An outstanding group of internationally-renowned comparative political scientists provide a substantive introduction to comparative politics. Thematic in organisation, readers are guided through a comprehensive analysis of the core methods, theories, and concepts in comparative politics. An unrivalled amount of empirical material in the text and on the supporting website illustrates key similarities and differences of political systems in practice. The wealth of empirical data also encourages students to go beyond the ‘what’ of comparison to the ‘how’. Combining cutting edge treatment of theories and truly global geographical coverage, this exciting textbook is essential reading for all comparative politics students.

This practical, student-focused text shows how to focus all of an organization’s resources on continuous and simultaneous improvement of quality and productivity ― thereby continually improving both performance and competitiveness. QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE: INTRODUCTION TO TOTAL QUALITY, 7/e coherently addresses all elements of quality management, including Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, and many topics that competitive books overlook (e.g., peak performance, partnering, manufacturing networks, culture, and crucial “people” aspects of quality). Direct and straightforward, it links “big picture” theories and principles to detailed real-world strategies and techniques. Throughout, critical thinking activities, discussion assignments, and research links promote deeper thinking and further exploration. This edition adds all-new cases, plus new information on topics ranging from supervision to certification, QFD and SPC to benchmarking and JIT.

Get the picture and develop a fundamental understanding of finance.

Students often miss the big picture, viewing finance as a set of unrelated topics, tools, and techniques. In order to help students see the big picture, this text provides an introduction to financial decision-making that links the concepts to five key principles of finance.

Authors Arthur J. Keown, John D. Martin, and Sheridan Titman have incorporated significant revisions that weave currency, relevance, and real-world issues into the pages of this well-know finance text.

The amount of data being generated, processed, and stored has reached unprecedented levels. Even during the recent economic crisis, there has been no slow down or information recession. Instead, the need to process, move, and store data has only increased. Consequently, IT organizations are looking to do more with what they have while supporting growth along with new services without compromising on cost and service delivery.

Cloud and Virtual Data Storage Networking, by savvy IT industry veteran Greg Schulz, looks at converging IT resources and management technologies for facilitating efficient and effective delivery of information services,

Money, banking, and financial markets play a central role in the economy by helping individuals, businesses, and governments manage and transfer funds. The book explains how the financial system works, why financial institutions exist, how interest rates are determined, and how central banks influence economic activity through monetary policy.

Key themes introduced include:

• The role of money: Money serves as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value.
• Financial markets: These markets connect savers with borrowers, allowing capital to be allocated efficiently.
• Financial institutions: Banks and other institutions facilitate lending, payments, and risk management.
• Interest rates: The book examines what determines interest rates and how they affect borrowing, spending, and investment.
• Central banking and monetary policy: It introduces how central

Available for the first time in Achieve, the highly respected Organic Chemistry, 7e is rooted in scholarly tradition, and informed by chemical education. Organic Chemistry helps students achieve a relational understanding of organic chemistry. Loudon and Parise emphasize how key organic chemistry concepts relate to one another through a functional group organization and mechanistic reasoning to help students understand the “why” of reactions. The 7th edition has been rigorously updated and continues to be a trusted reference for instructors, with the most up-to-date research and the highest standard of accuracy. Hallmark features including an elegant writing style, masterful problems, and biological applications are retained and enhanced by Achieve, Macmillan’s new online learning system. Achieve supports educators and students throughout the full flexible range of instruction, including resources to support learning of core concepts, visualization, problem-solving and assessment. Powerful analytics and instructor support resources in Achieve pair with exceptional Organic Chemistry content provides an unrivaled learning experience.

This text is designed to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of some of the essential concepts behind control system elements and operations, without the need of advanced math and theory. It also presents some of the practical details of how elements of a control system are designed and operated, such as would be gained from on-the-job experience. This edition includes treatment of modern fieldbus approaches to networked and distributed control systems. This middle ground of knowledge enables students to design the elements of a control system from a practical, working perspective, and comprehend how these elements affect overall system operation and tuning.

Debuting in its first edition, Communication Law is an engaging and accessible text that brings a fresh approach to the fundamentals of mass media law. Unique in its approach and its visually attractive design, this text differentiates itself from other current texts on the market while presenting students with key principles and landmark cases that establish and define communication law and regulation, providing a hands-on learning experience.

 Customer Service: Career Success through Customer Loyalty, provides a systematic process for building service skills that all business people need. Presented in a friendly, conversational manne

• The textbook introduces Spanish as a language for communication, emphasizing speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural understanding.
• It encourages students to use Spanish in real-life situations from the beginning, rather than only memorizing grammar rules.
• Students are introduced to the five language skills: interpersonal communication, interpretive reading and listening, presentational speaking and writing, cultural awareness, and language learning strategies.
• The introduction explains how the book is organized, including vocabulary sections, grammar explanations, pronunciation practice, cultural notes, and communicative activities.
• It highlights the importance of learning about the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world alongside the language.