One of the long-standing goals of the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) is the improvement of economic measurement and the data sources crucial to that measurement. In working toward that goal, recent CNSTAT panels have produced reports on price and cost-of-living indexes, poverty measurement, measurement of the economy’s government sector, and the design of environmental and natural resource accounts. The last report in this list, Nature’s Numbers, focused on goods and services associated with the environment, which are in many cases not transacted in markets and hence not captured in conventional economic accounts. That report did much to set the conceptual stage for this panel’s broader study of economic activities that are largely nonmarket in character.

This report is the product of contributions from many individuals. The project was sponsored by the Yale University Program on Nonmarket Accounts which, in turn, was funded by a grant from the Glaser Progress Foundation. The Yale program is directed by William Nordhaus, whose long history of pioneering research in this and related areas—dating back three decades to his work with James Tobin on measures of economic welfare and continuing through his chairing of the Nature’s Numbers panel—helped to establish the foundations for this panel’s work. Dr. Nordhaus, along with Martin Collier of the Glaser Progress Foundation, attended the first meeting and, in articulating their hopes for the study, helped the panel sharpen its vision of their charge. The panel is grateful also to Dan Melnick who served as liaison to the panel for the Yale Program and contributed valuable suggestions and points of clarification along the way.

Mobile Device Game Development explores game development tools and practices for the rapidly growing mobile device market. The text uses the AppForge® MobileVB SDK and Paint Shop Pro® in conjunction with Visual Basic® to create games that can be played on numerous mobile game devices(e.g., Palm, Nokia, and PocketPC). The book and companion CD-ROM include tutorials and sample games to provide the reader with hands-on experience in creating games such as slot machines, card games, baseball, children's games, and more. Also on the CD-ROM are graphics, sound effects, and source code. The book addresses specific content issues that arise when switching from a PC game programming environment to that of a smaller device, such as the creation of graphics for a small screen.

About the Author

Clayton E. Crooks II (Knoxville, TN) is a partner in Advanced Information Systems, a consulting company specializing in custom hardware and software solutions for education, small business, and government entities. His articles have appeared in Dr. Dobb¿s Journal, and he has recently published Awesome 3D Game Development: No Programming Required and Mobile Device Game Development.

Tales of Physicists and Mathematicians is a translation of a book that was published in Russia in 2001 and is based on articles that appeared from 1960–1980. The first edition of the book, less than half the size of the current one, was published in the Soviet Union in 1981 and in English in 1988. Thus the book has its own history, and I would like to  share some of the circumstances under which it appeared to the westernreader.

This was a time not only of a surprising flourishing of mathematics in the Soviet Union but also of its surprisingly great prestige in society, perhaps not seen since the time of Plato’s Academy in Athens. Mathematics attracted talented youth not only as an area where they could stretch themselves intellectually but also as one that minimized the influence of the official Marxist ideology that deeply penetrated into the lives of the “Soviet people.” The profession of scientist, and in particular of mathematician, carried great authority. Here is an interesting observation in this regard. Children of the top Communist elite, including some “members of the Politburo,” sometimes chose mathematics or another science as their professions, just as future kings often studied with Plato. Mathematics was lucky: it was never a personal “concern” of Stalin, as were biology, linguistics, and economics, which inevitably led to annihilating, punitive operations against them. In a fantasy of Solzhenitsyn, Stalin looked through a high school mathematics text, choosing the next science to be the subject of his concern. It is hard to imagine what would happen next. The opinion “upstairs” that a high level in the exact sciences was important for the military industry no doubt helped. Gradually, it became the fashion to have mathematicians in any serious organization. Often they enjoyed some freedom, but this is reminiscent of the freedom of the court jester. The comparative idyll between mathematicians and those in power ended in the late 1960s when many mathematicians signed a letter to the government defending their colleague Alexander Esenin-Volpin, who had been sent to a mental hospital for political reasons.

In this fully-revised fourth edition of what has long been the standard textbook for the field, Dr. Richard Abrams once again demonstrates his unique ability to analyze and present a wealth of new(and often technical) material in a lucid, compelling, and highly readable fashion. Hundreds of new clinical studies called from the more than 1500 published since the third edition appeared have been analyzed in depth and incorporated throughout the book.

An important new chapter has been added on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS) therapy, a treatment for depression that is widely-used in Europe and expected to become available soon for clinical use in the United States. Dr. Abrams exposes the scientific flaws in several widely-cited reports, while focusing on the few carefully-controlled studies that provide solid support for the results claimed.

The sections on the electrical stimulus, seizing introduction, seizure quality, and treatment electrode placement have been completely revised and updated with new information on those clinical and technical issues that are presently of greatest concern to practitioners and researchers. A comprehensive critical assessment of the nature of the seizure threshold and the validity of the stimulus titration method for ECT dosing is presented for the first time, with conclusions and recommendations that many will find surprising.

The continued controversy over the relative efficacies of unilateral and bitemporal ECT is revisited in light of the latest dosing strategies and treatment outcomes reported, and of the latest results obtained with bifrontal ECT. The potential clinical and theoretical advantages of the
recently-rediscovered technique of ultrabrief pulse therapy are explained in detail. The chapter on the memory and cognitive consequences of ECT has been expanded to focus on the subjective memory effects of treatment, with new analysis of the possible biological basis for the improvement in
subjective memory so often reported. Recently-published claims of persistent or permanent memory effects of ECT are refuted in detail.
In full accordance with the American Psychiatric Association's new guidelines for the practice of ECT, Dr. Abrams' book remains the essential practical guide and reference work for all those who prescribe, perform, or assist with ECT, or are interested in learning more about the subject.

About the Author

Richard Abrams is at The Chicago Medical School.

C++ for Business Programming, Second Edition is an introduction to C++ programming. The power of C++ lies in its object-oriented extensions of the C language. However, we believe that for beginning students it is best to learn the basics of programming without the extra encumbrance of having to learn object-oriented concepts. Therefore, the book is divided into two sections. Part I, "Basic C++," covers the procedural parts of C++. Part II, "Object-Oriented Programming," covers all the essential object-oriented ideas through inheritance and polymorphism.

Unlike most books on C++, which emphasize applications to computing or mathematics, this book emphasizes business applications. Therefore, the book is most appropriate for business and information systems students. The entire book can be covered in one semester in a class of students who have a good background in programming in another language. In such a class, it is possible to quickly cover the essential programming constructs from Part I and then concentrate on object-oriented concepts and programming in Part II. For students who have little programming experience, we suggest covering Part I in one semester and Part II in a second semester. The material in Part I can be supplemented as needed by material from Appendix A, "Computers and Data," and Appendix B, "Program Control."

Throughout the book, we emphasize good pedagogy.

Each chapter begins with a set of learning objectives.

Each chapter ends with a review section that includes important terms, a chapter summary, and review exercises.

Concepts are explained in clear, understandable language and are illustrated by many fully worked-out examples.

Important definitions, concepts, and rules are appropriately highlighted in notes.

Programming tips and pitfalls are noted in the margins of the text.

One of the best ways to learn a programming language is to read programs in that language. Therefore, every important idea is illustrated in an example program and accompanying output. There are approximately 150 complete programs in the text, each of which we very carefully explain.