Economic history Books

Book SynopsisThere is a standard belief that the modern theory of marginal utility originated in the UK with Jevons, Germany with Gossen, Austria with Menger and France with Walras. In this new book, John Chipman introduces new English translations of important writings from German economists such as Rau, Hildebrand, Roscher and Knies showing that the introduction of this concept originated with them. This ground breaking book comes with a long introduction from John Chipman analysing the theory. Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Investigations in Political Economy (1832) Chapter I 2. Investigations in Political Economy (1832) Chapter IV 3. Second Letter to Adolphe Quetelet (1843) 4. 'The Valuation of National Wealth' (1841) 5. 'The Bases of Price Determination' (1841) 6. 'The Valuation of National Wealth' (1847) 7. The National Economy of the Present and Future (1848) (excerps) 9. The Theory of Value (1852) 10. 'The Theory of Value in National Economics' (1855) 11. 'Value' from Foundations of National Economics 1864) 12. 'The Chapter on Value' (1863, revised 1873) 13. 'On the Theory of Value' (1868, revised 1871)

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Book SynopsisSingapore gained independence in 1965, a city-state in a world of nation-states. Yet its long and complex history reaches much farther back. Blending modernity and tradition, ideologies and ethnicities, a peculiar set of factors make Singapore what it is today. In this thematic study of the island nation, Michael D. Barr proposes a new approach to understand this development. From the pre-colonial period through to the modern day, he traces the idea, the politics and the geography of Singapore over five centuries of rich history. In doing so he rejects the official narrative of the so-called ''Singapore Story''. Drawing on in-depth archival work and oral histories, Singapore: A Modern History is a work both for students of the country''s history and politics, but also for any reader seeking to engage with this enigmatic and vastly successful nation.Trade ReviewThe meritocratic ideology of Singapore has begun to show signs of wear, and its elite seems incapable of regenerating itself as that of the PRC does. Lee [Kuan Yew]’s pioneer generation – the ‘Men in White’ – has given way to an ever more circumscribed stratum, a process which Michael Barr, the leading historian of modern Singapore, examines in rich detail. * London Review of Books *In this well-researched and clearly argued book, the highly respected Australian scholar Barr (Flinders Univ., Australia) challenges the entire “Singapore Story” through a thematically organized revisionist history of Singapore from its earliest times into the 21st century … Barr builds his argument on extensive archival research and mastery of secondary scholarly and popular publications, including government-issued textbooks that promulgate the official “Singapore Story.” Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Dr. Barr is a very talented writer. His intellect and more nuanced perspectives come through in this book, in which the content dives deep into Singapore’s history from a political, geographic, and economic view … If you want a very real and well-researched academic historical book, don’t miss out on this one! * Singapore Politics: Blog *‘Michael Barr does the study of Singapore a great service with this path-breaking book. He debunks the ascendant account of Singapore’s modern history to explain so much more about how and why this city-state developed as it did. Barr breaks decisively from the prevailing orthodoxy serving elite political interests to highlight struggles, forces and dynamics fundamental in shaping modern Singapore.’ * Garry Rodan, Professor of Politics and International Studies, Murdoch University *‘Michael Barr’s “Modern History” of Singapore offers a refreshingly candid counter-narrative to “The Singapore Story”. Broad, bold and brazen, Barr’s self-consciously revisionist history of Singapore breaks away from the dominant meta-narrative of the Singapore state and its elites. It offers readers a succinct, thematic (and dramatic) history of Singapore that emphasises the continuities that transcend the “Founding moment” of 1819 and situate Singapore’s growth and development within a larger regional and global framework. This is not a history for data-miners or squirrels of historical minutiae but for those who seek to better understand the land, idea and country that is Singapore.’ * Kevin YL Tan, Executive Editor, Asian Journal of Comparative Law and Professor (Adjunct), Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore *Barr offers insights into Singapore history that no other historian can give scholars and students. Singapore: A Modern History deserves a prominent place alongside the works of other historians who have also embarked on this most challenging task of writing a general history of Singapore. * Australian Journal of Politics and History *Table of ContentsList of Maps List of Figures Foreword by Carl A. Trocki Prologue Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Glossary of Asian-Language Terms Timeline 1. Let's Talk About 1819: Reorienting the National Narrative 2. The Idea of Singapore 3. Singapore Central: The Role of Location in Singapore's History 4. Governance in Premodern Singapore 5. Governance in Modern Singapore, 1867–1965 6. Governance in Independent Singapore 7. The Economy: Singapore, Still at the Centre 8. Making Modern Singaporeans: People, Society and Place Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWell-researched... a welcome guide. The SpectatorReliable and lucid. History TodayWith a fractured geography and complex identity, The Philippines is an eclectic and unique mix of culture, environment, people and politics. Known mostly for natural disasters, migrant labour and dictatorial presidents, in this book Philip Bowing shows how it is much, much more. Deftly navigating the history of this populous island republic, The Making of the Modern Philippines traces its history to define and explain its position in the modern world. Looking past the headlines of volcanoes, earthquakes and violence, it asks why has the Filipino economy lagged behind its neighbours, explores the importance of its location in geopolitics, and investigates how its deep-rooted Catholicism clashes with the Islamic consciousness of the region in which it sits. Taking the history of the Philippines from its pre-colonial era, through its Spanish and American occupationsTrade ReviewA serious, well-researched survey of the Philippines, noted its manifold weaknesses and set them against what has been achieved in neighbouring countries. His is a welcome guide for the general reader to a country whose excesses are often difficult to fathom. -- Simon Scott Plummer * The Spectator *Bowring’s reliable and lucid new book draws on his experience as a journalist in the region. -- Michael Dillon * History Today *Provides insight into what Filipinos think about their country. -- Alan Robles * South China Morning Post *[Bowring] is the perfect chronicler of what Filipinos have done right and wrong … It is a much-needed wake-up call from someone with no agenda. -- Ruel S. De Vera * The Philippine Daily Inquirer *The Philippines merits both more attention and more understanding and The Making of the Modern Philippines is both a good place to start and a useful crib-sheet for those who had been following along but whose memory needs brushing up. -- Peter Gordon * Asian Review of Books *A book that the world should be reading to better understand the political tidal waves [in the Philippines]. -- John Berthelsen * Asia Sentinel *In The Making of the Modern Philippines, Phillip Bowring is acutely aware of the many contradictions that define the Philippines. Only someone who has lived and loved the region – a genuine “Asia hand,” as it were - can give us this fraught portrait of my country. * Patricio N. Abinales, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Hawaii-Manoa, USA *Bowring’s book on the Philippine narrative is a pot of history and current events, compressing the past and dissecting the present. It is the book Filipino youths, bombarded with revisionism, must read to understand the schizophrenic nature of their country’s ghosts with the Spanish, the Americans, and the Japanese. They will be able to see the landscape of the Left and the Right, the Church and the Oligarchs that stirred politics into the everyday lives of the people that were once proud of leading the pack of Southeast Asian nations. Just by the woven accounts of the past thirty-five years since the fall of a dictatorship, Bowring was able to us what went so wrong and what is left of the hopes a country had stood for. * Criselda Yabes, Writer and Journalist, The Philippines *This extraordinarily wide-ranging, yet accessible, account illuminates the intersections between the Philippines’ Malayic roots and connections, its obdurate colonial inheritances, and its contemporary geopolitical predicaments. Bowring works concertedly through the country’s complex, diverse past(s), painting a vivid picture of how today’s Philippines came to be – and what it could become. * Liana Chua, Tunku Abdul Rahman Assistant Professor in Malay World Studies, University of Cambridge, UK *The Philippines has long seemed something of an enigma to outsiders -- 2,000 disparate islands, ruled as a single political entity for more than 500 years. An indigenous Malay archipelago, but seeming more Spanish than Asian. And a former American colony with a U.S.-style constitution and political system, but a country marred by feudalism, violence and dictatorship. In The Making of the Modern Philippines, journalist and historian Philip Bowring makes sense of the riddle of the Philippines. In a lively narrative that begins in pre-colonial times and continues through colonization and occupation to the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship and the rule of its authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte, Bowring shows us how the country's modern dark impulses are rooted in its past. This timely book is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand this strategically vital country and its 100 million people, whose destiny could have outsized impact on Asia and the future stability of the region.Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Maps Preface Introduction 1. Fractured Geography, Complex Identity 2. More Church than State 3. Uncle Sam’s Brown Boys 4. Choices of Evils 5. Old Wine in New Bottles 6. Marcos: Power Corrupts Absolutely 7. Ladders and Snakes 8. Straight Paths and Road Blocks 9. Man with a Gun 10. 'Imperial' Manila's Weak Grip 11. Lost Advantage 12. The Root of Poverty 13. An Unempowered Economy 14. Beyond the Bayan 15. Of “Free Trade” and the Short Arm of the Law 16. Happy Families of Conglomerate Capitalism 17. Mindanao: Beckoning Frontier 18. Moros, Datus, Military and More 19. Religion on its Sleeve 20. Left Field Lies Fallow 21. Foreign Policy: All at Sea Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the biggest challenges in the study of history is the unreliable nature of traditional archival sources which omit histories of marginalised groups. This book makes the case that quantitative history offers a way to fill these gaps in the archive. Showcasing 13 case studies from the South African past, it applies quantitative sources, tools and methods to social histories from below to uncover the experiences of unchartered peoples. Examining the occupations of slaves, victims of the Spanish flu, health of schoolchildren and more, it shows how quantitative tools can be particularly powerful in regions where historical records are preserved, but questions of bias and prejudice pervade. Applying methods such as GIS mapping, network analysis and algorithmic matching techniques it explores histories of indigenous peoples, women, enslaved peoples and other groups marginalised in South African history. Connecting quantitative sources and new forms of data interpretation with a narTable of ContentsList of Figures Foreword, Robert Ross Preface 1. Quantitative History and Uncharted People, Johan Fourie (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 2. Bridal Pregnancy in the Mother City, 1900–1960, Laura Richardson (University of Cambridge, UK) and Jan Kok (Nijmegen University, The Netherlands) 3. Sex Ratios and Girl Preference in the Cape, 1894–2011, Johan Fourie (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) and Francisco Marco-Gracia (University of Zaragoza, Spain) 4. Khoe Households in Swellendam, 1825, Calumet Links (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 5. Race Reclassification in Cape Town, 1950–1984, Brittany Chalmers (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), Johan Fourie (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) and Kris Inwood (Guelph University, Canada) 6. Advertising the Enslaved for Sale: A Quantitative Approach to the Zuid-Afrikaan, 1830–1834, Wouter Raaijmakers (Radboud University, The Netherlands) and Kate Ekama (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 7. Domestic Service in Cape Town Before the Second World War, Amy Rommelspacher (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 8. Female Investors at the Cape, 1892–1902, Lloyd Maphosa (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) and Edward Kerby (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 9. Black Africans in Cape Town, 1890-1939, Nobungcwele Mbem (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) and Michiel de Haas (Wageningen University, The Netherlands) 10. Political Innovation in African Nationalist Organisations, 1880–1890, Jonathan Schoots (University of Chicago, USA) 11. Petitions to the Cape Parliament, 1854-1909, Kara Dimitruk (Swarthmore College, USA) and Kelsey Lemon (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 12. Death During the Influenza of 1918, Jonathan Jayes (Lund University, Sweden) and Johan Fourie (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 13. Quantitative History in Practice, Johan Fourie (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST ECONOMICS BOOK OF THE YEARA THE ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR''Brilliantly conceived and enlightening at every turn'' Lawrence WrightWe have long been suspicious of corporations recklessly pursuing profit and amassing wealth and power. But the story of the corporation didn''t have to be like this. For most of history, they were not amoral entities, but public institutions designed to promote the societies that granted them charter. Magnuson reveals how the corporation has evolved since its beginnings in the ancient world. What happens in this next chapter of the global economy depends on whether we can return to their public-minded spirit, or whether we have sunk irrevocably into the swamp of high profit at all costs. Epic and compelling in scope, For Profit illuminates the roles corporations played, for good and evil, in the making of the modern world.Trade ReviewBrilliantly conceived and enlightening at every turn, For Profit is a thrilling history of an institution that has shaped all our lives - for better and for worse -- Lawrence Wright, author of 'The Plague Year'In this lively and informativehistory of the corporation, William Magnuson shows that corporations were born to serve the public interest-only to be used and abused time and again to maximize profits for shareholders and executives. A must-read for any student of the world's most influential form of economic organization -- Adam Winkler, author of 'We the Corporations'A magnificent history of corporations . . . Private enterprises have produced some of humankind's greatest achievements. But often the most dazzling overstep the mark, leaving a trail of debris and distrust behind them -- The EconomistI can pay Magnuson no higher compliment than to say that For Profit is a book I would be proud to have written -- Martin Vander Weyer, The SpectatorA historical tour de force -- Bloomberg OpinionCorporations have a lengthy and valuable history as social institutions . . . The book makes a useful contribution to a fundamental debate -- Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST ECONOMICS BOOK OF THE YEARA THE ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR''Brilliantly conceived and enlightening at every turn'' Lawrence WrightWe have long been suspicious of corporations recklessly pursuing profit and amassing wealth and power.But the story of the corporation didn''t have to be like this. For most of history, they were not amoral entities, but public institutions designed to promote the societies that granted them charter. Magnuson reveals how the corporation has evolved since its beginnings in the ancient world. What happens in this next chapter of the global economy depends on whether we can return to their public-minded spirit, or whether we have sunk irrevocably into the swamp of high profit at all costs.Epic and compelling in scope, For Profit illuminates the roles corporations played, for good and evil, in the making of the modern world.Trade ReviewBrilliantly conceived and enlightening at every turn, For Profit is a thrilling history of an institution that has shaped all our lives - for better and for worse -- Lawrence Wright, author of 'The Plague Year'In this lively and informativehistory of the corporation, William Magnuson shows that corporations were born to serve the public interest-only to be used and abused time and again to maximize profits for shareholders and executives. A must-read for any student of the world's most influential form of economic organization -- Adam Winkler, author of 'We the Corporations'A magnificent history of corporations . . . Private enterprises have produced some of humankind's greatest achievements. But often the most dazzling overstep the mark, leaving a trail of debris and distrust behind them -- The EconomistI can pay Magnuson no higher compliment than to say that For Profit is a book I would be proud to have written -- Martin Vander Weyer, The SpectatorA historical tour de force -- Bloomberg OpinionCorporations have a lengthy and valuable history as social institutions . . . The book makes a useful contribution to a fundamental debate -- Financial Times

