Labour / income economics Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Foreword, by Philippe Bourgois Acknowledgments Preface to the Updated Edition 1. Introduction: “Worth Risking Your Life?” 2. “We Are Field Workers”: Embodied Anthropology of Migration 3. Segregation on the Farm: Ethnic Hierarchies at Work 4. “How the Poor Suffer”:nEmbodying the Violence Continuum 5. “Doctors Don’t Know Anything”: The Clinical Gaze in Migrant Health 6. “Because They’re Lower to the Ground”: Naturalizing Social Suffering 7. Conclusion: Change, Pragmatic Solidarity, and Beyond Epilogue. We Provide Food for Your Table: Triqui Farmworkers Organizing for Change, coauthored with Jorge Ramirez-Lopez Appendix: On Ethnographic Writing and Contextual Knowledge Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisCreating a Workforce for Today and TomorrowA business lives, dies, and thrives on its talent. Whether it's W-2 employees, freelancers, gig workers, AI bots, or a mix of all of the above, every business has to get its workforce right if it wants to remain at the top of its industry. Any company with the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time will have the ultimate edge over its competitors. And that means few areas deserve as much priority as workforce planning and talent management.In Talent Prophecy, Russell Klosk has broken down all the components behind a successful workforce planning model, as well as all the additional considerations behind implementation. Whether it's creating the conditions for the model's success within your company, building stakeholder support, or adjusting the model over time, Klosk has all the insights you need to see your company's predictive workforce powers improve.Using language and examples that everyone in HR, finance, operations, and the C-Suite can follow, Klosk relies on his decades of experience advising industry leaders across the Fortune 500 to bring clarity to the complexities of modeling and talent management.With Klosk's help, business leaders will not only be able to see the gaps in the skill sets of their current workforce but to prophecy their future needs for every strategy they might implement going forward.There's no reason to leave crucial decisions on talent to outdated systems or gut instinct. With Talent Prophecy, you can take your business to the top today and keep it there tomorrowin any industry and through any technological innovation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis original and panoramic book proposes that the underlying forces of demography and globalisation will shortly reverse three multi-decade global trends – it will raise inflation and interest rates, but lead to a pullback in inequality. “Whatever the future holds”, the authors argue, “it will be nothing like the past”. Deflationary headwinds over the last three decades have been primarily due to an enormous surge in the world’s available labour supply, owing to very favourable demographic trends and the entry of China and Eastern Europe into the world’s trading system. This book demonstrates how these demographic trends are on the point of reversing sharply, coinciding with a retreat from globalisation. The result? Ageing can be expected to raise inflation and interest rates, bringing a slew of problems for an over-indebted world economy, but is also anticipated to increase the share of labour, so that inequality falls. Covering many social and political factors, as well as those that are more purely macroeconomic, the authors address topics including ageing, dementia, inequality, populism, retirement and debt finance, among others. This book will be of interest and understandable to anyone with an interest on where the world’s economy may be going. Trade Review“Charles Goodhart and Manon Pradhan have provided us an impressively articulated, well-reasoned, and thoroughly researched tour de force of the demographic forces that have impacted the evolution of the world economy and their interrelationships over the past 100 years or so … . the research and thoughtful analysis provide the reader with an insightful window into the policy problems facing developing and emerging economies alike as we face the future.” (Robert Eisenbeis, Business Economics, Vol. 56, 2021)“I appreciate the global scope of this book and its emphasis on the complexity and interconnectedness of the global economy. This is the kind of long-term thinking that economists, policymakers, and others may find beneficial.” (insurancenewsnet.com, June 25, 2021)“I think this is a very good forecast. … The book interestingly comments on an implied cycle in the standing of macroeconomics and macroeconomists. … their argument is well worth pondering and entering into our considerations of the biggest economic risks ahead.” (Alex J. Pollock, Law & Liberty, lawliberty.org, May 18, 2021)“The Great Demographic Reversal is packed with informative charts and tables. It presents a powerful, well-argued challenge to the ‘mainstream’ view that low growth, inflation and nominal interest rates are here to stay. Above all, its message that everyday economics needs to take demography seriously is surely correct.” (Diane Coyle, Financial Times, December 2, 2020)“This thought-provoking book is a great read, and there is no need to be an economist to enjoy it.” (Philip Turner, Central Banking, centralbanking.com, November 16, 2020)“It is a pleasure to read a book this well argued. There is a good deal of careful analysis and there are lots of tables and graphs.” (Charles Taylor, Financial World, November 2020-January 2021)Table of Contents1. Introduction.- 2. China: A Historic Mobilization Ends.- 3. The Great Demographic Reversal and its Effect on Future Growth.- 4. Dependency, Dementia and the Coming Crisis of Caring.- 5. The Likely Resurgence of Inflation.- 6. The Determination of (Real) Interest Rates during the Great Reversal.- 7. Inequality and the Rise of Populism.- 8. The Phillips Curve.- 9. “Why Didn’t It Happen in Japan?”: A Revisionist History of Japan’s Evolution.- 10. What Could Offset Global Ageing? India/Africa, Participation and Automation.- 11. The Debt Trap: Can We Avoid It?.- 12. A Switch from Debt to Equity Finance?.- 13. Future Policy Problems: Old Age and Taxes, and the Monetary-Fiscal Clash.- 14. Swimming Against the (Main)Stream.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Eeckhout documents an astonishing rise of market power across all sorts of industries since 1980. We're not just talking about the usual suspects here; Amazon, Google, Facebook, and so on. We're talking about everything from the makers of cat food to the sellers of caskets."---Greg Rosalsky, NPR Planet Money"A serious and significant effort to explain rising market power and its implications to decades of stagnant wages to a wider audience."---Simcha Barkai, ProMarket"A very good read. . . . Hooray for an economist who can write so engagingly."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist"A sharply argued thesis that one effect of all-powerful corporations is the suppression of wages for working people across the board. . . . A provocative case, and one that those who feel undervalued in the present economy will surely appreciate." * Kirkus Reviews *"The book convincingly argues for some role of market power in workers’ woes. . . . At a time when antitrust frameworks are being reconsidered on both sides of the Atlantic, Eeckhout’s book is a powerful reminder that this rethink must go big."---Romain Duval, Finance and Development"The Profit Paradox is an easy read . . . and the tour d’horizon of issues is impressive."---Jane Fuller, Financial World"As economist Jan Eeckhout lays out in his new book The Profit Paradox, rapid technological change since the 1980s has improved business efficiency and dramatically increased corporate profitability. But it has also led to an increase in market power that is detrimental for people in work." * Financial Times *"The work combines an in-depth economic vision with examples from everyday life." * Eurakalert *"The book is important for several reasons. First. . . . this book takes a global view. Second, it pushes back against quite a widespread misconception that monopoly is largely an American problem and that Europeans in particular are protected by strong competition authorities. Third, it is one of those relatively rare books that combines an easy read with deep and rich scholarship from an expert in the field."---Nicholas Shaxson, The Counterbalance"[The Profit Paradox] successfully carries out the Herculean task of bridging the frontier of academic knowledge with the general public. . . .Not only does [Eeckhout] present novel results in economics in a friendly way without departing from academic rigour, but he also provides an agenda for policies to be implemented. Written in an engaging voice and full of concrete examples from everyday life, this book will certainly find a place in the bookshelves of economists, policymakers, and even the general public."---Joaquín Paseyro Mayol and Edoardo Peruzzi, Economics and Philosophy

Read more less

Book SynopsisA taboo-busting critique of the transfer of wealth from the global South to the global North.Trade Review'The most significant book published on the political economy of imperialism in the 21st century, written by the foremost scholar of global imperialism today.' -- Immanuel Ness, author of 'Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class''Global inequality isn't natural; it's created. Zak Cope explains how the rules of the international economy have been designed to benefit a few powerful nations in the Global North at the expense of most of the rest of the world. A brilliant intervention from one of the best scholars in the field.' -- Jason Hickel, Goldsmiths, University of London'Highly important and timely. Required reading for anyone interested in understanding the nature of current global capitalism, rather than remaining hoodwinked by the mythology of equality and liberty' -- Amiya Bagchi, Monash University'Powerfully challenges the imperialism-denial dominating Marxist theory and practice in Europe and North America and influential elsewhere. Whether or not you agree with all its arguments and conclusions, you'll find this to be a stimulating and thought-provoking book' -- John Smith, author of 'Imperialism in the Twenty-First Century'Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Part I - The Mechanics of Imperialism 1. Value Transfer 2. Colonial Tribute 3. Monopoly Rent 4. Unequal Exchange Part II - The Econometrics of Imperialism 5. Imperialism and Its Denial 6. Measuring Imperialist Value Transfer 7. Measuring Colonial Value Transfer 8. Comparing Value Transfer to Profits, Wages and Capital Part III - Foundations of the Labour Aristocracy 9. Anti-Imperialist Marxism and the Wages of Imperialism 10. The Metropolitan Labour Aristocracy 11. The Native Labour Aristocracy Part IV - Social Imperialism Past and Present 12. Social Imperialism before the First World War 13. Social Imperialism after the First World War 14. Social-Imperialist Marxism 15. Conclusion: Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism Today Appendix: Physical Quality of Life in Capitalist and Socialist Countries Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"An Economist Book of the Year""A Behavioral Scientist's Notable Book""A Wall Street Journal Favorite Political Book of the Year""A FiveBooks Best Nonfiction Books of the Year""Winner of the Richard A. Lester Book Award, Industrial Relations Section Industrial Relations Section""Career and Family is a radical book. It is also brilliantly researched and argued."