New Releases by Alastair Smith

A theory of politics that looks at what did not happen—or non-events—to explain policy change, economic development, democratization, and “autocratization.” Anticipating Instability puts forward a general theory of politics that attempts to explain the very many destabilizing political events in history that did not happen. Although most of us do not pay close attention to what did not occur, research shows that fear of non-events does more to redefine how people are governed than does the actual realization of coups and revolutions. In unraveling the dogs that didn’t bark, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith analyze how, when, and why leaders who believe their hold on power is at risk focus their political survival efforts on adjusting their policy choices or shifting their government’s accountability. Such adjustments are the essential factors that determine whether a society becomes freer, more transparent, and prosperous—or more oppressive, corrupt, and impoverished. The book is unique in that it develops a general theory of politics using game theory reasoning and then tests dozens of hypotheses derived from the theory’s logic using both statistical methods and illustrative case studies.

When the United States invaded Iraq, President Bush made it clear: the U.S. was not fighting the Iraqi people. Rather, all quarrels were solely with Iraq's leadership. This kind of assertion remains frequent in foreign affairs--sanctions or military actions are imposed on a nation not because of its people, but because of its misguided leaders. Although the distinction might seem pedantic since the people suffer regardless, Punishing the Prince reveals how targeting individual leaders for punishment rather than the nations they represent creates incentives for cooperation between nations and leaves room for future relations with pariah states. Punishing the Prince demonstrates that theories of leader punishment explain a great deal about international behavior and interstate relations. The book examines the impact that domestic political institutions have on whether citizens hold their leaders accountable for international commitments and shows that the degrees to which citizens are able to remove leaders shape the dynamics of interstate relations and leader turnover. Through analyses of sovereign debt, international trade, sanctions, and crisis bargaining, Fiona McGillivray and Alastair Smith also uncover striking differences in patterns of relations between democratic and autocratic states. Bringing together a vast body of information, Punishing the Prince offers new ways of thinking about international relations.

"It's striking how many of the presidents Americans venerate--Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy, to name a few--oversaw some of the republic's bloodiest years. Perhaps it's because they looked out for important political causes. Or maybe they just looked out for themselves. This ... book puts some of America's greatest leaders under the microscope, [positing that] their calls for war, usually remembered as brave and noble, were in fact selfish and convenient"--

An illustrated tour of the universe, from our closest planetary neighbours, Mars and Venus, to star constellations, galaxies and black holes millions of light years away. With photographs, detailed illustrations and fascinating information about space, plus tips on trying astronomy at home and internet links to websites with the latest space news.

Explains the theory of political survival, particularly in cases of dictators and despotic governments, arguing that political leaders seek to stay in power using any means necessary, most commonly by attending to the interests of certain coalitions.

Contains experiments, activities, A-Z dictionary, review questions and suggested websites for each topic.

This updated edition shows you the universe, using the latest amazing information from astronomers around the world, and space probes around the galaxy. This book includes practical information on home astronomy and buying and using equipment.

This is a practical introduction to single molecule fluorescence experiments, the analysis of the data, and applications of the techniques to the study of biological structure and function.

A basic introduction to weather, the elements that create weather, and how to identify different kinds of weather.

The authors of this ambitious book address a fundamental political question: why are leaders who produce peace and prosperity turned out of office while those who preside over corruption, war, and misery endure? Considering this political puzzle, they also answer the related economic question of why some countries experience successful economic development and others do not. The authors construct a provocative theory on the selection of leaders and present specific formal models from which their central claims can be deduced. They show how political leaders allocate resources and how institutions for selecting leaders create incentives for leaders to pursue good and bad public policy. They also extend the model to explain the consequences of war on political survival. Throughout the book, they provide illustrations from history, ranging from ancient Sparta to Vichy France, and test the model against statistics gathered from cross-national data. The authors explain the political intuition underlying their theory in nontechnical language, reserving formal proofs for chapter appendixes. They conclude by presenting policy prescriptions based on what has been demonstrated theoretically and empirically.

A lift-the-flap book that describes what various nocturnal animals do at night.

Explains the chemistry of solids, liquids and gases, with examples from everyday life, showing exactly what they, and how they behave.

Levanta las solapas en cada página de este libro ilustrado y verás lo que hacen los animales nocturnos: gatos, ratones, lechuzas, polillas, caracoles, zorros, tarseros, y murciélagos.

La mer est pleine de surprises. Viens donc voir... Tu découvriras une faune étonnante, du poisson capable de changer de forme aux monstres des grandes profondeurs qui brillent dans le noir. Et en soulevant les rabats, tu en verras d''autres derrière les algues et les rochers.