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Book SynopsisFrom wool and leather to silks, spices and gems, a fascinating journey through early international trade.

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Book Synopsis''A hymn to hardware, charming, lyrical'' - The Sunday Times, BOOK OF THE WEEK''A paean to DIY'' - The Times''Strung together very agreeably, with dry wit and, dare I say it, considerable polish'' - Country LifeIn 2018 Tom Fort''s daughter-in-law took over a century-old hardware shop. The family dreamed of developing the shop into one that would become the centre of village life; that much did come true, but not in the way they had expected.Interweaving the evolution of the shop, its previous owners, the customers it serves and the items it sells, Rivets, Trivets & Galvanised Buckets offers a delightful study of community and shines a light on the eccentricities of ordinary people. Alongside, it presents a fascinating history of technological development; from who thought of screwdrivers to where the spirit level came from, who devised the process of galvanisation and what genius worked out that a suctiTrade Reviewstrung together very agreeably, with dry wit and, dare I say it, considerable polish (third row, second shelf) * Country Life *A hymn to hardware . . . charming . . . This book tells a quirky tale of subculture, a shrine where many of us worship. -- Book of the Week * Sunday Times *A paean to DIY, and a history of the various rivets, trivets and gadgets on sale. If you want to read about the evolution of the humble screw, then this is the book for you . . . * The Times, Best Books of Summer 2023 *Educational and entertaining, take a trip behind the shelves, window displays and hooks to discover more about this industrious world * Best of British, Book of the Month *This delightful book is full of surprises * Literary Review *strung together very agreeably, with dry wit and, dare I say it, considerable polish (third row, second shelf) * Country Life *

