Business, Finance & Law Books

18829 products


  • The Digital NBA

    University of Illinois Press The Digital NBA

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe National Basketball Association reaches a global audience via a multiplatform strategy that leverages its uncanny ability to connect fans to all things NBA. Steven Secular brings readers inside the league's global operations and traces the history of the NBA's approach to sports media from its 1980s embrace of cable through the streaming revolution of the twenty-first century. As fans around the world stream games and other league content, NBA teams incorporate foreign languages and cultures into broadcasts to boost their product's appeal to audiences in Brazil, China, and beyond. Secular's analysis reveals how the NBA continues to transform itself into a wildly successful media producer and distributor more akin to a streaming studio than the sports leagues of old even as its media partners and sponsors erase any notion of sports as a civic good. A timely look at a dynamic media landscape, The Digital NBA shows how the games we love became content first and sport a distant secondTrade Review“The book offers a timely and original contribution to an understanding of the current, highly managed transformation of the globally differentiated access to media content. Secular convincingly argues that in many respects the NBA is a frontrunner regarding its global media strategies and thus--similar to Netflix for fictional content--can be taken as a lens into the wider marketization and mediatization of sport in a global multi-platform environment.”--Markus Stauff, University of AmsterdamTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The International House of Hoops The Court: Event Production, Streaming Television, and the Glocalization of Live Sport The Venue: Silicon Valley, Public Finance, and the Arena as Media Platform The Wires: Dark Fiber, Satellites, and the Global Infrastructures of Streaming Sport The Office: The NBA’s Executive Operation as a Global Media Empire The Couch: At-Home Sport Spectatorship and the Multiplatform Viewing Environment Conclusion: The House That Hoops Built Notes Index

    1 in stock

    £17.59

  • Working with AI Real Stories of HumanMachine

    MIT Press Working with AI Real Stories of HumanMachine

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTwo management and technology experts show that AI is not a job destroyer, exploring worker-AI collaboration in real-world work settings.This book breaks through both the hype and the doom-and-gloom surrounding automation and the deployment of artificial intelligence-enabled—“smart”—systems at work. Management and technology experts Thomas Davenport and Steven Miller show that, contrary to widespread predictions, prescriptions, and denunciations, AI is not primarily a job destroyer. Rather, AI changes the way we work—by taking over some tasks but not entire jobs, freeing people to do other, more important and more challenging work. By offering detailed, real-world case studies of AI-augmented jobs in settings that range from finance to the factory floor, Davenport and Miller also show that AI in the workplace is not the stuff of futuristic speculation. It is happening now to many companies and workers.  These cases i

    1 in stock

    £27.20

  • Leadership as Masterpiece Creation

    MIT Press Leadership as Masterpiece Creation

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £22.95

  • Winning the Right Game

    MIT Press Winning the Right Game

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £19.55

  • The Culture of Western Europe  The Nineteenth and

    University of Wisconsin Press The Culture of Western Europe The Nineteenth and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisOriginating from the lectures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for which George Mosse would become famous, this book addresses, in accessible language, the key issues he saw as animating the movement of culture in Europe. This new edition restores the original 1961 illustrations and features a critical introduction by Anthony Steinhoff.Table of Contents List of Illustrations A Note on the Present Edition Acknowledgments A Critical Introduction by Anthony J. Steinhoff Introduction: Statement and Definitions THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, 1815–1870 1 The Changing Pace of Life 2 Romanticism: The Poetry of Life 3 Romanticism: Religion and Politics 4 Nationalism 5 Racism 6 The Challenge of Liberty 7 Liberalism on the Continent of Europe 8 Conservatism 9 Idealism Asserted and Rejected 10 The Development of Socialism 11 Marxism 12 The Science of Society FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: 1870–1918 13 Change in the Public Spirit of Europe 14 Romanticism and Idealism Transmitted 15 Christianity and Society 16 Freud and Psychoanalysis 17 Dissolving Certainties THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 18 Theories of the Elite 19 Freedom and the Intellectuals 20 Existentialism 21 Fascism 22 National Socialism and the Depersonalization of Man 23 Marxism and the Intellectuals 24 Confused Alternatives 25 Culture and Civilization: One Historian’s Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

    1 in stock

    £18.66

  • The Artist as Economist

    Yale University Press The Artist as Economist

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] singular and substantive contribution to the study of the dematerialization of art in a moment when both the capitalist world and its enemies were at a point of inflection, much as we are now.”—Marina Vishmidt, caa.reviews“Artist as Economist, in its exemplary equilibrium of specificity and breadth, is one of a number of recent publications that suggest the persistent virtue of thinking between and across contexts, not least when analysing the relationship between capitalism and culture.”—Niko Vicario, Art History“The Artist as Economist makes a vital contribution to the study of 1960s art, offering fascinating insights into the complex intersection of art and money, in all its material as well as abstract forms.”—Jo Applin, author of Lee Lozano: Not Working

    1 in stock

    £49.50

  • Custodians of the Internet

    Yale University Press Custodians of the Internet

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA revealing and gripping investigation into how social media platforms police what we post online—and the large societal impact of these decisionsTrade Review“[An] attentive analysis” – Corinna Canali, Tecnoscienza“Gillespie’s book is an important work in the documentation and analysis of content moderation and it will contribute significantly to shaping the landscape of future research in this domain” — Joseph Seering, ConvergenceFinalist for the 2019 PROSE awards, Media and Cultural Studies category"In this lively and entertaining book, Tarleton Gillespie shows us how social media regulate our speech in many different ways, some overt and some hidden. He explains why content moderation is not a peripheral function of social media, but central to their very existence."—Jack Balkin, Yale Law School“Online platforms are defining our technological landscape, shaping our lives online and off. Custodians of the Internet is the exquisitely-drawn map that shows us how they do it.”—Jonathan Zittrain, author of The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It“In this timely and important book, Gillespie deftly reveals the factors that shape social media platforms, and thus our world. Clear-eyed and incisive, a must-read for anyone interested in the influence of platforms, the forces that structure this influence, and crucially how to move forward.”—Zeynep Tufekci, contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and author of Twitter and Tear Gas"Truly stellar. Gillespie’s analysis deftly contextualizes moderation policies on social media platforms, and illuminates how the platforms' underlying values are baked into these policies. The result is essential reading."—Whitney M. Phillips, author of This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship Between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture“No one knows how digital platforms are shaping our lives better than Tarleton Gillespie. This book is an essential guide to the social and technical processes that animate our new media – and to the principles by which we might put them to more democratic ends.”—Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround: Multimedia and American Liberalism from World War II to the Psychedelic Sixties

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • ARS MECHANICA

    Yale University Press ARS MECHANICA

    Book SynopsisARS MECHANICA traces the comprehensive history of the Herstal Group, renowned worldwide through its brands FN Herstal, Browning, and Winchester. Almost 130 years of technological innovation and unique know-how has allowed the company to develop, manufacture and commercialize leading quality products

    £54.00

  • The Improvement Guide

    John Wiley & Sons Inc The Improvement Guide

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis new edition of this bestselling guide offers an integrated approach to process improvement that delivers quick and substantial results in quality and productivity in diverse settings.Table of Contents Foreword xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xviii The Authors xix Introduction: The Improvement Guide, Second Edition 01 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO IMPROVEMENT 13 Chapter One: Changes That Result in Improvement 15 Principles of Improvement 15 The Model for Improvement 23 Key Points from Chapter One 25 Chapter Two: Skills to Support Improvement 27 Supporting Change with Data 28 Developing a Change 35 Testing a Change 41 Implementing a Change 43 Spreading Improvements 44 The Human Side of Change 45 Key Points from Chapter Two 46 Chapter Three: Improvement Case Studies 49 Case Study 1: Improving the Morning Meeting 49 Case Study 2: Improving Service in a Dental Office 54 Case Study 3: Improving Methods for Teaching Biology 60 Case Study 4: Contamination in Shipping Drums 63 Case Study 5: Reducing Energy Use in School 66 Key Points from Chapter Three 71 PART TWO: METHODS FOR IMPROVEMENT 73 Chapter Four: The Science of Improvement 75 Profound Knowledge 76 Milestones in the Development of Profound Knowledge 85 Key Points from Chapter Four 88 Chapter Five: Using the Model for Improvement 89 What Are We Trying to Accomplish? 89 How Will We Know That a Change is an Improvement? 93 What Changes Can We Make That Will Result in Improvement? 96 The Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle 97 Using the Cycle to Build Knowledge 100 Key Points from Chapter Five 106 Chapter Six: Developing a Change 109 Some Typical Problems in Developing Changes 110 Reactive Versus Fundamental Change 111 Theory for Change 116 Methods for Developing Fundamental Change 120 Key Points from Chapter Six 136 Chapter Seven: Testing a Change 139 Applying the Science of Improvement to Testing 140 Principles for Testing a Change 144 Designs for Testing a Change 153 Strategies for Testing 168 Key Points from Chapter Seven 170 Chapter Eight: Implementing a Change 173 Testing a Change 174 Implementing a Change 174 Implementation as a Series of Cycles 175 Implementing Changes to Achieve and Maintain Improvement 179 The Social Aspects of Implementing a Change 186 Key Points from Chapter Eight 193 Chapter Nine: Spreading Improvements 195 A Framework for Spread 196 Phase for Organizational Readiness for Spread 197 Phase for Developing an Initial Spread Plan 205 Phase for Executing and Refining the Spread Plan 210 Key Points from Chapter Nine 216 Chapter Ten: Integrating Methods for the Improvement of Value 217 Eliminating Quality Problems 218 Reducing Costs While Maintaining or Improving Quality 224 Expanding the Expectations of Customers to Increase Demand 230 Developing an Environment Conducive to the Improvement of Value 235 Key Points from Chapter Ten 236 Chapter Eleven: Improving Large or Complex Systems 237 Project Setup and Management 239 Understanding the System and Developing High-Impact Changes 243 Testing and Learning Systems 250 Key Points from Chapter Eleven 262 Chapter Twelve: Case Studies of Improvement Efforts 263 Case Study 1: Reducing the Occurrence of No-Fault-Found Components 264 Case Study 2: Improving the Drill Process 269 Case Study 3: Reducing Infection and Mortality Rates in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit 276 Case Study 4: Improving Safety at a Manufacturing Plant 285 Case Study 5: Improving the Credentialing Process at CareOregon 291 Case Study 6: Improving Sales at a Specialty Chemical Company 292 Key Points from Chapter Twelve 305 PART THREE: IMPROVING VALUE AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY 307 Chapter Thirteen: Making the Improvement of Value a Business Strategy 309 Building the System of Improvement 312 Key Points from Chapter Thirteen 328 Chapter Fourteen: Developing Improvement Capability 331 Developing Improvement Capability in the Workforce 333 Organization to Support the Focus on Improvement 340 Development of Other Capabilities 343 Key Points from Chapter Fourteen 346 Sample Agendas for Getting Started, Sponsors, and Improvement Advisors 348 Development of Internal Improvement Advisors: Topical Agenda 352 APPENDIXES 355 Appendix A: A Resource Guide to Change Concepts 357 How to Use Change Concepts 358 The Change Concepts 363 Appendix B: Tools and Methods to Support Improvement 409 Methods and Tools for Viewing Systems and Processes 410 Methods and Tools for Gathering Information 417 Methods and Tools for Organizing Information 423 Methods and Tools for Understanding Variation 433 Methods and Tools for Understanding Relationships 440 Methods and Tools for Project Management 442 Standard Forms for Improvement Projects 445 Appendix C: The Model for Improvement and Other Roadmaps 453 Fundamental Questions for Improvement 454 Alternative Roadmaps for Improvement Projects 456 Summary 464 Notes 465 Index 479

    2 in stock

    £55.10

  • Systems Thinking

    John Wiley & Sons Inc Systems Thinking

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisToo often, managers are sold simple solutions to complex problems. But as many soon discover, simplicity is rarely effective in the face of complexity, change and diversity. Despite apparent promise, quick-fix panaceas fail because they are not holistic or creative enough. This book helps you in various stages in the study of Systems Thinking.Trade Review"Provides an excellent guide and introduction to systems thinking for students of management." (Professional Manager, March 2004) "...a very important contribution to the management and systems literature for its excellent blend of rigor and relevance..." (Review in the Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol 56 2005)Table of ContentsPreface xiii Introduction xix Part I Holism and Systems Practice 1 1 The Systems Language 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Philosophy 4 1.3 Biology 5 1.4 Control Engineering 7 1.5 Organization and Management Theory 9 1.6 The Physical Sciences 11 1.7 Why is the Systems Language so Powerful? 12 2 Applied Systems Thinking 15 2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Hard Systems Thinking 16 2.3 The Development of Applied Systems Thinking 17 2.4 The Main Strands of Applied Systems Thinking 24 2.5 Conclusion 28 3 Creativity and Systems 31 3.1 Introduction 31 3.2 Creativity and Metaphor 32 3.3 Creativity and Paradigms 37 3.4 Conclusion 39 Part II Systems Approaches 43 Type A Improving Goal Seeking and Viability 45 4 Hard Systems Thinking 47 4.1 Introduction 47 4.2 Description of Hard Systems Thinking 48 4.3 Hard Systems Thinking in Action 57 4.4 Critique of Hard Systems Thinking 60 4.5 The Value of Hard Systems Thinking to Managers 62 4.6 Conclusion 63 5 System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline 65 5.1 Introduction 65 5.2 Description of System Dynamics 66 5.3 System Dynamics in Action 74 5.4 Critique of System Dynamics 78 5.5 The Value of System Dynamics to Managers 82 5.6 Conclusion 83 6 Organizational Cybernetics 85 6.1 Introduction 85 6.2 Description of Organizational Cybernetics 86 6.3 Organizational Cybernetics in Action 101 6.4 Critique of Organizational Cybernetics 106 6.5 The Value of Organizational Cybernetics to Managers 109 6.6 Conclusion 110 7 Complexity Theory 113 7.1 Introduction 113 7.2 Description of Complexity Theory 114 7.3 Complexity Theory inAction 125 7.4 Critique of Complexity Theory 128 7.5 The Value of Complexity Theory to Managers 131 7.6 Conclusion 132 Type B Exploring Purposes 135 8 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing 137 8.1 Introduction 137 8.2 Description of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST) 138 8.3 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST) in Action 147 8.4 Critique of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST) 8.5 The Value of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST) to Managers 153 8.6 Conclusion 154 9 Interactive Planning 157 9.1 Introduction 157 9.2 Description of Interactive Planning 158 9.3 Interactive Planning in Action 168 9.4 Critique of Interactive Planning 174 9.5 The Value of Interactive Planning to Managers 177 9.6 Conclusion 178 10 Soft Systems Methodology 181 10.1 Introduction 181 10.2 Description of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) 182 10.3 Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) in Action 197 10.4 Critique of Soft SystemsMethodology (SSM) 202 10.5 The Value of Soft SystemsMethodology (SSM) to Managers 208 10.6 Conclusion 208 Type C Ensuring Fairness 211 11 Critical Systems Heuristics 213 11.1 Introduction 213 11.2 Description of Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) 214 11.3 Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) in Action 222 11.4 Critique of Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) 226 11.5 The Value of Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) to Managers 229 11.6 Conclusion 229 12 Team Syntegrity 233 12.1 Introduction 233 12.2 Description of Team Syntegrity 234 12.3 Team Syntegrity in Action 242 12.4 Critique of Team Syntegrity 247 12.5 The Value of Team Syntegrity to Managers 250 12.6 Conclusion 250 Type D Promoting Diversity 253 13 Postmodern Systems Thinking 255 13.1 Introduction 255 13.2 Description of Postmodern Systems Thinking 256 13.3 Postmodern Systems Thinking in Action 267 13.4 Critique of Postmodern Systems Thinking 269 13.5 The Value of Postmodern Systems Thinking to Managers 272 13.6 Conclusion 273 Part III Creative Holism 275 14 Total Systems Intervention 277 14.1 Introduction 277 14.2 Description of Total Systems Intervention (TSI) 278 14.3 Total Systems Intervention (TSI) in Action 289 14.4 Critique of Total Systems Intervention (TSI) 295 14.5 The Value of Total Systems Intervention (TSI) to Managers 297 14.6 Conclusion 298 15 Critical Systems Practice 301 15.1 Introduction 301 15.2 Description of Critical Systems Practice (CSP) 302 15.3 Critical Systems Practice (CSP) in Action 315 15.4 Critique of Critical Systems Practice (CSP) 321 15.5 The Value of Critical Systems Practice (CSP) to Managers 323 15.6 Conclusion 324 References 324 Conclusion 327 Index 329

    1 in stock

    £51.25

  • Food Politics

    University of California Press Food Politics

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisWe all witness, in advertising and on supermarket shelves, the fierce competition for our food dollars. In this title, the author reveals how the competition really works and how it affects our health. It illustrates food politics in action: watered-down government dietary advice, diet supplements promoted as if they were First Amendment rights.Trade Review"Combining the scientific background of a researcher and the skills of a teacher, [Nestle] has made a complex subject easy to understand." * New York Times *“The ironically named Nestle does for the entire food industry what Eric Schlosser did for fast food in Fast Food Nation—a scathing and sometimes shocking expose of an industry we have taken for granted. This award-winning book looks at how the sheer volume of food available in North America has created questionable marketing practices, to say the least.” * Toronto Globe & Mail *“A solid, important treatise. Taking the health effects as given, it details how food companies undermine public health and infiltrate institutions that are sworn to protect it. If, after Marxism’s demise, you need evidence of the pervasive complicity of government in the amassing of wealth by a few to the detriment of the many, look no further.” * American Prospect *“Nestle’s meticulous, nuanced account traces the connections between North America’s immense agricultural surpluses, industrial foods like infant formula and Hamburger Helper, the supersizing of fast foods, and declines in public health.” * Women's Review of Books *“In a country that is being targeted by a food industry that will make and market any product that sells, even to children, regardless of its nutritional value or its effect on health, Food Politics is required reading.” * Bloomsbury Review *“Nestle is simply one of the nation’s smartest and most influential authorities on nutrition and food policy.” * Sun-Sentinel *“Nestle covers more ground, wields greater authority, and has concrete, tough-minded recommendations for change.” * Seattle Weekly *"Food Politics is a book that deserves to change national and international attitudes, as Carson's Silent Spring did in the 1960s." * American Journal of Clinical Nutrition *"Nestle berates the food companies for going to great lengths to protect what she calls "techno-foods" by confusing the public regarding distinctions among foods, supplements, and drugs, thus making it difficult for federal regulators to guard the public. She urges readers to inform themselves, choose foods wisely, demand ethical behavior and scientific honesty, and promote better cooperation among industry and government. This provocative work will cause quite a stir in food industry circles. Highly recommended." * Library Journal *"In her exquisitely researched book, Nestle details how the food industry’s tendrils have reached into every aspect of nutritionists’ work and are suffocating its public health goals. Food Politics provides rich case studies of how the industry infiltrates nutrition departments at universities and federal agencies and intermingles unabashedly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)." * Health Education & Behavior *"In the tradition of Upton Sinclair, Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, Nestle exposes the dark side of food. A life-giving substance, food can kill us, and Nestle never loses sight of the seriousness of this issue throughout the text." * Food Anthropology *“Food Politics is a well-researched, thoughtful, and angry book. Nestle is most eloquent in her analyses of the relationship between government and industry. . . . An invaluable addition to the literature.” * Technology and Culture *Table of ContentsForeword by Michael Pollan Preface to the 2007 Edition First Edition Introduction: The Food Industry and “Eat More” PART ONE UNDERMINING DIETARY ADVICE 1. From “Eat More” to “Eat Less,” 1900–1990 2. Politics versus Science: Opposing the Food Pyramid, 1991–1992 3. “Deconstructing” Dietary Advice PART TWO WORKING THE SYSTEM 4. Influencing Government: Food Lobbies and Lobbyists 5. Co-opting Nutrition Professionals 6. Winning Friends, Disarming Critics 7. Playing Hardball: Legal and Not PART THREE EXPLOITING KIDS, CORRUPTING SCHOOLS 8. Starting Early: Underage Consumers 9. Pushing Soft Drinks: “Pouring Rights” PART FOUR DEREGULATING DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS 10. Science versus Supplements: “A Gulf of Mutual Incomprehension” 11. Making Health Claims Legal: The Supplement Industry’s War with the FDA 12. Deregulation and Its Consequences PART FIVE INVENTING TECHNO-FOODS 13. Go Forth and Fortify 14. Beyond Fortification: Making Foods Functional 15. Selling the Ultimate Techno-Food: Olestra Conclusion: The Politics of Food Choice Afterword: Food Politics: Five Years Later and Beyond Appendix: Issues in Nutrition and Nutrition Research Notes List of Tables List of Figures Index

