Catalog All books
Dominique Reynié
Europeans in 2004
What does Europe's future hold? To answer this question, Dominique Reynié examines trends and developments in Europe's civil society, current events, and the debates and ideas currently under public discussion in the E.U. and in the rest of Europe. The information included here covers statistics and opinion polls; political events; political, economic and social issues; legal and constitutional questions; as well as European character traits, mind-sets and lifestyles. This is an indispensable work for anyone who wishes to become familiar with the reality of Europe in flux. Also included here is a unique synthesis of election results in all of Europe during the past year. Dominque Reynié teaches at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, in Paris, and is the director of the Observatoire Interrégional du Politique. He is most notably the author of Le Triomphe de l'Opinion Publique.
Pierre Buser
Neurophilosophy of the Brain Neurons That Aspire to Explain the Mind
A highly topical discussion, linked to the latest findings in the neurosciences: is it still relevant nowadays, given recent neurobiological research.
Jean-Paul Betbèze
French people's economic fear
France has economic possibilities, but it remains blocked in several areas. Although the country's leaders are aware of this, they seem unable to make the necessary reforms to move forward. France seems to be the prey of fears that paralyse it, but which have benefited a new class of economic as well as social rentiers who constitute a powerful economic, ideological and political group. These new rentiers are fully cognisant that the defence of their acquired privileges is not a practical long-term solution - as has been shown by rising deficits, decreased competitiveness and job losses. The author argues that it is necessary to make changes and implement reforms - and to do so it is essential to understand and overcome existing fears. It cannot be expected that everything will be changed at once, but some initial efforts must be made. The single reform that will fix everything does not exist, he says, but this is hardly an excuse for refusing to make a start. In other countries, programmes for economic reform are being implemented. Yet France is only beginning to consider such reforms. The object of this book is to provide a greater understanding of the present situation, in the form of a how-to manual. A ruthless analysis of some of France's psychological blocks, apprehensions and economic fears, this book can be regarded as a sort of economic psychotherapy. In addition, the author provides a critique of the false solutions that hinder modernisation and proposes his own solutions for change and reform. Jean-Paul Betbèze is a professor of economics at the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas and a member of the French prime minister's Council for Economic Analysis. He is a consultant to the president and the C.E.O. of a major bank and the author of Les Dix Commandements de la finance, which was awarded the Risques-Les Echos Prize in 2004.