---Lily Meyer, New Republic"[Career and Family] looks at how women have struggled to balance work and home over the decades. Among its many takeaways is the notion that female participation in the workplace changes the very nature of work."---Rana Foroohar, Financial Times"Goldin weaves together complicated data sets that no one else thought to look at. . . . [She] brings such data to life."---Joan C. Williams, Times Literary Supplement"There are many reasons to read [Career and Family]. The main one being that [it is] excellent. . . . Goldin is a natural teacher, which comes across on the page. The book is also, in some ways, deeply personal."---Emily Oster, ParentData"Provocative and compelling." * The Economist *"[Career and Family] traces the history of work and family for college-educated women, and diagnoses what still troubles their careers today." * The Economist *"In this deeply researched, engagingly written, and surprisingly personal book, Goldin summarizes the history and current state of gender disparities in employment and pay, both in general and specifically for college-educated women."---Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs"This is no ordinary book. . . . Goldin has written a chatty, readable sequel to [Betty] Friedan’s [The Feminine Mystique], destined itself to become a paperback best-seller—all the more persuasive because it is rooted in the work of hundreds of other labor economists and economic historians over the years."---David Warsh, Economic Principals"Combining diligent research with acute observations, accessible case studies, and practical solutions, this is a refreshing take on a pernicious social problem." * Publishers Weekly *"A must-read for those who care about gender gaps. . . . Goldin does a compelling job of running through the historical data, providing the surrounding cultural context, and explaining how technological and legal changes affected women over the years. . . . In Career and Family, Goldin expertly lays out the history of college-grad women’s advances in the work force, and she carefully dissects where the remaining gender gap originates."---Robert VerBruggen, Institute for Family Studies"This book is a must-read."---Melissa Davies, Society of Professional Economists"Goldin’s research carries important implications for addressing gender equality within the economics profession."---Leonora Risse, The Conversation, Australia & New Zealand"Why do women still tend to earn less than men? There is nobody better placed to answer that question than economic historian Claudia Goldin, the winner of the 2023 Nobel memorial prize in economics. Her answer tells us how to fight unfairness, but also how to create saner and more productive working lives for everybody." * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"An Economist Book of the Year""A Behavioral Scientist's Notable Book""A Wall Street Journal Favorite Political Book of the Year""A FiveBooks Best Nonfiction Books of the Year""Winner of the Richard A. Lester Book Award, Industrial Relations Section Industrial Relations Section""Career and Family is a radical book. It is also brilliantly researched and argued."---Lily Meyer, New Republic"[Career and Family] looks at how women have struggled to balance work and home over the decades. Among its many takeaways is the notion that female participation in the workplace changes the very nature of work."---Rana Foroohar, Financial Times"Goldin weaves together complicated data sets that no one else thought to look at. . . . [She] brings such data to life."---Joan C. Williams, Times Literary Supplement"There are many reasons to read [Career and Family]. The main one being that [it is] excellent. . . . Goldin is a natural teacher, which comes across on the page. The book is also, in some ways, deeply personal."---Emily Oster, ParentData"Provocative and compelling." * The Economist *"[Career and Family] traces the history of work and family for college-educated women, and diagnoses what still troubles their careers today." * The Economist *"In this deeply researched, engagingly written, and surprisingly personal book, Goldin summarizes the history and current state of gender disparities in employment and pay, both in general and specifically for college-educated women."---Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs"This is no ordinary book. . . . Goldin has written a chatty, readable sequel to [Betty] Friedan’s [The Feminine Mystique], destined itself to become a paperback best-seller—all the more persuasive because it is rooted in the work of hundreds of other labor economists and economic historians over the years."---David Warsh, Economic Principals"Combining diligent research with acute observations, accessible case studies, and practical solutions, this is a refreshing take on a pernicious social problem." * Publishers Weekly *"A must-read for those who care about gender gaps. . . . Goldin does a compelling job of running through the historical data, providing the surrounding cultural context, and explaining how technological and legal changes affected women over the years. . . . In Career and Family, Goldin expertly lays out the history of college-grad women’s advances in the work force, and she carefully dissects where the remaining gender gap originates."---Robert VerBruggen, Institute for Family Studies"This book is a must-read."---Melissa Davies, Society of Professional Economists"Goldin’s research carries important implications for addressing gender equality within the economics profession."---Leonora Risse, The Conversation, Australia & New Zealand"Why do women still tend to earn less than men? There is nobody better placed to answer that question than economic historian Claudia Goldin, the winner of the 2023 Nobel memorial prize in economics. Her answer tells us how to fight unfairness, but also how to create saner and more productive working lives for everybody." * Financial Times *"An Economist Book of the Year""A Behavioral Scientist's Notable Book""A Wall Street Journal Favorite Political Book of the Year""A FiveBooks Best Nonfiction Books of the Year""Winner of the Richard A. Lester Book Award, Industrial Relations Section Industrial Relations Section""Career and Family is a radical book. It is also brilliantly researched and argued."---Lily Meyer, New Republic"[Career and Family] looks at how women have struggled to balance work and home over the decades. Among its many takeaways is the notion that female participation in the workplace changes the very nature of work."---Rana Foroohar, Financial Times"Goldin weaves together complicated data sets that no one else thought to look at. . . . [She] brings such data to life."---Joan C. Williams, Times Literary Supplement"There are many reasons to read [Career and Family]. The main one being that [it is] excellent. . . . Goldin is a natural teacher, which comes across on the page. The book is also, in some ways, deeply personal."---Emily Oster, ParentData"Provocative and compelling." * The Economist *"[Career and Family] traces the history of work and family for college-educated women, and diagnoses what still troubles their careers today." * The Economist *"In this deeply researched, engagingly written, and surprisingly personal book, Goldin summarizes the history and current state of gender disparities in employment and pay, both in general and specifically for college-educated women."---Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs"This is no ordinary book. . . . Goldin has written a chatty, readable sequel to [Betty] Friedan’s [The Feminine Mystique], destined itself to become a paperback best-seller—all the more persuasive because it is rooted in the work of hundreds of other labor economists and economic historians over the years."---David Warsh, Economic Principals"Combining diligent research with acute observations, accessible case studies, and practical solutions, this is a refreshing take on a pernicious social problem." * Publishers Weekly *"A must-read for those who care about gender gaps. . . . Goldin does a compelling job of running through the historical data, providing the surrounding cultural context, and explaining how technological and legal changes affected women over the years. . . . In Career and Family, Goldin expertly lays out the history of college-grad women’s advances in the work force, and she carefully dissects where the remaining gender gap originates."---Robert VerBruggen, Institute for Family Studies"This book is a must-read."---Melissa Davies, Society of Professional Economists"Goldin’s research carries important implications for addressing gender equality within the economics profession."---Leonora Risse, The Conversation, Australia & New Zealand"Why do women still tend to earn less than men? There is nobody better placed to answer that question than economic historian Claudia Goldin, the winner of the 2023 Nobel memorial prize in economics. Her answer tells us how to fight unfairness, but also how to create saner and more productive working lives for everybody." * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPhelps explores what makes nations prosper--and why the sources of that prosperity are under threat today. Why did prosperity explode in some nations between the 1820s and 1960s, creating not just unprecedented material wealth but "flourishing"--meaningful work, self-expression, and personal growth for more people than ever before?Trade ReviewWinner of the 2014 Gold Medal in Economics, Axiom Business Book Awards One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014 One of Bloomberg Businessweek's Best Books of 2014, chosen by chosen by Bjorn Wahlroos One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Economics Books of 2013 A "Best Business Book of the Year for 2013" selected on LinkedIn by Matthew Bishop, Economics Editor of The Economist "[W]ide-ranging."--Benjamin Friedman, New York Review of Books "The book eloquently discusses the culture of innovation, which can refer to both an entrepreneurial mind-set and the cultural achievements during an age of change... The dismal science becomes a little brighter when Mr. Phelps draws the connections between the economic ferment of the industrial age and the art of Beethoven, Verdi and Rodin."--Edward Glaeser, Wall Street Journal "[I]nquiring readers, not just academics and social scientists, will enjoy the vast learning in Phelps's sophisticated, sometimes sardonic, look at homo economicus."--Publishers Weekly "Phelps, a Nobel laureate in economics, defies categorisation. In this extraordinary book--part history, part economics and part philosophy--he proclaims individual enterprise as the defining characteristic of modernity. But he fears this dynamism is lost. One does not have to agree to recognise that Phelps has addressed some of the big questions about our future."--Martin Wolf, Financial Times "Phelps has written a book that transcends the materialist walls of standard economics... It is a book J.M. Keynes would have admired."