Endogenous election timing allows leaders to schedule elections 'when the time is right'. The author proposes and tests an informational theory of endogenous election timing that explains when leaders call for elections and the consequences of their decisions. In particular, he argues that, if all else is equal, leaders announce elections when they anticipate a decline in their future performance. As a consequence, early elections signal a leader's lack of confidence in future outcomes. The earlier elections occur, relative to expectations, the stronger the signal of demise. Using data on British parliaments since 1945, the author tests hypotheses related to timing of elections, electoral support and subsequent economic performance. Leaders who call elections early (relative to expectations) experience a decline in their popular support relative to pre-announcement levels, experience worse post-electoral performance, and have shorter campaigns.

D''où vient l''énergie ? Pourquoi les objets tombent-ils au lieu de voler ? Ce livre est une approche fascinante du monde des sciences physiques et de leurs applications dans la vie quotidienne. Découvre avec nous comment fonctionnent les automobiles, les motos, les bateaux et les avions, comment l''énergie se transforme, et tant d''autres choses encore. L''explication claire de centaines de termes scientifiques. Des illustrations et des photos étonnantes et détaillées. De nombreux sites Web testés et approuvés. Des expériences, des activités et des observations à faire toi-même. Une page de tests pour réviser tes connaissances. Le téléchargement gratuit d''illustrations pour tes devoirs et tes projets. Qu''est-ce qu''un livre avec liens Internet ? C''est un livre qui propose une sélection de sites Web recommandés par les éditions Usborne, qui te permettront d''en savoir plus de manière distrayante et interactive. Pour avoir un lien direct à ces sites et télécharger les illustrations, connecte-toi à www.usborne-quicklinks.com/fr. Faut-il posséder un ordinateur pour utiliser ce livre ? Pas du tout. On peut le lire sans consulter Internet, car c''est à lui seul un ouvrage de référence passionnant.

Tu as besoin d''aide pour faire tes devoirs et tu espères la trouver sur Internet ? C''est une bonne idée, mais plutôt que de gaspiller de précieuses heures en vaines recherches, suis les conseils que te donne ce livre et il ne te faudra que quelques minutes pour trouver exactement ce que tu cherches. Plonge-toi dans cet ouvrage pour découvrir : • Les meilleurs moyens de trouver des mines d''explications, de formules, de tests et de cours. • Ce qu''il faut savoir pour exploiter efficacement le fruit de tes recherches afin d''en tirer d''excellents exposés habilement illustrés grâce aux ressources du Web. • Les moteurs de recherche, les navigateurs, le courrier électronique et les forums. Et pour accéder à tout cela, tu n''as pas besoin d''installer des logiciels spécialisés il te suffit d''un ordinateur fonctionnant avec Microsoft Windows 95 ou toute autre version ultérieure.

*Face Painting Kid Kit is available in vinyl bag only.

La contemplación del cielo y la observación de los astros han cautivado a la humanidad desde sus orígenes. Este interés también es característico de los niños, quienes con su inteligencia y curiosidad se formulan interesantes preguntas acerca del cosmos. En este libro magníficamente ilustrado y escrito con un lenguaje claro, ellos encontrarán las repuestas que buscan acerca de una gran variedad de temas tales como el sistema solar, las estrellas y los planetas. Además, la obra incluye una breve reseña histórica sobre la evolución de la astronomía y sus principales hallazgos. De igual forma se presenta una sección con biografías de grandes astrónomos, cosmólogos y astrofísicos de todas las épocas, desde el astrónomo egipcio Ptolomeo hasta el célebre científico británico Stephen Hawking. Un capítulo especial con preguntas y respuestas ayudará a los niños a los niños a reforzar el aprendizaje de manera entretenida.

Découvre à quoi ressemblent les planètes de près ! Vois les étoiles exploser, les trous noirs se former et sillonne le système solaire avec les comètes et les astéroïdes. Repère-toi dans le ciel nocturne à l''aide de nos cartes claires et détaillées. Cet ouvrage présente l''Univers en s''appuyant sur des informations étonnantes recueillies auprès d''astronomes du monde entier ou transmises par les sondes spatiales qui étudient la galaxie. Ce livre contient aussi des descriptions de sites Web permettant d''explorer plus avant l''astronomie.

Discover how cars and planes work, how energy is turned into power in your home, and much more.

This book is an introduction to the world of physics and presents examples of modern technology which make use of light, sound, and electricity. Descriptions of Web sites are included.

Explains the science of mixtures and compounds, with explanations of scientific terms, experiments and activities, study guides, and links to helpful Internet sites.

This book includes information on search engines, education Web sites, online dictionaries and encyclopedias, and more.