil que existía y cumplir el sueño de un posgrado en Inglaterra, ser la única mujer al frente de las negociaciones del TLCAN y convertirse en la primera vicepresidenta de la Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores, afrontar la crisis bancaria del 94, establecer el sistema regulador de la banca a nivel mundial y superar los fracasos de sus primeros emprendimientos, hasta ganar la carrera de la rentabilidad en el proyecto de su vida: un banco cuya misión es la inclusión financiera. Una serie de ascensos hacia la cumbre del éxito en montañas personales, socioeconómicas y profesionales, no sólo como símbolos de esfuerzo propio, sino también de progreso social, hasta convertirse en una destacada alpinista de sueños de alto rendimiento.
Already Brilliant: Play to Your Strengths in Work and Life
by Rachel BridgeDo you want to achieve a long-held dream or reach a life-changing goal? That big promotion or fulfilling new job? That business you want to start? That exciting new life in the sun? That amazing idea you long to put into action? Are you held back by fears that you haven't got what it takes?You may not realise it but your personality, character, experiences, skills and even your personal circumstances are all fantastic tools and assets which you can use to create the life and career you've always wanted. All you need to do is identify and make use of them.In Already Brilliant, bestselling author Rachel Bridge will help you work out what you want to do, and show you how to get there by playing to the strengths you already possess. Packed with practical tips, ideas and interviews with successful people in all walks of life, and supported by academic research, Already Brilliant will show you how to find a way of working that suits you best, how to begin developing good habits and how to overcome any obstacles standing in your way. And even better, how to turn those obstacles into advantages that will help rather than hinder you.You don't have to stay stuck in your rut. You don't have to live with the choices you have made. With this book, you can start afresh and make the changes you need to get to where you want to be.It's time to get going.
Already Brilliant: Play to Your Strengths in Work and Life
by Rachel BridgeDo you want to achieve a long-held dream or reach a life-changing goal? That big promotion or fulfilling new job? That business you want to start? That exciting new life in the sun? That amazing idea you long to put into action? Are you held back by fears that you haven't got what it takes? You may not realise it but your personality, character, experiences, skills and even your personal circumstances are all fantastic tools and assets which you can use to create the life and career you've always wanted. All you need to do is identify and make use of them. In Already Brilliant, bestselling author Rachel Bridge will help you work out what you want to do, and show you how to get there by playing to the strengths you already possess. Packed with practical tips, ideas and interviews with successful people in all walks of life, and supported by academic research, Already Brilliant will show you how to find a way of working that suits you best, how to begin developing good habits and how to overcome any obstacles standing in your way. And even better, how to turn those obstacles into advantages that will help rather than hinder you. You don't have to stay stuck in your rut. You don't have to live with the choices you have made. With this book, you can start afresh and make the changes you need to get to where you want to be. It's time to get going.
Als Arbeiterkind an die Uni: Praktisches für alle, die als Erste/r in ihrer Familie studieren (essentials)
by Katja Urbatsch Evamarie KönigKatja Urbatsch und Evamarie K#65533;nig liefern in diesem essential praktische Informationen f#65533;r diejenigen, die dar#65533;ber nachdenken, als Erste in ihrer Familie zu studieren, oder bereits mit dem Studium begonnen haben. Sie erl#65533;utern die typischen Herausforderungen f#65533;r Studierende der ersten Generation und zeigen Unterst#65533;tzungsm#65533;glichkeiten und L#65533;sungswege auf. Mit der gemeinn#65533;tzigen Organisation ArbeiterKind. de begleiten die Autorinnen beruflich Sch#65533;lerinnen und Sch#65533;ler sowie Studierende aus Familien ohne Hochschulerfahrung. Daher kennen sie die typischen Fragen und Sorgen, die von Leistungsanforderungen #65533;ber Studienfinanzierung bis hin zu Berufsperspektiven reichen.
Als Forscher*in über Technologie und Wissenschaft berichten: Wie Sie mit guten Texten wirksam Öffentlichkeitsarbeit betreiben (essentials)
by Sylvie Maier-KubalaIn diesem essential erfahren Sie, wie Sie als Forscher*in ansprechende Texte über Ihre Arbeit schreiben, die Aufmerksamkeit in der Öffentlichkeit generieren. Sie erhalten eine Einordnung, welche Inhalte sich für Wissenschaftskommunikation eignen und wie es Ihnen gelingt, komplexe Themen auf ihre Essenz zu reduzieren. Im Band finden Sie zudem eine Anleitung, wie Sie Texte sinnvoll strukturieren und Sprache und Stil an Ihre Zielgruppe anpassen. Sie erhalten wertvolle Tipps, wie Sie Ihre Texte so planen und veröffentlichen, damit sie in der allgemeinen Informationsflut nicht untergehen. Zahlreiche Übungen aus dem kreativen Schreiben runden die einzelnen Kapitel ab, von der Ideenfindung bis zum fertigen Text.