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Book Synopsis‘A well-reported and researched history of the ways in which plucky economists helped rewrite policy in America and Europe and across emerging markets.’ The Economist ‘A highly readable, exhilaratingly detailed biographical account.’ Sunday Telegraph As the post-World War II economic boom began to falter in the late 1960s, a new breed of economists gained influence and power. Over time, their ideas reshaped the modern world, curbing governments, unleashing corporations and hastening globalization. Their fundamental belief? That governments should stop trying to manage the economy. Their guiding principle? That markets would deliver steady growth and broad prosperity. But the economists’ hour failed to deliver on its premise. The single-minded embrace of markets has come at the expense of economic equality, the health of liberal democracy and of future generations. Across the world, from both right and left, the assumptions of the once-dominant school of free-market economic thought are being challenged, as we count the costs as well as the gains of its influence. In The Economists’ Hour, acclaimed New York Times writer Binyamin Appelbaum provides both a reckoning with the past and a call for a different future. ‘A reminder of the power of ideas to shape the course of history.’ New YorkerTrade ReviewThis thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and critical account of the economic philosophies that have reigned for the past half century powerfully indicts them. * Publisher Weekly (starred) *A marvel of popular historical writing. * New York Times *A highly readable, exhilaratingly detailed biographical account. * Sunday Telegraph *That such sophisticated people presided over a dangerous build-up in financial risk suggests that something larger was at work than a naïve faith in markets. Appelbaum’s strength is that he generally acknowledges these complexities. * Atlantic *The New York Times financial writer maps the advance of economists - from the Kennedy administration onward - out of the academy and into government, elevating free markets in the sausage - making of public policy and sparking the inequity that plagues us today. * O Magazine *Lively and entertaining . . . The Economists' Hour is a reminder of the power of ideas to shape the course of history. -- Liaquat Ahamed * New Yorker *"An entertaining and well-written look at how market-oriented ideas rose from the academy and transformed nations. -- Tyler CowenBinyamin Appelbaum has written a powerful must-read for all those interested in reinvigorating the credibility of economics, especially in policymaking circles. -- Mohamed A. El-ErianWriting in accessible language of thorny fiscal matters, the author ventures into oddly fascinating corners of recent economic history . . . Anyone who wonders why government officials still take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. * Kirkus *A well-reported and researched history of the ways in which plucky economists helped rewrite policy in America and Europe and across emerging markets. * Economist *

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Book SynopsisDebates about the origins and effects of European rule in the non-European world have animated the field of economic history since the 1850s. This pioneering text provides a concise and accessible resource that introduces key readings, builds connections between ideas and helps students to develop informed views of colonialism as a force in shaping the modern world. With special reference to European colonialism of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in both Asia and Africa, this book: • critically reviews the literature on colonialism and economic growth; • covers a range of different methods of analysis; • offers a comparative approach, as opposed to a collection of regional histories, deftly weaving together different themes. With debates around globalization, migration, global finance and environmental change intensifying, this authoritative account of the relationship between colonialism and economic development makes an invaluable contribution to several distinct literatures in economic history.Table of ContentsColonial and Indigenous Origins of Comparative Development Origins of Colonialism: Is There One Story? Colonialism as an Agent of Globalization Growth and Development in the Colonies Debates about Costs and Benefits How Colonial States Worked Did Institutions Matter ? Colonialism and the Environment Business and Empires Decolonization and the End of Empire Summary and conclusion

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Book SynopsisA revelatory global history shows how cheap American grain toppled the world's largest empires To understand the rise and fall of empires, we must follow the paths traveled by grain-along rivers, between ports, and across seas. In Oceans of Grain, historian Scott Reynolds Nelson reveals how the struggle to dominate these routes transformed the balance of world power. Early in the nineteenth century, imperial Russia fed much of Europe through the booming port of Odessa. But following the US Civil War, tons of American wheat began to flood across the Atlantic, and food prices plummeted. This cheap foreign grain spurred the rise of Germany and Italy, the decline of the Habsburgs and the Ottomans, and the European scramble for empire. It was a crucial factor in the outbreak of the First World War and the Russian Revolution. A powerful new interpretation, Oceans of Grain shows that amid the great powers' rivalries, there was no greater power than control of grain.

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of how America once created the most successful economy the world has ever seen-and how we can do it again.The American economy glitters on the outside, but the reality is quite different. Job opportunities and economic growth are increasingly concentrated in a few crowded coastal enclaves. Corporations and investors are disproportionately developing technologies that benefit the wealthiest Americans in the most prosperous areas -- and destroying middle class jobs elsewhere. To turn this tide, we must look to a brilliant and all-but-forgotten American success story and embark on a plan that will create the industries of the future -- and the jobs that go with them.Beginning in 1940, massive public investment generated breakthroughs in science and technology that first helped win WWII and then created the most successful economy the world has ever seen. Private enterprise then built on these breakthroughs to create new industries -- such as radar, jet engines, digital computers, mobile telecommunications, life-saving medicines, and the internet-- that became the catalyst for broader economic growth that generated millions of good jobs. We lifted almost all boats, not just the yachts.Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson tell the story of this first American growth engine and provide the blueprint for a second. It's a visionary, pragmatic, sure-to-be controversial plan that will lead to job growth and a new American economy in places now left behind.

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Book SynopsisAs Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the early 1980s, David Stockman was a chief architect of the Reagan Revolution,a bold plan to cut taxes and reduce the scope and cost of government. The Triumph of Politics was Stockman's frontline report of the miscalculations, manipulations, and political intrigues that led to its failure. A major publishing event and New York Times bestseller in its day, The Triumph of Politics is still startling relevant to the conduct of Washington politics today.

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Book SynopsisFollowing a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism. If the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging. The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times. At the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite, the clerisy, which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks, universities, media and culture, and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information. These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates. Below these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate. This includes the yeomanry, which is made up largely of small businesspeople, minor property owners, skilled workers and private-sector oriented professionals. Ascendant for much of modern history, this class is in decline while those below them, the new Serfs, grow in numbers—a vast, expanding property-less population. The trends are mounting, but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them.Trade Review“Kotkin has written an essential and critical study of emerging class structures at the intersection of technological determinism and post-industrial capitalism. He suggests that technological oligarchs are already controlling our economic future while creating a high-tech neo-feudal society that undermines democracy and economic mobility for the middle and working classes.” --John Russo, Visiting Scholar, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and Working Poor at Georgetown University, Co-editor, Working-Class Perspectives “Our society and economy is no longer progressing but regressing into a kind of “neo-feudalism.” As Joel Kotkin describes it, our once-great middle class is being eviscerated and America is dividing into a small group of uber-wealthy oligarchs who have colonized luxury cities like San Francisco and New York. A gripping cautionary tale by one of the most provocative and original thinkers of our time, this book is a must read for all those concerned about the future of our cities and our society.” --Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban Crisis.