    20 in stock

    £22.50

  • Revolutionary Nonviolence

    University of California Press Revolutionary Nonviolence

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA persuasive account of the philosophy and power of nonviolence organizing, and a resource for building and sustaining effective social movements. Despite the rich history of nonviolent philosophy, many people today are unfamiliar with the basic principles and practices of nonviolenceeven as these concepts have guided so many direct-action movements to overturn forms of racial apartheid, military and police violence, and dictatorships around the world.Revolutionary Nonviolence is a crucial resource on the long history of nonviolent philosophy through the teachings of Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., one of the great practitioners of revolution through deliberate and sustained nonviolence. His ongoing work demonstrates how we can overcome violence and oppression through organized direct action, presenting a powerful roadmap for a new generation of activists. Rev. Lawson's work as a theologian, pastor, and social-change activist has inspired hope and liberation for more than sixty years.Trade Review"A ‘how to’ guide for the next generation." * Christian Science Monitor *"This book is both easy to read and deeply inspiring. It is among the best introductions to the philosophy of the nonviolent movement. . . . Highly recommended." * CHOICE *"Rev. Lawson wants us to think big. . . .What he offers...is a huge helping of wisdom. Lawson also offers a method, derived from Gandhi, King, and his own experience in movements for freedom, peace and economic justice." * Fellowship Magazine *Table of ContentsForeword by Angela Davis Preface Introduction to James M. Lawson's Talks, Dialogues, and Interviews Michael K. Honey 1 The Power of Nonviolence in the Fight for Racial Justice 2 Understanding Violence and Nonviolence 3 Steps of a Nonviolent Protest or Movement 4 Examples of Social Change through Nonviolence 5 Where Do We Go from Here? 6 You Have to Do the Truth Part First: A Dialogue between Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. and Bryan Stevenson 7 A Brief Biography of James M. Lawson Jr. Kent Wong Notes Contributing Authors

    4 in stock

    £15.29

  • The End of Burnout

    University of California Press The End of Burnout

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisGoing beyond the how and why of burnout, a former tenured professor combines academic methods and first-person experience to propose new ways for resisting our cultural obsession with work and transforming our vision of human flourishing. Burnout has become our go-to term for talking about the pressure and dissatisfaction we experience at work. But in the absence of understanding what burnout means, the discourse often does little to help workers who suffer from exhaustion and despair. Jonathan Malesic was a burned out worker who escaped by quitting his job as a tenured professor. In The End of Burnout, he dives into the history and psychology of burnout, traces the origin of the high ideals we bring to our jobs, and profiles the individuals and communities who are already resisting our cultural commitment to constant work. In The End of Burnout, Malesic traces his own history as someone who burned out of a tenured job to frame this rigorous investigation of how and why so many of us feel worn out, alienated, and useless in our work. Through research on the science, culture, and philosophy of burnout, Malesic explores the gap between our vocation and our jobs, and between the ideals we have for work and the reality of what we have to do. He eschews the usual prevailing wisdom in confronting burnout (Learn to say no! Practice mindfulness!) to examine how our jobs have been constructed as a symbol of our value and our total identity. Beyond looking at what drives burnoutunfairness, a lack of autonomy, a breakdown of community, mismatches of valuesthis book spotlights groups that are addressing these failures of ethics. We can look to communities of monks, employees of a Dallas nonprofit, intense hobbyists, and artists with disabilities to see the possibilities for resisting a total work environment and the paths to recognizing the dignity of workers and nonworkers alike. In this critical yet deeply humane book, Malesic offers the vocabulary we need to recognize burnout, overcome burnout culture, and acknowledge the dignity of workers and nonworkers alike.Trade Review "A moving examination of a flawed approach to work that suggests a society-wide means of dismantling the problem." * ForeWord Reviews *"In mixing Thoreau with papal encyclicals, feminist thinkers with aristocratic philosophers, [Malesic] makes a persuasive case for the reorientation of our ideals surrounding work, and the proposition, catholic in every sense of the term, that acknowledgement of human dignity must precede any ability to demonstrate it." * The Bulwark *"His acutely felt investigation of work burnout as an ‘ailment of the soul’ makes his the more thought-provoking and substantial of these two books." * TLS *"Jonathan Malesic’s intelligent and careful study,The End of Burnout, brings clarity to a muddled discussion." * The Baffler *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction I   Burnout Culture 1. Everyone Is Burned Out, But No One Knows What That Means 2. Burnout: The First 2,000 Years 3. The Burnout Spectrum 4. How Jobs Have Gotten Worse in the Age of Burnout 5. Work Saints and Work Martyrs: The Problem with Our Ideals II   Counterculture 6. We Can Have It All: A New Vision of the Good Life 7. How Benedictines Tame the Demons of Work 8. Varieties of Anti-Burnout Experience Conclusion: Nonessential Work in a Post-Pandemic World Notes Index

    15 in stock

    £18.90

  • Imagined Futures

    Harvard University Press Imagined Futures

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisConsumers, investors, and corporations orient their activities toward a future that contains opportunities and risks. How do these actors assess uncertainty? Jens Beckert adds a new chapter to the theory of capitalism by showing how fictional expectations drive modern economies—or throw them into crisis when imagined futures fail to materialize.Trade ReviewBeckert’s breathtaking, erudite new book illuminates what is distinctive about modern capitalism. Traditional societies were oriented to the past and the never-ending replication of the social order—today everything we do is based on imagined futures comprising fictions about how the world might be. We innovate, build entire industries, and invest based on what we can envision. We are often wrong, but Beckert argues passionately that Homo economicus is far from a calculating actor who bases decisions on hard evidence—he is a fantasist and visionary. -- Frank Dobbin, Harvard UniversityMuch of the literature in the sociology of markets has focused on making sense of the social structuring of markets by governments, firms, networks, and market devices. Jens Beckert’s book reminds us that the people who produce markets have to figure out what the future is like in order to build it. This act of imagination and the leap into an uncertain future is at the core of the dynamics of markets, entrepreneurship, and the creation of new markets. His provocative book considers how the role of imagining the future affects money and credit, investment, innovation, and consumption. -- Neil Fligstein, University of California, BerkeleyHow do we—as consumers and creators, investors and economic actors—approach the unknowability of future markets? [Beckert] mounts an original argument that our fictional expectations, collectively-held images, and finally dreams of the future not only guide our forecasts and choices but generate actual economic activity. -- David Slocum * Forbes.com *[Beckert] makes a thorough, exhaustively documented argument in support of what many have suspected about capitalism: It's a castle in the air, built on fantasy shading into fraud. He makes a compelling case that no corner of the market is untouched by the process of generating imagined futures. The novelty of his work lies in offering a way to understand that process as a social system in which everyone, from individuals to institutions, is implicated. Among the most daring and distinctive aspects of this book is Beckert's argument that literary theory can be used to analyze phenomena that economics has been unable to explain or predict…Beckert does for modern denizens of capitalism what Toto did for Dorothy and her companions in The Wizard of Oz: He pulls back the curtain on the great spectacle that has long enchanted, bewildered, and frightened so many. -- Brooke Harrington * The Atlantic *Imagined Futures achieves its objective of making a case for the significance of fictional expectations and their necessary (presumably insufficient) role in the capitalist system in a manner not previously done before. The book is therefore a great contribution to our knowledge about the sociological sources of psychological processes in knowledge creation. -- Mehmet Kerem Coban * LSE Review of Books *

    7 in stock

    £32.26

  • The Pecking Order  Social Hierarchy as a

    Harvard University Press The Pecking Order Social Hierarchy as a

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow do we justify our political convictions? Libertarians appeal to a love of freedom, liberals to a dedication to fairness. Niko Kolodny, however, argues that neither value actually makes sense of our avowed convictions. Instead, what drives much of our politics is an opposition to social hierarchy.Trade ReviewThe Pecking Order provides a powerful articulation and defense of its master idea of noninferiority. That idea is already percolating through political philosophy, but nobody has done anything like the systematic development of it that Kolodny achieves. This book stands out for its ability to animate so many different debates in political philosophy through a single idea, deploying it to address a wider range and variety of moral and political phenomena. Carefully argued, clearly written, and remarkable for both the depth of its analysis and the scope of its engagement, Kolodny’s book is one that everyone working in political philosophy and many in democratic theory will want to read. -- Arthur Ripstein, author of Force and FreedomIn this far-reaching study, Niko Kolodny illuminates everyone’s fundamental interest in being an equal. The claim against hierarchy—against being socially subordinate to others—is offered as a key to more stuck doors in political philosophy than other time-honored projects around freedom and equality, liberalism, and democracy. Relentless in method and vivid in style, the book will be widely studied, and rightly so. -- David Estlund, author of UtopophobiaThis book is smart, provocative, timely, and deeply informed. It engages and carries to a new level of clarity and sophistication a set of themes associated with social egalitarianism. It also offers as comprehensive a critical view of central themes in recent democratic theory as I can imagine. Reading The Pecking Order is a rare and bracing experience. -- Charles R. Beitz, author of The Idea of Human RightsSocial and political discourse is full of claims about what we owe each other and why. In this compelling book, a perceptive philosopher argues that much of that talk is grounded in our shared aversion to subordination. In his hands, the principle of ‘noninferiority’ provides a powerful touchstone for assessing contentious issues ranging from the limits of authority in the workplace to the reach of the welfare state and the role of money in politics. -- Larry M. Bartels, author of Unequal Democracy and Democracy for Realists

    15 in stock

    £39.06

  • The Burnout Challenge

    Harvard University Press The Burnout Challenge

    Book SynopsisSolutions to workplace burnout often involve victim-blaming: Stressed? Try therapy—or a new job. But burnout is a sign of defective workplaces, not workers. Drawing on decades of research, Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter show managers how to recognize burnout and fix problems cost-effectively, improving employees’ productivity and health.Trade ReviewBurnout seems to be everyone’s problem, and this book has solutions. As trailblazers in burnout research, Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter didn’t just clear the path to study the causes—they’ve also discovered some of the cures. -- Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think AgainAspiring and even experienced leaders often don’t know that in order to make sustainable change for both employees and the overall organization, burnout must be a core focus. From experts in burnout research, The Burnout Challenge offers tips and tools needed to evaluate problems and implement solutions. Vital reading for today’s and tomorrow’s leaders. -- Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive GlobalMaslach and Leiter’s crucial insight is that characterizing burnout as a personal issue prevents us from finding lasting solutions. A thoughtful and well researched book about a core issue at the heart of the great resignation. If you want to overcome labour shortage issues, this book helps you create a work environment which does not overwhelm people. Sounds simpler than it is. -- Christian Stadler * Forbes *Provides the path to creating a better world of work where people can flourish rather than get beaten down. -- Marcel Schwantes * Inc. *The Burnout Challenge will help managers everywhere better understand burnout…This book serves as a wise canary for workers and managers in any organization. -- David Kee * Current *Maslach and Leiter highlight how the way many people are being expected to work is running them into the ground and that the negative feelings come from six key mismatches…The book then goes on to offer ways to measure and address the problem, providing advice on how to create better matches—redesigning work, for example, using actual design principles, such as balance, unity, and rhythm. * Financial Times *The authors use accessible language, many analogies, examples and cases, a compelling narrative style, and helpful bar graphs. This book is well suited to scholars and practitioners interested in change management, burnout, work–life balance, person–job fit, and engagement in the workplace. * Choice *[Maslach and Leiter] offer a well-grounded examination of the causes of widespread job dissatisfaction and burnout along with proposals for solutions…Thoughtful advice for managers and employers. * Kirkus Reviews *This book proposes a thoughtful approach to tackling a common and serious workplace problem. * Library Journal *With the Great Resignation looming large, this timely, practical guide is worth a look for business leaders aiming to foster a healthy workplace. * Publishers Weekly *A legendary and lasting contribution from two luminaries of burnout research. As we face a growing rampage of workplace stressors, this book offers concrete, actionable solutions for leaders at every level, reminding us that meaningful innovation can only occur at the speed of trust. -- Thom Mayer, Medical Director for the NFL Players AssociationMaslach and Leiter are the leading scholars on this timely subject, and their research takes today’s necessary discussions about the nature of the workplace to a new level. This outstanding book will make a substantial impact. -- Professor Sir Cary Cooper, University of ManchesterManaging burnout is one of the most important responsibilities of the twenty-first-century leader. Full of practical tips and tools to do just this, The Burnout Challenge is an essential resource for the leaders of today—and the aspiring leaders of tomorrow. -- Tasha Eurich, author of Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We ThinkUltimately, Maslach and Leiter are hopeful. The world seems much more receptive to their research now after the pandemic shredded so many assumptions about the way work happens. -- Jo Constantz * Bloomberg *

    £21.56

  • The End of Astronauts

    Harvard University Press The End of Astronauts

    Book SynopsisHuman space journeys are awe-inspiring but risky and immensely expensive. Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees argue that science calls for leaving space exploration to AI-guided robots, since robots range more widely and see more than any human can. Humanity’s future in space must await decisions based on results from our ever-better machines.Trade ReviewThe End of Astronauts offers exquisitely formulated arguments in support of robotic exploration in space. Along the way, Goldsmith and Rees occasionally tell us what we don’t want to know, but in the end we find ourselves compelled to agree with them. -- Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate FrontierA must-read for anyone wishing to debate about the human future in space. With clarity, wit, and breathtaking knowledge, Goldsmith and Rees tell of the dangers never hinted at in idyllic images of human settlement. There is a more direct route to the stars and this fascinating book plots that course with powerful, reasoned argument. -- Ann Druyan, Emmy Award–winning writer, director, and producer of CosmosA delightfully lucid and succinct manifesto for reforming science policy…Evidently passionate in their conviction that robots should be the ones to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before, they present their case soberly and systematically, carefully evaluating counterarguments. -- Patricia Fara * Literary Review *Informs us about the full cost of human space exploration and how AI and robotic missions deserve their place in this story. It’s a terrific read and an invaluable reference in the debate of human versus robotic spaceflight. * BBC Sky at Night *Explain[s] why we should give up on manned space exploration…For anyone seriously interested in space exploration, this slaughter of impractical ideas in The End of Astronauts will be welcome. -- Simon Ings * The Times *Argue[s] that, given the vast distances and the dangers involved in space travel, it is robots, not humans, that will lead us to the stars. * New Scientist *Make[s] a convincing case that blasting humans into space has become a wasteful indulgence. Far more can be accomplished by robotic missions of scientific discovery. -- John Thornhill * Financial Times *Thought-provoking…Goldsmith and Rees make a compelling case for robotics over astronauts. -- Bruce Dorminey * Forbes *In this refreshingly no-nonsense brief, [Goldsmith and Rees] take a sharp-focused look at the hyperbolic aspirations of space enthusiasts who promote colonies on the Moon and Mars as the next great step for mankind…In the half century since the last footprint on the Moon, humans haven’t boldly gone any further, while robot explorers have been very busy. -- Laurence A. Marschall * Natural History *A provocative primer on the future of space travel. * Publishers Weekly *A readable and useful contribution to this longstanding debate. -- James B. Meigs * Wall Street Journal *Martin Rees has always thought outside the box, and now he and Donald Goldsmith are thinking outside the boundaries of Earth. Just the way a telescope can let us see across a vast distance without leaving where we are, they show how modern machines and machine learning will take us across the solar system without having to phone home. -- Alan Alda, actor, author, and advocate for science communication[A] thought-provoking vision of the coming decades in space exploration. -- Andrew Robinson * Physics World *One big advantage of crewed space missions is the human intelligence embodied by the astronauts—but does this benefit outweigh the costs? How far are robots from catching up to human capabilities in space? These are the sorts of questions that astrophysicists Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees ask in The End of Astronauts, examining the pros and cons of proposals for human exploration in the Solar System. * Nature Astronomy *What is so interesting about this book is how it constructs or deconstructs, depending on your view, the evidence for continuing the process of sending astronauts into space…It is exceptionally well written and cleverly split into well thought out chapters. It most importantly provides evidence without siding one way or the other. * Physics Education *Is there a balance to be struck between our species’ obsession with space and the constraints, dangers, and cost of human exploration? This utterly fascinating yet soberly realistic examination lays out our options for how to explore the solar system in the coming decades. -- Jim Al-Khalili, author of The World According to PhysicsA thoughtful, clear, and informed opinion on how space science and space exploration should be conducted in the future. Goldsmith and Rees treat the question of whether there will still be a role for humans in crewed spacecraft thoroughly and methodically, and the result is a fascinating read. -- Mario Livio, author of Galileo and the Science DeniersA boom in space tourism may loft more people into the heavens than ever before. But robotic probes powered by artificial intelligence are already more capable—and improving fast. Donald Goldsmith’s excellent writing draws on deep insights from renowned astrophysicist and futurist Martin Rees, making this the most thoughtful, provocative book yet about humanity’s future in space. -- Nathan Myhrvold, Founder and CEO, Intellectual Ventures, and former Chief Technology Officer, MicrosoftMeticulous and vivid. Goldsmith and Rees paint a striking picture of the future of space exploration, one that might surprise you! -- Jaan Tallinn, cofounder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and the Future of Life InstituteA provoking argument for space exploration sans astronauts…A tour de force of well-written, compelling rationales. The authors believe that beyond low-Earth orbit, space exploration should proceed without humans. -- Leonard David * Inside Outer Space *Imagines a future where frugal humans can have their cosmic cake and eat it too—as long as they don't mind robot bakers…The book's main argument is convincing. Robots offer more bang for the buck, not just because they cost less but also because they can do a lot. If, eventually, robots are able to do nearly everything astronauts currently can, sending people into space may well become pure vanity. -- Mike Riggs * Reason *