Als gäbe es keine Schwerkraft: Leadership durch die Augen eines Tänzers
by Bernd PreuschoffDieses Buch ist nicht nur eine Hommage an das Tanzen, sondern vor allem auch an das wertschätzende Führen von Menschen. Denn je mehr es, gerade in modernen digitalen Zeiten, um das Erreichen von kreativen und innovativen Spitzenleistungen geht, desto offensichtlicher werden die Parallelen zwischen Kunst als Leistungssport und Performance im Management. Ein erfolgreiches Agieren in einer sich permanent verändernden Welt stellt neue Anforderungen an Führungskräfte und fordert sie mehr als je zuvor als Mensch und Persönlichkeit – warum also nicht von denjenigen lernen, für die wahre Emotionen, erfolgreiche Führung und leicht anmutende Bewegung elementare Bestandteile der eigenen Darbietung sind? Erzählt von einem versierten Kenner beider Welten, ist das Buch die Einladung an jeden Entscheider in Unternehmen, die eigene Verantwortung und vor allem die eigenen Handlungsmöglichkeiten aus einem neuen Blickwinkel zu sehen – nämlich durch die Augen eines Tänzers. Mit zwei neuen Kapiteln für die zweite Auflage: Über mentale Stärke und ihre Rolle bei erfolgreicher Führung, sowie über "Unmöglich-Mythen" und wie man sie entzaubert.
Alt - Krank - Blank?: Worauf es im Alter wirklich ankommt
by Christian Hentschel Matthias BettermannDieses gut verständliche Werk bringt Licht ins Dunkel des komplizierten wirtschaftlichen Themas Rente und Vorsorge und erklärt die wichtigsten Dinge, von denen heutzutage auch ein nicht studierter Ökonom wissen sollte. Und es regt an zu einem neuen Mittel der Vorsorge gegen Armut im Alter: dem Erhalt von Familie, Partnerschaft und Freundschaft. Den einzigen Dingen im Leben, die man sich nicht kaufen kann. . . Freuen Sie sich auf eine Lektüre, die Ihnen in dieser Kombination eine besondere Hilfestellung zur Vorsorge im Alter bietet.
Alt-Labor and the New Politics of Workers' Rights
by Daniel J. GalvinOver the last half century, two major developments have transformed the nature of workers’ rights and altered the pathways available to low-wage workers to combat their exploitation. First, while national labor law, which regulates unionization and collective bargaining, has grown increasingly ineffective, employment laws establishing minimal workplace standards have proliferated at the state and local levels. Second, as labor unions have declined, a diversity of small, under-resourced nonprofit “alt-labor” groups have emerged in locations across the United States to organize and support marginalized workers. In Alt-Labor and the New Politics of Workers’ Rights, political scientist Daniel J. Galvin draws on rich data and extensive interviews to examine the links between these developments. With nuance and insight, Galvin explains how alt-labor groups are finding creative ways to help their members while navigating the many organizational challenges and structural constraints they face in this new context. Alt-labor groups have long offered their members services and organizing opportunities to contest their unfair treatment on the job. But many groups have grown frustrated by the limited impact of these traditional strategies and have turned to public policy to scale up their work. They have successfully led campaigns to combat wage theft, raise the minimum wage, improve working conditions, strengthen immigrants’ rights, and more. These successes present something of a puzzle: relative to their larger, wealthier, and better-connected opponents, alt-labor groups are small, poor, and weak. Their members are primarily low-wage immigrant workers and workers of color who are often socially, economically, and politically marginalized. With few exceptions, the groups lack large dues-paying memberships and are dependent on philanthropic foundations and other unpredictable sources of funding. How, given their myriad challenges, have alt-labor groups managed to make gains for their members? Galvin reveals that alt-labor groups are leveraging their deep roots in local communities, their unique position in the labor movement, and the flexibility of their organizational forms to build their collective power and extend their reach. A growing number of groups have also become more politically engaged and have set out to alter their political environments by cultivating more engaged citizens, influencing candidate selection processes, and expanding government capacities. These efforts seek to enhance alt-labor groups’ probabilities of success in the near term while incrementally shifting the balance of power over the long term. Alt-Labor and the New Politics of Workers’ Rights comprehensively details alt-labor’s turn to policy and politics, provides compelling insights into the dilemmas the groups now face, and illuminates how their efforts have both invigorated and complicated the American labor movement.
