Hunting Causes and Using Them argues that causation is not one thing, as commonly assumed, but many. There is a huge variety of causal relations, each with different characterizing features, different methods for discovery and different uses to which it can be put. In this collection of new and previously published essays, Nancy Cartwright provides a critical survey of philosophical and economic literature on causality, with a special focus on the currently fashionable Bayes-nets and invariance methods - and it exposes a huge gap in that literature. Almost every account treats either exclusively how to hunt causes or how to use them. But where is the bridge between? It's no good knowing how to warrant a causal claim if we don't know what we can do with that claim once we have it. This book will interest philosophers, economists and social scientists.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to modern auction theory and its important new applications. It is written by a leading economic theorist whose suggestions guided the creation of the new spectrum auction designs. Aimed at graduate students and professionals in economics, the book gives the most up-to-date treatments of both traditional theories of 'optimal auctions' and newer theories of multi-unit auctions and package auctions, and shows by example how these theories are used. The analysis explores the limitations of prominent older designs, such as the Vickrey auction design, and evaluates the practical responses to those limitations. It explores the tension between the traditional theory of auctions with a fixed set of bidders, in which the seller seeks to squeeze as much revenue as possible from the fixed set, and the theory of auctions with endogenous entry, in which bidder profits must be respected to encourage participation.

Quantile regression is gradually emerging as a unified statistical methodology for estimating models of conditional quantile functions. By complementing the exclusive focus of classical least squares regression on the conditional mean, quantile regression offers a systematic strategy for examining how covariates influence the location, scale and shape of the entire response distribution. This monograph is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject, encompassing models that are linear and nonlinear, parametric and nonparametric. The author has devoted more than 25 years of research to this topic. The methods in the analysis are illustrated with a variety of applications from economics, biology, ecology and finance. The treatment will find its core audiences in econometrics, statistics, and applied mathematics in addition to the disciplines cited above.

Drawing on material previously available only in Chinese, this book provides an assessment of China's recent reform of the foreign trade system and discusses the benefits of such reform in terms of higher growth for its economy. The result suggests that the benefits from foreign trade reforms have been reduced by the lack of responsiveness among China's businesses to changes in domestic and foreign market conditions, and by the tendency for foreign trade to aggravate the inflation problem.

Applied Nonparametric Regression is the first book to bring together in one place the techniques for regression curve smoothing involving more than one variable. The computer and the development of interactive graphics programs have made curve estimation possible. This volume focuses on the applications and practical problems of two central aspects of curve smoothing: the choice of smoothing parameters and the construction of confidence bounds. Hardle argues that all smoothing methods are based on a local averaging mechanism and can be seen as essentially equivalent to kernel smoothing. To simplify the exposition, kernel smoothers are introduced and discussed in great detail. Building on this exposition, various other smoothing methods (among them splines and orthogonal polynomials) are presented and their merits discussed. All the methods presented can be understood on an intuitive level; however, exercises and supplemental materials are provided for those readers desiring a deeper understanding of the techniques. The methods covered in this text have numerous applications in many areas using statistical analysis. Examples are drawn from economics as well as from other disciplines including medicine and engineering.

Economists have always recognised that human endeavours are constrained by our limited and uncertain knowledge, but only recently has an accepted theory of uncertainty and information evolved. This theory has turned out to have surprisingly practical applications: for example in analysing stock market returns, in evaluating accident prevention measures, and in assessing patent and copyright laws. This book presents these intellectual advances in readable form for the first time. It unifies many important but partial results into a satisfying single picture, making it clear how the economics of uncertainty and information generalises and extends standard economic analysis. Part One of the volume covers the economics of uncertainty: how each person adapts to a given fixed state of knowledge by making an optimal choice among the immediate 'terminal' actions available. These choices in turn determine the overall market equilibrium reflecting the social distribution of risk bearing. In Part Two, covering the economics of information, the state of knowledge is no longer held fixed. Instead, individuals can to a greater or lesser extent overcome their ignorance by 'informational' actions. The text also addresses at appropriate points many specific topics such as insurance, the Capital Asset Pricing model, auctions, deterrence of entry, and research and invention.

Our understanding of the basic biology of owls is poor compared to that of other bird species. The Little Owl, Athene noctua, has become one of the best models for biological and conservation research, due to its commonness and the fact that it occupies nest-boxes very easily. In this unique book the authors synthesise the substantial literature, and detail current information regarding the Little Owl. They discuss its wide-ranging ecology, genetics and subspecies and population status by country. In addition, they outline a strategy and monitoring program for its conservation. The book features an outstanding bibliography of literature on the Little Owl, listing publications dated from 1769 to 2007, in many languages, including Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. Whilst being an invaluable resource for academic researchers, its straightforward style holds undoubted appeal for amateurs and enthusiasts.