    £19.76

  • Growth for Good

    Harvard University Press Growth for Good

    Book SynopsisThe current model of economic expansion driven by fossil fuels is unsustainable, leading many to toy with the idea of ditching growth to save the planet. But, as Alessio Terzi argues, a post-growth world would be prone to catastrophes no less serious than climate change itself. Luckily, with the right policies, growth can be made earth-friendly.Trade ReviewCalls for an energy transition that doesn’t reject growth but does involve more government support, international coordination and social cohesion to ensure nobody gets left behind. -- Lionel Laurent * Bloomberg *[This book] shows what is at stake in the debate surrounding the relationship between the economic system and the environment. Policymakers and those working in environmental sociology and economics will find this book particularly fruitful. -- Yusuf Murteza * LSE Review of Books *Terzi persuasively demonstrates an idealistic argument that the capitalist growth imperative, or market expansion, can be harnessed for good, with the support of governments, international coordination and social cohesion…A welcome addition to the debate on the future of capitalism. -- Kate O'Reilly * International Affairs *This is an essential book for the students, professionals, and people engaged in the debate around green growth in the context of rising climate-led extreme events…Path-breaking. -- Anjal Prakash * Economic & Political Weekly *Growth for Good is a thought-provoking state-of-the-art depiction of the cleavages between our economic model, society and the fight against climate change. With his clear and concise analysis, Terzi makes a refreshingly holistic but pragmatic contribution to a debate that is riddled with normative and idealistic theories. Even more importantly, the book provides a tangible agenda for how governments, businesses and citizens can work together to transform capitalism into a force for good. -- Lucas Resenda Carvalho * Progressive Post *Are capitalism and economic growth the source of humanity’s most pressing problems—climate change in particular—or the solution? Whichever way you come out on this question, this book will be a revelation. Terzi’s optimistic and compelling message is that a green and more equitable future is possible, but only if we remake capitalism as we know it. -- Dani Rodrik, author of The Globalization ParadoxThis important book takes the reader on a journey through economic history to conclude that people, planet, and prosperity are not only compatible—they are inseparable. A must-read for policymakers, and anyone interested in fighting climate change. -- Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy and former Prime Minister of ItalyThis book is an extremely readable guide as to both why we need to treat climate change so much more seriously as well as why such a path might deliver better sustainable and fairer economic growth. -- Jim O’Neill, Member of the House of Lords of the United KingdomA spirited defense (against degrowthers) of the need for growth…Growth for Good does an excellent job of pointing out the silences and the inconsistencies in degrowth arguments. -- Diane Coyle * Enlightened Economist *Terzi thoughtfully engages with the ‘degrowth movement’…Although he acknowledges the urgent need to attend to climate change and income inequality, he makes the case that only the resources made available by an expanding market economy will suffice to address these problems. -- Barry Eichengreen * Foreign Affairs *Growth for Good is thought-provoking and important, and builds a compelling case by linking the literature on economic growth, inequality, and climate change. I hope this book reaches the hands of economic advisors of key politicians and persuades them to embrace the future. -- Roger Fouquet, editor of Handbook on Green GrowthDrawing knowledge from economic history and beyond, Alessio Terzi passionately argues that economic growth can and should be made compatible with a greener future for our planet and that capitalism can become a precious ally to this end. A must-read. -- Sascha O. Becker, Monash University

    £22.46

  • Capitalism Alone

    Harvard University Press Capitalism Alone

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA brilliant sequel to the pathbreaking Global Inequality. Drawing on original research and a typically wide sweep of history, Branko Milanovic poses all the important questions about our future. -- Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United KingdomBranko Milanovic, a master economic statistician, here divides modern capitalism broadly into two versions: the ‘liberal’ one found in the West, and the ‘political’ one that has emerged in China. In this searching and richly argued work he weighs the choices we face and discusses whether the future may lie with one version, alone. -- James K. Galbraith, author of The End of NormalLeaves little doubt that the social contract no longer holds. Whether you live in Beijing or New York, the time for renegotiation is approaching. -- Edward Luce * Financial Times *Countries with larger tax cuts experienced bigger increases in inequality… [The consequences] are richly detailed in Capitalism, Alone… Builds on Milanovic’s previous book, Global Inequality… Ideally the two should be read together… [Milanovic] belongs to a new generation of data-driven economists who have helped track what has happened to income distribution in recent years. -- Liaquat Ahamed * New Yorker *Milanovic outlines a taxonomy of capitalisms and traces their evolution from classical capitalism before 1914, through the social-democratic capitalism of the mid-20th century, to ‘liberal meritocratic capitalism’ in much of the rich world, in particular America. He contrasts this with the ‘political capitalism’ found in many emerging countries, with China as the exemplar. These two capitalistic forms now dominate the global landscape. Their co-evolution will shape world history for decades to come. * The Economist *Few economists can compete with [Milanovic’s] stunning erudition, or with his skill in weaving together seemingly disparate figures with complex philosophical ideas to produce a coherent thesis that feels highly relevant to our troubled times. Capitalism, Alone is one of the most ambitious economics books published this year, in terms of its breadth and scope, and definitely one of the most fascinating. * ProMarket *The book is erudite, illuminating…Milanovic is well credentialed to take on this large and daunting subject…Scholarly and festooned with data, but also narrative in style and engaging to read…Milanovic chronicles the rise of authoritarian capitalism, both in nations that once epitomized liberal capitalism such as the U.S. and in countries like China, which are partly capitalist but show no signs of turning liberal…As a virtuoso economist, Milanovic is superb when he is compiling and assessing data. -- Robert Kuttner * New York Review of Books *A remarkable book, possibly the author’s most comprehensive opus so far…I highly recommend Capitalism, Alone to all readers and scholars interested in challenging their understanding of the (supposed) sole socio-economic system we live in. -- Roberto Iacono * LSE Review of Books *An extraordinarily valuable book for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of current topics in economic research and their bearing on policy debates. -- Matt Mazewski * Commonweal *May turn out to be a seminal work on the fin de siècle de capitalisme…His conclusions and concepts, make extraordinary contributions to considerations of the state of capitalism. * Business Day *A scholar of inequality warns that while capitalism may have seen off rival economic systems, the survival of liberal democracies is anything but assured. The amoral pursuit of profit in more liberal capitalist societies has eroded the ethical norms that help sustain openness and democracy, he argues; now that tendency threatens to push such places in the direction of more authoritarian capitalist societies, such as China. * The Economist *This fascinating book offers a big-picture view of economic and social history over the past two centuries…But Milanovic is not confident that a more equal capitalism will emerge. -- Richard N. Cooper * Foreign Affairs *An ambitious and provocative examination of the present and the future of capitalism. It is a valuable, data-rich, and thoughtful addition to several recent books examining the challenges facing this economic system…Milanovic says that while capitalism cannot be replaced—at least in the foreseeable future—it can be improved. -- Zia Qureshi * Finance & Development *Attempts to make sense of the new world order and what could come of it. For that, it deserves to be read…An interesting and important read about the state of capitalism today and the directions it may take in the future. Milanovic’s history of focusing on economic data—rather than simplistic theory—and his healthy skepticism of meritocratic capitalism ensure that Capitalism, Alone will inform and provoke readers. * New York Journal of Books *Capitalism, Alone is an excellent work that covers a broad swath of the history of modern capitalism. -- Edward Wolff, author of A Century of Wealth in AmericaMilanovic has written what may be his most ambitious book yet. Featuring his trademark clarity and erudition, Capitalism, Alone contains wide-ranging and thoughtful insights into the nature of capitalism as it is currently structured and considers how it will evolve in the coming century. -- Arjun Jayadev, Azim Premji UniversityBranko Milanovic, the master narrator of global equality, brings an entirely new perspective to the topic in this remarkably astute book. By tracing the deep and evolving ideological foundations of capitalism and communism and analyzing the rise of Asia and particularly China, he contributes thought-provoking insights on the critical role of institutions and ideology for the long-term prospects of global economies. -- Debin Ma, London School of Economics and Political ScienceWhen politicians, pundits, and academics speak of a growing competition, or even a New Cold War, between the United States and China, one thing that is not asked enough is what is being competed for. Likewise, when we speak of an ‘American’ or ‘Western’ model, in contrast to a ‘Chinese’ one, it is worth asking what or who exactly is being modeled, and to what end. One of the virtues of Branko Milanović’s new book, Capitalism, Alone, is that it addresses these questions head-on and with useful insights and results. -- Nils Gilman * American Interest *Milanovic gives an impressive amount of space and effort in his book to provide a thorough analysis of the role of corruption in globalization…What I have always most valued about Branko Milanovic is his willingness to follow his intuition to open up new aspects of the political discussion. I may not agree with him on some issues, but I always come away greatly enriched by the experience. -- Mathew D. Rose * Brave New Europe *A data-rich, provocative account of where capitalism is today and where it may be headed. -- Samuel Hammond * Quillette *A gift to those of us grappling with economic and political inequality, as we seek ways to promote a fairer and more productive, sustainable society. -- Tim Page * Trades Union Congress (TUC) blog *[The] first three chapters are brilliant, original and make for gripping reading…Relish the erudition and panache. -- Duncan Green * From Poverty to Power *An excellent new book on the past, present, and future of economic systems. -- Umair Javed * Dawn *Milanovic writes as a good teacher, telling us what is coming, sharing the content, and then reminding us what we just learned. He takes the reader on diverting side journeys into the history of communism, the implausibility of a universal basic income, and even a brief summary from first principles of the past development and possible trajectories of Western liberal capitalism. The effect can be both exhilarating and overwhelming…Capitalism, Alone is a book to scribble questions all over, and then read again. -- Glyn Davis * Inside Story *Milanovic’s method is eclectic and empirical, informed by Marxist concepts but not limited to them. -- Max B. Sawlicky * Jacobin *Milanovic’s greatest contributions in Capitalism, Alone come from his fresh approach to the history of different capitalist countries. His taxonomy of Western countries evolving from classical, social-democratic, and now liberal-meritocratic capitalism helps us put the current state of affairs into better context and think about the ways policy can and cannot improve the system…His analysis of the forces and magnitudes of different kinds of inequality give a more nuanced story than is often found in public discussions. -- Will Compernolle * Liberal Currents *The conceptions of political and liberal meritocratic capitalism prove to be both novel and compelling…Milanovic’s proposition is valuable as framework for understanding the future of political capitalism, within China and beyond. -- Panthea Pourmalek * Journal of East Asian Studies *A readable and thought-provoking book, providing a concise introduction to some of the most important issues of our time. -- Kevin Hjortshøj O’Rourke * Society *[Milanovic] brings readers broader perspectives than most western economists. -- Martin Sandbu * Financial Times *

    £16.16

  • The World That Latin America Created

    Harvard University Press The World That Latin America Created

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisMargarita Fajardo tells the story of the cepalinos, Latin American economists and policymakers, and their dependentista critics, whose ideas about economic growth and global inequality transformed our approach to development and changed the course of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewThe World That Latin America Created is a tour de force of Latin American economic thinking. It is bound to generate much discussion and debate. -- Ian Merkel * H-Net Reviews *The World That Latin America Created is a sweeping and original history of cepalino structuralism and dependency theory—two worldmaking schools of economic thought that Latin American intellectuals crafted after 1930 and bequeathed to the world by the 1970s. Historians of Latin America have long regarded the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL) as one of the most important international institutions of the twentieth century, and Fajardo has given us an authoritative history of its development and the debates it spawned. -- Amy C. Offner, author of Sorting Out the Mixed Economy: The Rise and Fall of Welfare and Developmental States in the AmericasA trailblazing exploration of a fateful episode in twentieth-century development history organized around the lives, words, and deeds of its leading cast of characters. This book shakes up conventional wisdoms about Latin America’s postwar development project and brings into sharp focus ideas long distorted by neoliberal hindsight. It is certain to be widely read in both North and South. -- Sarah Babb, author of Managing Mexico: Economists from Nationalism to NeoliberalismThe World That Latin America Created provides a deeply-researched history of the intellectual and political project of the cepalinos, explaining both the enduring significance of their ideas and the counterreactions they inspired from both right and left. In deftly navigating between theory and practice, national politics and transnational institutions, and the coalescence and fragmentation of a movement, Margarita Fajardo has written a novel and timely account of a crucial episode in the public life of economic ideas. -- Angus Burgin, author of The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the DepressionFew things are so often cited and so little understood as dependency theory. Margarita Fajardo’s excellent book explains why: the battle over the theory has been long and heated, stretching over decades and continents. Through biographies of key players, she guides us through the twists and turns of CEPAL and the dependentistas, from revolutionary Cuba in the late 1950s to the neoliberal turn in 1990s Brazil, exploding simplistic Cold War binaries, refusing moralizing formulas, and keeping alive a legacy of economic thought that offered no easy answers for a better future. -- Quinn Slobodian, author of Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of NeoliberalismWith Margarita Fajardo’s fine study, readers will understand how and why Latin American economic ideas shaped a global generation. Fajardo recalls an age when debates over political economy defined revolutions and cogently exposes the economic conflicts at the heart of Latin America’s Cold War. -- Brodwyn Fischer, author of A Poverty of Rights: Citizenship and Inequality in Twentieth-Century Rio de Janeiro

    7 in stock

    £31.46

  • The Gender of Capital

    Harvard University Press The Gender of Capital

    Book SynopsisIn countries with officially egalitarian property law, women still accumulate less wealth than men. Combining quantitative, ethnographic, and archival research, The Gender of Capital explains how and why women of all classes are economically disadvantaged at crucial junctures in family life such as divorce, inheritance, and succession.Trade ReviewAn important intervention…The authors effortlessly interweave qualitative and quantitative data; they elucidate statistics through engaging prose, and balance this by including personal narratives and interviews with a variety of people. * LSE Review of Books *This book was enjoyable and thought-provoking…It brought together a wealth of different kinds of evidence in a methodologically-rigorous and theoretically-rich exploration of an important topic that deserves more attention. I highly recommend it to all those interested in wealth inequality. -- Karen Rowlingson * British Journal of Sociology *Because the distribution of wealth rather than income plays a dominant role in determining inequality, more attention will need to be paid to the gender distribution of wealth. This book shines a light on this under-researched area. -- Ian Bright * Society of Professional Economics *A fantastic, must-read book. If you want to know why gender inequality in wealth remains enormously high, and even has risen in recent decades, this work should be at the top of your reading list. Bessière and Gollac deftly disentangle the complex processes of estate planning, divorce proceedings, and marital arrangements that have brought us to this point. -- Thomas Piketty, author of A Brief History of EqualityThe Gender of Capital is a rare gem. Illuminating entrenched social and legal practices, Bessière and Gollac expertly demonstrate the grip of gender inequality in shaping the transmission of wealth. Their discoveries deserve a broad audience, and undoubtedly will shape the direction of future research. -- Viviana A. Zelizer, author of Economic Lives: How Culture Shapes the EconomyRichly documented and incisively argued, this book offers new insight into how unequal relations between women and men are reproduced over many generations. For those of us who have been doing feminist work for a long time, it offers welcome confirmation that gender is an important determinant of inequality, both within and across divisions of class. -- Joan Wallach Scott, author of Sex and SecularismAn important new chapter in the history of wealth inequality. In a fascinating account of legal and family practices surrounding bequests and divorce, Bessière and Gollac reveal the mechanisms through which wealth accumulates mostly in the hands of men. -- Jens Beckert, author of Imagined Futures: Fictional Expectations and Capitalist DynamicsAt last, a book that addresses the notable omission of gender from the conversation about wealth inequality. Taking seriously the contributions of 1970s and 1980s socialist feminists, Bessière and Gollac show how the practice of family and inheritance law drives the gender wealth gap. One can only hope that scholars in the United States will pursue future work following this model. -- Cynthia Grant Bowman, author of Living Apart Together: Legal Protections for a New Form of Family

    £30.56

  • The World of Sugar

    Harvard University Press The World of Sugar

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTraversing 2,500 years of global history, Ulbe Bosma shows how sugar, once a luxury reserved for Eastern emperors, stoked a mania in the West, transforming diets and ecosystems, destroying and creating cultures, and shaping the history of bondage and freedom. A major source of calories only since 1900, sugar has suddenly revolutionized our world.Trade ReviewA tour de force of global history…Bosma has turned the humble sugar crystal into a mighty prism for understanding aspects of global history and the world in which we live. -- Dinyar Patel * Los Angeles Review of Books *The World of Sugar shows the globalized tangle of interests that capitalism creates among consumers, producers, investors, labor, national governments, and transnational organizations…Sugar offers a bitter reminder of the enduring tensions between the complexity of national interests and the interests of capital. -- Bronwen Everill * Foreign Policy *One of the most accomplished longue durée case studies in the history of capitalism that we have, concerned not just with trade and consumption but with production also. At every turn it subverts both critiques and celebrations of capitalism, and our understanding of much else besides. It is an extraordinary achievement. -- David Edgerton * Literary Review *Sugar’s societal dominance is a recent development…Its history is both a story of progress and a bittersweet tale of ‘exploitation, racism, obesity, and environmental destruction’…[An] authoritative, highly readable study—the first to be truly global. -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *Bosma lucidly depicts how a commodity that is challenging to cultivate and devoid of nutritional value was central to the development of European imperialism, transatlantic slavery, the Industrial Revolution, economic protectionism, and the postcolonial politics and environmental degradation of the Global South. Bosma’s wide-ranging accounting is full of eye-opening insights…This is a comprehensive and alarming look at how one commodity changed the world. * Publishers Weekly *Bosma revisits the technical innovations, economic arrangements, and pains of a world submitting to the joy and addictiveness of sugar. His insights into the present are all the more resounding. -- Julien Damon * L'Express *Bosma traces how sugar has fundamentally ‘changed how we feed ourselves’…The ubiquity of sugar, writes Bosma, tells us about progress but also reveals a darker story of human exploitation. -- Sudipta Datta * The Hindu *Takes you on a journey of discovery—the journey of sugar itself, which has gone from relative obscurity to becoming an indispensable part of modern diet, causing untold harm in the process. * BooksFirst *Covers the history of the sweet stuff, first produced in granulated form in the 6th century BC, but not a huge commodity until more than two millennia later. This is…a reckoning with sugar. -- Sophie Roell * Five Books *A comprehensive 2,500-year examination of sugar’s history and its profound impact on society and the environment. Ulbe Bosma traces sugar’s journey from a luxury good in ancient India to a ubiquitous ingredient in our diets today, underscoring its role in fostering health issues and environmental crises. Bosma highlights how sugar has altered cultures and shaped political policies, laying bare the significant risks this commonplace commodity poses. * Food Tank *Ulbe Bosma’s history of sugar is also a case study of global capitalism over the centuries, colonial wars, and the deadly slave trade that made the industry possible…An interesting account of how sugar seeped into the global digestive system. -- Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll * Sydney Morning Herald *An important new contribution to the literature on the history of sugar. Many of the shadows of sugar are dark, they spread over the entire world, and they are very, very, long. -- Robert Ackrill * H-Diplo *The world history of sugar and the world history of capitalism are tightly linked to one another. Ulbe Bosma, in this first truly global account of a most crucial commodity, takes us to the fields of Indian peasants, the countinghouses of Chinese merchants, the monopolizing efforts of New York industrialists, and the rebellions of enslaved sugar workers in Cuba to chart how something as mundane as sugar came to play a crucial role in the making of the world we inhabit today. Attentive to local specificities as much as to Earth-spanning connections, to culture and capital, power and poverty, this book is global history at its best. -- Sven Beckert, author of Empire of Cotton: A Global HistorySugar may play a unique role in the slow-motion tragedy that is the worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes. The World of Sugar is a remarkably researched, comprehensive, and indispensable book for everyone who wishes to understand how sugar and the sugar industry have shaped the world in which we live. -- Gary Taubes, author of The Case Against SugarHow is it that a chemical that has no nutritional value, that is inherently poisonous, that is responsible for morbidity and mortality, and that is breaking the health care budget of every developed and developing country is the seminal thread running through human history for the last 3,000 years? The World of Sugar narrates the critical events that made sugar the dominant force in world politics from antiquity to our own era. In this magisterial history, Bosma offers a much-needed cautionary tale about how addiction leads to societal downfall. As we watch newer addictions destroy the climate and Earth’s inhabitants, we would all do well to learn the hard lessons of sugar. -- Robert Lustig, author of Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern MedicineThe World of Sugar is compelling, deeply researched, and globe-spanning. Bosma puts sugar at the heart of global capitalism; he shows how the quest for sweetness has driven slavery, violence, and massive ecological destruction. This is a timely and impressive book that illuminates some of our most urgent contemporary debates. -- Sunil Amrith, author of Unruly Waters: How Mountain Rivers and Monsoons Have Shaped South Asia’s HistorySugar got the modern world moving in a way few other commodities did. Revealing the bitter downside of sweetness, Bosma gives us a spectacular narrative that deftly weaves in all of sugar’s stories: labor and consumption, power and trade, science and technology. -- Jürgen Osterhammel, author of The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century

