Why microfranchising is needed now : introduction and book overview / Jason S. Fairbourne -- Microfranchising : the next step on the development ladder / Stephen W. Gibson -- The informal economy and microfranchising / Michael Henriques and Mathias Herr -- Current international development tools...

Employing a rigorous analytical framework, the author bases his analysis on the concept of international technological dualism. He argues that one possible solution to the problem is the availability of affordable technologies, such as low-cost computers, which are specifically designed for the...

This book offers insights into the process of economic reform in developing countries. It is organized around three factors that are critical to the success of any reform. According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, these key dimensions are Reach, Range, and Reason. "Reach" refers to the ability of...

This book presents an interdisciplinary perspective on the possibility of creating a sustainable path of economic development which would not harm the natural environment. It presents concepts, theories, methods and policy advice on sustainability and debates the difficulty in establishing a...

With the increasingly evident and widespread impact of economic activity on the environment, there is a growing concern in all parts of the world for environmental considerations to be more fully reflected in economic decision-making. The Polluter-Pays, User-Pays and Precautionary principles are...

The contributors to this volume investigate to what extent welfare has increased in the United States over the postwar period and provide a rigorous examination of both conventional measures of the standard of living, as well as more inclusive indices. The chapters cover such topics as: race,...

Despite increasing research efforts, there is still much confusion regarding the nature and contribution of the most intangible forms of capital. This book develops a comprehensive and unifying conception of intangible capital in order to understand its role with respect to economic growth,...

With the publication of The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida in 2002, the "creative city" became the new hot topic among urban policymakers, planners and economists. Florida has developed one of three path-breaking theories about the relationship between creative individuals and...

This book is a welcome consolidation and extension of the recent expanding debates on happiness and economics. Happiness and economics, as a new field for research, is now of pivotal interest particularly to welfare economists and psychologists. This Handbook provides an unprecedented forum for...

What makes people happy in life? This crucial question has the potential to shake up economics. In recent years, dissatisfaction with the understanding of welfare in economics and new opportunities for empirical study of people's subjective well-being have spurred impressive and stimulating new...