Altas Finanzas: Los Secretos Wue Wall Street No Quiere Que Usted Sepa
by Logan C. KaneBest seller internacional. Altas Finanzas ha ayudado a miles de personas a voltear las mesas en Wall Street, no solo en Estados Unidos y Canadá, sino también en otros 17 países, como Francia, Alemania, Hungría, Corea del Sur y China. El tema principal del libro es que Wall Street supera a los inversores minoristas a través de una serie de pequeñas ventajas, como comisiones, tarifas, márgenes de oferta / demanda e intereses de margen, muy parecidos a la ventaja de la casa en el casino o la casa de apuestas. Puede identificar dónde están estos márgenes y evitarlos. Al controlar sus gastos, tiene muchas más posibilidades de obtener ganancias sustanciales, ya sea que negocie o invierta a largo plazo. Hay muchos detractores que dirán que es imposible que gane dinero en el mercado de valores. Están equivocados. Ya sea que elija aumentar constantemente su capital a través de una inversión prudente y de bajo costo o al repartir un comercio rentable tras otro rentable, es capaz de alcanzar sus objetivos si comprende cómo funciona el sistema. No hay escasez de dinero en este mundo; el dinero simplemente no se distribuye por igual. Hay gente que puede vivir en cada mansión y ático en todo el mundo, ¿y si pudieras ser tú? La inversión y el comercio inteligentes pueden generarle más dinero del que jamás haya soñado; más rápido de lo que creía posible. El 90 por ciento de los inversores pierde dinero o solo alcanza el equilibrio. ¡Mereces más! Los tiburones de Wall Street tienen un suministro constante de peces, y este libro es solo una gota en el océano. Sin embargo, como estás leyendo, te estás uniendo al lado ganador. Aprende cómo funciona el juego, cuáles son las reglas y cómo puedes ganar. Adentro: Ejemplos de acciones ganadoras y operaciones de opciones realizadas por el autor y cómo puede replicarlas. Por qué las comisiones y las tarifas son el obstáculo número uno que enfrentan la mayoría de los inversores y comerciantes, y cómo pu
Altered Policy Landscapes: Fracking, Grazing, and the Bureau of Land Management
by Robert E. Forbis Jr.This book documents the United States Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) shift from a rancher-dominated agency to an energy-dominated agency. This shift is analyzed by identifying the conditions under which the expansion of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Rocky Mountain West triggered a political conflict between ranching and energy stakeholder groups. Through scrutiny of federal actions and policies implemented by the Executive Branch between 2004 and 2010, the book sheds light on the emphasis of domestic energy production during this time period, and how the traditional ranching and energy alliance was split by shifting policy interests. The book is meant for policy makers, natural resource agencies, and students and researchers engaged in political science, public administration, and natural resource management. Chapter 1 introduces readers to the case study at hand, and reviews literature on public land agencies and policies. Chapter 2 summarizes the legal history of public land management by the federal government, and the conditions that caused the BLM to favor energy development over ranching in the mid-2000's. Chapter 3 details the role of the Executive Branch (Bush-Cheney administration) in affecting the BLM's domestic energy policies and resource allocation, and chapter 4 analyzes the role of subgovernments in affecting the BLM's motivations too. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 contain first-hand accounts from government officials, state petroleum associations, and ranching supported interest groups to explore the concept of subgovernment stakeholder domination in policymaking, and analyze the similarities and differences between different policy-making elites. Chapter 8 concludes the text by summarizing subgovernment theory, mapping the behaviors of subgovernment actors, and discussing the implications for future political appointees in the direction of land-management agencies like the BLM.
Altering Frontiers: Organizational Innovations in Healthcare
by Ewan Oiry Corinne GrenierHow can healthcare systems be transformed by reimagining their multiple silos to favor processes and practices that are more responsive to local, horizontal initiatives? Altering Frontiers analyzes numerous experiences, using a multidisciplinary approach, paying attention to certain actors, collectives and organizational arrangements.Through this work, levers are identified that promote lasting transformation: recognizing the legitimacy of the practices of many who are often "invisible"; trusting those who know their intervention territory; investing in methodological support; taking advantage of tools and procedures such as instruments for strategic and managerial discussion; and developing the capacity to absorb innovative ideas and experiences that circulate within the environment.
Altern und Versorgung im nachbarschaftlichen Netz eines Wohnquartiers: Zur Kooperation eines Altenhilfeträgers und einer Wohnbaugenossenschaft bei der quartiersbezogenen Gemeinwesenarbeit
by Sigrid KallfaßDiese Publikation beinhaltet die Ergebnisse des vom Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung geförderten Projekts ,,Altern und Versorgung im nachbarschaftlichen Netz einer Wohnbaugenossenschaft". Die umfassende Studie liefert wichtige Aspekte zur Förderung einer Generationenbeziehung im nachbarschaftlichen Kontext.