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Book SynopsisThe rise of capitalism to global dominance is still largely associated – by both laypeople and Marxist historians – with the industrial capitalism that made its decisive breakthrough in 18th century Britain. Jairus Banaji’s new work reaches back centuries and traverses vast distances to argue that this leap was preceded by a long era of distinct “commercial capitalism”, which reorganised labor and production on a world scale to a degree hitherto rarely appreciated.Rather than a picture centred solely on Europe, we enter a diverse and vibrant world. Banaji reveals the cantons of Muslim merchants trading in Guangzhou since the eighth century, the 3,000 European traders recorded in Alexandria in 1216, the Genoese, Venetians and Spanish Jews battling for commercial dominance of Constantinople and later Istanbul. We are left with a rich and global portrait of a world constantly in motion, tied together and increasingly dominated by a pre-industrial capitalism. The rise of Europe to world domination, in this view, has nothing to do with any unique genius, but rather a distinct fusion of commercial capitalism with state power.Trade ReviewEndorsements“In this majestic work of critical historical scholarship, Jairus Banaji has built a de?finitive argument that commercial capitalism is the essence of capitalism, that it has dominated eras usually asserted to be pre-capitalist, and that it has persisted into the present.”—BARBARA HARRISS-WHITE, emeritus professor of development studies, Wolfson College, Oxford University“This book is Jairus Banaji at his scholarly and provocative best. With his remarkable knowledge of world literatures, Banaji has produced a major exercise in the global and historical analysis of capitalism, affecting how we grasp capitalism today and how we understand and use Marx to do so—theory as history indeed.” —HENRY BERNSTEIN, emeritus professor of development studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London“With mind-boggling erudition, command over an extraordinary range of historical materials in multiple languages, and a theoretically sophisticated irreverence for received dogma, Jairus Banaji dislodges many a eurocentric account to offer an absorbing, thought-provoking, and truly global story of the emergence and varieties of capitalism.”—LALEH KHALILI, professor of international politics, Queen Mary University of London and author, Sinews of War and Trade More praise for Jairus Banaji“From the impact of slavery, the rise of the poor taking control, and the role of other philosophies and faiths impacting the discussion, Theory as History is a unique way to discuss history, economics, and the people behind it, a core addition to any community library history collection.”—Midwest Book Review“The great merit of this volume is that it establishes an approach for [the debates about the nature and origin of capitalism] that is deeply theoretical, but at the same time refreshingly unhampered by the kind of doctrinaire attachment to a perceived (and often misread) orthodoxy that plagued so much of “historical materialism” for the past century. It is scholarly, without being purely academic ... Banaji’s book deserves to be read and debated as one of the starting points for a new wave of Marxist historiography, still in the process of liberating itself from the ghost of its formalist past." ”—Pepijn Brandon, International Socialism“Banaji’s seemingly idiosyncratic but in fact highly sophisticated and original approach to historical analysis provides not only a welcome stimulus and a challenge for scholars today, but also will give them plenty to think about for many years to come." ”—Marcel van der Linden, research director of the International Institute of Social History“Theory as History is a book written at the summit of a lifetime’s engagement with issues of Marxist theory and practice ... Banaji’s work demonstrates that no aspect of human history is irrelevant to the present. His scholarship shows immense skill, depth and range … [proving] it is not the Marxist method that has been at fault, but the dominance of non-Marxist theory and method in the minds of Marxist.”—CounterfireTable of ContentsChapter One: Reinstating Commercial CapitalismChapter Two: The Infrastructure of Commercial CapitalismChapter Three: The Competition of Capitals: Struggles for Commercial Dominance from the 12th to 18th CenturiesChapter Four: British Mercantile Capitalism and the Cosmopolitanism of the Nineteenth CenturyChapter Five: Commercial Practices : Putting-Out, or the Capitalist Domestic IndustriesChapter Six: The Circulation of Commercial Capitals: Competition, Velocity, VerticalityAppendix: Islam and CapitalismNotesSelect bibliography

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Book SynopsisRich in archival detail and offering a ground-breaking analysis, this book presents a radically new interpretation of British politics and policy failings during the Great Famine. The Irish famine of the 1840s is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the United Kingdom's history. Within six years of the arrival of the potato blight in Ireland in 1845, more than a quarter of its residents had unexpectedly died or emigrated. Its population has not yet fully recovered since. Historians have struggled to explain why the British government decided to shut down its centrally organised relief efforts in 1847, long before the famine ended. Some have blamed the laissez-faire attitudes of the time for an inadequate response by the British government; others have alleged purposeful neglect and genocide. In contrast, The Great Famine in Ireland and Britain's Financial Crisis uncovers a hidden narrative of the crisis, which links policy failure in Ireland to financial and political instability in Great Britain. More important than a laissez-faire ideology in hindering relief efforts for Ireland were the British government's lack of a Parliamentary majority from 1846, the financial crises of 1847, and a battle of ideas over monetary policy between proponents and opponents of financial orthodoxy. The high death toll in Ireland resulted from the British government's plans for intervention going awry, rather than being prematurely cancelled because of laissez-faire. This book is essential reading for scholars, students and anyone interested in Anglo-Irish relations, the history of financial crises and famines, and why humanitarian-relief efforts can go wrong even with good intentions.Trade ReviewThe Great Famine is based on the author's multi-award-winning PhD thesis. Well-researched and extensively footnoted ... The book nonetheless deserves a wide readership as a serious and balanced contribution to the Irish economic history canon. * THE IRISH TIMES *An extraordinarily wide-ranging, deeply researched and original critique of economic thinking, politics and policy making in mid-nineteenth Britain and Ireland. Read's work radically reshapes our understanding of the Great Irish Famine and of British politics more generally. It is the most holistic account yet of the catastrophic consequences of political and policy failure in a time of crisis, good intentions notwithstanding. * Liam Kennedy, Emeritus Professor of Economic History, Queen’s University Belfast *In this bold new interpretation of the biggest economic policy disaster in modern British history, Charles Read argues that the failure to provide sufficient relief spending during the Great Irish Famine was the result of a fiscal and financial crisis rather than a commitment to laissez faire ideology. This is essential reading for any serious scholar of modern Irish and British history. * Stephen Broadberry, Professor of Economic History, University of Oxford *Despite being written for a scholarly audience, the book's jolt to the senses resonates far beyond any solely academic setting. Great Famine injects a massive strand of fresh thinking into what had largely appeared to have been a dead end of history. It's challenging to describe what an incredible achievement this is. Parts of Great Famine go right against the grain of Britain's mythology about itself: it's almost heretical. It's hard not to be awestruck at the audacity of Dr Read's thesis and the way he unveils it. https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/amp/cambridge-author-exhumes-irish-famine-and-details-a-financia-9287608/ -- Mike Scialom * Cambridge Independent *Recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1. The sources of financial and political instability 2. The economic policy reforms of Sir Robert Peel 3. Famine relief before the crises of 1847 4. Famine relief during and after the crises 5. The intentions and consequences of redistributive relief policy 6. Ireland and Mauritius: the British Empire's other famine in 1847 Conclusion: Britain's biggest economic-policy failure Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBetween the ninth and the fifteenth centuries, Central Asia was a major political, economic and cultural hub on the Eurasian continent. In the first half of the thirteenth century it was also the pre-eminent centre of power in the largest land-based empire the world has ever seen. This third volume of Christoph Baumer's extensively praised and lavishly illustrated new history of the region is above all a story of invasion, when tumultuous and often brutal conquest profoundly shaped the later history of the globe. The author explores the rise of Islam and the remarkable victories of the Arab armies which - inspired by their vital, austere and egalitarian desert faith - established important new dynasties like the Seljuks, Karakhanids and Ghaznavids. A golden age of artistic, literary and scientific innovation came to a sudden end when, between 1219 and 1260, Genghiz Khan and his successors overran the Chorasmian-Abbasid lands. Dr Baumer shows that the Mongol conquests, while shattering to their enemies, nevertheless resulted in much greater mercantile and cultural contact between Central Asia and Western Europe.Trade ReviewA rarity - a labour of love, scholarship and high-class publishing ... an astounding achievement. * Literary Review *Many have written about Genghis Khan and his successors' national and international military campaigns. But seldom has the prose been so lucid and the illustrations so illuminating ... Under Baumer's expert guidance and firm hand, historians, religious scholars and the non-specialist can follow Genghis Khan's Islamic predecessors and the Mongols along the surface of the earth. * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAlthough still the world’s third largest economy, Japan continues to feel the effects of the collapse of a massive asset price bubble in the early 1990s. In recent years further setbacks, including both the Asian and global financial crises, and the 2011 Fukushima earthquake, have only added to the economy’s difficulties and made its prospects under Abenomics at best mixed. Hiroaki Richard Watanabe examines the ups and downs of Japan’s postwar economic history to offer an up-to-date and authoritative guide to the workings of Japan’s economy. The book highlights the country’s distinct business networks and its unique state–market relationship. It explores the characteristic institutional complementarity that exists among different sectors and business practices and gives particular attention to human factors, such as labour market dualism, gender discrimination and migration. Although often associated in western minds with futuristic automated efficiency, Japan’s economy, Watanabe shows, retains many inefficient and peculiar business practices that do not comply with global standards. The book provides readers with a concise survey of Japan’s recent economic history, the economy’s characteristic features and the challenges it faces.Trade ReviewThe Japanese Economy provides a brief but compelling account of the history of Japan’s political economy. While it deals with almost all significant issues based on academic research in each period, it conveys non-technical narratives that can be read by those with a general interest in Japan. In short, readers without much knowledge of Japan could understand the country’s economy over two decades as it went from economic miracle to prolonged recession. -- Kwang-Yeong Shin, Journal of Contemporary AsiaWatanabe argues that Japan’s reforms have been a mix of market-oriented liberalizations in some sectors alongside the preservation of non-market-oriented business practices in other sectors supported by a state that still plays a compensation and redistribution role… the quirky case studies in the final chapter make fascinating, though discouraging, reading… examples of a tendency to expend great efforts and resources on innovations or complex systems that lock Japan out of global success rather than open doors to competitive advantage. -- Journal of Japanese StudiesTable of Contents1. Introducing the Japanese economy2. The formation of the postwar Japanese economy, 1945–903. The transformation of the Japanese economy since the early 1990s4. The structure of the Japanese economy5. The human and labour factors of the Japanese economy6. A distinctive Japanese economic feature: “Galapagos syndrome”7. Conclusion: Prospects and challenges for the Japanese economy