--Paul DeRosa, American Interest "[F]ascinating, versatile and profound."--Felix Martin, New Statesman "A great book that will annoy big business and absolutely infuriate the left. I loved it."--Diana Hunter, Financial World "Nobel laureate Edmund Phelps' latest book should be read by those seeking a broader context to the challenges currently facing the global economies. In his wide-ranging and insightful book, Professor Phelps draws on historical trends and cultural shifts to present his hypothesis that a lack of dynamism in modern economies lies at the root of the current malaise... Indeed, this remarkable book addresses the central economic question of why some economies thrive while others languish."--Declan Jordan, London School of Economics Review of Books "Few leading economists ... have tried to develop Marx's contention that there is an ineluctable relationship between human psychology and market participation. This relationship is what Phelps describes as human 'flourishing.'"--Andrew Godley, International Journal of the Economics of Business "Phelps has produced an insightful work that bridges gaps among economics, sociology, and philosophy to identify countries that have the capabilities to prosper and flourish. This book is an essential read for individuals interested in better assessing countries' economies and competitive advantages."--Library Journal "The author ranges extremely widely and any student of any age will gain something from it, irrespective of political views."--Samuel Brittan, Financial Times "Phelps's book deserves credit for showing that the strength of an economy doesn't depend on small differences in the tax rate, or the tactics of a country's central bank. Phelps rightly points out that economic dynamism depends on much deeper issues like a culture's affinity for risk taking and respect for individual achievement. And he wields convincing statistics that suggest actors in our political economy, from our government, to corporations, to workers, have to some extent lost their reverence for these values."--Chris Matthews, Time.com Money & Business "I ... find his values-driven view of national prosperity fascinating--and applicable to corporate and personal prosperity. If innovation and the prosperity it yields stem from the values to which we subscribe as individuals, organizations, and nations, it stands to reason that we should be paying a great deal of attention to the particular values we adopt and espouse."--Theodore Kinni, Strategy-Business.com "[E]xciting."--William Watson, National Post "[W]ide-ranging... Mass Flourishing: How Grassroots Innovation Created Jobs, Challenge and Change, a distillation of years of research and thought about the changes in values and attitudes that once unleashed wide-scale creativity and risk-taking and which are under severe threat today."--Brian Milner, Globe & Mail "The book is wide-ranging and highly eclectic: in just two pages (pp. 280-281) you'll find references to Cervantes, Shakespeare, Hume, Voltaire, Jefferson, Keats, William Earnest Henley, William James, Walt Whitman, Abraham Maslow, Rawls, Nietzsche, and Lady Gaga! ... Anyone interested in the synthesis of free markets and social justice will find this eminent thinker's distinctive version of that synthesis both illuminating and thought-provoking."--Brink Lindsey, Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog "Phelps has given us a clear warning of the dangers of corporatism. I hope that more people hear and heed the warning."--Arnold Kling, Econlog "[I]t wasn't until today that I started looking at Mass Flourishing by Edmund Phelps, about the central role of innovation in modern growth and, more, in the enabling of the good life. Obviously I should have read it last week. It looks right on theme, and it is pleasing to pick up an economics book that has a chapter on Aristotle."--Enlightened Economist "One does not have to agree to recognise that Phelps has addressed some of the big questions about our future."--Financial Times "Mass Flourishing offers a brilliant dissection of the origins, causes, and eventual decline of modern capitalism--an inclusive economy characterized by the complex unfettered interactions among diverse indigenous innovators, entrepreneurs, financiers, and consumers... This book should be accessible to general readers and is especially stimulating for graduate students and those interested in economics, sociology, history, political science, and psychology."--Choice "It applies many important aspects of Virginia political economy, making a contribution to understanding not only the positive, but also the normative implications of the rules of the game."--Rosolino Candela, Public Choice "It challenges many of our prized assumptions about what makes economies succeed."--David P Goldman, Standpoint "This is a recommended read, not only because it was written by Edmund Phelps, the 2006 Nobel Laureate in economics, but for encouraging reflection on fundamental issues related to modern life and the contemporary interpretation of Aristotle's 'the good life'. The author is such an experienced and iconic guide that it makes the journey through the subjects covered in the book an excellent read for anyone."--Jacek Klich, Central Banking Journal "It is a marvelous book that deserves to be read by everyone, but particularly those entrusted with the design of the European future."--Bjorn Wahlroos, Bloomberg Businessweek "Phelps masterfully utilizes aggregate data on cross-comparative national economic productivity and adeptly complements it with international individual employee satisfaction survey results give the reader a rich empirical tapestry that support his theme."--Thomas A. Hemphill, Cato JournalTable of ContentsPreface vii Introduction: Advent of the Modern Economies 1 PART ONE The Experience of the Modern Economy 1 How Modern Economies Got Their Dynamism 19 2 Material Eff ects of the Modern Economies 41 3 The Experience of Modern Life 55 4 How Modern Economies Formed 77 PART TWO Against the Modern Economy 5 The Lure of Socialism 113 6 The Third Way: Corporatism Right and Left 135 7 Weighing the Rivals on Their Terms 170 8 The Satisfaction of Nations 193 PART THREE Decay and Refounding 9 Markers of Post-1960s Decline 219 10 Understanding the Post-1960s Decline 237 11 The Good Life: Aristotle and the Moderns 268 12 The Good and the Just 289 Epilogue: Regaining the Modern 310 Timeline: Modernism and Modernity 325 Bibliography 337 Acknowledgments 351 Index 353

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMillions of Americans work full time, year round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. Leaving her home, she took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and accepted whatever jobs she was offered. Nickel and Dimed reveals low-rent America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity? exposing the darker side of American prosperity and the true cost of the American dream.Trade Review'An extraordinary achievement...surely one of the most gripping political books ever written' - Observer'A valuable and illuminating book...Barbara Ehrenreich is now our premier reporter of the underside of capitalism' - New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis revelatory and inclusive book “unearths the stories of the people—farm laborers, domestic workers, factory employees—behind some of the labor movement’s biggest successes” (The New York Times) from independent journalist and Teen Vogue labor columnist Kim Kelly.Freed Black women organizing for protection in the Reconstruction-era South. Jewish immigrant garment workers braving deadly conditions for a sliver of independence. Asian American fieldworkers rejecting government-sanctioned indentured servitude across the Pacific. Incarcerated workers advocating for basic human rights and fair wages. The queer Black labor leader who helped orchestrate America’s civil rights movement. These are only some of the heroes who propelled American labor’s relentless push for fairness and equal protection under the law. The names and faces of countless silenced, misrepresented, or forgotten leaders have been erased by time as a privileged few decide which stories get cut from the final copy: those of women, people of color, LGBTQIA people, disabled people, sex workers, prisoners, and the poor. In this definitive and assiduously researched “thought-provoking must-read” (Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO president), Teen Vogue columnist and independent labor reporter Kim Kelly excavates that untold history and shows how the rights the American worker has today—the forty-hour workweek, workplace-safety standards, restrictions on child labor, protection from harassment and discrimination on the job—were earned with literal blood, sweat, and tears. Fight Like Hell comes at a time of economic reckoning in America. From Amazon’s warehouses to Starbucks cafes, Appalachian coal mines to the sex workers of Portland’s Stripper Strike, interest in organized labor is at a fever pitch not seen since the early 1960s. Inspirational, intersectional, and full of crucial lessons from the past, Fight Like Hell is “essential reading for anyone who believes that workers should control their fate” (Shane Burley, author of Why We Fight).Trade Review“Kelly unearths the stories of the people—farm laborers, domestic workers, factory employees—behind some of the labor movement’s biggest successes.” —The New York Times“Kim Kelly's debut is a knockout... Catalyzed by a passionate voice and brisk pacing, Fight Like Hell will leave you with a renewed sense of readiness in your bones.” —Morgan Jerkins, New York Times Bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing, Wandering in Strange Lands, and Caul Baby“You’ll never look at American history the same way again.” —Esquire“As Kim Kelly writes in her book, every story is a labor story. [Fight Like Hell] offers a fuller picture of the history of labor in America and shows how fights previously not considered labor fights were in fact battles for workers' rights, whether it was abolishing slavery, liberating women, ensuring those disabled by work got fair treatment and those born with disabilities had a chance at a fair wage.” —Eric Garcia, author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation“Fight Like Hell is the most important book on labor published in a generation." —Shane Burley, author of Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse“In FIGHT LIKE HELL you'll find the true stories of people who have fought to win a better world for themselves and everyone else who has to work for a living.” —Jeremy Brecher, author of National Bestseller Strike!