A new book in the Econometric Exercises series, this volume contains questions and answers to provide students with useful practice, as they attempt to master Bayesian econometrics. In addition to many theoretical exercises, this book contains exercises designed to develop the computational tools used in modern Bayesian econometrics. The latter half of the book contains exercises that show how these theoretical and computational skills are combined in practice, to carry out Bayesian inference in a wide variety of models commonly used by econometricians. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying econometrics, this book may also be useful for students studying finance, marketing, agricultural economics, business economics or, more generally, any field which uses statistics. The book also comes equipped with a supporting website containing all the relevant data sets and MATLAB computer programs for solving the computational exercises.

This investigation proposes a conceptual framework for measurement necessary for an analysis of household finance and economic development. The authors build on and, where appropriate, modify corporate financial accounts to create balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flows for households in developing countries, using an integrated household survey. The authors also illustrate how to apply the accounts to an analysis of household finance that includes productivity of household enterprises, capital structure, liquidity, financing, and portfolio management. The conceptualization of this analysis has important implications for measurement, questionnaire design, the modeling of household decisions, and the analysis of panel data.

The experimental approach in economics is a driving force behind some of the most exciting developments in the field. The 'experimental revolution' was based on a series of bold philosophical premises which have remained until now mostly unexplored. This book provides the first comprehensive analysis and critical discussion of the methodology of experimental economics, written by a philosopher of science with expertise in the field. It outlines the fundamental principles of experimental inference in order to investigate their power, scope and limitations. The author demonstrates that experimental economists have a lot to gain by discussing openly the philosophical principles that guide their work, and that philosophers of science have a lot to learn from their ingenious techniques devised by experimenters in order to tackle difficult scientific problems.

Review
"Murphy's approach to these and other issues is nuanced, drawing out the contradictions...All of this ethnographic detail provides rich ground for scholars seeking insights into social processes in rural China, and it is this audience that will find the book most appealing." Journal of Asian Business
"Perhaps most critically, [Murphy] demonstrates, in almost Schumpeterian fashion, the various ways in which market reforms have made it possible for returning migrants, having acquired new skills or enhanced old skills, to act as entrepeneurial catalysts for the economic and cultural transformation of rural China. Recommended." Choice
Book Description
This study examines the changing effects of labor migration on the countryside of post-Mao China. Most of the changes are occurring because the migrants send money home and return to their villages for visits or to resettle. The return flows of money, people and information affects rural inequalities, rural spending patterns, agriculture, family relationships, the position of women, and the interactions between villagers and officials. Importantly, some returned migrants even create businesses at home. The book is based on in-depth fieldwork in the Chinese countryside, and it draws comparisons with migration and rural development in other countries.

Despite repeated predictions of collapse and disintegration, China has managed to sustain national unity and gain international stature since the 1989 Tiananmen crisis. Examining the sources and dynamics of the resilience, this volume's contributors reveal how China's leaders have adapted and reinforced key economic and political institutions. They also disclose that implementation of complex policies to regulate economic and social life (employment and migration, population planning, industrial adjustment, and regional disparities) has become more effective over time within a context of growing social and economic diversity.
1 Addresses the 'China Collapse' thesis and makes a strong argument explaining the sources of China's resilience
2 Multi-disciplinary project by specialists from political sciences and economics
3 Offers fresh perspectives on some of the most salient policy issues in contemporary Chinese political economy, including unemployment, population planning, industrial adjustment and regional development

This is the first of three volumes containing edited versions of papers and commentaries presented in invited symposium sessions of the Eighth World Congress of the Econometric Society. The papers summarize and interpret recent key developments and discuss future directions in a wide range of topics in economics and econometrics. The papers cover both theory and applications. Written by leading specialists in their fields these volumes provide a unique survey of progress in the discipline.

The Chinese people have honoured, revered and cherished jade for over 8,000 years. Consequently, jade has played a unique role in the development of Chinese culture. Jade carvings survive not simply as beautiful works of art, but also as cultural relics shedding light on the spiritual life of ancient China. Utilising a wealth of archaeological evidence and illustrated with precious artifacts, Chinese Jade provides an introduction to the fascinating world of Chinese jade from ancient to modern times.

The Chinese are famed as the first to have discovered and mastered the techniques needed to produce porcelain. Yet carefully crafted ceramics are valued not only for their beauty, but also as precious cultural artifacts shedding light on the period in which they were produced. Chinese ceramics represent works of art both in themselves and as a medium for painting, poetry, calligraphy and sculpture. This accessible, introductory survey takes the reader through the rich history of Chinese ceramics from primitive pottery to delicate porcelain, complemented by full color illustrations throughout.