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Book SynopsisVast, diverse, dynamic, and turbulent, the true nature of Africa is often obscured by its poverty-stricken image. In this controversial and gripping guide, Tom Young cuts through the emotional hype to critically analyse the continent's political history and the factors behind its dismal economic performance. Maintaining that colonial influences are often overplayed, Young argues that much blame must lie with African governments themselves and that Western aid can often cause as much harm as good.Trade Review"A very useful introduction…highly recommended." * Journal of Modern African Studies *

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Book SynopsisVera Zamagni charts the remarkable story of European economic growth from the birth of industrialization through to the present day. Setting European events within the wider context of world economic progress and alongside developments in Asia, Eastern Europe and the United States, she provides an up-to-date and authoritative survey suitable for course use. The book begins with an outline of the economic landscape of the late Middle Ages before exploring the process of European industrialization, including how the British model was replicated across Europe, and why Britain was unable to maintain its position relative to other economies, in particular the United States. The advent of global finance is examined and the economic impact of world war and revolution is assessed. European reconstruction and integration is analysed alongside the decline of Russia and the growth of the Asian economies. The book ends with an assessment of the impact of the global crash of 2008 and the subsequent crisis of the Eurozone. Throughout her analysis, Zamagni shows how the social and economic institutions and values of European civilization catalyzed economic progress. That these same structures are now threatened makes this history particularly timely.Trade ReviewA brilliant textbook. It is excellent at marrying historical narratives and economic history analyses. There is no text on the market that provides such a comprehensive overview. -- Giorgio Riello, University of WarwickTable of Contents1. Advanced agricultural and mercantile civilizations before the modern era 2. From the Italian city-states to the age of discovery 3. Britain: the first European industrial nation 4. The British model: imitation and the role of the state 5. European industrialization 6. British decline and the emergence of the United States and Japan as competitors 7. Technology, business and socio-economic change 8. The international economy, 1870–1914: the gold standard, finance and colonialism 9. The socio-economic consequences of the First World War 10. The Soviet Union, 1917–39 11. The first international crisis 12. The 1930s and the Second World War 13. Postwar reconstruction and decolonization 14. The age of European growth and the return of instability 15. The process of European integration 16. The demise of the USSR and the rise of Asia 17. The second international crisis and the limits of growth Epilogue

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Book SynopsisExploring the rise and fall of global power from the mid-nineteenth century, this book tracks the long and interrelated trajectories of the most serious challenges facing the world today. Although at first the urgency of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 seemed to take precedence over other global problems such as socioeconomic inequality and climate change, it has ultimately exacerbated these issues and created opportunities to address them boldly and innovatively. A Brief History of Now provides a bird’s-eye view of world hegemony, economic globalization and political regimes as they have evolved and developed over the last two hundred years, providing context and insights into the forces which have shaped the Western world. Presented in an accessible and engaging narrative, the book addresses key contemporary challenges and explores the repercussions of a technological revolution, the potential instability of democracy over the coming years, and the urgent struggle to tackle climate change. With his book, Diego Olstein helps to answer pressing questions about our world today and provides a roadmap for analysing future trajectories.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis Second Edition updates the companion workbook to match the new edition of the textbook Principles of Microeconomics. Each chapter features a wide variety of exercises, ranging from basic multiple-choice questions to challenging mathematical problems and case study scenarios. The textbook pursues an integrative approach to modern microeconomics by critically reflecting on the main findings of economics from a philosophical standpoint and comparing them to approaches found in the social sciences. It adopts an institutional perspective to analyze the potential and limitations of different market types, and highlights implications for the design of the legal system and business practices throughout. In addition to traditional rational-choice models, important findings from behavioral economics and psychology are also presented.Table of ContentsFirst Principles.- Gains from Trade.- Markets and Institutions - Introduction.- Supply and Demand.- Normative Economics.- Externalities.- Decisions and Consumber Behavior.- Costs.- A Second Look.- Firm Behavior in Monopolistic Markets.- Principles of Game Theories.- Firm Behavior in Oligopolistic Markets.- Elasticity.

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Book SynopsisDuring the final stages of Prohibition, the US government allowed the consumption and sale of non-intoxicating beer, which was at or below 3.2% alcohol-by-weight. Beer's returnpermitted with an eye toward job creation during the Great Depressionwas one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's earliest New Deal policies. In this book, economic historianJason E. Taylor takes readers through the rapid resurgence of American breweries and shows how beer helped spark a sharp recovery in the spring of 1933. Taylor begins with stories of how the nation's 1,400 breweries were decimated by the onset of Prohibition in 1920. He then turns to the frothy debates that led Congress to declare 3.2 beer non-intoxicating, and hence allowable under Prohibition. While April 7th is now celebrated as National Beer Day, the original April 7thwhen legal beer returned after more than 13 years awaybrought raucous scenes that make today's Mardi Gras festivities seem tame by comparison. The Brew Deal shares stories of breweries, people, politics, perseverance, and the various roles that 3.2 beer has played in the evolving American beer scene.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a rare account of China’s market transformation in the own words of the Chinese: politicians, intellectuals, the media, and journalists. The Chinese rhetoric—complex, ironic, argumentative, and abstruse—may hold the key to understanding China’s unique style of elite politics, state-citizen relationship, and institutional development. Rhetoricizing the Chinese transformation provides a glimpse into how the Chinese minds work as Chinese people participate as agents in the exercise of changing the country and themselves. This book will serve as a guide for anyone interested in learning how Chinese reason, persuade, debate, and resist.

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Book Synopsis''Thrilling, meticulous and wondrously original'' PHILIPPE SANDSA jaw-dropping microhistory of the global economy over the last fifty years told through the many lives of a single ship.At 94 meters long and 9,500 deadweight tonnes, once called the Bibby Resolution, is an unremarkable hulk, crossing the oceans unnoticed. And yet, the astonishing journey of this boat can tell us the story of the modern world.First built as a Swedish offshore oil rig in the 1970s, it went on to become a barracks for British soldiers in the Falklands War in the 1980s, a jail off New York in the 1990s, a prison in Portland in the 2000s, and accommodation for Nigerian oil workers off the coast of Africa in the 2010s. It has been called Safe Esperia, HMP The Weare, even ''The Love Boat''. In each of its lives this empty vessel has been commanded by economic forces much larger than itself: private investment, war, mass incarceration, imperial interests, national sovereignty, inflation, booms, busts and greed.Through its encounters with a world of island tax havens, the English court system, exploited labour forces, free banking zones or immigration politics, the ordinary boat at the heart of this story reveals our complex modern economy to us, connecting the dots of a dramatically changing world in the making, and warning us of its dangerous consequences.