    15 in stock

    £26.96

  • Deeply Responsible Business

    Harvard University Press Deeply Responsible Business

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisDeeply Responsible Business profiles corporate leaders of the past two centuries who made social missions vital to their businesses. Geoffrey Jones explores the characters and motivations of fourteen such leaders and compares their deep social and environmental commitments to the lukewarm “corporate social responsibility” of today.Trade ReviewOutstanding…Jones challenges head-on the notion that for-profit leaders have never be virtuous while chasing the bottom line…This is a timely and insightful read. -- Larry Gennari * Boston Business Journal *Deeply Responsible Business is a valuable catalog of notable efforts over the past two centuries by profit-seeking businesses to also pursue the common good. -- Kevin J. Delaney * Charter Works *Jones subverts received wisdom about the logic of business and capitalism. He makes a strong case for reimagining capitalism and posits that the first step in this process is to reconceptualize business and its social purpose. -- Badrinath Rao * Wire India *For the last fifty years, Milton Friedman’s idea that businesses should overwhelmingly focus on shareholders has prevailed, and our culture and laws have aligned so closely to this thinking that people have come to believe it is the natural way of doing business. This is why Jones’s book is so important and powerful. It explodes Friedman’s idea and shows how—throughout history, the world over, and in many ways—it is actually more natural for entrepreneurs to have a purpose and mission. -- Christopher Marquis, author of Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking CapitalismGeoffrey Jones’s outstanding book provides a compelling and readable account of the long and rich history of businesses that conceived of their place in society as profitably benefiting their customers, workers, owners, communities, countries, and planet. Some might think this a new—or even controversial—idea, but its roots are deep and global. Being deeply responsible offers many benefits—but equally many challenges. Jones shows how firms navigated their conflicting responsibilities. Not only business leaders but also leaders in other sectors, will benefit from these insights, which are painfully relevant in our age. -- Peter Tufano, Saïd Business School, University of OxfordA fascinating and important contribution. Jones profiles companies whose leaders, in one form or another, have promoted responsible business. He records their deep commitment to embedding humane values in their businesses and captures their considerable challenges and failures. In some cases, virtue signaling was not borne out by virtuous practices. The book argues that the presumption that responsible business is good business is simply not the case. Those who behave ethically are undermined by those who do not. Coordinated efforts across multiple companies are more likely to succeed, but ultimately it is government that must lay down the terms on which business needs to act. Insightful and informative. -- Colin Mayer, author of Prosperity: Better Business Makes the Greater Good

    5 in stock

    £28.76

  • The Antitrust Paradigm

    Harvard University Press The Antitrust Paradigm

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAt a time when tech giants have amassed vast market power, Jonathan Baker shows how laws and regulations can be updated to ensure more competition. The sooner courts and antitrust enforcement agencies stop listening to the Chicago school and start paying attention to modern economics, the sooner Americans will reap the benefits of competition.Trade ReviewThe Antitrust Paradigm is a call to action by a premier scholar of competition policy. Baker makes a compelling case to change the guidepost for U.S. antitrust enforcement from ‘do no harm’ to ‘do some good.’ Anyone with a keen interest in antitrust should read this book, and I hope that includes some judges. -- Richard J. Gilbert, University of California, Berkeley, and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of JusticeBaker’s timely book will be required reading for competition policymakers. It provides a concise, sophisticated, and informed account of nearly fifty years of change that has reshaped antitrust law and legal doctrine, and uses that account to identify much-needed reforms that would contribute to greater competitive vitality in the American economy. -- Andrew I. Gavil, Howard University School of LawJonathan Baker has written a superb and timely treatment of one of the hottest economic issues: how to make the economy more competitive, especially in the face of rapidly changing technology. Baker draws on his research and policy experience to write a book that avoids the heated rhetoric that often dominates these debates to instead present a compelling analysis and prescription that is firmly grounded in economic research. -- Jason Furman, Harvard Kennedy School and former Chairman of the Council of Economic AdvisersJonathan Baker is one of the country’s leading antitrust scholars. This well-written and thought-provoking book meticulously sets forth the theoretical and empirical foundation for his view that antitrust policy needs to be radically changed and must become much more active if the United States is to remain a dynamic economy. Even readers who disagree will be challenged to reexamine the reasons for their views. -- Dennis W. Carlton, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economic Analysis in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of JusticeBaker’s powerful and accessible prose makes the case for more vigorous twenty-first-century antitrust enforcement focused on market realities. He both diagnoses the problems and offers practical solutions. A must-read for those who care about ensuring markets that work to benefit consumers. -- Bill Baer, former Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and former Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade CommissionContains a meticulous exploration of the most common theories of antitrust harm, spanning the rules on agreements, monopolies, and mergers. Baker focuses on these problems within the digital economy, seeking to make the case that despite its nineteenth century origins, the current US antitrust framework is sufficiently nimble to meet contemporary challenges. -- Niamh Dunne * Project Syndicate *Why are citizens not experiencing market competition in daily life? And is there hope that antitrust enforcement might rise to the challenge? Jonathan Baker provides an insightful analysis of antitrust enforcement from the origin of the Sherman Act, through the anti-enforcement ideology of the Chicago School, to present-day, corporate-friendly policies. The Antitrust Paradigm illuminates why antitrust is fashionable again in policy circles. It presents the economic and legal evidence of the decline in competition in an accessible and compelling fashion and then goes on to provide intelligent and interesting recommendations of changes to make to address particular competition problems that characterize the modern economy. -- Fiona Scott Morton, Yale University School of ManagementJonathan Baker’s book is a stirring and painstaking achievement in both intellectual and political terms. It offers not only a subtle takedown of the Chicago School’s conceptual dominance over American antitrust law but a powerful redefinition of how intensifying market concentration actually hurts our economy and our people. The Antitrust Paradigm builds up into the most rousing kind of call to arms: one that is rooted in rigorous analysis, vivid facts, and a margin of practical hope. Baker has written a profoundly useful book. -- Congressman Jamie Raskin (Maryland)A good overview of the current debate about competition policy, and the Chicago School versus neo-structuralist (aka ‘hipster’) clash going on in the U.S. at the moment. -- Diane Coyle * Enlightened Economist *Shows how antitrust reforms ostensibly aimed at spurring competition ended up causing an increase in market power. * ProMarket *A powerful argument for antitrust reform to bring about the benefits long and emptily promised by the Chicago School. * Harvard Law Review *An extremely valuable contribution to what he rightly notes is one of the most compelling current debates. -- Zephyr Teachout * Democracy *An informed, thoughtful, and provocative antitrust manifesto that every antitrust thinker should read. -- Barak Orbach * Antitrust Source *

    1 in stock

    £35.66

  • Unsustainable Inequalities

    Harvard University Press Unsustainable Inequalities

    Book SynopsisThe greatest dilemma our planet faces is the tradeoff between poverty alleviation, inequality reduction, and climate change. In Unsustainable Inequalities, economist Lucas Chancel confronts how to share prosperity without furthering environmental harm, arguing for policies that would direct the benefits of environmental protection to the poor.Trade ReviewRising inequality and global warming are the most pressing issues of our time. Written by one of world's leading experts on global inequality trends and sustainable development, this book demonstrates that they can and should be addressed together, and offers refreshing perspectives on how to do so. A must-read. -- Thomas Piketty, author of Capital and IdeologyIn this concise and precise book Chancel offers an indispensable metric to reveal the class conflicts that cut across the simplistic divide between ecology and social justice, reconciling those afraid of the ‘end of the world’ and those trying to ‘make ends meet.’ -- Bruno Latour, author of Facing Gaia[Chancel] analyses the links between environmental and economic inequality. His conclusion is that we cannot solve one without addressing the other. An original perspective on two of our most significant contemporary challenges. -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times *Well-structured, fluent, and sharp, Unsustainable Inequalities is a work of global relevance and paramount importance, even more so as inequalities as we have them make it impossible to confront the worsening climate crisis. -- Claude Henry, Sciences Po, ParisSobering but essential…[Chancel] identifies social inequality as a core driver of environmental unsustainability that leads to a vicious circle wherein the rich consume more and the poor lose access to environmental resources and become increasingly vulnerable to environmental shocks. -- Gillian Bowser * Science *This book has unpacked the intricate relationship between social injustice and environmental harm and argues for delinking the complex nexus they form with economic inequality…A highly relevant and thought-provoking read during the COVID-19 pandemic when millions are affected socially and economically by lockdowns and restrictions. -- Gayathri D. Naik * LSE Review of Books *Lucas Chancel reflects on the complex articulation of the environmental and the socioeconomic spheres… [The book] opens up avenues toward a more desirable and livable future. * Le Monde *[Chancel] relentlessly sheds light on the failure of liberal policies. * Politis *

    £24.26

  • Rotary International and the Selling of American

    Harvard University Press Rotary International and the Selling of American

    Book SynopsisRotary International spreads America’s good news. The organization spent the interwar years convincing Main Street and the world at large that America’s promise lay in cooperation and service under capitalism, values that could knit the globe together. In the process, Brendan Goff argues, Rotary became an extension of US power.Trade ReviewThe book is luminous—beautifully written and smartly constructed—showcasing Goff’s thorough research and his skillful analysis of the evolving racial, gender, class, and religious norms that came into play as RI chapters spread throughout, and then out from, the United States. -- Lauren F. Turek * Journal of American History *Goff convincingly shows how Rotary drew on and contributed to imperial networks, even as Rotary’s ethos of apolitical service blinded Rotarians (both in the United States and abroad) to the imperial nature of U.S. power. This book deserves a wide audience. -- Christopher Endy * Diplomatic History *This far-ranging account of transnational networking reveals the Main Street, middle-class making of modern global capitalism. Goff is as attuned to the paradoxes of Rotary internationalism as he is to its place in the American Century. -- Kristin L. Hoganson, author of The Heartland: An American HistoryIn this innovative book, Goff uses the international history of the Rotary Club to chart the origins of the ‘American Century.’ Tracing Rotary’s remarkable, worldwide expansion in the first half of the twentieth century, he offers fresh insights on American global power and transnational civic engagement, cultural diplomacy and corporate capitalism. Filled with fascinating stories of Rotarians and their activities on Main Streets far and wide, this book deserves a broad readership. -- Julia F. Irwin, author of Making the World Safe: The American Red Cross and a Nation’s Humanitarian AwakeningImaginatively conceived and highly readable, this book tells the remarkable story of Rotary International’s campaign to expand from Chicago to the world at large. Goff makes an important contribution both to our understanding of Main Street America’s thinking about international trade and foreign policy, and of the business culture and voluntarism that Rotary promoted around the world. -- David C. Hammack, coauthor of A Versatile American Institution: The Changing Ideals and Realities of Philanthropic FoundationsIn Goff’s hands, we see the Rotarian as an advance agent of US power, a missionary for international capitalism, and an advocate of a business culture that shaped the twentieth-century world. Based on rich, diverse sources and told in a clear, compelling narrative, this remarkable book about how Rotarians crafted a ‘civic internationalism’ will be widely read. -- Christopher Capozzola, author of Bound by War: How the United States and the Philippines Built America’s First Pacific CenturyYou may not think you are interested in the Rotary International. But if you are interested in informal empire, globalism, or the overlap between internationalism and cultural diversity, you need to read this book. It turns out the Rotarians were not the small-minded, parochial Babbitts of Sinclair Lewis’s imagination. They were in fact internationalists whose language of cooperation, nonpartisan business professionalism, and human fellowship helped pave the way for American-style global capitalism…As the world today reembraces nationalism and stokes polarization, and as we face climate catastrophe and a pandemic, the thorny problems discussed in this book are at the heart of any attempt to renew an internationalist ethos of cooperation, service, and nonpartisanship. -- Jennifer Delton * Enterprise & Society *

    £33.96

  • Interest and Prices

    Princeton University Press Interest and Prices

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisOffers theoretical foundations for a rule-based approach to monetary policy for a world of communications and efficient financial markets. This book examines the foundations of monetary economics, showing how interest-rate policy can be used to achieve an inflation target in the absence of either commodity control of a monetary aggregate.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2003 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Economics, Association of American PublishersTable of ContentsPREFACE xiii Chapter 1. The Return of Monetary Rules 1 1. The Importance of Price Stability 4 1.1 Toward a New "Neoclassical Synthesis" 6 1.2 Microeconomic Foundations and Policy Analysis 10 2. The Importance of Policy Commitment 14 2.1 Central Banking as Management of Expectations 15 2.2 Pitfalls of Conventional Optimal Control 18 3. Monetary Policy without Control of a Monetary Aggregate 24 3.1 Implementing Interest-Rate Policy 25 3.2 Monetary Policy in a Cashless Economy 31 4. Interest-Rate Rules 37 4.1 Contemporary Proposals 39 4.2 General Criticisms of Interest-Rate Rules 44 4.3 Neo-Wicksellian Monetary Theory 49 5. Plan of the Book 55 PART I Analytical Framework Chapter 2. Price-Level Determination under Interest-Rate Rules 61 1. Price-Level Determination in a Cashless Economy 62 1.1 An Asset-Pricing Model with Nominal Assets 64 1.2 A Wicksellian Policy Regime 74 2. Alternative Interest-Rate Rules 85 2.1 Exogenous Interest-Rate Targets 86 2.2 The Taylor Principle and Determinacy 90 2.3 Inertial Responses to Inflation Variation 94 3. Price-Level Determination with Monetary Frictions 101 3.1 A Model with Transactions Frictions 102 3.2 Interest-Rate Rules Reconsidered 105 3.3 A Comparison with Money-Growth Targeting 106 3.4 Consequences of Nonseparable Utility 111 4. Self-Fulfilling Inflations and Deflations 123 4.1 Global Multiplicity Despite Local Determinacy 123 4.2 Policies to Prevent a Deflationary Trap 131 4.3 Policies to Prevent an Inflationary Panic 135 Chapter 3. Optimizing Models with Nominal Rigidities 139 1. A Basic Sticky-Price Model143 1.1 Pricesetting and Endogenous Output 143 1.2 Consequences of Prices Fixed in Advance 155 1.3 A New Classical Phillips Curve 158 1.4 Sources of Strategic Complementarity 163 2. Inflation Dynamics with Staggered Pricesetting 173 2.1 The Calvo Model of Pricesetting 177 2.2 A New Keynesian Phillips Curve 187 2.3 Persistent Real Effects of Nominal Disturbances 188 2.4 Consequences of Persistence in the Growth of Nominal Spending 197 2.5 Consequences of Sectoral Asymmetries 200 3. Delayed Effects of Nominal Disturbances on Inflation 204 3.1 Staggered Pricing with Delayed Price Changes 207 3.2 Consequences of Indexation to Past Inflation 213 4. Consequences of Nominal Wage Stickiness 218 4.1 A Model of Staggered Wagesetting 221 4.2 Sticky Wages and the Real Effects of Nominal Disturbances 226 Chapter 4. A Neo-Wicksellian Framework for the Analysis of Monetary Policy 237 1. A Basic Modelof the Effects of Monetary Policy 238 1.1 Nonlinear Equilibrium Conditions 239 1.2 A Log-Linear Approximate Model 243 2. Interest-Rate Rules and Price Stability 247 2.1 The Natural Rate of Interest 247 2.2 Conditions for Determinacy of Equilibrium 252 2.3 Stability under Learning Dynamics 261 2.4 Determinants of Inflation 276 2.5 Inflation Stabilization through Commitment to a Taylor Rule 286 2.6 Inflation Targeting Rules 290 3. Money and Aggregate Demand 295 3.1 An Optimizing IS-LM Model 295 3.2 Real-Balance Effects 299 4. FiscalRequirements for Price Stability 311 Chapter 5. Dynamics of the Response to Monetary Policy 320 1. Delayed Effects of Monetary Policy 321 1.1 Consequences of Predetermined Expenditure 322 1.2 Habit Persistence in Private Expenditure 332 2. Some Small Quantitative Models 336 2.1 The Rotemberg-Woodford Model 336 2.2 More Complex Variants 345 3. Monetary Policy and Investment Dynamics 352 3.1 Investment Demand with Sticky Prices 353 3.2 Optimal Pricesetting with Endogenous Capital 357 3.3 Comparison with the Basic Neo-Wicksellian Model 361 3.4 Capital and the Natural Rate of Interest 372 PART II Optimal Policy Chapter 6. Inflation Stabilization and Welfare 381 1. Approximation of Loss Functions and OptimalPolicies 383 2. A Utility-Based Welfare Criterion 392 2.1 Output-Gap Stability and Welfare 393 2.2 Inflation and Relative-Price Distortions 396 3. The Case for Price Stability 405 3.1 The Case of an Efficient Natural Rate of Output 407 3.2 Consequences of a Mildly InEfficient Natural Rate of Output 411 3.3 Caveats 416 4. Extensions of the Basic Analysis 419 4.1 Transactions Frictions 420 4.2 The Zero Interest-Rate Lower Bound 427 4.3 Asymmetric Disturbances 435 4.4 Sticky Wages and Prices 443 4.5 Time-Varying Tax Wedges or Markups 448 5. The Case of Larger Distortions 455 Chapter 7. Gains from Commitment to a Policy Rule 464 1. The Optimal Long-Run Inflation Target 468 1.1 The Inflationary Bias of Discretionary Policy 469 1.2 Extensions of the Basic Analysis 476 2. OptimalResponses to Disturbances 484 2.1 Cost-Push Shocks 486 2.2 Fluctuations in the Natural Rate of Interest 501 3. Optimal Simple Policy Rules 507 3.1 The Optimal Noninertial Plan 510 3.2 The Optimal Taylor Rule 513 4. The Optimal State-Contingent Instrument Path as a Policy Rule 517 5. Commitment to an Optimal Targeting Rule 521 5.1 Robustly Optimal Target Criteria 522 5.2 Implementation of a Target Rule 527 Chapter 8. Optimal Monetary Policy Rules 534 1. A General Linear-Quadratic Framework 535 1.1 Optimal State-Contingent Paths 536 1.2 Alternative Forms of Policy Rules 543 1.3 Robustness to Alternative Types of Disturbances 547 1.4 Existence of Robustly Optimal Policy Rules 550 1.5 Optimal Instrument Rules 555 2. OptimalInflation Targeting Rules 559 2.1 A Model with Inflation Inertia 560 2.2 A Model with Wages and Prices Both Sticky 565 2.3 A Model with Habit Persistence 568 2.4 Predetermined Spending and Pricing Decisions 569 2.5 Optimal Policy for a Small Quantitative Model 573 3. Optimal Interest-Rate Rules 582 3.1 An Optimal Rule for the Basic Neo-Wicksellian Model 583 3.2 Consequences of Inflation Inertia 592 3.3 Predetermined Spending and Pricing Decisions 604 3.4 Optimal Policy under Imperfect Information 606 4. Reflections on Currently Popular Policy Proposals 610 4.1 The Taylor Rule 610 4.2 Inflation-Forecast Targeting 619 APPENDIXES A: Addendum to Chapter 2 627 B: Addendum to Chapter 3 656 C: Addendum to Chapter 4 656 D: Addendum to Chapter 5 687 E: Addendum to Chapter 6 692 F: Addendum to Chapter 7 709 G: Addendum to Chapter 8 716 REFERENCES 747 INDEX 765

