"Though no one speaks about them, thrift conversions have been tremendously lucrative for savvy investors." If you dream of digging up hidden treasure in the stock market, you'll want to read this book. You're about to discover a niche that portfolio managers and top investment experts can't touch - even if they knew about it! It's an area you have a huge advantage on Wall Street. It's a place where the potential returns are high and the risks are low, and most of the stocks are acquired at a substantial premium. Here's your guide to these secret stocks: - Discover how to systematically uncover these hidden gems- Invest even before they go public- Find banks so cheap they're worth more dead than alive- Analyze how to buy them and what to look for - even let pro analysts value them for you- Get expert insight from investors who dominate this niche- Supercharge your returns by getting these top professionals to work for you - for free!This book provides step-by-step guidance for investors and offers case studies of current and past stocks. You'll have the tools to find attractive risk-adjusted returns in small banks. James F. Royal, Ph.D., got hooked on special situation investments after he discovered that the stock market sometimes gives away companies for free and occasionally even pays you to take them. He worked at The Motley Fool as an analyst managing a portfolio of spinoffs and thrift conversions. He has been investing in stocks for over 20 years and has a doctorate from the University of Florida.

During the first half of the twentieth century, Zen Buddhist leaders contributed actively to Japanese imperialism, giving rise to what has been termed "Imperial-Way Zen" (Kodo Zen). Its foremost critic was priest, professor, and activist Ichikawa Hakugen (1902–1986), who spent the decades following Japan’s surrender almost single-handedly chronicling Zen’s support of Japan’s imperialist regime and pressing the issue of Buddhist war responsibility. Ichikawa focused his critique on the Zen approach to religious liberation, the political ramifications of Buddhist metaphysical constructs, the traditional collaboration between Buddhism and governments in East Asia, the philosophical system of Nishida Kitaro (1876–1945), and the vestiges of State Shinto in postwar Japan. Despite the importance of Ichikawa’s writings, this volume is the first by any scholar to outline his critique. In addition to detailing the actions and ideology of Imperial-Way Zen and Ichikawa’s ripostes to them, Christopher Ives offers his own reflections on Buddhist ethics in light of the phenomenon. He devotes chapters to outlining Buddhist nationalism from the 1868 Meiji Restoration to 1945 and summarizing Ichikawa’s arguments about the causes of Imperial-Way Zen. After assessing Brian Victoria’s claim that Imperial-Way Zen was caused by the traditional connection between Zen and the samurai, Ives presents his own argument that Imperial-Way Zen can best be understood as a modern instance of Buddhism’s traditional role as protector of the realm. Turning to postwar Japan, Ives examines the extent to which Zen leaders have reflected on their wartime political stances and started to construct a critical Zen social ethic. Finally, he considers the resources Zen might offer its contemporary leaders as they pursue what they themselves have identified as a pressing task: ensuring that henceforth Zen will avoid becoming embroiled in international adventurism and instead dedicate itself to the promotion of peace and human rights. Lucid and balanced in its methodology and well grounded in textual analysis, Imperial-Way Zen will attract scholars, students, and others interested in Buddhism, ethics, Zen practice, and the cooptation of religion in the service of violence and imperialism.

Mr. Fortune is suspected of murdering his wife. Grijpstra and de Gier begin a search that leads to the unidentified corpse of a man stuffed into the trunk of a stolen Mercedes. But where is the body of Mrs. Fortune? Tracking a killer without a corpse and a corpse without a killer, the Amsterdam cops finally arrive at the bonechilling truth.

Quick! Name an industry that touches people's lives on an everyday or frequent basis. Perhaps you thought of grocery stores or something sexy like internet retailing, but chances are you didn't think of banking. Yet, most likely you interact with a bank every time you're paid and when you pay your bills. Banks facilitate the flow of money through the economy and even if you don't interact with a bank daily, the businesses you deal with on a daily basis do. For all the interaction people have with banks, few understand how they work or why they work. Even fewer understand why they should consider including bank stocks in their investment portfolio. There are a lot of misconceptions about banks, including understanding what they are and what they do. For many people the word "bank" evokes images of receiving a toaster upon opening an account, or thoughts of security related to the storing of precious items in a safety deposit box. Others might go further and tap their inner Michael Moore and talk about how banks are greedy and evil. It's our belief that banks aren't just places to store idle savings (on which you receive virtually nothing in interest) or to cash checks, but that they should be an integral part of an investor's portfolio. The goal of this book is to provide you with a foundation and framework with which you can both begin to understand banks, but also learn the basic tools used to analyze banks as investments.