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Book Synopsis“A fascinating, exciting story.” — Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful MindWhile still in his early 20s, and under Hitler's shadow, Leonid “Leo” Hurwicz (1917-2008) left his home in Warsaw, Poland, seeking safety and a degree at the London School of Economics. The following years, while challenging and potentially life-threatening, contained the seeds of a lifelong intellectual adventure. Leo's story is personal (born a refugee, precarious war years for himself and his Polish-Jewish family, a new life in America), global (revolutions, wars, depressions), ideological (socialism, capitalism, economic planning, free markets) and professional (a sixty-year career as a professor of economics leading ultimately to a Nobel Prize). This book tells his story.Trade Review“A fascinating, exciting story.” — Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind“Before he became an economist, Leo Hurwicz led a dramatic life worthy of a Hollywood movie. Michael Hurwicz tells this story with verve, and also succeeds in explaining to a lay readership the deep contributions his father made to economic science. Terrific reading.”— Eric Maskin, Nobel laureate in Economics, Harvard University“Kudos to Michael Hurwicz, who has written a paean to his late father, Leo Hurwicz, an extraordinary economist, teacher, polymath, and polyglot, whose genial personality and sense of humor endeared him to many in the profession. Especially for those of us who primarily knew Leo in an academic context, this book provides the background story of his life and times. It is meticulously researched and well-written.”— Samiran Banerjee, Teaching Professor of Economics at Emory University and editor of The Collected Papers of Leonid Hurwicz: Volume 1“Michael Hurwicz gives us a unique attempt to clarify, for all those who knew Leo Hurwicz, the complex history of his family. Many of us who knew Leo had only a fragmentary understanding of this story. Michael tells it with loving care. He then proceeds to interweave ideas from Leo's work and to show, with tenderness, aspects of Leo as a father. A remarkable achievement.”— Thomas Marschak, University of California, Berkeley, CA“Hurwicz tells the story of a remarkable man. A man, who received a Nobel Prize in Economics at age 90, who was married to the same woman, Evelyn, from age 27 until his death, who was the father of four children, who was an excellent pianist with a repertoire that reached from Beethoven to folk songs, an inspired — and inspiring — teller of bed-time stories, a life-long learner and knower of, almost, everything, an active citizen, and, yes, did I mention the Nobel Prize in Economics at age 90?And Leo Hurwicz achieved all of this in spite of — or should we say, because of — the times of existential peril through which he and his extended family lived. … It is a context of revolutions, wars, antisemitism, persecution, and genocide. But it is also a context of resistance, persistence, ingenuity, courage, and creativity, of humanity in the face of barbarism.”— Jens Kruse, The OrcasonianTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrologue 1939, sierpień/août/August Born a Refugee Now or Never Home Safe? Get an Education! The Miracle Hurwicz Home School Crisis, Coup, Catastrophe Astrophysics, Chopin and Jazz Economics and Einstein Socialist Calculation Brown Shirts and Ghetto Benches Graduation Getaway Math, Models and Mechanisms Government Intervention A Lifeline Hurwiczes on the Run An Intellectual Warrior at the School for Peace Leo Hurwicz: “Excess Foreign Population” Geneva to Chicago by Way of Locarno, Barcelona and Lisbon Chicago and MIT Surprise Attack Honey A Little Bit Unruly The Great Book Review A Slow and Difficult Process Just a Closer Walk with Stan Blood, Fire, Smoke, Exile and Human Kindness Mechanism Design: Development and Recognition Appendix A. Leo’s MemorialAppendix B. A Celebration of Leo's 90th Birthday, Held at the Holiday Inn Metrodome, 1500 Washington Avenue South, in Minneapolis on April 14, 2007Appendix C. The Theory of Economic Behavior, by Leonid HurwiczAppendix D. The Hurwicz CriterionAppendix E. Edited transcript of 2007 interview with Leo, conducted by the authorAppendix F. A Timeline of the Life of Leo HurwiczAppendix G. What Is Mechanism Design?

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Book SynopsisSalt is a vital commodity. For many centuries it sustained life for Scots as seasoning for a diet dominated by grains (mainly oats), and for preservation of fish and cheese. Sea-salt manufacturing is one of Scotland’s oldest industries, dating to the eleventh century if not earlier. Smoke- and steam-emitting panhouses were once a common sight along the country’s coastline and are reflected in many of Scotland’s placenames. The industry was a high-status activity, with the monarch initially owning salt pans. Salt manufacture was later organised by Scotland’s abbeys and then by landowners who had access to the sea and a nearby supply of coal. As salt was an important source of tax revenue for the government, it was often a cause of conflict (and military action) between Scotland and England. The future of the industry – and the price of salt for consumers – was a major issue during negotiations around the Union of 1707. This book celebrates both the history and the rebirth of the salt industry in Scotland. Although salt manufacturing declined in the nineteenth century and was wound up in the 1950s, in the second decade of the twenty-first century the trade was revived. Scotland’s salt is now a high-prestige, green product that is winning awards and attracting interest across the UK.Trade Review'one of those all-too-rare books that cover their subject so definitively that it's hard to imagine anyone ever wanting or needing to write another book on the subject' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *

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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

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Book SynopsisAn engaging, solutions-oriented look at how cities and nations can better foster innovation and equality. From San Francisco to Shanghai, many of the world's most innovative places are highly unequal, with the benefits going to a small few. Rather than simply asking how we can create more high-tech cities and nations, Innovation for the Masses focuses on what we can learn from places that foster innovation while also delivering the benefits more widely and equally. In this book, economist Neil Lee draws on case studies of Taiwan, Sweden, Austria, and Switzerland to set out how innovation can be successfully balanced toward equity. As high-tech economies around the world suffer from polarized labor markets and political realities that lock in these problems, this book looks beyond the United States to other models of distributing a leading-edge economy. Lee emphasizes the active role of the state in creating frameworks to ensure that benefits are broadly shared, revealing that strong policies for innovation and mutual prosperity reinforce each other. Ultimately, Innovation for the Masses provides a vital window into alternative models that prioritize equity, the roadblocks these models present, and what other countries can learn from them going forward.Trade Review"In a departure from the usual discourse, which is often about creating more high-tech nations, Lee (economic geography, London Sch. of Economics) looks at how to harness innovation, especially in the tech sector, to improve the lives of a broad swath of society . . . Effectively shows the importance of innovation in modern economies while also making clear that innovation alone does not guarantee good outcomes." * Library Journal *"The book brings much-needed nuance to the debate about how to foster an entrepreneurial culture that lifts broader society as well as industry." * Financial Times *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Preface Introduction: Why Innovation Matters 1. The Economics of Innovation 2. Innovation and Living Standards 3. Switzerland: The Diffusion of Innovation 4. Austria: Innovating from Irrelevance 5. Taiwan: The Race between Education and Technological Development 6. Sweden: Disruption and the (Welfare) State Conclusion: Innovation and Shared Prosperity Notes References Index

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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

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Book SynopsisPower to the People examines the varied but interconnected relationships between energy consumption and economic development in Europe over the last five centuries. It describes how the traditional energy economy of medieval and early modern Europe was marked by stable or falling per capita energy consumption, and how the First Industrial RevolutioTrade Review"Employing economic theory and growth accounting to illuminate the linkages between energy use and economic activity and supporting their argument with extensive quantitative evidence, the authors make a compelling case that modern economic growth would have been impossible without the increased energy intensity made possible by exploitation of fossil fuels. This work provides valuable historical perspectives on pressing contemporary challenges."--Choice "With many insightful graphs, plus useful explanatory boxes for the less initiated, it is highly accessible, and recommended to undergraduate students curious about the history of energy, to postgraduates specializing in a specific field, and to academics."--Roger Fouquet, Journal of Economic Literature "[T]his multi-authored effort is well structured and furnished with splendid illustrations and explanatory tables ... I would recommend the book, but with the warning that it is not an easy read due to the sheer quantity of information and analytical viewpoints it contains."-- Aurelia Mane-Estrada,European History Quarterly "Power to the People is to be welcomed. It is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of Economic History and History of Technology and will appeal both to the professional and the general reader interested in the future of humanity."--Francesc X. Barca-Salom, Environment and History "An ambitious and important analysis of the relationships between energy and economic growth in Europe over the past five hundred years."--Christopher F. Jones, Environmental HistoryTable of ContentsPreface ix CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1 CHAPTER TWO Definitions and Concepts 17 PART I Pre-Industrial Economies Paolo Malanima 35 CHAPTER THREE Traditional Sources 37 1. Energy in Premodern Societies 2. Organic Sources and Agricultures 3. Non-organic Sources 4. Seven Long-run Propositions 5. Conclusion CHAPTER FOUR Constraints and Dynamics 81 1. Population and Climate 2. Energy Scarcity 3. Saving Land 4. Saving Labor 5. Conclusion PART II The First Industrial Revolution Paul Warde 129 CHAPTER FIVE A Modern Energy Regime 131 1. The Take-off of Coal 2. Traditional Sources: Rise but Relative Decline 3. Conclusion CHAPTER SIX The Coal Development Block 159 1. The Core Innovations 2. The Growth Dynamics of the Coal Development Block 3. The Transport Revolution CHAPTER SEVEN Energy and Industrial Growth 209 1. Coal and Growth 2. Seven Long-run Propositions 3. Energy Intensity and Economic Structure 4. Conclusion PART III The Second and Third Industrial Revolutions Astrid Kander 249 CHAPTER EIGHT Energy Transitions in the Twentieth Century 251 1. The Rise of Oil and Electricity 2. Old and New in Energy Regimes 3. Conclusion CHAPTER NINE Major Development Blocks in the Twentieth Century and Their Impacts on Energy 287 1. The ICE-Oil Block 2. The Electricity Block 3. The ICT Development Block 4. Conclusion CHAPTER TEN The Role of Energy in Twentieth-Century Economic Growth 333 1. Development Blocks and GDP 2. Seven Long-run Propositions 3. Energy Intensity and Economic Structure 4. Conclusion CHAPTER ELEVEN Summary and Implications for the Future 366 1. Summing Up the Book 2.Thinking about the Future 3. Some Remarks about the Future APPENDIXES A. The Role of Energy in Growth Accounting 387 B. Decomposing Energy Intensity 1870-1970 395 C. The Impact from the Service Transition on Energy Intensity 402 D. Biased Technical Development 411 References 415 Index 451