    7 in stock

    £87.20

  • Understanding Institutional Diversity

    Princeton University Press Understanding Institutional Diversity

    Book SynopsisExplains the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework, which enables a scholar to choose the most relevant level of interaction for a particular question. This book explains and illustrates how to use the IAD in the context of both field and experimental studies.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2006 William H. Riker Book Award, Political Economy Section of the American Political Science Association "Understanding Institutional Diversity is a comprehensive book on the management of the common pool. It includes overviews of major theoretical issues and empirical studies. Anyone who is interested in how common-pool problems are or are not successfully resolved by locally devised arrangement should read it."--Gary D. Libecap, The Independent ReviewTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi Acknowledgments xiii PART I: AN OVERVIEW OF THE INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT (IAD)FRAMEWORK 1 Chapter One: Understanding the Diversity of Structured Human Interactions 3 Diversity: A Core Problem in Understanding Institutions 4 Is There an Underlying Set of Universal Building Blocks? 5 Holons: Nested Part-Whole Units of Analysis 11 Action Arenas as Focal Units of Analysis 13 Zooming Out to an Overview of the IAD Framework 15 Viewing Action Arenas as Dependent Variables 16 Institutional Frameworks, Theories, and Models 27 The Limited Frame of This Book 29 Chapter Two: Zooming In and Linking Action Situations 32 An Action Situation as a Focal Unit of Analysis 32 Example of a Simple Action Situation 35 The Basic Working Parts of Action Situations 37 Linking Action Arenas 55 Predicting Outcomes 64 Evaluating Outcomes 66 Chapter Three: Studying Action Situations in the Lab 69 The Trust Game in the Experimental Laboratory 70 A Commons Dilemma in the Experimental Laboratory 78 Structural Changes in the Laboratory 85 Replications and Extensions of Commons Dilemma Experiments 93 Conclusions 97 Chapter Four: Animating Institutional Analysis 99 Animating Open, Competitive Processes 100 The Challenge of Imperfect Information 101 Assumptions Used in Animating Participants 103 Variety and Complexity: An Asset or a Liability? 116 A Focus on Collective Action to Overcome Social Dilemmas 119 Norms Fostering Collective Action 121 Emergence and Survival of Norms in Evolutionary Processes 125 Conclusion 131 PART II: FOCUSING ON RULES 135 Chapter Five: A Grammar of Institutions, Sue Crawford and Elinor Ostrom 137 Parsing Institutional Statements 137 The Syntax of a Grammar of Institutions 139 The Syntax Components 140 Applying the Grammar 152 Using the Grammar in Empirical Field Research 171 Some Next Steps 173 Chapter Six: Why Classify Generic Rules? 175 Solving Babbling Equilibrium Problems 176 The Policy Analyst 's Need to Understand How to Reform Situations 180 Moving beyond Slogan Words to Describe Institutions 181 Coping with the Immense Diversity by Identifying Generic Rules 181 The Role of Rules as Information Transformation Mechanisms 184 An Underlying Universality? 185 Chapter Seven: Classifying Rules, Elinor Ostrom and Sue Crawford 186 The Horizontal Approach: Classifying by the A I M of a Rule 187 Position Rules 193 Boundary Rules 194 Choice Rules 200 Aggregation Rules 202 Information Rules 206 Payoff Rules 207 Scope Rules 208 Default Conditions: What Happens if No Rules Exist Related to Components of an Action Situation? 210 The Vertical Approach: Operational, Collective-Choice, and Constitutional-Choice Levels of Analysis 214 Using Rules as Tools to Change Outcomes 215 PART III: WORKING WITH RULES 217 Chapter Eight: Using Rules as Tools to Cope with the Commons 219 Field Research on Common-Pool Resources 221 What Rules Are Found in Self-Organized Common-Pool Resource Regimes? 222 Contemporary Approaches to Resource Policy 236 Coping with Complexity: A General Problem 242 Changing Rules as an Adaptive Process 243 Theoretical Puzzles 251 Summing Up 253 Chapter Nine: Robust Resource Governance in Polycentric Institutions 255 Design Principles and Robust Social-Ecological Systems 258 Threats to Robust Governance of Common-Pool Resources 271 Modest Coping Methods for Dealing with Threats to Sustainability 279 The Advantage and Limits of Polycentric Systems in Coping with Design and Long-Term Sustainability of Systems 281 The Capabilities of Polycentric Systems in Coping with Tragedies of the Commons 283 Conclusion 287 Notes 289 References 307 Index 351

    £33.25

  • Theory of Games and Economic Behavior

    Princeton University Press Theory of Games and Economic Behavior

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisPublished in 1944, "Theory of Games and Economic Behavior" featured a groundbreaking mathematical theory of economic and social organization, based on a theory of games of strategy. This title includes the original text, an introduction by Harold Kuhn, and reviews and articles on the book that appeared at the time of its original publication.Trade ReviewPraise for Princeton's previous edition: "A rich and multifaceted work... [S]ixty years later, the Theory of Games may indeed be viewed as one of the landmarks of twentieth-century social science."--Robert J. Leonard, History of Political Economics Praise for Princeton's previous edition: "Opinions still vary on the success of the project to put economics on a sound mathematical footing, but game theory was eventually hugely influential, especially on mathematics and the study of automata. Every self-respecting library must have one."--Mike Holderness, New Scientist "While the jury is still out on the success or failure of game theory as an attempted palace coup within the economics community, few would deny that interest in the subject--as measured in numbers of journal page--is at or near an all-time high. For that reason alone, this handsome new edition of von Neumann and Morgenstern's still controversial classic should be welcomed by the entire research community."--James Case, SIAM News "The main achievement of the book lies, more than in its concrete results, in its having introduced into economics the tools of modern logic and in using them with an astounding power of generalization."--The Journal of Political Economy "One cannot but admire the audacity of vision, the perseverance in details, and the depth of thought displayed in almost every page of the book... The appearance of a book of [this] calibre ... is indeed a rare event."--The American Economic Review "Posterity may regard this book as one of the major scientific achievements of the first half of the twentieth century. This will undoubtedly be the case if the authors have succeeded in establishing a new exact science--the science of economics. The foundation which they have laid is extremely promising."--The Bulletin of the American Mathematical SocietyTable of ContentsPREFACE v TECHNICAL NOTE v ACKNOWLEDGMENT x CHAPTER I: FORMULATION OF THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM 1.THE MATHEMATICAL METHOD IN ECONOMICS 1 1.1. Introductory remarks 1 1.2. Difficulties of the application of the mathematical method 2 1.3. Necessary limitations of the objectives 6 1.4. Concluding remarks 7 2.QUALITATIVE DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM OF RATIONAL BEHAVIOR 8 2.1. The problem of rational behavior 8 2.2. "Robinson Crusoe" economy and social exchange economy 9 2.3. The number of variables and the number of participants 12 2.4. The case of many participants: Free competition 13 2.5. The "Lausanne" theory 15 3.THE NOTION OF UTILITY 15 3.1. Preferences and utilities 15 3.2. Principles of measurement: Preliminaries 16 3.3. Probability and numerical utilities 17 3.4. Principles of measurement: Detailed discussion 20 3.5. Conceptual structure of the axiomatic treatment of numerical utilities 24 3.6. The axioms and their interpretation 26 3.7. General remarks concerning the axioms 28 3.8. The role of the concept of marginal utility 29 4.STRUCTURE OF THE THEORY: SOLUTIONS AND STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR 31 4.1. The simplest concept of a solution for one participant 31 4.2. Extension to all participants 33 4.3. The solution as a set of imputations 34 4.4. The intransitive notion of "superiority" or "domination" 37 4.5. The precise definition of a solution 39 4.6. Interpretation of our definition in terms of "standards of behavior" 40 4.7. Games and social organizations 43 4.8. Concluding remarks 43 CHAPTER II: GENERAL FORMAL DESCRIPTION OF GAMES OF STRATEGY 5.Introduction 46 5.1. Shift of emphasis from economics to games 46 5.2. General principles of classification and of procedure 46 6.THE SIMPLIFIED CONCEPT OF A GAME 48 6.1. Explanation of the termini technici 48 6.2. The elements of the game 49 6.3. Information and preliminary 51 6.4. Preliminarity, transitivity, and signaling 51 7.THE COMPLETE CONCEPT OF A GAME 55 7.1. Variability of the characteristics of each move 55 7.2. The general description 57 8.SETS AND PARTITIONS 60 8.1. Desirability of a set-theoretical description of a game 60 8.2. Sets, their properties, and their graphical representation 61 8.3. Partitions, their properties, and their graphical representation 63 8.4. Logistic interpretation of sets and partitions 66 *9. THE SET-THEORETICAL DESCRIPTION OF A CAME 67 *9.1. The partitions which describe a game 67 *9.2. Discussion of these partitions and their properties 71 *10. AXIOMATIC FORMULATION 73 *10.1. The axioms and their interpretations 73 *10.2. Logistic discussion of the axioms 76 *10.3. General remarks concerning the axioms 76 *10.4. Graphical representation 77 11.STRATEGIES AND THE FINAL SIMPLIFICATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME 79 11.1. The concept of a strategy and its formalization 79 11.2. The final simplification of the description of a game 81 11.3. The role of strategies in the simplified form of a game 84 11.4. The meaning of the zero-sum restriction 84 CHAPTER III: ZERO-SUM TWO-PERSON GAMES: THEORY 12.PRELIMINARY SURVEY 85 12.1. General viewpoints 85 12.2. The one-person game 85 12.3. Chance afid probability 87 12.4. The next objective 87 13.FUNCTIONAL CALCULUS 88 13.1. Basic definitions 88 13.2. The operations Max and Min 89 13.3. Commutativity questions 91 13.4. The mixed case. Saddle points 93 13.5. Proofs of the main facts 95 14.STRICTLY DETERMINED GAMES 98 141. Formulation of the problem 98 14.2. The minorant and the majorant games 100 14.3. Discussion of the auxiliary games 101 14.4. Conclusions 105 14.5. Analysis of strict determinateness 106 14.6. The interchange of players. Symmetry 109 14.7. Non strictly determined games 110 14.8. Program of a detailed analysis of strict determinateness 111 *15. GAMES WITH PERFECT INFORMATION *15.1. Statement of purpose. Induction 112 *15.2. The exact condition (First step) 114 *15.3. The exact condition (Entire induction) 116 *15.4. Exact discussion of the inductive step 117 *15.5. Exact discussion of the inductive step (Continuation) 120 *15.6. The result in the case of perfect information 123 *15.7. Application to Chess 124 *15.8. The alternative, verbal discussion 126 16.LINEARITY AND CONVEXITY 128 16.1. Geometrical background 128 16.2. Vector operations 129 16.3. The theorem of the supporting hyperplanes 134 16.4. The theorem of the alternative for matrices 138 17.MIXED STRATEGIES. THE SOLUTION FOR ALL GAMES 143 17.1. Discussion of two elementary examples 143 17.2. Generalization of this viewpoint 145 17.3. Justification of the procedure as applied to an individual play 146 17.4. The minorant and the majorant games. (For mixed strategies) 149 17.5. General strict determinateness 150 17.6. Proof of the main theorem 153 17.7. Comparison of the treatment by pure and by mixed strategies 155 17.8. Analysis of general strict determinateness 158 17.9. Further characteristics of good strategies 160 17.10. Mistakes and their consequences. Permanent optimality 162 17.11. The interchange of players. Symmetry 165 CHAPTER IV: ZERO-SUM TWO-PERSON GAMES: EXAMPLES 18.SOME ELEMENTARY GAMES 169 18.1. The simplest games 169 18.2. Detailed quantitative discussion of these games 170 18.3. Qualitative characterizations 173 18.4. Discussion of some specific games. (Generalized forms of Matching Pennies) 175 18.5. Discussion of some slightly more complicated games 178 18.6. Chance and imperfect information 182 18.7. Interpretation of this result 185 *19. POKER AND BLUFFING 186 *19.1. Description of Poker 186 *19.2. Bluffing 188 *19.3. Description of Poker (Continued) 189 *19.4. Exact formulation of the rules 190 *19.5. Description of the strategy 191 *19.6. Statement of the problem 195 *19.7. Passage from the discrete to the continuous problem 196 *19.8. Mathematical determination of the solution 199 *19.9. Detailed analysis of the solution 202 *19.10. Interpretation of the solution 204 *19.11. More general forms of Poker 207 *19.12. Discrete hands 208 *19.13. m possible bids 209 *19.14. Alternate bidding 211 *19.15. Mathematical description of all solutions 216 *19.16. Interpretation of the solutions. Conclusions 218 CHAPTER V: ZERO-SUM THREE-PERSON GAMES 20.PRELIMINARY SURVEY 220 20.1. General viewpoints 220 20.2. Coalitions 221 21.THE SIMPLE MAJORITY GAME OF THREE PERSONS 222 21.1. Definition of the game 222 21.2. Analysis of the game: Necessity of "understandings" 223 21.3. Analysis of the game: Coalitions. The role of symmetry 224 22.FURTHER EXAMPLES 225 22.1. Unsymmetric distributions. Necessity of compensations 225 22.2. Coalitions of different strength. Discussion 227 22.3. An inequality. Formulae 229 23.THE GENERAL CASE 231 23.1. Detailed discussion. Inessential and essential games 231 23.2. Complete formulae 232 24.DISCUSSION OF AN OBJECTION 233 24.1. The case of perfect information and its significance 233 24.2. Detailed discussion. Necessity of compensations between three or more players 235 CHAPTER VI: FORMULATION OF THE GENERAL THEORY: ZERO-SUM n-PERSON GAMES 25.THE CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTION 238 25.1. Motivation and definition 238 25.2. Discussion of the concept 240 25.3. Fundamental properties 241 25.4. Immediate mathematical consequences 242 26.CONSTRUCTION OF A GAME WITH A GIVEN CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTION 243 26.1. The construction 243 26.2. Summary 245 27.STRATEGIC EQUIVALENCE. INESSENTIAL AND ESSENTIAL GAMES 245 27.1. Strategic equivalence. The reduced form 245 27.2. Inequalities. The quantity [gamma] 248 27.3. Inessentiality and essentiality 249 27.4. Various criteria. Non additive utilities 250 27.5. The inequalities in the essential case 252 27.6. Vector operations on characteristic functions 253 28.GROUPS, SYMMETRY AND FAIRNESS 255 28.1. Permutations, their groups and their effect on a game 255 28.2. Symmetry and fairness 258 29.RECONSIDERATION OF THE ZERO-SUM THREE-PERSON GAME 260 29.1. Qualitative discussion 260 29.2. Quantitative discussion 262 30.THE EXACT FORM OF THE GENERAL DEFINITIONS 263 30.1. The definitions 263 30.2. Discussion and recapitulation 265 *30.3. The concept of saturation 266 30.4. Three immediate objectives 271 31.FIRST CONSEQUENCES 272 31.1. Convexity, flatness, and some criteria for domination 272 31.2. The system of all imputations. One element solutions 277 31.3. The isomorphism which corresponds to strategic equivalence 281 32.DETERMINATION OF ALL SOLUTIONS OF THE ESSENTIAL ZERO-SUM THREE-PERSON GAME 282 32.1. Formulation of the mathematical problem. The graphical method 282 32.2. Determination of all solutions 285 33.CONCLUSIONS 288 33.1. The multiplicity of solutions. Discrimination and its meaning 288 33.2. Statics and dynamics 290 CHAPTER VII: ZERO-SUM FOUR-PERSON GAMES 34.PRELIMINARY SURVEY 291 34.1. General viewpoints 291 34.2. Formalism of the essential zero sum four person games 291 34.3. Permutations of the players 294 35.DISCUSSION OF SOME SPECIAL POINTS IN THE CUBE Q 295 35.1. The corner I. (and V., VI., VII.) 295 35.2. The corner VIII. (and II., III., IV.,). The three person game and a "Dummy" 299 35.3. Some remarks concerning the interior of Q 302 36.DISCUSSION OF THE MAIN DIAGONALS 304 36.1. The part adjacent to the corner VIII.: Heuristic discussion 304 36.2. The part adjacent to the corner VIII.: Exact discussion 307 *36.3. Other parts of the main diagonals 312 37.THE CENTER AND ITS ENVIRONS 313 37.1. First orientation about the conditions around the center 313 37.2. The two alternatives and the role of symmetry 315 37.3. The first alternative at the center 316 37.4. The second alternative at the center 317 37.5. Comparison of the two central solutions 318 37.6. Unsymmetrical central solutions 319 *38. A FAMILY OF SOLUTIONS FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE CENTER 321 *38.1. Transformation of the solution belonging to the first alternative at the center 321 *38.2. Exact discussion 322 *38.3. Interpretation of the solutions 327 CHAPTER VIII: SOME REMARKS CONCERNING n [equal to or greater than] 5 PARTICIPANTS 39.THE NUMBER OF PARAMETERS IN VARIOUS CLASSES OF GAMES 330 39.1. The situation for n = 3, 4 330 39.2. The situation for all n [equal to or greater than] 3 330 40.THE SYMMETRIC FIVE PERSON GAME 332 40.1. Formalism of the symmetric five person game 332 40.2. The two extreme cases 332 40.3. Connection between the symmetric five person game and the 1, 2, 3 symmetric four person game 334 CHAPTER IX: COMPOSITION AND DECOMPOSITION OF GAMES 41.COMPOSITION AND DECOMPOSITION 339 41.1. Search for n-person games for which all solutions can be determined 339 41.2. The first type. Composition and decomposition 340 41.3. Exact definitions 341 41.4. Analysis of decomposability 343 41.5. Desirability of a modification 345 42.MODIFICATION OF THE THEORY 345 42.1. No complete abandonment of the zero sum restriction 345 42.2. Strategic equivalence. Constant sum games 346 42.3. The characteristic function in the new theory 348 42.4. Imputations, domination, solutions in the new theory 350 42.5. Essentiality, inessentiality and decomposability in the new theory 351 43.THE DECOMPOSITION PARTITION 353 43.1. Splitting sets. Constituents 353 43.2. Properties of the system of all splitting sets 353 43.3. Characterization of the system of all splitting sets. The decomposition partition 354 43.4. Properties of the decomposition partition 357 44.DECOMPOSABLE GAMES. FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE THEORY 358 44.1. Solutions of a (decomposable) game and solutions of its constituents 358 44.2. Composition and decomposition of imputations and of sets of imputations 359 44.3. Composition and decomposition of solutions. The main possibilities and surmises 361 44.4. Extension of the theory. Outside sources 363 44.5. The excess 364 44.6. Limitations of the excess. The non-isolated character of a game in the new setup 366 44.7. Discussion of the new setup. E(e0), F(e0) 367 45.LIMITATIONS OF THE EXCESS. STRUCTURE OF THE EXTENDED THEORY 378 45.1. The lower limit of the excess 368 45.2. The upper limit of the excess. Detached and fully detached imputations 369 45.3. Discussion of the two limits, |[Gamma]|1, |[Gamma]|2. Their ratio 372 45.4. Detached imputations and various solutions. The theorem connecting E(e0), F(e0) 375 45.5. Proof of the theorem 376 45.6. Summary and conclusions 380 46.DETERMINATION OF ALL SOLUTIONS OF A DECOMPOSABLE GAME 381 46.1. Elementary properties of decompositions 381 46.2. Decomposition and its relation to the solutions: First results concerning F(e0) 384 46.3. Continuation 386 46.4. Continuation 388 46.5. The complete result in F(e0) 390 46.6. The complete result in E(e0) 393 46.7. Graphical representation of a part of the result 394 46.8. Interpretation: The normal zone. Heredity of various properties 396 46.9. Dummies 397 46.10. Imbedding of a game 398 46.11. Significance of the normal zone 401 46.12. First occurrence of the phenomenon of transfer: n = 6 402 47.THE ESSENTIAL THREE-PERSON GAME IN THE NEW THEORY 403 47.1. Need for this discussion 403 47.2. Preparatory considerations 403 47.3. The six cases of the discussion. Cases (I)-(III) 406 47.4. Case (IV): First part 407 47.5. Case (IV): Second part 409 47.6. Case (V) 413 47.7. Case (VI) 415 47.8. Interpretation of the result: The curves (one dimensional parts) in the solution 416 47.9. Continuation: The areas (two dimensional parts) in the solution 418 CHAPTER X: SIMPLE GAMES 48.WINNING AND LOSING COALITIONS AND GAMES WHERE THEY OCCUR 420 48.1. The second type of 41.1. Decision by coalitions 420 48.2. Winning and Losing Coalitions 421 49.CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SIMPLE GAMES 423 49.1. General concepts of winning and losing coalitions 423 49.2. The special role of one element sets 425 49.3. Characterization of the systems W, L of actual games 426 49.4. Exact definition of simplicity 428 49.5. Some elementary properties of simplicity 428 49.6. Simple games and their W, L. The Minimal winning coalitions: Wm 429 49.7. The solutions of simple games 430 50.THE MAJORITY GAMES AND THE MAIN SOLUTION 431 50.1. Examples of simple games: The majority games 481 50.2. Homogeneity 433 50.3. A more direct use of the concept of imputation in forming solutions 435 50.4. Discussion of this direct approach 436 50.5. Connections with the general theory. Exact formulation 438 50.6. Reformulation of the result 440 50.7. Interpretation of the result 442 50.8. Connection with the Homogeneous Majority game 443 51.METHODS FOR THE ENUMERATION OF ALL SIMPLE GAMES 445 51.1. Preliminary Remarks 445 51.2. The saturation method: Enumeration by means of W 446 51.3. Reasons for passing from W to Wm. Difficulties of using Wm 448 51.4. Changed Approach: Enumeration by means of Wm 450 51.5. Simplicity and decomposition 452 51.6. Inessentiality, Simplicity and Composition. Treatment of the excess 454 51.7. A criterium of decomposability in terms of Wm 455 52.THE SIMPLE GAMES FOR SMALL n 457 52.1. Program. n = 1, 2 play no role. Disposal of n = 3 457 52.2. Procedure for n [equal to or greater than] 4: The two element sets and their role in classify ing the Wm 458 52.3. Decomposability of cases C*, Cn-2, Cn-1 459 52.4. The simple games other than [1, ... , 1, n - 2]h, (with dummies): The Cases Ck, k = 0, 1, ... , n - 3 461 52.5. Disposal of n = 4, 5 462 53.THE NEW POSSIBILITIES OF SIMPLE GAMES FOR n [equal to or greater than] 6 463 53.1. The Regularities observed for n [equal to or greater than] 6 463 53.2. The six main counter examples (for n = 6, 7) 464 54.DETERMINATION OF ALL SOLUTIONS IN SUITABLE GAMES 470 54.1. Reasons to consider other solutions than the main solution in simple games 470 54.2. Enumeration of those games for which all solutions are known 471 54.3. Reasons to consider the simple game [1, ... , 1, n - 2]h, 472 *55. THE SIMPLE GAME [1, ... , 1, n - 2]h 473 *55.1. Preliminary Remarks 473 *55.2. Domination. The chief player. Cases (I) and (11) 473 *55.3. Disposal of Case (I) 475 *55.4. Case (II): Determination of V [above horizontal bar] 478 *55.5. Case (II): Determination of V [below horizontal bar] 481 *55.6. Case (II): [alpha] and S* 484 *55.7. Case (II') and (II"). Disposal of Case (II') 485 *55.8. Case (II"): [alpha] and V'. Domination 488 *55.9. Case (II"): Determination of V' *55.10. Disposal of Case (II") 488 *55.11. Reformulation of the complete result 497 *55.12. Interpretation of the result 499 CHAPTER XI: GENERAL NON-ZERO-SUM GAMES 56.EXTENSION OF THE THEORY 504 56.1. Formulation of the problem 504 56.2. The fictitious player. The zero sum extension [Gamma] 505 56.3. Questions concerning the character of [Gamma below horizontal bar] 506 56.4. Limitations of the use of [Gamma above horizontal bar] 508 56.5. The two possible procedures 510 56.6. The discriminatory solutions 511 56.7. Alternative possibilities 512 56.8. The new setup 514 56.9. Reconsideration of the case when [Gamma] is a zero sum game 516 56.10. Analysis of the concept of domination 520 56.11. Rigorous discussion 523 56.12. The new definition of a solution 526 57.THE CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTION AND RELATED TOPICS 527 57.1. The characteristic function: The extended and the restricted form 527 57.2. Fundamental properties 528 57.3. Determination of all characteristic functions 530 57.4. Removable sets of players 533 57.5. Strategic equivalence. Zero-sum and constant-sum games 535 58.INTERPRETATION OF THE CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTION 538 58.1. Analysis of the definition 538 58.2. The desire to make a gain vs. that to inflict a loss 539 58.3. Discussion 541 59.GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 542 59.1. Discussion of the program 542 59.2. The reduced forms. The inequalities 543 59.3. Various topics 546 60.THE SOLUTIONS OF ALL GENERAL GAMES WITH n [equal to or less than] 3 548 60.1. The case n = 1 548 60.2. The case n = 2 549 60.3. The case n = 3 550 60.4. Comparison with the zero sum games 554 61.ECONOMIC INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS FOR n = 1, 2 555 61.1. The case n = 1 555 61.2. The case n = 2. The two person market 555 61.3. Discussion of the two person market and its characteristic function 557 61.4. Justification of the standpoint of 58 559 61.5. Divisible goods. The "marginal pairs" 560 61.6. The price. Discussion 562 62.ECONOMIC INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS FOR n = 3: SPECIAL CASE 564 62.1. The case n = 3, special case. The three person market 564 62.2. Preliminary discussion 566 62.3. The solutions: First subcase 566 62.4. The solutions: General form 569 62.5. Algebraical form of the result 570 62.6. Discussion 571 63.ECONOMIC INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS FOR n = 3: GENERAL CASE 573 63.1. Divisible goods 573 63.2. Analysis of the inequalities 575 63.3. Preliminary discussion 577 63.4. The solutions 577 63.5. Algebraical form of the result 580 63.6. Discussion 581 64.THE GENERAL MARKET 583 64.1. Formulation of the problem 583 64.2. Some special properties. Monopoly and monopsony 584 CHAPTER XII: EXTENSION OF THE CONCEPTS OF DOMINATION AND SOLUTION 65.THE EXTENSION. SPECIAL CASES 587 65.1. Formulation of the problem 587 65.2. General remarks 588 65.3. Orderings, transitivity, acyclicity 589 65.4. The solutions: For a symmetric relation. For a complete ordering 591 65.5. The solutions: For a partial ordering 592 65.6. Acyclicity and strict acyclicity 594 65.7. The solutions: For an acyclic relation 597 65.8. Uniqueness of solutions, acyclicity and strict acyclicity 600 65.9. Application to games: Discreteness and continuity 602 66.GENERALIZATION OF THE CONCEPT OF UTILITY 603 66.1. The generalization. The two phases of the theoretical treatment 603 66.2. Discussion of the first phase 604 66.3. Discussion of the second phase 606 66.4. Desirability of unifying the two phases 607 67.DISCUSSION OF AN EXAMPLE 608 67.1. Description of the example 608 67.2. The solution and its interpretation 611 67.3. Generalization: Different discrete utility scales 614 67.4. Conclusions concerning bargaining 616 APPENDIX: THE AXIOMATIC TREATMENT OF UTILITY 617 INDEX OF FIGURES 633 INDEX OF NAMES 634 INDEX OF SUBJECTS 635

