General Reading

This unique work assesses the diplomatic, commercial and political consequences of the conflicting interests of the British imperial government and colonial Trinidad on Venezuela. Imperial interests predominated and the British turned a blind eye to the use of Trinidad by opponents of Venezuelan regimes as a base for the overthrow of Venezuelan governments. The island colony played an important role in the politics of destabilization in Venezuela.

The scholarship is based on a variety of primary sources, particularly the British Foreign Office and the Colonial Office as well as Venezuelan and US archives.

In the colonial flurry of the first half of the 20th century, Barbadian businessmen fought against the pulling tide of 'King Sugar' to forge their own paths, and thus permanently altered the face of business in 'Bim'. Dr Henderson Carter's comprehensive survey, Business in BIM: A Business History of Barbados 1900-2000 chronicles the evolution of business in Barbados from the era when sugar cane cultivation and its processing dominated the economic, political and social life of the country through to the present time. The book shows how the decline of the sugar industry created opportunities for the emergence of a new merchant class which included among its members a significant number of Black business entrepreneurs. The successes of this new merchant class were etched into the facades of Swan and Roebuck Streets as tangible evidence of the industrial change that swept Barbados, and in the process created a prominent commercial centre that remains a vital part of the capital, Bridgetown, to this day. Dr Carter pays particular attention to the development and growth of Black businesses and analyses the factors that have accounted for their relatively short lifespan compared to white businesses which often survived across several generations. Through the personal profiles of the pioneering entrepreneurs the author puts a human face to the businesses they created and guided to success but oftentimes to failure as well. The role of government as a factor in the development of business enterprises in the post-independence period comes in for special focus particularly through an examination of the policies of Errol Barrow, Erskine Sandiford and more recently Owen Arthur. Business in Bim breaks new ground in the recording and analyzing of business history in the Caribbean. It will have immediate appeal for business practitioners whose enterprises remain viable and successful legacies of the early pioneering period and for many Barbadians who grew up to maturity alongside some of these companies. But beyond that, students of business and business history across the region will find this work a rich resource for case studies in Caribbean business history, entrepreneurship and government/private sector relationship.

Cane Reapers is the story about the Chinese who were procured to replace the emancipated slaves on the sugar plantations of Guyana (then British Guiana). Between 1853 and 1879 a total of 13,541 indentured labourers arrived from China but by 1900 the resident Chinese population was down to 3,000. The tribulations and triumphs of the Chinese immigrants reveal human nature in times of hardship and alienation. In the process of assimilation into Western culture some unique names have evolved for Chinese families, creating both a mystery and a topic of fascination for their descendants and for genealogists.

"A lot has happened in the financial markets since 1992, when Peter Bernstein wrote his seminal Capital Ideas. Happily, Peter has taken up his facile pen again to describe these changes, a virtual revolution in the practice of investing that relies heavily on complex mathematics, derivatives, hedging, and hyperactive trading. This fine and eminently readable book is unlikely to be surpassed as the definitive chronicle of a truly historic era."
—John C. Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group and author, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

"Just as Dante could not have understood or survived the perils of the Inferno without Virgil to guide him, investors today need Peter Bernstein to help find their way across dark and shifting ground. No one alive understands Wall Street's intellectual history better, and that makes Bernstein our best and wisest guide to the future. He is the only person who could have written this book; thank goodness he did."
—Jason Zweig, Investing Columnist, Money magazine

"Another must-read from Peter Bernstein! This well-written and thought-provoking book provides valuable insights on how key finance theories have evolved from their ivory tower formulation to profitable application by portfolio managers. This book will certainly be read with keen interest by, and undoubtedly influence, a wide range of participants in international finance."
—Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian, President and CEO of Harvard Management Company, Deputy Treasurer of Harvard University, and member of the faculty of the Harvard Business School

"Reading Capital Ideas Evolving is an experience not to be missed. Peter Bernstein's knowledge of the principal characters-the giants in the development of investment theory and practice-brings this subject to life."
—Linda B. Strumpf, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, The Ford Foundation

"With great clarity, Peter Bernstein introduces us to the insights of investment giants, and explains how they transformed financial theory into portfolio practice. This is not just a tale of money and models; it is a fascinating and contemporary story about people and the power of their ideas."
—Elroy Dimson, BGI Professor of Investment Management, London Business School

"Capital Ideas Evolving provides us with a unique appreciation for the pervasive impact that the theory of modern finance has had on the development of our capital markets. Peter Bernstein once again has produced a masterpiece that is must reading for practitioners, educators and students of finance."
—André F. Perold, Professor of Finance, Harvard Business School

George and Harold's latest prank backfires in the second book in this #1 New York Times bestselling series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man!
George and Harold are usually responsible kids -- whenever anything bad happens, George and Harold are usually responsible! This time, they accidentally invent an army of terrifying talking toilets. Luckily, they know a superhero with enough snap in his waistband to save the day! This looks like another job for the amazing Captain Underpants!

Alien lunch ladies attack in the third book in this #1 New York Times bestselling series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man!
George and Harold have played a trick or two on nearly everyone at Jerome Horwitz Elementary. When their latest prank causes the school's cranky cafeteria ladies to quit, Mr. Krupp hires a trio of unusual replacements -- who happen to look an awful lot like aliens! Will that curtain-caped crusader, Captain Underpants, save the day once more? Or will those outer-space cafeteria ladies have him for lunch?

George and Harold accidentally create a monster in the fifth book in this #1 New York Times bestselling series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man!
George and Harold are always good at using their imaginations, and that drives their mean homeroom teacher, Ms. Ribble, crazy! But this time, they've come up with much more than a silly prank... With her horrendous hairdo and two rabid robots, Wedgie Woman is well on her way to world domination, and only the Waistband Warrior can stop her!

Caribbean Childhoods: From Research to Action is an annual publication produced by the Children's Issues Coalition at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The series seeks to provide an avenue for the dissemination of research and experiences on children's health, development, behaviour and education, and to provide a forum for the discussion of these issues.

The book presents a representative selection of the papers presented at the second Conference on Caribbean Culture in honour of Kamau Brathwaite.