Alternate Reality Games: Gamification for Performance
by Charles Palmer Andy PetroskiWhile formal training and communication are a foundational approach to developing employees in the workplace, alternate reality games (ARGs) provide a framework for increased and sustained engagement within business organizations. ARGs are transmedia experiences designed to generate engagement and immersive learning beyond what is achieved in forma
Alternativa
by Varios AutoresEnrique Santos Calderón selecciona los mejores artículos, reportajes, caricaturas, portadas, editoriales, columnas y entrevistas, de la revista que cambió la forma de hacer periodismo en Colombia La revista Alternativa fue fundada a comienzos de los años setenta por Gabriel García Márquez y Enrique Santos Calderón, entre otros. Con su aparición, se dio forma a un periodismo comprometido y militante que poco se conocía en Colombia. Este libro es un homenaje a la revista y con la selección y comentarios de Enrique Santos Calderón, quien fue su director, se presenta un intenso retrato del país que siguió al Frente Nacional, de los conflictos que asomaron en esa época y que heredamos en el presente. La publicación congregó a un grupo conformado por Orlando Fals Borda, Bernardo García, Antonio Caballero, Daniel Samper Pizano, Álvaro Tirado Mejía y varios más que influirían de manera significativa en la opinión pública colombiana. De tal suerte, la selección que aquí presentamos es la reunión de verdaderas joyas. A los textos del Nobel, muchos de ellos por primera vez reeditados en el país, se sumaron, por ejemplo, entrevistas exclusivas a Botero, Cortázar y Dalí; perfiles de León de Greiff, Capax y Ardila Lülle; la crónica del paro nacional de 1977 o las revelaciones del fiscal que llevó el caso del asesinato de Gaitán. Una Colombia extensa, profunda y diversa, que reclamaba cambios de fondo reaparece en estas páginas, como un espejo del momento actual.
Alternative Acquisition Models and Financial Innovation: Special Purpose Acquisition Companies in Europe, and the Italian Legal Framework (Routledge International Studies in Money and Banking)
by Yochanan Shachmurove Daniele D’Alvia Ettore Maria LombardiThis is the first book written in English on special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in the context of European and Italian financial law, introducing the topic with a general overview on the European stage. It is also the first book on European financial regulations of SPACs. As such, it is a groundbreaking reference text for SPAC studies at the international level. Alternative Acquisition Models and Financial Innovation: Special Purpose Acquisition Companies in Europe, and the Italian Legal Framework offers the most comprehensive overview of the current international financial regulations of SPACs in the EU and UK compared to the main legal system where SPACs originated—the US. This edited book is focused on finding a European legal framework for SPACs by discovering whether the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) or the Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities Directive (UCITS) are applicable to them and why, as well as identifying the objectives of financial regulation of SPACs in the EU, US and UK. Essentially, the edited collection explores soft law and self-regulation instances against the state-based Westphalian approaches centred on hard law instances; describes practical examples of SPACs in Italy and Europe; and analyses the limits and perspectives of such investment vehicles on the Italian capital market as well as their possible uses as forms of shadow banking and venture companies at international levels.
Alternative Alternatives
by Sona BlessingIn the aftermath of the financial crisis, investors are searching for new opportunities and products to safeguard their investments for the future. Riding high on the wave of new financial opportunities are Alternative Alternatives (AA). However, there is a dearth of information on what Alternative Alternatives are, how they work, and how they can be profited from.The book defines what Alternative Alternatives are, based on research and the following hypothesis: If the source (origin) of the risk lies outside of the financial markets, then it should be insulated from the vagaries of those markets. The book identifies and examines such and other unique, idiosyncratic, and difficult to replicate sources of risk - assets and strategies. The recent credit and sovereign debt crisis have served to defend the hypothesis and have upheld the conclusion that alternative alternative assets and strategies offer a risk-return profile that is distinct to those offered by traditional and main stream hedge fund strategies. These strategies include timberland investing, insurance risk transfer, asset/loan based lending (aviation, shipping, trade, entertainment, litigation financing etc), collectables and extraction strategies such as volatility and behaviour finance.This book will be a one stop resource to the new investment class known globally as Alternative Alternatives (AA) and will provide a comprehensive but accessible introduction to these assets. It provides an in-depth analysis of the assets and strategies which will leave investors with everything they need to identify and allocate to the best AA for them. It reviews the asset on a standalone basis, providing an explanation of the product, its characteristics, a SWOT analysis, and details its risk/reward drivers. The book also looks at how to integrate the asset within a portfolio - its peculiarities, the challenges and the constraints of each. Next, the book shows how Alternative Alternatives are used in the real world, how they are implemented, and the results that they have achieved. Finally, the book looks at the scope, scalability and prospects for each asset in the future.