“In this remarkable interweaving of past and present, Kim Kelly brings America’s rich (and bloody) labor history, its most marginalized workers, and their most recent battles to vivid life [...] At once urgent and insightful, FIGHT LIKE HELL not only informs, it inspires.” —Joseph A. McCartin, Executive Director, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor & the Working Poor, Georgetown University “A rousing look at the contributions of marginalized groups to the U.S. labor movement [and] a powerful call for today’s workers to fight for their rights.” —Publisher's Weekly“Freshly inclusive [...] an excellent entry point for a new understanding of work in America.” —Booklist“A well-reasoned argument for restoring unions to their former role in the lives of American workers.” —Kirkus“Meticulously researched and beautifully told, [in FIGHT LIKE HELL] Kim Kelly has established herself as a true champion for the working class.” —Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO President“Kim Kelly throws wide the doors to inspire all of us to seize power for ourselves by showing how—yesterday and today—the oppressed overlooked, the outcasts and the misfits, shaped history. ” —Sara Nelson, International President, Association of of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO“Kim Kelly has written the perfect book for the era of the "Great Resignation.” Filled with revolutionary spirit, Fight Like Hell highlights the contributions of labor leaders both known and obscure, deftly connecting the struggles of the past to the present while proving that every story is a labor story when workers matter. ” —Elizabeth Catte, historian and author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia and Pure America: Eugenics and The Making of Modern Virginia“Kim Kelly is a fresh and compelling voice telling the critical stories of working families that so many others ignore. The struggles of workers to form and build their unions in the face of exploitation and abuse have gone untold for far too long. This book breaks through that silence and brings the voices of workers and their families to the forefront where they belong.” —Cecil Roberts, International President, United Mine Workers of America“The stories Kim Kelly tells provide examples of inspiration and often hope—at a time when the inequalities and injustices that working people endure must no longer be tolerated. And they remind us that nothing changes unless we fight like hell for it.” —Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Frayne is a sociology teacher and social researcher, based at Cardiff University, UK. You can follow him @theworkdogma.Trade ReviewWhere other writers elaborate the scourge of neoliberalism—surely an important and pressing topic—they are less clear about how we, as individuals and political movements, might begin to build alternatives. Addressing this lacuna, Frayne’s approach is a refreshing addition to the conversation. * Contrivers' Review *A well-written romp through theory and critiques of work… Amid the hard-work rhetoric, this book feels liberating and a worthy provocation. * Financial Times *Leads the reader to question if the growing disillusionment with work could blossom into a political alternative and create change on a societal level. * Impakter *Rigorous arguments for the desirability of an end – or a radical reduction – to the amount of work we do, and searching analyses of how this might be achieved. * LSE Review of Books *Provides an easily understood theoretical framework which legitimates the feelings of discomfort, dissatisfaction — or worse — which many encounter in the course of their working life. * The Morning Star *Frayne has accomplished something worthy of admiration. He has written the best primer and introduction to the anti-work philosophy; a fascinating ethnography of people who actively try to resist work. * The New Rambler *The best primer and introduction to anti-work philosophy. * The New Rambler *A humane reassessment of the ethics of work which will appeal to anyone who has wondered whether the job they are fighting so hard to get, or to hold on to, really is worth the struggle. At its heart lies the provocative and sometimes poignant accounts of those individuals who may be showing the way towards an engagement with work which is better for all of us. * Ralph Fevre, author of The Demoralization of Western Culture and Trouble at Work *A fascinating book…a very concise run down of philosophical ideas and accounts around work, and the possibility for resistance and change….What I enjoyed most was the notion of freedom and the elevation and championing of leisure time. * Reflections on Learning blog *This is the most engaging and comprehensive book I’ve ever read about how work dominates our lives. It is insightful and inspiring and should be read by everyone who goes to work every day, if they can find the time. * Sharon Beder, author of Selling the Work Ethic *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Work Dogma 1. A Provocation 2. Working Pains 3. The Colonising Power of Work 4. The Stronghold of Work 5. The Breaking Point 6. Alternative Pleasures 7. Half a Person 8. From Escapism to Autonomy

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sweeping history of the full range of human labor Few authors are able to write cogently in both the scientific and the economic spheres. Even fewer possess the intellectual scope needed to address science and economics at a macro as well as a micro level. But Paul Cockshott, using the dual lenses of Marxist economics and technological advance, has managed to pull off a stunningly acute critical perspective of human history, from pre-agricultural societies to the present. In How the World Works, Cockshott connects scientific, economic, and societal strands to produce a sweeping and detailed work of historical analysis. This book will astound readers of all backgrounds and ages; it will also will engage scholars of history, science, and economics for years to come.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEconomics has the capacity to offer us deep insights into some of the most formidable problems of life, and offer solutions to them too. Combining a global approach with examples from everyday life, Partha Dasgupta reveals the connections between economics, politics, and development, and shows how these interactions create the world we live in today.Trade ReviewAn excellent introduction... presents mathematical and statistical findings in straightforward prose. * Financial Times *I wish more people would read Dasgupta's book, and I wish more economists would write variations on its theme. It is a model specimen. * www.economicprincipals.com *The text is direct, rigorous and thought-provoking. It provides an intelligent, rigorous and readable introduction to economics. * London Book Review.com *Table of ContentsPreface ; Prologue ; 1. Macroeconomic History ; 2. Trust ; 3. Communities ; 4. Markets ; 5. Science and Technology as Institutions ; 6. Households and Firms ; 7. Sustainable Economic Development ; 8. Social Well-Being and Democratic Government ; Epilogue ; Further Reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisFissuring—splitting off functions that were once managed internally—has been a successful business strategy. Large companies maintain the quality of their brand without the cost of an expensive workforce. But this approach has led to stagnation in wages and benefits and a lower standard of living for workers. David Weil proposes solutions.Trade ReviewWith insight and precision, David Weil has brought to light the shell game played by so many modern business organizations. Today, the company whose logo is on your work shirt, smock, or ID badge may not be the one that recruits, hires, manages, pays, disciplines and sometimes even houses you. This fracturing of the basic employer–employee relationship is reshaping lives and industries. If there’s one book you should read about work today, this is it. -- Richard Trumka, President of the AFL–CIOThe Fissured Workplace paints a striking picture of the underside of the U.S. labor market: the workers who service expensive hotels but need food stamps and income support for their families to survive; the ‘independent contractors’ who clean office buildings under contracts that pay below minimum wages; and hundreds of thousands of others struggling in an economy where you work not for branded name companies in the open light but for subcontractors behind the scenes. Weil documents the growth of the fissured labor market, tells us how it contributes to the impoverishment of America, and offers ways to make matters better. You will think differently about the world of work after reading this marvelous book. -- Richard B. Freeman, Harvard UniversityThe book persuasively argues that widening income inequality has less to do with technological innovations and more to do with organizational innovations. The deep dive that Weil does on subcontracting, franchising, and supply chains is a must-read for anyone interested in how these practices have affected pay and working conditions. He goes beyond just documenting what is happening and presents a detailed proposal on how and why we need to mend, through legislation and enforcement, the increasingly fissured relationship between workers and their employers. -- Lisa M. Lynch, Dean, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis UniversityThe kinds of workplace fissuring discussed here—subcontracting, franchising and global supply chains—have been the subjects of a number of studies detailing the employment effects that Weil describes. The Fissured Workplace is unusual in bringing this research together into an integrated, detailed and decidedly policy-oriented analysis. Through linking organizational strategies that share an underlying logic, it makes a compelling case that workplace fissuring should be given a more prominent place in analyses of the causes of growing inequality. Along the way, Weil shows that fissuring constitutes a fundamental and formidable challenge to existing employment regulations… It makes a convincing case that the better regulation of fissured workplaces is a first step towards reversing the erosion of pay and conditions at the bottom of the labor market. -- Virginia Doellgast * Times Higher Education *This book is an excellent application of institutional analysis in economics. In exacting detail, Weil describes the process by which employers subcontract business functions in pursuit of efficiencies, but often at the expense of employees. -- D. C. Jacobs * Choice *Authoritative… As inequality has drawn increased public debate, most recently thanks to Thomas Piketty’s influential work, the changing conditions of employment have gotten far too little attention. Work remains the prime source of income for most people. The fissuring of work, Weil finds, is one of the main factors in the widening gap between productivity and earnings because it allows corporations to batter down labor costs—people’s paychecks… [The Fissured Workplace] shed[s] important new light on the resurgence of the power of finance and its connection to the debasement of work and income distribution. -- Robert Kuttner * New York Review of Books *This underappreciated book describes the ‘fissured workplace’: the result of corporations increasingly distributing activities through an extensive network of contracting, outsourcing, franchising, and ownership. Workers are less likely to work for the corporation that ultimately profits from their labor; instead, they work for a loose network of middlemen or as independent contractors. Their work is still monitored and controlled as closely as any other office worker, but they lose the protections of labor law and the ability to fully enjoy the rewards of economic growth. This is the new reality for workers in the 21st century. -- Mike Konczal * The Nation *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHistorian