Edward Elgar Publishing

The economics of experiences, the arts and entertainment.

Ake Andersson (economics, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden) and David Andersson (local development and management, Leader U., Taiwan) begin their introduction to the economic aspects of the production and consumption of art entertainment products with analyses of neoclassical production and utility functions. They then present alternative Austrian and institutional approaches that focus on the role of creative entrepreneurs in the market process. They conclude that analysis of the activities of interest groups, politicians and other gatekeepers to the art world can illuminate the way the designation "art" serves to abolish market prices and suppress competition. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Valuing complex natural resource systems; the case of the Lagoon of Venice.

The ten papers presented by Alberini (agricultural and resource economics, U. of Maryland, US), Rosato (civil engineering, U. of Trieste, Italy), and Turvani (planning, U. IUAV and School for Advanced Studies in Venice Foundation, Italy) together represent the results of a unified research project applying non-market contingent valuation methods for exploring environmental and resource use preferences regarding the Lagoon of Venice. The volume opens with surveys of different non-market valuation methods, later applying them to questions regarding environmental, recreational, industrial, land development, and fishing practices in and near the Lagoon. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)