The Book gives an excellent comparative account of these important central banks, while covering with detail the macroeconomic intricacies of monetary policy decision making in these nations. It also includes a fascinating and detailed exposure of the historical developments in these cntral banks. A must for anyone trying to understand the current global central bank framework.

Protecting The American Homeland: A Preliminary Analysis is a methodical and highly serious account, collaboratively written by a team of Brooking scholars (Michael E. O'Hanlon; Peter R. Orszag; Ivo H. Daalder; I. M. Destler; David L. Gunter; Robert E. Litan; James B. Steinberg), laying out a four-tiered plan to support the efforts of the Bush administration and Congress to ensure America's security from terrorists... Offering suggestions such as increasing federal spending on homeland security to ... and then upgrading the authority of the director of the Office of Homeland Security rather than create a new superagency, Protecting The American Homeland is a well-thought out and welcome contribution to the current national dialogue as it offers an important perspective for our post-911 national security needs.

Destler does a very good job of developing the history and background for the law. This is a must read for U. S. business executives as they plan for the next millennium in the global economy. Do you want 500 plus "local" politicians trying to negotiate a sound trade policy on their own (God forbid!). Let the President, with the guidance of the business community and Congress (a tenet of fast track) work together to ensure a national agenda and policy. NO AMENDMENTS, RIDERS, OR "PORK!"

I found this volume useful and informative. It deals primarily with how Congress and the president shape American trade relations. It also considers the role of other domestic factors, such as interest groups. Destler explains various general approaches to the study of how American policy-makers arrive at a particualr type of trade policy. The main target audience is graduate and undergraduate students in public policy, American politics, and international political economy,