Laura Robson unveils the dark heart of our purportedly humanitarian international regime. Tracing the century-long history of attempts to remake refugees into disposable migrant labor, Robson elucidates global humanitarianism's deep-seated commitment to refugee exploitation and containment.Surveying more than a hundred years of policy across the globe, Robson captures the travails of Balkan refugees in the late Ottoman Empire, Roosevelt's secret plans to use German Jewish refugees as laborers in Latin America, and contemporary European efforts to deploy Syrians as low-wage workers in remote regions of Jordan.The advent of internationalist refugee aid has long been told as an inspirational story in which reformers fought tirelessly for a system that would recognize and guarantee the rights of displaced and dispossessed people. But as Robson demonstrates, the motives behind modern refugee policy can be mercenary. Refugees have become easy prey for global industrial capitalism.Trade ReviewLaura Robson reframes the history of international refugee policy, showing that security questions and labor needs have always been at its center. The story she tells is not only about the past but is vital for understanding responses to displacement today. -- ILANA FELDMAN, Professor of Anthropology, History, and International Affairs, George Washington UniversityIn this impassioned and important book, Laura Robson casts the modern system of international refugee relief - its origins, evolution, and current objectives - in a damning new light. A powerful, revelatory account of the strategies used by great powers to control and exploit refugees under the guise of humanitarian assistance. -- DANE KENNEDY, author of The Imperial History Wars: Debating the British EmpireTable of ContentsIntroduction: Refugees, Workers1. What's a Refugee Regime? The Origins of Mass Displacement Policy2. Turning a Profit: Refugee Policy at the League of Nations3. Colonial Workers: Expanding the Refugee Regime4. From Europe to America: Refugees and the Politics of "Overpopulation"5. Zionism Goes Global: Refugees and Roosevelt's M Project6. Workers of Another World: Soviet Resettlement Policy7. Refugees versus "Palestine Refugees": Race and the Postwar International Regime8. The Politics of Confinement: Refugee Aid in the Age of Decolonization9. Containing Labor: Refugees, Migrants, SEZsAfterword: Workers, RefugeesAcknowledgementsNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisLal analyses the effects of minimum wages on unemployment and training, and concludes that they increase unemployment and reduce the incentive to acquire skillsTable of ContentsIntroduction; Poverty Alleviation; Efficiency; Conclusions; Summary.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHunter weaves a rich tapestry of the culture and experience of black women workers in the post-Civil War South. Using a variety of sources, she follows African-American working women from their newfound optimism and hope at the end of the Civil War to their struggles as free domestic laborers in the homes of their former masters.Trade ReviewThe Emancipation Proclamation did not bring freedom to the four million African-Americans who lived in slavery in 1863. Instead, blacks had to claim and define that freedom in tens of thousands of acts of self-assertion during the decades that followed slavery's legal demise. To 'Joy My Freedom vividly depicts one neglected aspect of that struggle by focusing on the lives of urban black women, in particular those who worked as domestic laborers in the post-Civil War South. -- Drew Gilpin Faust * New York Times Book Review *Tera Hunter's imaginative uncovering of these struggles in Atlanta challenges conventional understandings of what is work and who is a worker. It represents the best of the recent marriage of labor history and cultural studies. It builds on feminist theory, which has expanded the conception of labor to include housework, mother-work, and sex work...Grounded in Atlanta's rise from Sherman's ashes, this is no ordinary community study. It addresses a major theme in Southern history: the contestation between freedom with Emancipation and its violent restriction with disfranchisement and Jim Crow...To restore the voices of the black masses is itself a form of hard work. Hunter's genius is to read against the grain of police reports and planter diaries as well as to mine newspapers to recover stories sometimes only seen through shadows cast on white society. -- Eileen Boris * The Nation *Historian Tera W. Hunter looks at how black working-class women defined and experienced freedom between the Civil War and the World War I-era 'Great Migration' of blacks northward, a period when they were excluded from electoral politics as well as from most grass-roots union organizing. Hunter shows that these women saw their work as a means to shore up their self-ownership after slavery, rather than as an end in itself. Black women negotiatied work conditions and, when they found these unacceptable, they quit. The dramatic centerpiece of Hunter's book is a threatened strike by black Atlanta washerwomen in the summer fo 1881...To 'Joy My Freedom is a worthwhile read, powerfully evoking the chaos of the Civil War and the transition of black women workers from slave to free and from rural to urban people. It joins a growing canon that points to the development of political consciousness among black working-class women. -- Dale Edwyna Smith * Washington Post Book World *Tera Hunter's book is a meticulously researched, cogently argued analysis of the `dialectic of repression and resistance' shaping the lives of African American women in the postbellum South. Better still, it's a terrifically told story--a tale of everyday women doing the radical work of defining and demanding freedom for themselves and their communities in a country largely hell-bent on denying them their rights. -- Cynthia Dobbs * San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle *Hunter's achievement in bringing these black women's stories to life is remarkable. Scouring newspaper accounts, personal diaries, household records, government reports and political cartoons, Hunter has reconstructed the myths and stereotypes about black female workers in and around Atlanta. In the process, she sheds light on a chapter of American history and the Southern labor movement that has heretofore remained unexamined...To 'Joy My Freedom is a brilliant reconstruction of New South history...Analytical and objective as this work of history is, [it] is also written with such passion that the stories of these women and the events that shaped their lives--and American history--reads like the best fiction. Hunter's work is a tour de force, valuable and prophetic as America continues to struggle with the issues of work, fairness, sex and race. -- Paula L. Woods * Atlanta Journal/Constitution *In To 'Joy My Freedom, Tera W. Hunter charts the efforts of African-American women in Atlanta to live fulfilling lives despite an all-pervasive racism, which was most terrifying in the city's infamous race riot of 1906...One can only applaud Hunter's efforts to recover the experience of her subjects from obscurity. * Times Literary Supplement *Tera Hunter's book is an exemplary effort to illuminate the particular history of black women domestic workers in Atlanta. By painstakingly pulling together disparate sources, she fashions a story of resistance and backlash that illustrates how these women bravely attempted to achieve true freedom in the face of attacks on their femininity, the stigma of tuberculosis, and outright mob violence. Her account skillfully integrates the oppressive nature of dominant gender roles, the role of class in intraracial subordination, and disease as stigma, although the reasons for the attachment of this stigma particularly to black washerwomen remains unclear. Overall, Hunter succeeds in showing the complexities of a fifty-year struggle by black women workers, who, in their words, fought "to 'joy my freedom." -- Bayo Holsey * Transforming Anthropology *To 'Joy My Freedom is a new departure in recent written history of African American women. Here, working-class women take center stage while black middle-class and elite woman are peripheral. For those who fear tackling the history of women whose personal records are few to nonexistent, Tera W. Hunter's book is at once instructive on how to write such a history and an example of a sophisticated blend of labor, social, and cultural history...Rich in detail and told with compassion and understanding, To 'Joy My Freedom fills in the gaps between contemporary histories of slavery and middle-class female uplift reform. Hunter demonstrates that professional skill, exhaustive research, and ingenious use of sources can give voice to people who leave few personal records and who do not show up in organizational minutes. -- Deborah Gray White * Journal of American History *Tera W. Hunter has written a superb study of the lives and labors of some of the African-American women who struggled through the violent upheaval of emancipation and the crushing imposition of racial segregation in the American South from the Civil War to the 1920s. Hunter's sparkling prose, extensive reading of a wide range of texts, and layered, complex and incisive analysis reveal the work of an impressively humane, imaginative, and mature historian. Her acute descriptions of local conditions and cogent insights into the larger historical context stunningly illuminate the dynamics of race, class, and gender as they played out on the frightening, brutal terrain of southern segregation...Her text constantly engages and re-engages the reader, helping us to imagine the lives of dozens of individuals who walk through the pages of history...This study is a triumph of research, astute analysis, and engaging imagination that deserves to be widely read by students of African-American, labor, and women's studies and of American history. -- Michael Honey * American Historical Review *At the end of the Civil War newly emancipated women moved to Atlanta to find employment as household labourers and washerwomen. This is a study of the workplace experiences and everyday culture of these black working women in the period until the beginning of World War I. Tracing the ways they constructed their own world of work, culture and community organization, Professor Hunter argues that their experiences and efforts were central to the African-American struggle for freedom and justice. The implementation of Jim Crow laws and segregation from the 1880s onward, however, spurred growing numbers of black working women to migrate to the North. * International Review of Social History *Hunter offers valuable explorations into the complexities of African American feminine laborers and the contextualization of their lives. She is to be applauded for providing scholars with easier access to source materials, particularly primary sources. An important contribution to suffragist activism, feminist scholarship, and African American studies. * Library Journal *To 'Joy My Freedom is a tour de force. Moving deftly between white households and black communities, churches and blues clubs, city hall and city streets, Tera Hunter brings black domestic workers alive, body and soul, smashing all stereotypes