**Selected for Doody's Core Titles® 2024 in Veterinary Medicine** Get practical answers from the only guide on the care of sheep, goats, and cervids! Authoritative yet easy to read, Sheep, Goat and Cervid Medicine, 3rd Edition covers all the latest advances in the field, including diseases and medical treatment, surgery, pain management, theriogenology, and nutrition. Clear instructions and hundreds of full-color photographs guide you step by step through common procedures including restraint for examination, administration of drugs, blood collection, and grooming. New to this edition is coverage of deer and elk medicine, reflecting the growing interest in these ruminants. Written by an expert team led by Dr. D.G. Pugh, this comprehensive reference is ideal for veterinarians and also for owners of sheep and goats. - Clear writing style and consistent organization makes the book easy to understand and use, with disease chapters including pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. - Coverage of both surgery and medicine in each body systems chapter makes it easier to choose between treatment options for specific disorders. - Superbly illustrated surgical procedures clearly demonstrate the steps to follow in performing medical and reproductive surgery. - Diverse, expert contributors include the most experienced authorities, each providing current information on the care of valuable breeding stock as well as pets. - Useful appendixes, now including veterinary feed directives, offer convenient access to information on drugs and drug dosages, fluid therapy, and normal values and conversions. - Consistent, logical format in each body systems chapter makes information easy to find by beginning with physical examination and diagnostic procedures, followed by discussions of common diseases that involve the system. - Comprehensive Feeding and Nutrition chapter covers diet evaluation, method of balancing rations, total parenteral nutrition, and examples of nutritious diets. - Explanation of the differences in normal behavior between sheep and goats shows how they are not the same, and require different methods of treatment. - NEW! Coverage of cervids has been added to chapters throughout the book, reflecting the growing popularity of deer and elk. - NEW! Thorough content updates are made throughout the book and reflect the latest research evidence. - NEW! 170 new clinical photos have been added. - NEW! Anesthesia and Pain Management chapter includes a new section on pain management strategies, reflecting the emphasis on controlling pain in small ruminants. - NEW! Expert Consult website offers an online version of the book, making it easy to search the entire book electronically. - NEW! Two new authors are respected and well-known veterinary medicine experts and educators: Dr. Misty Edmondson and Dr. Thomas Passler.

Contemporary Financial Intermediation, 4th Edition by Greenbaum, Thakor, and Boot continues to offer a distinctive approach to the study of financial markets and institutions by presenting an integrated portrait that puts information and economic reasoning at the core. Instead of primarily naming and describing markets, regulations, and institutions as is common, Contemporary Financial Intermediation explores the subtlety, plasticity and fragility of financial institutions and credit markets. In this new edition every chapter has been updated and pedagogical supplements have been enhanced. For the financial sector, the best preprofessional training explains the reasons why markets, institutions, and regulators evolve they do, why we suffer recurring financial crises occur and how we typically react to them. Our textbook demands more in terms of quantitative skills and analysis, but its ability to teach about the forces shaping the financial world is unmatched. - Updates and expands a legacy title in a valuable field - Holds a prominent position in a growing portfolio of finance textbooks - Teaches tactics on how to recognize and forecast fluctuations in financial markets

Mitigate risk and increase returns with an alternative hedge fund strategy Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition is the definitive guide to the ins and outs of the burgeoning merger arbitrage hedge fund strategy, with real-world examples that illustrate how mergers work and how to take advantage of them. Author Thomas Kirchner, founder of the Pennsylvania Avenue Event-Driven Fund, discusses the factors that drove him to invest solely in merger arbitrage and other event-driven strategies, and details the methods used to incorporate merger arbitrage into traditional investment strategies. And while there is always a risk that a deal will fall through, the book explains how minimal such risks really are when the potential upside is factored in. Early chapters of the book focus on the basics of the merger arbitrage strategy, including an examination of mergers and the incorporation of risk into the arbitrage decision. Following chapters detail deal structures, financing, and legal aspects to provide the type of in-depth knowledge required to execute an effective investment strategy. The updated second edition stresses new, increasingly relevant information like: Worldwide legal deal regimes UK takeover code UK takeover code global offspring Regulators around the world The book provides clear, concise guidance on critical considerations including leverage and options, shorting stocks, and legal recourse for inadequate merger consideration, allowing readers to feel confident about trying a new investment strategy. With simple benefits including diversification of risk and return streams, this alternative hedge fund strategy has a place in even the most traditional plan. Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition provides the information that gives investors an edge in the merger arbitrage arena.