    1 in stock

    £54.00

  • The New Lombard Street

    Princeton University Press The New Lombard Street

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisPresents the innovative principles needed to address the instability of the markets and to rebuild our financial system. This book traces the evolution of ideas and institutions in the American banking system since the establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913. It explains how the Fed took classic central banking wisdom from Britain and Europe.Trade Review"A well-written, scholarly dissection that should be required reading for all graduate courses (and perhaps some advanced undergraduate) in macroeconomics or monetary economics."--Choice "With lucid precision, Mehrling traces the history of how Fed policy makers became biased toward 'excessive elasticity'... Mehrling saves the best for the end, where he describes the Fed's battle to save the system with an alphabet soup of lending programs."--James Pressley, Bloomberg News "I continue to ponder Mehrling's main claims, but in any case this is an important book about the new Fed."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "In The New Lombard Street, Perry Mehrling ... provides a lucid account of how the system worked when it was working--and of the growing role assumed by the Fed in an era of global economic volatility and 'credit-fueled bubbles.'"--Glenn C. Altschuler, Tulsa World "[A] fantastic book."--Rortybomb, Mike Konczal blog "[I]mportant... Mehrling's new book tries to do just what Bagehot did: to give an account both of how and why the Fed acted when it reinvented the rules in the middle of a financial crisis, and of what the implications for future monetary policy will be."--Harold James, Central Banking Journal "This is an excellent and accessible analysis for anyone wishing to understand the origins of the financial crisis and how the Fed came to respond as it did."--Larry Hatheway, Business Economist "[T]he book can be read as an important contribution in the ongoing debate on the future of central banks. In terms of monetary policy thinking, this book is another contribution to the increasing awareness that central banks, perhaps lured by seeming success of inflation targeting, in the years before 2008 did not manage to strike the right balance between monetary and financial stability."--Lars Fredrik Oksendal, Enterprise & SocietyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Introduction 1 A Money View Perspective 2 Lessons from the Crisis 6 Chapter One: Lombard Street, Old and New 11 The Inherent Instability of Credit 12 The Old Lombard Street 18 The New Lombard Street 23 Chapter Two: Origins of the Present System 30 From National Banking to the Fed 30 From War Finance to Catastrophe 37 Noncommercial Credit in Depression and War 43 Chapter Three: The Age of Management 48 Monetary Policy and the Employment Act 52 Listening to the Academics 57 Monetary Walrasianism 60 A Dissenting View 65 Chapter Four: The Art of the Swap 71 Currency Swaps and the UIP Norm 72 Brave New World 79 From Modern Finance to Modern Macroeconomics 85 Chapter Five: What Do Dealers Do? 92 Inside the Money Market 93 Funding Liquidity and Market Liquidity 98 Anatomy of a Crisis 103 Monetary Policy 107 Chapter Six: Learning from the Crisis 113 The Long Shadow of Jimmy Stewart 116 A Stress Test of Moulton-Martin 123 Dealer of Last Resort 132 Conclusion 136 Notes 141 References 149 Index 159

    2 in stock

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  • Blind Spots

    Princeton University Press Blind Spots

    Book SynopsisExamines the ways we overestimate our ability to do what is right and how we act unethically without meaning to. This title investigates the nature of ethical failures in the business world and beyond, and illustrate how we can become more ethical, bridging the gap between who we are and who we want to be.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2012 Silver Medal Book Award in Business Ethics, Axiom Business "Well-written, stuffed with intriguing research, and more than a little unnerving, this book will make readers reconsider some of their most entrenched beliefs."--BizEd "[Blind Spots] is full of studies in human behavior and those results can help us, and the people we manage, make better decisions... [T]he book should be required reading for anyone entering the business world ... or for those of us who still try to reconcile misdeeds that did not have to be."--Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com "One explanation for what happened at News of the World can be found in a new book called Blind Spots. Its authors Max Bazerman and Ann Tenbrunsel look at how businesses, from Ford to Enron to subprime mortgage lenders, can end up mired in ethical disaster. But rather than discuss such choices as coolly calculated trade-offs between right and wrong, they look at how people actually make decisions--under pressure from shareholders, bosses and colleagues, up against tight deadlines and often worried about their careers, or even whether their contracts are going to be renewed."--Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian "This book is a step toward ... bringing together a host of studies by the authors and others that probe how easy it is for us [to] act less ethically than we would like. The book also shows how organizations can take advantage of these findings in behavioural ethics to change their informal culture."--Harvey Schachter, The Globe & Mail "Bazerman and Tenbrunsel apply insights from the field of behavioral ethics to understand why individuals and organizations act unethically and what can be done to prevent such behavior. They draw on research from psychology and business to illustrate how factors outside our awareness influence decisions and behavior, and what we can do to prevent ethical lapses."--Taya R. Cohen, Pittsburgh Business Times "Blind Spots is a bold argument against the decency of human beings, showing how we subvert our ethical principles time and time again. Noting a human tendency to justify our own actions to ourselves with little thought for their consequences, business professors Max Bazerman and Ann Tenbrunsel explain how employees can give rise to dysfunctional organizations for fear of rocking the boat... The authors adopt a lively tone throughout and harness a broad mix of examples, from lab experiments to the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and the collapse of Enron."--Gregor Hunter, The National "In an era where we've watched political leaders tell blatant lies and seen the corporate world nearly sunk by an onslaught of questionable ethics, it's time to take a sober look at why people who think of themselves as moral can commit unethical and even unlawful acts--or approve the dishonest acts of others... [T]his is examined in the recent book Blind Spots, by Harvard Business School professor Max Bazerman and Ann Tenbrunsel, professor of business ethics at the University of Notre Dame."--Toronto Star "The style [of Blind Spots] is incisive and reassuringly uningratiating."--Steven Poole, The Guardian "Bazerman ... and ... Tenbrunsel ... set out to show that if we are to make ethical decisions, we need to recognize such blind spots in ourselves as our failure to view our own immoral actions objectively and our tendency to act based on how we want to behave rather than on how we should."--Susan Schwartz, Montreal Gazette "Blind Spots is a good book. It tells a story in a clear and compelling fashion, which is what a book is for. The story is that we often act unethically, not because we're faced with ethical questions and decide to pick the 'bad' option, but because we fail to see that there is an ethical issue at all."--Neuroskeptic blog "If you want to be an ethical person or organization and are sometimes left nonplussed by the unethical behavior that still ensues nonetheless, then this is the right book to help you understand and correctly ensure that ethical behavior happens when push comes to shove."--Mouse Trap blog "Are we as ethical as we think we are? An important new book by ... Max Bazerman and ... Ann Tenbrunsel says probably not. In Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What's Right and What to Do about It, Bazerman and Tenbrunsel make a convincing case that a significant gap exists between how ethical we think we are and how ethical we actually are."--Scott Flegal, Nashua Telegraph "In their well-written, easily accessible text, Bazerman and Tenbrunsel rely on well-known cases of ethical failure and prior research, often previously popularized psychological studies, to frame the emerging field of behavioral ethics... [I]t serves as an excellent introduction to the discipline."--Choice "I enjoyed this book and think it is ideal for a team of managers to read together. Knowing how common it is for individuals to miss seeing a conflict or bias, colleagues could commit to challenging each other with candor and care."--Jill Geisler, Poynter "I will surely consider using the text in the classroom in the future... 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  • The Battle of Bretton Woods