along the way. By placing black working class women at the center of her narrative, she rewrites the history of the New South and the nation. Her vibrant, complex, beautifully rendered portrait of black working women's struggles at the dawn of the century will move you as surely as it will alter the way we write history. -- Robin D. G. Kelley, New York UniversityBy bringing to life the experiences, aspirations, and struggles of the black domestic workers of Atlanta, Tera Hunter opens a new window on the study of emancipation and its aftermath and, in so doing, tremendously enriches our understanding of Reconstruction and the New South. -- Eric Foner, Columbia UniversityTo 'Joy My Freedom is a work of utmost originality and significance. Tera Hunter brings the virtually invisible world of black working-class women to life [and then] uses those lives as a vantage point from which to reconsider the transition from slavery to freedom, the nature of southern Progressivism, the Great Migration of blacks out of the South during World War I, and the relationship and tensions between work, play, and politics in the New South. -- Jacquelyn Dowd Hall, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillWith great breadth, sensitivity, and intellectual integrity, Tera Hunter reorients southern history toward the urban working class. This tour de force further liberates African-American history from the need always to relate to whites. Bravo! -- Nell Irvin Painter, Princeton UniversityHunter illuminates the lives of newly emancipated Black women workers in postbellum Atlanta…This book is the story of a new world, built by Black women, with and for each other. -- Daisy Pitkin * Literary Hub *Table of ContentsPreface Prologue "Answering Bells Is Played Out": Slavery and the Civil War Reconstruction and the Meanings of Freedom Working-Class Neighborhoods and Everyday Life "Washing Amazons" and Organized Protests The "Color Line" Gives Way to the "Color Wall" Survival and Social Welfare in the Age of Jim Crow "Wholesome" and "Hurtful" Amusements "Dancing and Carousing the Night Away" Tuberculosis as the "Negro Servants Disease" "Looking for a Free State to Live In" Tables Notes Acknowledgments Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrançois Ewald’s The Birth of Solidarity—first published in French in 1986 and appearing here in English for the first time—is one of the most important historical and philosophical studies of the rise of the welfare state.Trade Review“Ingenious and trenchant, François Ewald's The Birth of Solidarity offers an arresting insight into the politicization of probability. Abounding in legal and historical detail, the book deftly demonstrates how industrial power integrated French society by assuming the risk of accidents. Ewald's critical theory of the rules of judicial decision-making is a tour de force. His critique of law brilliantly unveils the birth of the twentieth-century insurantial society that is now itself at risk.” -- Bernard E. Harcourt, author of * The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order *“François Ewald's seminal book is not only a major contribution to the history of the welfare state but a significant work of social and political theory in its own right, notably in the way Ewald applies a Foucauldian perspective to understanding the significance of concepts such as responsibility, insurance, and solidarity to modern forms of government. The Birth of Solidarity is a landmark in French political thought.” -- Michael C. Behrent, coeditor of * Foucault and Neoliberalism *"This very important text covers some familiar ground but is set in a rich context of political theory that sheds light on current challenges to the welfare state. Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty." -- J. D. Moon * Choice *“Ewald’s interweaving of complex social forces is captivating, as he systematically delineates the many individuals, groups, ideologies, political parties, and historical events that contributed to what became the French welfare state. Social scientists will be particularly intrigued by his exploration of the power of demographics as they clashed with the social structures that could no longer respond to them effectively." -- Gail Murphy-Geiss * Modern & Contemporary France *Table of ContentsTranslator's Preface / Timothy Scott Johnson ix Risk, Insurance, Security / Melinda Cooper xiii Part I. The History of Responsibility 1. Civil Law 5 2. Security and Liberty 30 3. Noblesse Oblige 47 Part II. Universal Insurance against Risk 4. Average and Perfection 77 5. An Art of Combinations 96 6. Universal Politics 115 Part III. The Recognition of Professional Risk 7. Charitable Profit 141 8. Security and Responsibility 165 9. First and Foremost, a Political Law 181 Notes 223 Bibliography 251 Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrust is an elusive concept, meaning different things to different people, and so needs to be clearly defined. By focusing on relations within and between firms, Bart Nooteboom undertakes to produce a clearer definition of trust and its role in the economy.Trust deals with a range of questions such as: what are the roles of trust? What can we trust in? Can trust serve as an instrument for the governance of relations? Is trust a substitute, a precondition or an outcome of contracts? The author then goes on to analyse what trust is based on, what its limits are, how it grows and how it can also break down. The role of intermediaries is also discussed.Bart Nooteboom argues that trust goes beyond calculative self-interest and that blind, unconditional trust is unwise. He then examines the paradox of how trust can be non-calculative and yet, not blind. The book also reveals ways to measure and model trust, its antecedents and its consequences.Trade Review'The book is a pleasure to read, well edited, well argued, and covering much ground in only just over 200 pages. It is thoroughly introduced and has a very complete "summary and conclusions" chapter. With its extensive references and a subject and author index, it is a valuable scholarly help.' -- D.J. Bezemer, Journal of Socio-Economics'[The book] provides a well-grounded approach to the study of trust and offers a number of ways to continue empirical work on this difficult subject.' -- Peter Smith Ring, Administrative Science Quarterly'. . . the book is clear and engaging, targeted at an academic audience but suitable also for practitioners and general interest given some basic knowledge of organisation science and proclivity for concepts.' -- Guido Mollering, Personnel Review'This book provides an interesting and informative account of the nature, causes and consequences of trust. . . Nooteboom has written an interesting book which has prompted this reviewer to think fruitfully about various aspects of trust. I am confident that the book will provide other readers with similar intellectual stimulation and sustenance.' -- P.A. Lewis, The Economic Journal'. . . it is clear that this is an important work, which, with considerable erudition, breaks new ground on a hitherto little understood aspect of economic behaviour. The fact that the book is also well written and draws upon literatures that range from psychology through to organization theory and philosophy, reinforces the indubitable intellectual contribution it makes. It deserves to be widely read and discussed.' -- Gary B. Magee, Journal of Evolutionary Economics'In the past, the economic analysis of the firm has focused too exclusively on pecuniary considerations. While costs and revenues are vital, it is equally important not to ignore other essential elements, such as trust, that cannot be so readily traded or given a monetary value. Bart Nooteboom's work is an important corrective to mainstream opinion. He is one of the pioneers of the analysis of trust in organizations and this present volume is a wonderful and elegant addition to this literature.' -- Geoffrey M. Hodgson, University of Hertfordshire Business School, UKTable of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Aims and Foundations 2. Forms 3. Foundations 4. Functions 5. Failures 6. Figures 7. Summary and Conclusions References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom famously humble origins, Amazon has grown to become one of the most successful businesses in history. In its effort to provide its trademark fast and convenient Prime delivery, the company built a vast worldwide network of fulfillment centers and warehouses. Unsustainable looks inside the company's warehouses to reveal that the rise of Amazon is only made possible by the exploitation of workers' labor and communities' resources. Juliann Emmons Allison and Ellen Reese expose the real-world repercussions of these pernicious strategies through a chilling case study of the socioeconomic and environmental harms associated with the largely unchecked growth of warehousing in Inland Southern California, one of the nation's largest logistics hubs, where Amazon is the largest private-sector employer. Tracing the rise of grassroots resistance to the warehouse industry by workers and communities across this region, the country, and the globe, Unsustainable provides fresh insight into one of tTrade Review"The book develops a broad and insightful analysis of the human and environmental costs that flow from Amazon’s virtually unchecked domination of local communities, low-wage labor markets, and the workers whose labor it exploits." * Social Forces *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFintech Explained provides a rigorous, accessible introduction to the landscape of fintech. Michael R. King explains the customer focus, innovation strategy, business model, and valuation of leading fintechs in cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi), crowdfunding and online lending, robo-advice and digital wealth management, payments and insurtech, digital banking, and bigtech. The book profiles the successes and failures of over thirty high-profile fintechs, combining insights from founders, early-stage investors, financial incumbents, and other stakeholders in this dynamic ecosystem. Combining clear descriptions and case studies with the latest findings from academic research, Fintech Explained provides a complete course for educating undergraduate and graduate students, executives, and interested professionals.Table of ContentsSection One: Fintech Toolbox 1. Foundations of Fintech 2. Fintech Economics, Strategies, and Business Models 3. Funding of Early-Stage Fintech Companies 4. The Valuation of Fintech Companies Section Two: Fintech Products and Services 5. Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrencies 6. Ethereum and Decentralized Finance 7. Alternative Finance, Online Lending, and Crowdfunding 8. Digital Banking and the Response of Incumbents 9. Robo-advisors and Digital Wealth Management 10. Payments and Insurtech 11. Techfins and Bigtechs in Financial Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom Finland to Kenya to Stockton, California, more and more governments and private philanthropic organizations are putting the idea of a Universal Basic Income to the test. But can the reality live up to the hype? The motivating idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is radically simple: give people cash and let them do whatever they want with it. But does this simple idea have the potential to radically transform our society? Is a UBI the ultimate solution to the problem of poverty? Is it the solution to automation-induced unemployment? Can it help solve gender and racial inequality?This book provides the average citizen with all the information they need to understand current debates about the UBI. It recounts the history of the idea, from its origins in the writings of 18th century radical intellectuals to contemporary discussions centered on unemployment caused by technological advances such as artificial intelligence. It discusses current pilot programs in the United States and Trade ReviewIn this important book, Zwolinski and Fleischer provide a clear and comprehensive introduction to universal basic income in all its forms, including stakeholder grants, the earned income tax credit, and the child tax credit. As UBI spreads across the United States and the world, this new work is essential reading. * Anne Alstott, Yale Law School *A complete, thorough, and practical breakdown of UBI. Whether you're a supporter or a skeptic, Zwolinski and Fleischer's work is a must-read. * Andrew Yang, Entrepreneur and Former 2020 Presidential Candidate *This book provides a balanced, comprehensive exploration of Universal Basic Income, deftly tackling its many facets in an approachable manner. Without getting mired in excessive detail, it covers many frequently asked questions, serving as an essential primer for anyone wanting to participate in this crucial policy discussion. An accessible, bipartisan guide, it is an ideal starting point for better understanding this transformative idea that I personally believe is the most important policy discussion of all to be having this century. * Scott Santens, Senior Advisor for Humanity Forward *Universal Basic Income provides a fair and balanced explanation of an important topic...it would be good for our society. * Religion & Liberty *The book is quite simply a tour de force. It's clear, concise, and can easily be digested by anyone sufficiently curious: no academic background in economics, social science, or politics required. * David J. Herbert, Religion & Liberty Online *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGuardian's Best Non-Fiction, 2019The Tablet's Highlights of 2019Personality tests. Team-building exercises. Forced Fun. Desktop surveillance. Open-plan offices. Acronyms. Diminishing job security. Hot desking. Pointless perks. Hackathons.If any of the above sound familiar, welcome to the modern economy. In this hilarious, but deadly serious book, bestselling author Dan Lyons looks at how the world of work has slowly morphed from one of unions and steady career progression to a dystopia made of bean bags and unpaid internships. And that's the 'good' jobs...With the same wit that made Disrupted an international bestseller, Lyons shows how the hypocrisy of Silicon Valley has now been exported globally to a job near you. Even low-grade employees are now expected to view their jobs with a cult-like fervour, despite diminishing prospects of promotion. From the gig economy to the new digital oligarchs, Lyons deliciously roasts the new work climate, while asking what can be done to recoup some sanity and dignity for the expanding class of middle-class serfs.Trade ReviewFascinating, thought-provoking, hilarious and sometimes harrowing. * Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project *A lively and spirited takedown... Its core argument is surely irrefutable. * Guardian *Entertaining * The Economist *Lyons is very funny journalist... Much of his polemic rings true. * Financial Times *Lab Rats defies easy description. I sputtered laughing and choked crying (literally, not figuratively) as I read it. Yes, Lyons gives Silicon Valley the thrashing that it, alas, largely deserves. But in the final third of the book, he offers us an effectively illustrated way out - an approach to work and business that puts people first. * Tom Peters, bestselling author of In Search of Excellence *Entertaining... A worthwhile and disturbing read. * Sunday Business Post *Funny and frightening. * The Sunday Post *Skewering corporate jargon, management science and, worst of all, enforced fun, Lyons' waggish jeremiad lays out how the world of work has changed for the worse. * Tatler *Laugh-out-loud funny * Newsweek on DISRUPTED *Table of Contents1: Unhappy in Paradise 2: The New Oligarchs 3: A Very Brief History of Management Science (and Why You Shouldn't Trust It) 4: Who's Afraid of Silicon Valley? 5: Building the Workforce of the Future (or: Sorry, You're Old and We'd Like You to Leave) 6: Money: "Garbage at the Speed of Light" 7: Insecurity: "We're a Team, not a Family" 8: Change: "What Happens if You Live Inside a Hurricane that Never Ends?" 9: Dehumanization: "Think of Yourself as a Machine Within a Machine" 10: The Battle for the Soul of Work 11: Basecamp: Back to Basics 12: Managed by Q: "Everybody Cleans" 13: Kapor Capital: Conscious Capitalists 14: The Social Enterprise Movement Epilogue: Can Zebras Fix What Unicorns Have Broken?

Read more less

Book SynopsisWin in a world of increasing choice by becoming the clear, unique fit. The gig economy is made up of project-based, or on-demand services, that can be provided by anyone. The common denominator in the gig economy is technology, so our modern online-lives provide the perfect marketplace for the ever-diversifying opportunities in the gig economy. By some estimates, 2020 will see half of all workers involved in the gig economy. Are we ready for this seismic shift in our work lives? aFreelancers need to clearly answer "Why choose you?" so that they stand out in the new economy. Because all workers in the gig economy need to bluntly pose this question to themselves, The Gig Is Up is designed to answer this one key point head-on, giving readers innovative tools like Unique Value Proposition to confidently step up. The Gig Is Up offers the best boots-on-the-ground methods for success, by evolving the reader's perspective and process. Many books on the gig economy focus on letting people live out their dreams, instead of looking at the realities of what it truly takes to win in a world of increasing choice. People need to understand how to compete and how to put the best version of themselves up front and center. The goal in competing today is to not only be chosen, but to move toward becoming the only choice, over and over again

Read more less

Book SynopsisContemporary Labor Economics 12e presents labor economics as an applied field of micro and macro theory. The authors deliver new and updated discussions of economic trends, public policy issues, content coverage and World of Work examples to help students apply labor economics, while still integrating traditional topics. A consistent framework, as well as a clear, direct and uncluttered writing style, help students grasp concepts regardless of their background training in economics. Connect Economics (McGraw-Hill''s online assignment and assessment tool) pairs with McConnell to provide assignable, auto-gradable versions of the reading and test bank content. Students receive detailed step-by-step feed back on assignments and assignable content is fully integrated with the eBook. Students are also able to search, highlight, and take notes within the ReadAnywhere eBook and complete SmartBook 2.0 assignments offline. Connect provides instructors with powerTable of ContentsChapter 1: Labor Economics: Introduction and OverviewChapter 2: The Theory of Individual Labor SupplyChapter 3: Population, Participation Rates, and Hours ofWorkChapter 4: Labor Quality: Investing in Human CapitalChapter 5: The Demand for LaborChapter 6: Wage Determination and the Allocation of LaborChapter 7: Alternative Pay Schemes and Labor EfficiencyChapter 8: The Wage StructureChapter 9: Mobility, Migration, and EfficiencyChapter 10: Labor Unions and Collective BargainingChapter 11: The Economic Impact of UnionsChapter 12: Government and the Labor Market: Employment,Expenditures, and TaxationChapter 13: Government and the Labor Market: Legislation andRegulationChapter 14: Labor Market DiscriminationChapter 15: Job Search: External and InternalChapter 16: The Distribution of Personal EarningsChapter 17: Labor Productivity: Wages, Prices, andEmploymentChapter 18: Employment and UnemploymentAppendix: Information Sources in Labor Economics

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book Real-world solutions to America’s thorniest social problems—from housing to retirement to drug addiction—based on original reporting from around the world A new generation of Americans has declared that another world is possible. And yet, the stubborn problems of inequality, climate change, and declining health seem as intractable as ever. Where might different answers lie?Intrepid journalist Natasha Hakimi Zapata has traveled around the world, from Costa Rica to Uganda, and Estonia to Singapore, uncovering how different countries solve the problems that plague the United States. Through in-depth reporting, including interviews with senior government officials, activists, industry professionals, and the ordinary people affected by their policies, Another World Is Possible examines innovative programs that address public health, social services, climate change, housing, education, addiction, and more.In each instance Hakimi Zapata provides a clear-eyed assessment of the history, challenges, cost-effectiveness, and real-world impact of these programs. The result is a compelling, frame-shifting account of how we might live differently and create a safer, healthier, more sustainable future.A work of keen analysis as well as enormous heart and optimism, Another World Is Possible is destined to crack the mold of current debates, and to refresh our sense of what might be possible tomorrow.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA New York Times Editors’ Choice book from the author of the award-winning Tap Out - “a gritty, insightful debut” (Washington Post) - Edgar Kunz’s second poetry collection propels the reader across the shifting terrain of late-capitalist America.  Temp jobs, conspiracy theories, squatters, talk therapy, urban gardening, the robot revolution: this collection fixes its eye on the strangeness of labor, through poems that are searching, keen, and wry. The virtuosic central sequence explores the untimely death of the poet’s estranged father, a handyman and addict, and the brothers left to sort through the detritus of a life long lost to them. Through lyrical, darkly humorous vignettes, Kunz asks what it costs to build a home and a love that not only lasts but sustains.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisYOU can create the next breakthrough innovationA revolution is under way. But it's not about tearing down the old guard. It's about building, it's about creating, it's about breathing life into groundbreaking newideas. It's called the Maker Movement, and it's changing the world.Mark Hatch has been at the forefront of the Maker Movement since it began. A cofounder of TechShop--the first, largest, and most popular makerspace--Hatch has seen it all. Average people pay a small fee for access toadvanced tools--everything from laser cutters and milling machines to 3D printers and AutoCAD software. All they have to bring is their creativity and some positive energy.Prototypes of new products that would have cost $100,000 in the past have been made in his shop for $1,000.The Maker Movement is where all the next great inventions and innovations are happening--and you can play a part in it.The Maker Movement Manifesto takes you deep into the movement. HatcTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viiMaker Movement Manifesto (Short Version) 1Introduction 31. Maker Movement Manifesto 112. Free Innovation! 333. Communities of Practice 514. Knowledge, Learning, Control, and Intelligence 695. Fueling Innovation 916. Democratization of Tools and Information 1117. Rise of the Pro-Am 1298. Distributed and Flexible Manufacturing 1479. Accelerating Innovation 16710. Changing through Participation 185Conclusion 199Notes 205Index 207