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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

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Piecing together case studies from the Mediterranean and northern Europe, as well as looking at mining, metal production and alternative forms of currency, this is a rich account of early English numismatic history." * Spear’s *"Making Money in the Early Middle Ages provides a broad portrait of daily life through the lens of currency in the ninth century that makes the book a worthwhile read."---Ryne Clos, Spectrum Culture

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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"

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Book SynopsisLucid, accessible, and provocative, and now thoroughly updated to cover recent events that have shaken the global economy, Globalizing Capital is an indispensable account of the past 150 years of international monetary and financial history.Trade Review"One of the major books on the history of the International Monetary System."---Ivo Maes, Journal of European Integration History"An invaluable guide for anyone who wants to understand money." * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Recommended and long overdue."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"One of the most comprehensive accounts of opposition politics as carried by key individuals and organisations, their initiatives, and its impact. . . . Within economics, economic history and history of economic thought are two separate disciplines. [Toward a Free Economy] traverses both and goes beyond in its effort to tell the story of India’s opposition in its early days. The book lays down a fertile ground for future researchers to further explore."---Kumar Anand, The Hindu"Exhaustively researched."---Archis Mohan, Business Standard"An instant classic."---Sanjeet Kashyap, Australian Outlook

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Kalman tells the story of the Bacris and the Busnachs with verve and a certain wry panache, liberally quoting from primary sources which can be entertainingly theatrical."---Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Financial Times Best Book of the Year: Economics""A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year""[An] excellent new book . . . exploring everything from inequality to deaths of despair to the failures of the field in which he won the Nobel prize. It's all leavened with sardonic humor."---Nicholas Kristof"Deaton recounts his journey to understanding the political and economic dysfunctions of his adopted home. It's sort of like Alexis De Tocqueville's classic Democracy in America, but with more numbers, more economics, and more vitriol. . . . Rare for an economist, Deaton offers a lucid and unsparing critique of America's political system."---Greg Rosalsky, NPR’s Planet Money"Inviting and readable."---Jennifer Szalai, New York Times"Deaton’s prose is lucid and tartly down-to-earth (the U.S. government works 'to help rich predators make ordinary people poorer,' he writes), and he makes a convincing case that 'economics should be about understanding the reasons for and doing away with the sordidness and joylessness that come with poverty and deprivation.' The result is a refreshing take on America’s economic discontents." * Publishers Weekly *"This brilliant economics study will likely engage general readers and hold their attention to the end." * Library Journal (Starred review) *"The book is informative, given the wide range of subjects; compelling, given Deaton’s obvious authority and rich experience; and, given his flair for writing, enjoyable."---Vivek Arora, Finance & Development"Highly enjoyable. . . . Deaton emerges from the book as a decent human being who wants to make the world a better place."---Martin Wolf, Financial Times"The degree to which orthodox economics is complicit in this unequal, greed-ridden house of cards is honestly faced by Angus Deaton, one of the profession’s giants, in Economics in America. A powerful mea culpa, it is also a milestone in restoring the profession to the family of human sciences."---Paul Collier, Times Literary Supplement"Completely fascinating. . . . The book is a great read, thoughtfully and well written."---Bridget Rosewell, Society of Professional Economists ​​​​​​​"It is a good read. . . .Deaton also knows how to entertain while informing and there are some fascinating insights and anecdotes concerning some of the economists he most respects, from James Meade to Anthony Atkinson."---Paul Fisher, Financial World

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Price of Collapse is a little gem."---Rana Mitter, Literary Review

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Book SynopsisA clear analysis of the about-turn in the modern financial sector towards free market authoritarianismTrade Review'Fascinating. Shows convincingly that Brexit was financed by hedge funds and alternative finance, and that their ultimate goal was to promote a new wave of financial deregulation and buy off our democratic institutions. A great piece of social sciences and a must-read' -- Thomas Piketty, author of 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century''A fresh and urgent agenda for social science research for years to come' -- Johan Heilbron, Professor in the Sociology of Education at Uppsala University'An unparalleled look into the class interests driving today's anti-democratic insurgency and its links with the authoritarian libertarianism of the hard right. Ground-breaking' -- Melinda Cooper is based at the Australian National University'A remarkable foray into the radicalisation of the political order inherent in our contemporary financial condition: an order for which remaining pockets of liberal democracy are no longer of use' -- Fabian Muniesa, Professor at the Ecole des Mines de Paris'Rare and empirically rich' -- Contretemps'A dark tale, announcing the new concept of an 'authoritarian libertarianism'' -- Mediapart'This provocative opus remarkably demonstrates how conflicts among different fractions of capital were the key drivers of UK's recent Eighteenth Brumaire: Brexit' -- Olivier Godechot, author of 'Wages, Bonuses and the Appropriation of Profit in the Financial Industry'Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Big Money Behind Brexit 2. Second-Wave Finance vs. the European Union 3. From European Neoliberalism to Authoritarian Libertarianism Epilogue: The Drumbeat of War List of Tables Notes

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Book SynopsisA petroleum geologist, Alan Cockrell provides an insider's account of the science of oil hunting, the political processes that help or hinder it, and the advances in technology that make it all possible. The book documents the ways in which wars, foreign competition, governmental regulation, and new business models affect oil exploration.Trade ReviewDrilling Ahead is a highly accessible, often colorful, account of oil exploration and development in Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida, in the post-World War II period." - Evan R. Ward, The Journal of Southern History"Drilling Ahead is a valuable addition to the history of the petroleum industry." - Diana Davids Hinton Technology and Culture"This book is extremely informative and well researched. It also tells about the colorful characters who developed much of the oil and gas industry in the Southeast, especially Mississippi and Alabama. Chesley Pruet would be the most intriguing character of all, and he was well respected. In addition, this is a good read." - Robert Mosbacher, Mosbacher Energy, Inc. Secretary of Commerce, 1989-1992"Alan Cockrell has captured the excitement of oil booms in the southeastern states which flourished during the last half of the twentieth century. A valuable history is preserved of key individuals and companies that drilled the hundreds of oil and gas wells in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to bring new wealth to these states." - Dudley J. Hughes, author of Oil in the Deep South: A History of the Oil Business in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, 1859-1945