    Princeton University Press The Battle of Bretton Woods

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisUpending the conventional wisdom that Bretton Woods was the product of an amiable Anglo-American collaboration, this book shows that it was in reality part of a much more ambitious geopolitical agenda hatched within President Franklin D Roosevelt's Treasury and aimed at eliminating Britain as an economic and political rival.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2013 Spear's Book Award in Financial History Co-Winner of the 2014 Bronze Medal in Economics, Axiom Business Book Awards One of The Motley Fool's (John Reeves) 10 Great Books on American Economic History One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best History Books of 2013 One of Bloomberg News' Top Business Books of 2013 One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Nonfiction Books of the Year for 2013 in Business and Economics One of Bloomberg/Businessweek Best Books of 2013, as selected individually by Fredrik Erixon, Scott Minerd, Olli Rehn and Alan Greenspan Featured in The Sunday Times 2013 Holiday Roundup Shortlisted for the 2013 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards in Finance & Economics Honorable Mention for the 2014 Arthur Ross Book Award, Council on Foreign Relations Shortlisted for the 2014 Lionel Gelber Prize, Lionel Gelber Foundation "The Battle of Bretton Woods should become the gold standard on its topic. The details are addictive."--Fred Andrews, New York Times "Steil, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, understands the economic issues at stake and has done meticulous research on the history. Every good story that has ever been told about the major actors involved and the happening itself is in his book, and a few more besides. For those who come fresh to the subject, and even for those who know most of it, it is an excellent and revealing account."--Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books "A superb history. Mr. Steil ... is a talented storyteller."--James Grant, Wall Street Journal "[A] masterful (and readable) account of American realpolitik and British delusion."--Andrew Hilton, Financial World "Steil's book, engaging and entertaining, perceptive and instructive, is a triumph of economic and diplomatic history. Everything is here: political chicanery, bureaucratic skulduggery, espionage, hard economic detail and the acid humour of men making history under pressure."--Tony Barber, Financial Times "This is a fantastic book. Gold and money, two of my favorite topics. It's also brilliantly insightful history, and a gripping spy thriller to boot."--Larry Kudlow, CNBC "[T]he author masterfully translates the arcana of competing theories of monetary policy, and a final chapter explains how, while some of the institutions created by Bretton Woods endure--the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund--many of the conference's assumptions were swiftly overtaken by the Marshall Plan. Throughout Steil's sharp discussion runs the intriguing subplot of White's career-long, secret relationship with Soviet intelligence. A vivid, highly informed portrayal of the personalities, politics and policies dominating 'the most important international gathering since the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.'"--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "In his masterful account, The Battle of Bretton Woods, Steil situates the conference firmly in the tense, heightened atmosphere of the final months of World War II... Steil's book comes alive in his description of [Keynes' and White's] contrasting experiences at the conference."--Sam Knight, Bloomberg News "[H]ypnotically readable."--Peter Passell, Milken Institute Review "[T]hought provoking and well written."--Kathleen Burk, Literary Review "This is an excellent book... [It] also contains some explosive revelations about White's work as a Soviet spy, very well documented I might add."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "If you think economics and finance are dry subjects at best, Steil's book offers a refreshing surprise. It's a political thriller in which the protagonists, one whom you think you know and one whom you probably don't, are much more intriguing (in both senses of the word) than they first appear."--Daniel Altman, Big Think "[I]n a new book explaining what really happened at Bretton Woods, Benn Steil shows that what happened in the mountains of New Hampshire that summer is not quite the story we have been told."--Neil Irwin, WashingtonPost.com "[Benn Steil's] new book The Battle of Bretton Woods is perhaps the most accessible study yet of a key moment in world economic history that nonetheless is poorly understood."--Kevin Carmichael, Globe & Mail "The clash between Keynes and White forms a central theme in Benn Steil's absorbing book, which should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the not-so-special relationship between the US and Britain."--Geoffrey Owen, Standpoint Magazine "[F]ascinating... Steil ... spins the tale of how U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, a close friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, allowed White, a little-known economist who wasn't even on the U.S. Treasury's regular payroll, to dominate the department's monetary and trade policies beginning in the 1930s."--John M. Barry, USA Today "[A] well-written, fascinating history of the Bretton Woods conference on the international monetary system in July 1941. The book is deep, well researched, and hard to put down. Benn Steil ... has produced a book that will help us to understand history, but also one we can use to contrast with the current international economic situation... This is a very good book."--John M. Mason, Seeking Alpha "I do hope the title of this riveting read does not put off readers who mistake Benn Steil's latest work for an arcane discussion of exchange rates, the gold standard and the stuff of debates in commons rooms. This book is more than that, much more. It is a tale of a battle of titans and of a war between nations, each intent on establishing the economic architecture that would ensure its postwar economic domination of world finance."--Irwin Stelzer, Sunday Times "[V]ivid personality portraits and a lively writing style."--Mike Foster, Financial News "[F]ascinating... [R]iveting... The Battle of Bretton Woods is chock-full of provocative and timely observations."--Glenn C. Altschuler, Tulsa World "President Obama would be wise to take it to Martha's Vineyard this summer."--John Tamny, Forbes.com "Benn Steil has just completed a fascinating book that looks at what really happened in the small New Hampshire town of Bretton Woods in 1944. Perhaps most surprising is that the real story that emerges isn't a tale of how 44 countries came together to rebuild the world. And the real story has different lessons for the 21st century than ambitious idealists might expect."--Andrew Sawers, Economia "[A] splendid book... If you want to understand the gold standard, the always-doomed dollar standard, why the IMF is in Washington, how the US deliberately humiliated Britain over debt before, during and after WWII as part of a very real currency war (but also out of genuine anti-colonial sentiment that the British never understood), this is the book for you... Every year publishers come out with a couple of purportedly serious books on FX, some by VIPs, and I read them all. This is the only one since Paul Volcker's Changing Fortunes in 1979 that is worth the price. It is non-partisan, well-written, thorough, and chock-full of the historical perspective that can so easily and so often get lost in the hurly-burly of the daily market."--Barbara Rockefeller, Harriman Intelligence blog "[A] provocative, lively and perceptive book that pulls together economics, politics, diplomacy and history and relates it to our current crisis."--Keith Simpson MP, Total Politics "This thorough, fascinating account of the international conference that culminated in the 1944 agreement to maintain stable exchange rates skillfully places it in its economic and geopolitical context... Steil not only recounts the intricacies of the deal making but also details the economic dimensions of Bretton Woods... With the help of 10 research assistants, Steil has tirelessly tracked down minute details of the Bretton Woods story and its epilogue... [Steil] offers excellent insight into the tribulations of the key players. He also tells the interesting tale of how, if not for the well-founded suspicions regarding Harry Dexter White's cooperation with Communist spies, the tradition of an American heading the World Bank and a European heading the IMF would have been reversed."--Financial Analysts Journal "Steil understands the economics at the heart of the tortuous negotiations, but he is also very good at explaining the politics, the power and the passions--the professional and personal rivalries--of the people at the negotiating table. He turns what could have been a dry account of economic accords into a thrilling story of ambition, drama, and intrigue."--Keith Richmond, Tribune Magazine, UK "[A] very well-written history, with lively personalities, [which] also serves as a great overview of the analytical issues in international monetary arrangements."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist blog "Absorbing ... as an account of history-making at the highest level, this entertaining, informative, gossipy and, for the lay reader, often challenging book provides an excellent read."--Richard Steyn, Financial Mail "[A]n amazing true story ... highly entertaining."--Ian McMaster, Business Spotlight "An object lesson in how to make economic history at once entertaining and instructive."--Financial Times, "Books of the Year So Far" Summer Reading Guide "A valuable addition to the economic history literature."--Choice "It's always nice when you can combine outside reading for fun with something that is educational... [A] good read that is also good for you."--Daniel Shaviro, Jotwell "The book provides a terrifically written, gossipy account of the origins of Bretton Woods... Since the world spent several decades under the clumsy (and, to the U.S., costly) Bretton Woods regime, and since you sometimes hear people harkening back to that time as a golden age (which it surely was not), ... it is an important read for our day."--Dan Littman, Senior Payments Research Consultant and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland "Benn Steil [of the] Council on Foreign Relations has written a fascinating book on the two main architects behind the Bretton Woods system... Steil's book is an outstanding piece of political science research ... extremely well written and well documented... It is strongly recommended."--Morten Balling, SUERF Newsletter "Benn Steil's remarkable book ... is an account of how the IMF first came to be, back in the sleepy New Hampshire summer of 1944... The Battle of Bretton Woods is an essential volume in any understanding of John Maynard Keynes, who though now seven decades gone is as influential a mind as we may yet see in the twenty-first century."--Brian Domitrovic, Library of Law and Liberty blog "Steil's book ... shows how normally abstruse economic and diplomatic history can be made palatable and even alluring to the general reader."--Christopher Silvester, Spear's "[A] fascinating account of the developments leading up to the Bretton Woods conference and its immediate aftermath, from the point of view of the two main characters involved: John Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White. The book is based on extensive archive work, so often the participants speak for themselves, which makes for interesting reading."--Isaac Alfon, Central Banking Journal "The Battle of Bretton Woods sets forth in smooth prose and concise detail an authoritative narrative of the who-what-when-why of the great monetary conference of some 70 years ago. It is jam-packed with heady discussions... If we're fortunate, Benn Steil will deliver a follow-up."--Kevin R. Kosar, Weekly Standard "Individual persons are at the center of the story, which also comes loaded with tales of international intrigue, spycraft, and famous personalities. It's not just for history buffs and economics geeks."--Douglas French, Freeman, publication of the Foundation for Economic Education "Seduced by Keynes's rhetorical repudiation both of the 'austerity' implied by [promptly paying off Britain's war debts] and the 'temptation' of accepting a loan, the British shipped Keynes to Washington ... to seek 'justice', to wit, the third option. In his recent history of the period, Benn Steil deftly paints what ensued."--Patrick Honohan, Irish Times "[T]his thought-provoking book is about much more than the 1944 conference that established the architecture of the postwar international monetary system, leading to the establishment of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank."--Foreign Affairs "Benn Steil has crafted a fine history... Characterized by fine and entertaining writing, The Battle of Bretton Woods is economic and political history in engrossing detail."--Satyajit Das, Naked Capitalism "Benn Steil provides a well-researched and interesting account of the historic monetary conference... His efforts make for an enjoyable read... Steil is perhaps at his best when articulating how the Bretton Woods system differed from the classical gold standard--a difference that would ultimately lead to the failure of Bretton Woods... Steil's excellent book should serve as a gentle reminder of which monetary systems have worked well in the past--and which should not be repeated."--William J. Luther, SSRN's Economic History eJournal "An informed citizenry includes an understanding of our economy and how it is integrated into the global financial system. For this, it is important to start from the ... discussions that occurred among 44 nations in the idyllic and calm resort at Bretton Woods, N.H., in 1944. [Benn Steil's] new book details not only the meeting but the deep arguments between the British economist John Maynard Keynes and [American Treasury official] Harry Dexter White... This is a serious book of political economic history."--Cmdr. Youssef Aboul-Enein, DCMilitary "Benn Steil's book provides a fascinating account of the developments leading up to the Bretton Woods conference and its immediate aftermath, from the point of view of the two main characters involved: John Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White. The book is based on extensive archive work, so often the participants speak for themselves, which makes for interesting reading."--Isaac Alfon, Central Banking Journal "This masterful account dismantles the idyllic picture of the 1944 Bretton Woods international economic conference, situating it firmly in the tense atmosphere of the final months of World War II."--Laurie Muchnick, Bloomberg Top Business Books of 2013 "Steil's book is an object lesson in how to make economic history entertaining and instructive."--Tony Barber, Financial Times "Benn Steil not only produces the finest account of the conference that established the Pax Americana economic system after World War II, he does it with the skill of a novelist."--Jon Talton, SeattleTimes.com "[A] well-documented, engaging account of the Bretton Woods Conference... The material on Harry Dexter White is fascinating ... an essential reference [with] much to teach economic historians."--Joshua Hausman, Journal of Economic History "The Battle of Bretton Woods is a thorough and fascinating account of a historic event, skillfully placed in its economic and geopolitical context. [H]e offers excellent insight into the tribulations of the key players. He also tells the interesting tale of how, if not for the well-founded suspicions regarding Harry Dexter White's cooperation with Communist spies, the tradition of an American heading the World Bank and a European heading the IMF would have been reversed."--Martin S. Fridson, Financial Analysts Journal "Steil's book is essential reading for students of multilateralism, diplomacy, and international economic relations... It is also an excellent overview of the behind-the-scenes machinations that caused Britain to agree to the final document that placed America, and the dollar, at the top of the global financial pyramid... [O]f primary interest to most readers ... it is a fascinating and nuanced glimpse into the psychology of Second World War era economic espionage."--Marc D. Froese, International Journal "This story is well told. It is also well known... Steil is targeting a broader audience than scholars, however, and in that sense, this book is a success at recasting a surprisingly exciting story."--Thomas W. Zeiler, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society "Steil breathes new life and controversy into a familiar story by emphasizing the intellectual and political clash between John Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White."--James McAllister, H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable "Steil rarely puts a foot wrong. His analysis of policies and personalities, however he has acquired his knowledge, reflects a sophisticated understanding of the inner workings of financial diplomacy."--Stephen Schuker, H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable "[A]n ably crafted narrative."--Darel Paul, H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable "[The book] is a welcome departure from less political, or more American-centric, accounts of Bretton Woods."--William Glenn Gray, H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable "[T]his is a beautiful narrative of the making of Bretton Woods, based on serious archival research and with some nice old photos as illustrations."--Ivo Maes, History of Economic Ideas "The Battle of Bretton Woods is a remarkable work that embraces many disciplines: economic history, political economy and international relations. Benn Steil is able to merge the different perspectives from all these disciplines, taking the reader into both the political battle and the economic thinking."--Anna Missiaia, Financial History Review "A gripping account... John Le Carre meets international monetary history: this is clearly a different kind of page-turner."--Jayati Ghosh, Economic & Political Weekly "The Battle of Bretton Woods is a remarkable work that embraces many disciplines: history, economic history, political economy and international relations. Benn Steil is able to merge the different perspectives from all these disciplines, taking the reader into both the political battle and the economic thinking that took place at Bretton Woods."--Anna Missiaia, Financial History Review "Epic."--Ashok Rao, Vox "[E]ngaging and instructive ... Benn Steil has written a book full of historical insight and human color."--Robert L. Hetzel, Econ Focus "[A] good piece of historical investigation that will put an end to doubts as to whether White was in fact a Soviet agent."--Maria Cristina Marcuzzo, Economica "[A] thoughtful and well-researched addition to economic history."--Mark L. Wilson, Journal of Economic Issues "With extensive, original research, Benn Steil has rewritten the history of the conference. Steil reveals the illusions of its two central figures: John Maynard Keynes, the most famous economist of the twentieth century and a senior member of the British delegation, and Harry Dexter White, the little-known assistant secretary of the US Treasury, who almost singlehandedly ran the conference... A major contribution to economic, intellectual, and political history, which is accessible to a wide audience and presents an endlessly fascinating portrait of two complicated men."--Carl, Strikwerda, The Historian "Benn Steil's The Battle of Bretton Woods is a superb, carefully researched history that enables readers to view today and tomorrow from the vantage point of the past."--Robert B. Zoellick, International Economy "The Battle of Bretton Woods offers a tantalizing peek into another time of financial stress compounded by a world war... The chess match between White and Keynes is well worth the price of admission--the price of the book and the time it takes to read it."--Don R. Leet, American Economist "The Battle of Bretton Woods is a well-researched and excellently written book that is recommended for everyone interested in economic and diplomatic history."--Tobias Leeg, Political Studies ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: The World Comes to the White Mountains 9 Chapter 3: The Improbable Rise of Harry White 17 Chapter 4: Maynard Keynes and the Monetary Menace 61 Chapter 5: "The Most Unsordid Act" 99 Chapter 6: The Best-Laid Plans of White and Keynes 125 Chapter 7: Whitewash 155 Chapter 8: History Is Made 201 Chapter 9: Begging Like Fala 251 Chapter 10: Out with the Old Order, In with the New 293 Chapter 11: Epilogue 330 Appendix 1: Harry Dexter White Manuscript Photos 349 Appendix 2: Statement of Harry S. Truman on Harry Dexter White, 1953 351 Cast of Characters 355 Notes 371 References 407 Index 427

    1 in stock

    £17.09

  • Desert Edens

    Princeton University Press Desert Edens

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Turku Book Prize, European Society for Environmental History""Honorable Mention for the DAAD/GSA Prize for the Best Book in History / Social Sciences""An excellent guide to historical plans to remake specific landscapes and influence the world's climate."---B. Lieberman, Choice"Exemplary analysis of imperial and fascist European visions for transforming deserts into climatically appealing landscapes and seascapes for colonial settlement."---Christine Keiner, H-Environment

    1 in stock

    £31.50

  • Love Money and Parenting

    Princeton University Press Love Money and Parenting

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Fatherly Top Ten Best Parenting Book of the Decade""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Psychologists, sociologists and journalists have spent more than a decade diagnosing and critiquing the habits of ‘helicopter parents’ and their school obsessions. . . . But new research shows that in our unequal era, this kind of parenting is essential. That’s the message of the book Love, Money and Parenting: How Economics Explains the Way We Raise Our Kids, by the economists Matthias Doepke of Northwestern University and Fabrizio Zilibotti of Yale. It’s true that high-octane, hardworking child-rearing has some pointless excesses, and it doesn’t spark joy for parents. But done right, it works for kids, not just in the United States but in rich countries around the world."---Pamela Druckerman, New York Times"An incisive look at parenting and economic inequality."---Carolyn Dever, Public Books"Why do so many seemingly sane people get over-involved with their kids? The answer is not that parents have collectively come unhinged, according to the new book Love, Money and Parenting: How Economics Explains the Way We Raise Our Kids. Rather, parents today are rational economic actors responding to an increasingly unhinged environment."---Jenny Anderson, Quartz"An earnest tilt at a genuinely hard question: To what degree are parental choices informed by economic realities? Reducing his answer to a single line is reductive, but let’s do it anyway. When it comes to raising Americans kids, it’s the economy, stupid."---Patrick A. Coleman, Fatherly.com"As economists Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti reveal in their recent book Love, Money, and Parenting: How Economics Explains the Way We Raise Our Kids, today’s American parents are not so crazy after all. For better and worse, their parenting style is perfectly rational."---Kay Hymowitz, Institute for Family Studies"All in all, a highly informative read."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"The book introduces stimulating ideas in an accessible manner."---John Ermisch, Journal of Economic Inequality

    15 in stock

    £22.50

  • Phishing for Phools

    Princeton University Press Phishing for Phools

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGeorge A. Akerlof, Co-Winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics Robert J. Shiller, Co-Winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics Winner of the 2016 Gold Medal in Economics, Axiom Business Book Awards One of Foreign Affairs' Best Economic, Social, and Environmental (Economics) Books of 2016 Selected for Bloomberg View's "The Writing that Shaped Economic Thinking in 2016" One of The Times Literary Supplement's Books of the Year 2016, chosen by Paul Collier Honorable Mention for the 2016 PROSE Award in Economics, Association of American Publishers One of The Independent's Best Economics Books 2015 One of LinkedIn's Best Business Books of 2015 One of BusinessInsider.com's Best Business Books of 2015 One of Legal Theory Bookworm's Books of the Year 2015 Longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year 2015 "[Akerlof and Shiller] want to go far beyond behavioral economics, at least in its current form. They offer a much more general, and quite damning, account of why free markets and competition cause serious problems... They are intellectual renegades... Akerlof and Shiller make a convincing argument that phishing occurs because of the operation of the invisible hand, not in spite of it... [This] extraordinary book tells us something true, and profoundly important, about the operation of the invisible hand."--Cass Sunstein, New York Review of Books "No question, Phishing for Phools is a radical book. It may also be a radically important one."--Fortune "Entertaining, readable and provocative."--John Lanchester, London Review of Books "I highly recommend this, even for those who might disagree with the authors' outlook. Their case studies are illuminating, and their insights on the way markets work are fascinating. When you consider the sorry state of the personal finances of the median working age family in the United States today, it's hard to disagree with their central thesis that our current system isn't working properly."--John Reeves, The Motley Fool, USA Today "A needed call for skeptical economics and financial mindfulness."--Nature "Using compelling examples of flawed decision making from advertising, health care and personal finances, the authors identify our rational weak spots and arm readers with the ability to resist manipulation."--Scientific American Mind "As you would expect, it's a very clearly written book with tons of examples. And it makes a simple and powerful point about the fragility of the normative, welfare economics conclusions economists tend to draw."--Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist "Akerlof and Shiller present convincing evidence of how tobacco, pharmaceutical, and liquor companies and politicians weasel a chapter of their own into our life stories, abusing the mutual storytelling--with all its signs and wonders--that is elemental to our humanity."--Peter Lewis, Barnes & Noble Review "With accessible language and everyday examples, Shiller and Akerlof are taking on the powerful belief that aside from a few blemishes (like widening income inequality) only fools advocate interfering with the free market."--Chris Farrell, Minneapolis Star Tribune "The book's central message is certainly thought-provoking."--The Economist "Phishing for Phools forswears technical language, making this book accessible not only to economists but to consumers and policymakers. It should make everyone rethink the unfettered free-market model."--Brenda Jubin, Investing.com "It's a very clearly written book with tons of examples. And it makes a simple and powerful point about the fragility of the normative, welfare economics conclusions economists tend to draw."--Enlightened Economist "Its critique of conventional economics is more powerful and comprehensive--and more paternalistic--than that of Animal Spirits."--Carlos Lozada, Washington Post "[Akerlof's and Shiller's] insight is a powerful one."--Economist.com's Buttonwood blog "Akerlof and Shiller show that unregulated free markets systematically make people worse off by providing the unscrupulous with opportunities to take advantage of the unwary."--Adam Bouyamourn, The National "[Phishing for Phools] serves the important purpose of holding up a mirror to economics, a subject that prides itself on (supposedly) being the most sophisticated of all the social sciences. Economics may look sophisticated on paper, but it is often completely out of touch when it comes to reality."--Victoria Bateman, Times Higher Education "The book offers powerful support for a skeptical view of free markets, but it's also a helpful guide for consumers to avoid getting ripped off in the course of making important purchases."--Chris Matthews, Fortune "An interesting and entertaining new book by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller looks at the role of trickery in market economies. Phishing for Phools explains that sellers are often out to deceive you, and shows that this isn't an occasional glitch in the market system so much as an intrinsic and pervasive trait... Phishing for Phools aims to help readers understand their psychological weaknesses, so that the phishermen can be phended off more ephectively."--Clive Crook, Bloomberg View "Where Akerlof and Shiller break new ground is the sweeping application of the idea of the 'phishing equilibrium' to finance... The style of Phishing for Phools will be familiar to fans of Shiller's work: light on jargon and pacy enough not to outstay its welcome. The authors tell some engaging tales."--Robin Harding, Financial Times "[A] surprisingly readable yet highly original book ... the evidence and explanations marshaled by Akerlof and Shiller are compelling and they have profound political implications ... an enlightening read by two expert economists. It should be required reading for policy makes and for consumers (which is to say, all of us... [An] important, sobering book."--Oliver Kamm, The Times "Narratives in this impressive book tell how to avoid being tricked by means of better enforcement and being told of pending scams... [O]ne of the few titles dealing with fraud in the marketplace."--Library Journal "The authors provide is a ... unifying theory for all kinds of trickery, an economic explanation for why deception is so rampant. It takes many of our scattered findings about humanity's blind spots--both psychological weakness and a lack of perfect information--and weaves them into a comprehensive framework that has the potential to be devastating for free market fundamentalists."--Victoria Finkle, Washington Monthly "Its central idea is an important one and merits more attention."--Emran Mian, Prospect "Phishing for Phools is packed with examples--including subprime mortgages, pharmaceuticals, political campaigns, gym memberships, credit cards, cars and cranberry juice labels--of the pervasiveness of deception and manipulation in our economy and the price it exacts on individuals and the society at large."--Glenn C. Altschuler, Tulsa World "This interesting book is written by economists mainly for economists, but it includes many entertaining stories about business behavior (and some disturbing ones), told in lively and accessible prose."--Foreign Affairs "The book is easy to read and relate; and more importantly will make you start thinking of the number of times you have been phished. The list would be endless!"--Madan Sabnavis, BusinessWorld "This unusual book offers a simple but challenging corrective to the assumptions made by most mainstream economists... Probably not every reader will agree with every interpretation or argument--but every reader will find something that enlightens and stimulates."--James Ledbetter, Yale Alumni Magazine "This book was enjoyable to read, and the expertise and knowledge of the authors are abundantly evident."--William Holcomb, PsycCRITIQUES "Bob and George urge us to slap Adam Smith's invisible hand when it steals from everybody's cookie jar. They ask us to ponder those situations, economic or political, that provide particularly tempting opportunities to phish for phools... Penetrating insights rendered in accessible prose."--Marlene Lang May, CommonwealTable of ContentsPREFACE vii INTRODUCTION Expect to Be Manipulated: Phishing Equilibrium 1 PART ONE Unpaid Bills and Financial Crash CHAPTER ONE Temptation Strews Our Path 15 CHAPTER TWO Reputation Mining and Financial Crisis 23 PART TWO Phishing in Many Contexts CHAPTER THREE Advertisers Discover How to Zoom In on Our Weak Spots 45 CHAPTER FOUR Rip-offs Regarding Cars, Houses, and Credit Cards 60 CHAPTER FIVE Phishing in Politics 72 CHAPTER SIX Phood, Pharma, and Phishing 84 CHAPTER SEVEN Innovation: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 96 CHAPTER EIGHT Tobacco and Alcohol 103 CHAPTER NINE Bankruptcy for Profit 117 CHAPTER TEN Michael Milken Phishes with Junk Bonds as Bait 124 CHAPTER ELEVEN The Resistance and Its Heroes 136 PART THREE Conclusion and Afterword CONCLUSION: EXAMPLES AND GENERAL LESSONS New Story in America and Its Consequences 149 AFTERWORD The Significance of Phishing Equilibrium 163 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 175 NOTES 181 BIBLIOGRAPHY 233 INDEX 257