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSpectacular and terrifyingly true. David Graeber's theory of the broken capitalist workforce is right - work has become an end in itself. A timely book from the most provocative anthropologist and thinker of our time. -- Owen JonesEqually explosive, my anarchist friend, David Graeber, yet again has thrown a hand grenade into the political economy debate with his Bullshit Jobs (Allen Lane), a call to strike out for freedom from meaningless work. -- John McDonnell * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Here's a gift for a friend working in PR or HR. David Graeber's thesis is that they are working in"bullshit jobs". A bullshit job, he says, is one that its holder knows to be pointless or pernicious even though they must pretend otherwise. There are five sorts: flunkies (commissionaires, receptionists), goons (lobbyists, lawyers), duct tapers (who sort out problems others have created), box tickers, and taskmasters (management). It's a provocative case ... but you get the feeling he is on to something; there do seem to be a lot of pointless jobs in the modern economy -- Robbie Millen * The Times, Books of the Year *Anthropologist David Graeber embarks on a provocative quest to find and explain the existence of countless mindless and pointless roles. He divides them into "flunkies", "goons", "duct-tapers", "box-tickers", and "taskmasters". It is an entertaining, if subjective study of a problem and an examination of potential answers, including a universal basic income. -- Andrew Hill * Financial Times, Business Book of the Year *Anthropology professor and colourful anarchist David Graeber has opened a Pandora's box of the modern era by questioning the relevance of the swollen ranks of middle management and bullshit jobs that have cropped up across a variety of industries. A controversial but thought-provoking endeavour * City AM Book of the Year *An LSE anthropologist with a track record of countering economic myths through a mix of anecdote, erudition, and political radicalism, Graeber is as good an analyst of the increasingly cowpatted field of modern employment as one could wish. And entertaining and thoroughly depressing read... it is extremely thought-provoking -- Tim Smith-Laing * Telegraph *A provocative, funny and engaging book... that captures the imagination and deserves our attention * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn accessible overview of the power of women in the economy and the obstacles they faceWomen are joining the workforce in increasing numbers, making inroads as entrepreneurs and leaders, acquiring more education, marrying later, and having fewer children - all trends consistent with spending a far greater fraction of their adult lives in the labor force. And yet, even as women break the glass ceiling and challenge gender and sexual norms, they are told they need to lean in and powerful movements like #TimesUP and #MeToo are still necessary to expose and overcome endemic discrimination, exploitation, harassment, and worse. Women in the Workforce: What Everyone Needs to Know provides an essential and accessible introduction to the significance of women in the economy and the obstacles they face in claiming equal status. Economists Laura M. Argys and Susan L. Averett tackle timely topics like the wage gap, women''s work, and gendered workplace interactions in an easy-to-read question andTrade ReviewA helpful and readable volume that provides research-based answers to basic questions ranging from the importance of women to the economy, to why and how pay gaps between men and women continue to exist and why the government cannot 'just fix' them.... its conversational approach to complex academic questions is part of its appeal. * CHOICE *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWomen brewed and sold most of the ale drunk in medieval England, but after 1350, men slowly took over the trade. By 1600, most brewers in London--as well as in many towns and villages--were male, not female.Drawing on a wide variety of sources--such as literary and artistic materials, court records, accounts, and administrative orders--Judith Bennett vividly describes how brewsters (that is, female brewers) slowly left the trade. She tells a story of commercial growth, gild formation, changing technologies, innovative regulations, and finally, enduring ideas that linked brewsters with drunkenness and disorder. Examining this instance of seemingly dramatic change in women''s status, Bennett argues that it included significant elements of continuity. Women might not have brewed in 1600 as often as they had in 1300, but they still worked predominantly in low-status, low-skilled, and poorly remunerated tasks. Using the experiences of brewsters to rewrite the history of women''s work duringTrade Reviewfascinating facts and figures * Denis Kilcommons, Huddersfield Daily Examiner *This is a stimulating book setting out developments in the brewing industry in a thought-provoking way ... The book is well written, supplied with excellent endnotes testifying to the breadth of the author's scholarly contacts as well as her own researches, and provided with a full bibliography, helpful index and a useful note on pre-decimal currency and medieval liquid measures. * Helen Jewell, Urban History *an original contribution to this history of drinking and brewing in England ... Bennett's original contribution to the field is the study that she has made of the surviving records for breaches of the assize of ale. Bennett's volume will be of considerable interest to scholars and students working in a number of different areas. * The Times Higher Education Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1982, this pioneering work traces the transformation of women''s work into wage labor in the United States, identifying the social, economic, and ideological forces that have shaped our expectations of what women do. Basing her observations upon the personal experience of individual American women set against the backdrop of American society, Alice Kessler-Harris examines the effects of class, ethnic and racial patterns, changing perceptions of wage work for women, and the relationship between wage-earning and family roles. In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this landmark book, the author has updated the original and written a new Afterword.Trade ReviewPraise for the Previous Edition:Impressive and deftly written....An example or two cannot do justice to the variety of materials and ideas the author draws together to explain how women workers have functioned as a low-paid reserve force, and why, as wage work became the rule rather than the exception in the 20th century, they found themselves in marginal jobs stereotyped as feminine. * The New York Times Book Review *Comprehensive and packed with information. * St. Louis Post-Dispatch *Without a doubt the single best survey of transformation of women's paid and unpaid work from the colonial period to the present. * American Historical Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the mid-eighteenth century, the transatlantic slave trade was considered to be a necessary and stabilizing factor in the capitalist economies of Europe and the expanding Americas. Britain was the most influential power in this system which seemed to have the potential for unbounded growth. In 1833, the British empire became the first to liberate its slaves and then to become a driving force toward global emancipation. There has been endless debate over the reasons behind this decision. This has been portrayed on the one hand as a rational disinvestment in a foundering overseas system, and on the other as the most expensive per capita expenditure for colonial reform in modern history. In this work, Seymour Drescher argues that the plan to end British slavery, rather than being a timely escape from a failing system, was, on the contrary, the crucial element in the greatest humanitarian achievement of all time. The Mighty Experiment explores how politicians, colonial bureaucrats, pampTrade Review""Seymour Drescher's magnificent book on the British Act of Emancipation of 1833, and many other things besides, explains the role of the eighteenth-century scince of political economy in the anti-slavery movement."-EH-NET

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy most accounts, forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery are thriving in the global economy. Recent media reports -- including the discovery of widespread trafficking in Thailand''s shrimp industry, forced labour in global tea and cocoa supply chains, and the devastating deaths of workers constructing stadiums for Qatar''s World Cup-- have brought once hidden exploitation into the mainstream spotlight. As public concern about forced labour has escalated, governments around the world have begun to enact legislation to combat it in global production.Yet, in spite of soaring media and policy attention, reliable research on the business of forced labour remains difficult to come by. Forced labour is notoriously challenging to investigate, given that it is illegal, and powerful corporations and governments are reluctant to grant academics access to their workers and supply chains. Given the risk associated with researching the business of forced labour, until very recently, feTable of ContentsNotes on contributors Acknowledgements 1: Genevieve LeBaron: Introduction Part I: Surveying the Gaps 2: Andrew Crane & Genevieve LeBaron: Methodological Challenges in the Business of Forced Labour 3: Nicola Phillips: The Politics of Numbers: Beyond Methodological Challenges in Research on Forced Labour 4: Joel Quirk: The Politics of Forced Labour Research: NGOs, Activists, and States 5: Jean Allain: What Is Forced Labour? A Practical Guide for Humanities and Social Science Research 6: Sam Okyere: Confronting Bias in Ngo Research on Modern Slavery Part II: Frontiers of Forced Labour Research and Methods 7: Neil Howard: Why (and How) We Need To Talk To 'The Victims' 8: Jenny Chan: Researching Unfree Student Labour in Apple's Supply Chain 9: Andreas Rühmkorf: Transparent Companies? Legal Research Strategies to Understand Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains 10: Robert Caruana: The Role of Discourse Analysis in Researching Severe Labour Exploitation 11: Jessica Pliley: Archival Trouble: Researching Sex Trafficking In Early Twentieth-Century America

Read more less