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Book SynopsisFor much of American history, large numbers of people claimed that money was a public good and asserted the right to shape money creation practices. If popular knowledge about money creation was once widely shared, how and why did it disappear? In this astute new work, Jakob Feinig shows how the relation between money users and money-issuing governments changed from British colonial North America to today's United States, discussing how popular movements reshaped money-creating institutions, and how their opponents attempted to silence them. He also reveals how monetary and political history unfolds in the tension between "moral economies of money" and "monetary silencing." Offering an introduction to money creation practices since the colonial era, the book enables readers to understand why most people are disconnected from knowledge about money creation today. At the same time, the book also allows readers to situate the recent prominence of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) against a broader historical background. Historians of capitalism, economic and political sociologists, social theorists, anthropologists of money, and anyone seeking to understand monetary activism, will find this book helps to clarify present-day possibilities in light of historical processes.Trade Review"In this book, Feinig sets out to make money visible as a practice. He does that with breath-taking effect. Brilliant, thought-provoking, and illuminating."—Christine Desan, Harvard University"An absorbingly rich history of the struggles over money in the United States from colonial 'moral economies' to its expropriation by capitalist banking."—Geoffrey Ingham, University of Cambridge"In this compelling fusion of sociological insight and historical narrative, Feinig succeeds in clarifying how money politics worked in the past, and why it should be revisited today."—Roy Kreitner, Tel Aviv University"Moral Economies of Money: Politics and the Monetary Constitution of Society, the outstanding new book by the sociologist Jakob Feinig, shows that it doesn't have to be this way: we need not settle for a monetary system that breeds apathy or withdrawal into conspiracy theory. To the contrary—for much of this country's history, the conspicuous entanglement of fiscal and monetary policy encouraged money users to participate in the design, implementation, and governance of systems for issuing and retiring currency."—Aaron Wistar, Jacobin"The sociologist Jakob Feinig challenges the dominant view of money as a scarce commodity. His masterful book Moral Economies of Money: Politics and the Monetary Constitution of Society demonstrates that money is an elastic public good."—Sandeep Vaheesan, UCLA Law Review"To politicize monetary policy is a controversial demand today; to politicize the design of the monetary system can sound positively outlandish. Jakob Feinig's Moral Economies of Money gives us an excellent place to start."—Pierre-Christian Fink, Phenomenal World"The clarity and concision of Moral Economies makes the enigmatic into something knowable, teachable, and politicizeable—the value of which will be immediately clear to those who, from classroom experience, know the phenomenon of monetary silence all too well."—Stephanie L. Mudge, Just Money"One of the hallmarks of good historical sociology is that it leads us to see the periods we think we know in a new light. [The Moral Economies of Money] does that in so many ways, both big and small."—Josh Pacewicz, Just MoneyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Moral Economies of Money and Monetary Silencing 1. Settler Democracy as a Monetary School: Toward Moral Economies of Money 2. Moral Economies of Money 3. Monetary Silencing and the Romance of Unmediated Exchanges 4. Greenback Moral Economies 5. What Kinds of People Should Money Users Be? 6. Monetary Silencing as a New Deal Legacy Conclusion: From New Deal Silencing to a Moral Economy of Money

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Gold Medal in Business Reference, Axiom Business Book Awards""It is hard to imagine a more timely—and entertaining—history."---Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs"An erudite yet good-humored history of taxation. . . . Reading about taxes, it turns out, is a lot more fun than paying them. That's a low bar, but Rebellions, Rascals and Revenue clears it with ease. Check with your accountant: The book may be tax-deductible."---Daniel Akst, Wall Street Journal"Offers a historical precedent for almost any tax debate or controversy imaginable. . . . Keen and Slemrod have amassed the most remarkable collection of evidence to bolster and illuminate their case. . . . An invaluable primer to some of the underlying tensions behind contemporary political debate."---Chris Giles, Financial Times"Societies throughout the ages have wrestled with the question of how to tax, who to tax, and how to make people pay. The stories that emerge are remarkable. In this highly enjoyable tour de force, Keen and Slemrod show how the travails of our ancestors can help us understand the problems we face today—and pass on a few eternal lessons. Prepare to read, learn, and enjoy!"---Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank"The main effect of this enjoyable gallop through state levies of the past is to expose the continuing oddities of how governments raise revenue today. . . . The tales of historic folly and wisdom breathe life into dry principles of tax theory."---Liam Proud, Reuters"Amusing historical anecdotes. . . . Shed[s] light on how the modern-day tax system works—as well as its potential pitfalls."---Reed Tucker, New York Post"A fascinating and often funny book. . . . The real skill of Keen and Slemrod is to explain not just the history of tax but (painlessly) the economic forces that shape and are shaped by it."---Frances Cairncross, Literary Review"Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod’s book is wonderful and should be read by any student of tax. It is both entertaining and instructive. . . . Keen and Slemrod’s marvelous book is not an attempt to directly effectuate tax policy or to rewrite tax history. Instead, it is a very wise excursion by two highly experienced public finance economists into the past to better understand the present by comparing it to what was different, and to improve the future by learning from both past wisdom and past follies. Herodotus and Thucydides would have been delighted to read it."---Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, Tax Notes International"Tax history resembles the warehouse in the final scene of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark—an enormous, poorly lit jumble of unlabeled boxes, one of which may be hiding the answer to all the world’s tax problems. This new book by two leading tax analysts turns up the lights, organizes many of the boxes in an enlightening way, and presents the results with a style and flair that make the subject not only understandable but—and this may come as a surprise to many—actually fun to read. The authors may not have found the answer, but even the most experienced reader can learn something from this lively and informative book."---Richard Bird, Finance & Development"It takes more than the entertainment of countless historical tax tales to produce a book on tax that actually pleases the reader. What makes this both so intriguing and worthwhile is how it draws out common threads of tax principles and practice that have underlain tax systems for thousands of years. . . . There is no way to do justice to this book in a few paragraphs." * Vox EU *"A new book on the history of taxes adds levity to, and piques interest in, a topic often with the allure of a root canal."---Joel Schlesinger, Winnipeg Free Press"An entertaining, compelling, and well-researched book."---Simon Heffer, New Criterion"A spry survey of taxes over the course of history. . . . It won’t ward off the April tax blues, but it does a fine job of explaining the hows and whys of taxation." * Kirkus Reviews *"There will likely be a tax-related anecdote (or two) that speaks to you directly in Keen and Slemrod's wonderfully comprehensive walk through the annals of taxation. . . . An immensely enjoyable and comprehensive look at the 'history' of taxation."---Frank G. Colella, New York Law Journal"Keen and Slemrod’s book took me on a romp through 4,000 years tax history. It’s a perfect gift for your CPA, or anyone seeking untoppable zingers for the next faculty club meeting."---George Spencer, Notre Dame Magazine"Unusual and stimulating. . . .a major accomplishment (with a stunning cover) that supplements standard textbooks on tax design and tax policy and provides a lively survey and exhaustive historical analysis of these frequently dry topics."---Richard Allen, Market Screener"Who says the study of taxation can’t be fun? Most of you, I would expect. But Michael Keen, deputy director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF, and Joel Slemrod, the Paul W. McCracken Collegiate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, are out to prove you wrong. Their delightful (you read that right) new book ... is a sprawling compendium of (mostly weird) anecdotes that neatly illustrate the principles of the economics of tax policy."---Peter Passell, Milken Institute Review"At first glance, a book on the history of taxation seems like something only an accountant could love. But as it turns out, Rebellion, Rascals, and Revenue is an enjoyable rompt, a fascinating mix of stories and insights." * The Australian *"A delightful book."---Michael Taylor, San Antonio Express News"With their book, Rebellions, Rascals, and Revenue: Tax Follies and Wisdom Through the Ages!, Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod definitively show that taxes and tax policy are anything but 'dull, dull, dull.' With an engaging writing style (especially for fans of puns and other word play), they provide a selective history of tax policy and administration that highlights odd policy choices and unusual behavioral responses to policies." * National Tax Journal *"A masterful compendium of not just fiscal history, but social history throughout the ages." * The Independent Review *

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Book SynopsisCentral banks are supposed to stabilize markets, yet decades of mounting central bank power have seen wave after wave of financial crisis. Leon Wansleben offers novel explanations for the rise of central banks and the problematic implications of their finance-dependent policies.Trade ReviewThe Rise of Central Banks shines light on the agency of bureaucrats and calls upon society and elected leaders to direct these actors’ efforts toward more progressive goals. * Politics Today *A laudable undertaking…Wansleben is breaking new ground. He has something to offer that you do not find in mainstream economic literature. -- Niels Bünemann * Central Banking *The Rise of Central Banks is a smart, well-researched book about central banks and their prominent role in economic governance during the recent era of financialized capitalism. Wansleben does a fine job weaving together many events, episodes, and details into a coherent story. Audiences interested in the Fed, central banking, economic policy, and financialization will certainly want to read this book. -- Bruce G. Carruthers, Northwestern UniversityThis is an impressive work that adds substantially to our scholarly understanding of modern central banks and why they have come to have such a dominant impact on our everyday lives. -- Kathleen R. McNamara, Georgetown UniversityToday’s economies are profoundly shaped by what central banks do, the decisions they take, and their blindspots. Wansleben’s superb book brings new depth, scholarship, and sophistication to the study of these hugely important organizations. -- Donald MacKenzie, University of EdinburghAmbitious and well-researched. Wansleben dissects the growing operational entanglements between monetarist governing techniques, the expansion of financial markets, and neoliberal economic policies in a world where central banks have become more powerful than ever. The outcome is a bloated financial sphere that is dangerously reliant on central banks’ actions to preserve its explosive power. A chilling, but incredibly important, account. -- Marion Fourcade, author of Economists and Societies: Discipline and Profession in the United States, Britain, and France, 1890s to 1990s

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