    1 in stock

    £15.19

  • Why Stock Markets Crash

    Princeton University Press Why Stock Markets Crash

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"While it's difficult to pinpoint what type of trader would enjoy this book the most, I think there's something for everyone, whether you're a quaint, technical trader or a fundamentalist... I feel that I'm smarter after finishing this book; I thoroughly enjoyed the lengthy journey, and would recommend this to any stock market enthusiast."--Jeff Pierce, Seeking Alpha "A highly recommended, enjoyable, well-researched, and thought-provoking book for anyone interested in stock markets and the modeling of financial processes."--Rick Gorvett, Journal of Risk and Insurance "The book is written in a readable style and does not require technical knowledge. Any reader interested in a serious approach to the origin and possible prediction of financial bubbles will enjoy reading it."--Josep M. Porra, Journal of Statistical Physics "Sornette's book is not just about finance and economics; it is also a mesmerizing introduction to game theory, fractals, catastrophe theory, critical phenomena, and much more. No prior knowledge of finance or economics is needed to understand the book... Throughout the book, Sornette makes numerous, vivid comparisons with many other fields in which the various mathematical tools he describes can be applied."--Frank Cuypers, Physics TodayTable of ContentsPreface to the Princeton Science Library Edition xiii Preface to the 2002 Edition xix 1 Financial crashes: what, how, why, and when? 3 What Are Crashes, and Why Do We Care? 3 The Crash of October 1987 5 Historical Crashes 7 The Tulip Mania 7 The South Sea Bubble 9 The Great Crash of October 1929 12 Extreme Events in Complex Systems 15 Is Prediction Possible? A Working Hypothesis 20 2 Fundamentals of financial markets 26 The Basics 27 Price Trajectories 27 Return Trajectories 30 Return Distributions and Return Correlation 33 The Efficient Market Hypothesis and the Random Walk 38 The Random Walk 38 A Parable: How Information Is Incorporated in Prices, Thus Destroying Potential "Free Lunches" 42 Prices Are Unpredictable, or Are They? 45 Risk-Return Trade-Off 47 3 Financial crashes are "outliers" 49 What Are "Abnormal" Returns? 49 Drawdowns (Runs) 51 Definition of Drawdowns 51 Drawdowns and the Detection of "Outliers" 54 Expected Distribution of "Normal" Drawdowns 56 Drawdown Distributions of Stock Market Indices 60 The Dow Jones Industrial Average 60 The Nasdaq Composite Index 62 Further Tests 65 The Presence of Outliers Is a General Phenomenon 69 Main Stock Market Indices, Currencies, and Gold 70 Largest U.S. Companies 73 Synthesis 75 Symmetry-Breaking on Crash and Rally Days 76 Implications for Safety Regulations of Stock Markets 77 4 Positive feedbacks 81 Feedbacks and Self-Organization in Economics 82 Hedging Derivatives, Insurance Portfolios, and Rational Panics 89 "Herd" Behavior and "Crowd" Effect 91 Behavioral Economics 91 Herding 94 Empirical Evidence of Financial Analysts' Herding 96 Forces of Imitation 99 It Is Optimal to Imitate When Lacking Information 99 Mimetic Contagion and the Urn Models 104 Imitation from Evolutionary Psychology 106 Rumors 108 The Survival of the Fittest Idea 111 Gambling Spirits 112 "Anti-Imitation" and Self-Organization 114 Why It May Pay to Be in the Minority 114 El-Farol's Bar Problem 115 Minority Games 117 Imitation versus Contrarian Behavior 118 Cooperative Behaviors Resulting from Imitation 121 The Ising Model of Cooperative Behavior 122 Complex Evolutionary Adaptive Systems of Boundedly Rational Agents 130 5 Modeling financial bubbles and market crashes 134 What Is a Model? 134 Strategy for Model Construction in Finance 135 Basic Principles 135 The Principle of Absence of Arbitrage Opportunity 136 Existence of Rational Agents 137 "Rational Bubbles" and Goldstone Modes of the Price "Parity Symmetry" Breaking 139 Price Parity Symmetry 140 Speculation as Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking 144 Basic Ingredients of the Two Models 148 The Risk-Driven Model 150 Summary of the Main Properties of the Model 150 The Crash Hazard Rate Drives the Market Price 152 Imitation and Herding Drive the Crash Hazard Rate 155 The Price-Driven Model 162 Imitation and Herding Drive the Market Price 162 The Price Return Drives the Crash Hazard Rate 164 Risk-Driven versus Price-Driven Models 168 6 Hierarchies, complex fractal dimensions, and log-periodicity 171 Critical Phenomena by Imitation on Hierarchical Networks 173 The Underlying Hierarchical Structure of Social Networks 173 Critical Behavior in Hierarchical Networks 177 A Hierarchical Model of Financial Bubbles 181 Origin of Log-Periodicity in Hierarchical Systems 186 Discrete Scale Invariance 186 Fractal Dimensions 188 Organization Scale by Scale: The Renormalization Group 192 Principle and Illustration of the Renormalization Group 192 The Fractal Weierstrass Function: A Singular Time-Dependent Solution of the Renormalization Group 195 Complex Fractal Dimensions and Log-Periodicity 198 Importance and Usefulness of Discrete Scale Invariance 208 Existence of Relevant LengthScales 208 Prediction 209 Scenarios Leading to Discrete Scale Invariance and Log-Periodicity 210 Newcomb-Benford Law of First Digits and the Arithmetic System 211 The Log-Periodic Law of the Evolution of Life? 213 Nonlinear Trend-Following versus Nonlinear Fundamental Analysis Dynamics 217 Trend Following: Positive Nonlinear Feedback and Finite-Time Singularity 218 Reversal to the Fundamental Value: Negative Nonlinear Feedback 220 Some Characteristics of the Price Dynamics of the Nonlinear Dynamical Model 223 7 Autopsy of major crashes: universal exponents and logperiodicity 228 The Crash of October 1987 228 Precursory Pattern 231 Aftershock Patterns 236 The Crash of October 1929 239 The Three Hong Kong Crashes of 1987, 1994, and 1997 242 The Hong Kong Crashes 242 The Crash of October 1997 and Its Resonance on the U.S. Market 246 Currency Crashes 254 The Crash of August 1998 259 Nonparametric Test of Log-Periodicity 263 The Slow Crash of 1962 Ending the "Tronics" Boom 266 The Nasdaq Crash of April 2000 269 "Antibubbles" 275 The "Bearish" Regime on the Nikkei Starting from January 1, 1990 276 The Gold Deflation Price Starting in Mid-1980 278 Synthesis: "Emergent" Behavior of the Stock Market 279 8 Bubbles, crises, and crashes in emergent markets 281 Speculative Bubbles in Emerging Markets 281 Methodology 285 Latin-American Markets 286 Asian Markets 295 The Russian Stock Market 304 Correlations across Markets: Economic Contagion and Synchronization of Bubble Collapse 309 Implications for Mitigations of Crises 314 9 Prediction of bubbles, crashes, and antibubbles 320 The Nature of Predictions 320 How to Develop and Interpret Statistical Tests of Log-Periodicity 325 First Guidelines for Prediction 329 What Is the Predictive Power of Equation (15)? 329 How Long Prior to a Crash Can One Identify the Log-Periodic Signatures? 330 A Hierarchy of Prediction Schemes 334 The Simple Power Law 334 The "Linear" Log-Periodic Formula 335 The "Nonlinear" Log-Periodic Formula 336 The Shank's Transformation on a Hierarchy of Characteristic Times 336 Application to the October 1929 Crash 337 Application to the October 1987 Crash 338 Forward Predictions 338 Successful Prediction of the Nikkei 1999 Antibubble 339 Successful Prediction of the Nasdaq Crash of April 2000 342 The U.S. Market, December 1997 False Alarm 342 The U.S. Market, October 1999 False Alarm 346 Present Status of Forward Predictions 346 The Finite Probability That No Crash Will Occur during a Bubble 346 Estimation of the Statistical Significance of the Forward Predictions 347 Statistical Confidence of the Crash"Roulette" 347 Statistical Significance of a Single Successful Prediction via Bayes's Theorem 349 The Error Diagram and the Decision Process 351 Practical Implications on Different Trading Strategies 352 10 2050: The end of the growth era? 355 Stock Markets, Economics, and Population 355 The Pessimistic Viewpoint of "Natural" Scientists 357 The Optimistic Viewpoint of "Social" Scientists 359 Analysis of the Faster-Than-Exponential Growth of Population, GDP, and Financial Indices 361 Refinements of the Analysis 369 Complex Power Law Singularities 369 Prediction for the Coming Decade 371 The Aging "Baby Boomers" 377 Related Works and Evidence 378 Scenarios for the "Singularity" 383 Collapse 384 Transition to Sustainability 389 Resuming Accelerating Growth by Overpassing Fundamental Barriers 393 The Increasing Propensity to Emulate the Stock Market Approach 395 References 397 Index 419

    £18.00

  • The Social Meaning of Money

    Princeton University Press The Social Meaning of Money

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 1996 Culture Section Book Award, American Sociological Association "Interesting and informative... Money is a medium of exchange. But that is only the beginning."--John Kenneth Galbraith, New York Times Book Review "Zelizer's book is one of the richest and most thoughtful investigations of [money's] weirdness, examining in detail how money works in the real world, how we try to manage and control it, why we freely give it away in some circumstances--think, for instance, of tipping and how money shapes the relationships we have with one another."--James Surowiecki, GQ Magazine "Zelizer has accomplished a rarity, writing a genuinely original book."--Randall Collins, SocietyTable of ContentsForeword to the 2017 Edition, by Nigel Dodd ix Acknowledgments xiii 1 The Marking of Money 1 2 The Domestic Production of Monies 36 3 Gifted Money 71 4 Poor People's Money 119 5 With Strings Attached: The Earmarking of Charitable Cash 143 6 Contested Monies 170 7 What Does Money Mean? 199 Afterword to the 2017 Edition 217 Notes 229 Index 285

    1 in stock

    £20.90

  • Cents and Sensibility

    Princeton University Press Cents and Sensibility

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is a bracing, original work." —Roger Lowenstein, Washington Post "An eloquent defense of the humanities against fanatical advocates for STEM." —Deidre McCloskey, Wall Street Journal "An insightful and compelling argument. Morton and Schapiro succeed in finding new ways of thinking about big issues as well as new ways to read classic novels. . . . There’s immense joy to be found throughout this work on thinking with creativity and passion." —Publishers Weekly

    1 in stock

    £17.09

  • Capitalism without Capital

    Princeton University Press Capitalism without Capital

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the Economist.com “Wise Words 2017 Books of the Year” in Economics and Business""One of Blackwell’s Best of Non-Fiction 2017""One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Books of 2017: Economics""Selected for Askblog’s Books of the year 2017, chosen by Arnold Kling"

    £15.19

  • Healthcare Finance

    Princeton University Press Healthcare Finance

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the PROSE Award in Reference Works – Social Sciences, Association of American Publishers"

    2 in stock

    £68.00

  • Measuring Poverty around the World

    Princeton University Press Measuring Poverty around the World

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Prospect's Best Economics Books of 2019""[Measuring Poverty around the World] advocates more sophisticated ways of monitoring progress—and regression—in reducing poverty. That way, when having political discussions, we know exactly what we’re talking about." * Prospect *"[Atkinson] is clear about the links between poverty and sustainable development, the two creating a vicious circle of damage and deprivation."---Liz Thomson, i Newspaper"[Measuring Poverty around the World] is written for a broad audience, and it deserves such an audience.... In the struggle ahead to assure that progress against poverty is maintained and hopefully accelerated, the type of intellectually honest, scholarly yet socially committed, research exemplified by Tony Atkinson throughout his career will be needed in spades."---Martin Ravallion, Journal of Economic Inequality"This book demonstrates the strength of Atkinson’s legacy for future generations of poverty scholars and underscores how the centrality of poverty to the political debate makes its measurement both a vital and delicate task."---Roberto Iacono, LSE Review of Books"Tony Atkinson’s extraordinary attention to detail for every element in measuring poverty should make it a bible for all those in every country dealing with the measurement of poverty and formulating policies for its reduction."---Madras Sivaraman, International Journal of Environmental Studies"Atkinson's work is hugely instructive."---Udit Misra, Indian Express"In a rapidly changing world, with ever mounting global problems, researchers would do well to follow Atkinson’s socially conscious, ethically informed, and policy relevant approach to research and problem solving."---Brian Colgan, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics"An excellent introduction to the most important issues in the measurement of poverty." * Economics & Philosophy *

    1 in stock

    £22.50

  • Scorched Earth

    Princeton University Press Scorched Earth

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] sweeping history. . . . Kreike offers a stark corrective and an implicit warning: Humanity is not distinct from nature, and assuming it is can have tragic outcomes. Climate change is one; pandemics are another. In this book, catastrophic warfare is a third. Waiting for the fourth horseman would seem unwise."---Tatiana Schlossberg, New York Times Book Review"Waging war against the Earth is an old business, and this book provides ample—and dispiriting—evidence for it." * Kirkus Reviews *"Might this be the most important topic that most smart, very well educated people have never read a book on? [This] treatment is excellent and engaging."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"Overall then, Scorched Earth is a thoroughly researched academic book that sits at the intersection of military history and environmental history and especially delivers for readers of the former. A fascinating topic that is by no means light reading."---Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist"[A] powerful statement of what people often fail to see amid the horrors of war." * Choice Reviews *

    2 in stock

    £23.75

  • China and the WTO

    Princeton University Press China and the WTO

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Timely. . . . [China and the WTO] provides an excellent account of the legal rules with a firm grounding in economic analysis."---Henry Gao, Journal of Political Science

    1 in stock

    £31.50

  • Love Money and Parenting

    Princeton University Press Love Money and Parenting

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Fatherly Top Ten Best Parenting Book of the Decade""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

    15 in stock

    £15.29

  • The Party and the People

    Princeton University Press The Party and the People

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""The Party and the People provides a wonderfully clear-eyed look at how the CCP has reinvented itself since 1989."---Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Mekong Review"Dickson’s book gives a useful overview of the various bodies that run China and the party’s involvement in them. He also surveys a series of important questions, such as why the CCP doesn’t like civil society or religious groups. He is especially strong on the issue of nationalism, which many foreign observers assert is growing in China, especially among young people. Dickson gives a sure-footed assessment of public opinion data to show that this is not the case, and that young people are in fact less nationalistic than their parents’ generation."---Ian Johnson, New York Review of Books"The Party and the People ... drafts a helpful balance sheet of the party’s strengths and weaknesses, giving readers a better understanding of how the CCP’s versatility enabled it to become the longest-ruling communist party in history."---Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs"A good treatment of exactly what the title promises."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"An ideal text for college courses on Chinese politics, and the writing is fully accessible to general readers as well." * Choice *"Bruce J. Dickson offers a comprehensive description of how China’s authoritarian political system operates. ... Dickson observes how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manag­es to stay in power without the necessary elements of Western liberal democracy, such as individual rights, freedom of speech, and multi­party competitive elections."---Wenfang Tang, American Affairs Journal"Dickson offers a comprehensive primer on how the CCP chooses leaders and makes policy, how it responds to political protests with repression both hard and soft, and how it may use or constrain the forces of nationalism based on what aids its political survival. ... In calm, lucid prose, Dickson traces the evolution of the CCP since 1949, focusing on the recent divergence between local and higher-level leaders."---Nicolas Gattig, Japan Times"An authoritative survey of the major issues confronting China."---Walter C. Clemens, Jr., New York Journal of Books"Very well balanced in evaluating factionalism and party ideology in the decision-making and personnel appointment processes. . . . [and] a good overview of how the CCP runs China, and how the CCP responded to different stakeholders in the country with a Top to Down Approach."---Larry Ngan, Interlib"A tour de force in all its aspects, Dickson’s new book shows his mastery of relevant facts, nuances and scholarship on China, and an enviable power of synthesis marshalled for the benefit of a non-expert audience. The plethora of examples and the photos offered throughout the book recommend it as an engaging reading for the widest possible audience."---Lavinia Stan, European Legacy

    £18.04

  • The European Guilds

    Princeton University Press The European Guilds

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Winner of the Gyorgy Ranki Prize, Economic History Association"

    7 in stock

    £25.20

  • Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

    Princeton University Press Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA New York Times Bestseller A Wall Street Journal Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year A New Statesman Book to Read From economist Anne Case and Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton, a groundbreaking account of howTrade Review"Winner of the Silver Medal in Business Commentary, Axiom Business Book Awards"

    3 in stock

    £14.24

  • Dreams of a Lifetime

    Princeton University Press Dreams of a Lifetime

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Mary Douglas Prize, Culture Section of the American Sociological Association""Dreams of a Lifetime belongs to a particular shelf, one that holds those books that utilize sociology seriously to best capture the pulse of the United States at a particular juncture in time. In this tradition, one can find treatises about loneliness (Riesman, Slater), disconnection (Putnam, Sennett), how people think and feel (Bellah et al.), the life of those on the lower ladders of this society (Sennett and Cobb, Liebow, and more recently Desmond as well as Horschild). A lot has changed since some of these books were published. . . but the impetus remains the same: to explain to ourselves who we are at a particular juncture in time, in a jargon free, yet sociologically informed way."---Claudio E. Benzecry, Sociological Forum

    3 in stock

    £19.80

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