Political economy Books

Book SynopsisA New York Times Bestseller!2019 was the last great year for the world economy.For generations, everything has been getting faster, better, and cheaper. Finally, we reached the point that almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days - even hours - of when you decided you wanted it.America made that happen, but now America has lost interest in keeping it going.Globe-spanning supply chains are only possible with the protection of the U.S. Navy. The American dollar underpins internationalized energy and financial markets. Complex, innovative industries were created to satisfy American consumers. American security policy forced warring nations to lay down their arms. Billions of people have been fed and educated as the American-led trade system spread across the globe.All of this was artificial. All this was temporary. All this is ending.In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, author and geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan maps out the next world: a world where countries or regions will have no choice but to make their own goods, grow their own food, secure their own energy, fight their own battles, and do it all with populations that are both shrinking and aging.The list of countries that make it all work is smaller than you think. Which means everything about our interconnected world - from how we manufacture products, to how we grow food, to how we keep the lights on, to how we shuttle stuff about, to how we pay for it all - is about to change.A world ending. A world beginning. Zeihan brings readers along for an illuminating (and a bit terrifying) ride packed with foresight, wit, and his trademark irreverence. Trade Review“Peter Zeihan is the Nostradamus of the twenty-first century. Using geography as his analytical foundation, he’s able to explain why nations behave the way they do today, and predict with astounding accuracy how they’ll behave tomorrow. Nowhere will you find a more objective and logical examination of geopolitical currents. A masterful blend of economics, demographics, environmental factors, cultural propellers, and realpolitik. The world is changing, especially America’s role in it, and Peter navigates this journey with clarity, rigor, and wit. If your passion is politics, investing, energy, technology, international relations or just being interesting at parties, read Peter’s book.” — Jesse Watters “Peter Zeihan’s latest work projects a future that will challenge your assumptions on how the world works, what nations are best postured to prosper, and which are fragile. The world he envisions is fraught with danger as powers rise and ebb, but not without opportunity. A worthy read to flesh out your worldview.” — Major General Patrick Donahoe, commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence “I’ve never been so upbeat about the end of the world. Deeply researched, powerfully argued, and well written. Zeihan stitches together insights from economic geography, demography, and history to give us an original yet intuitive theory of geopolitics.” — Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group “From time to time, we hear how ‘everything is going to change.’ None of us ever believe it. Now I do.” — Bill Owens, former governor of Colorado “Peter Zeihan has done it again! The End of the World Is Just the Beginning offers a glimpse of the future by looking to the past. The geopolitics and demography that gave us our ‘perfect moment’ in history is passing. What is in store for us and generations to come? Move Zeihan’s latest to the top of your stack and find out.” — Jack Carr, former Navy SEAL sniper and number one New York Times bestselling author of In the Blood “I found Peter Zeihan’s description of the future to be both plausible and provocative. Regardless of the details of how the next decades unfold, Zeihan’s book convinced me that it is at our own peril that we assume the future will look just like the present. Now more than ever, all our children—regardless of race—need to be equipped with a portable and flexible skill set that will enable them to adapt to circumstances and opportunities that we can’t even imagine right now.” — Robert L. Woodson Sr., founder and president of the Woodson Center, 1776 Unites, Voices of Black Mothers United

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost humans are significantly richer than their ancestors. Humanity gained nearly all of its wealth in the last two centuries. How did this come to pass? How did the world become rich? Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin dive into the many theories of why modern economic growth happened when and where it did. They discuss recently advanced theories rooted in geography, politics, culture, demography, and colonialism. Pieces of each of these theories help explain key events on the path to modern riches. Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in 18th-century Britain? Why did some European countries, the US, and Japan catch up in the 19th century? Why did it take until the late 20th and 21st centuries for other countries? Why have some still not caught up? Koyama and Rubin show that the past can provide a guide for how countries can escape poverty. There are certain prerequisites that all successful economies seem to have. But there is also no panacea. A society’s past and its institutions and culture play a key role in shaping how it may – or may not – develop.Trade Review"A vivid and crystal-clear summary of the very large body of research compiled in the past two decades on the most important question in economic history. Well informed, solidly anchored in historical facts and economic analysis, this book is a must for economics students."—Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University "In our current moment, when many are worried about the future of growth for the environment and the planet, this thought-provoking book by two leading scholars tells the story of how and why economic growth took off, and how it hugely raised living standards, but also increased inequality and misery on the way. This is a must-read for anybody worried about the future of growth and poverty on our planet."—Daron Acemoglu, MIT "[T]imely, consolidated, and refreshingly succinct.... It is likely to be a seminal text for years to come."—The Economic History ReviewTable of ContentsPreface 1 Why, When, and How Did the World Become Rich? 2 Did Some Societies Win the Geography Lottery? 3 Is it all Just Institutions? 4 Did Culture Make Some Rich and Others Poor? 5 Fewer Babies? 6 Was it Just a Matter of Colonization and Exploitation? 7 Why Did Northwestern Europe Become Rich First? 8 Britain’s Industrial Revolution 9 The Rise of the Modern Economy 10 Industrialization and the World it Created 11 The World is Rich Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A bold work from the author of The Black Swan that challenges many of our long-held beliefs about risk and reward, politics and religion, finance and personal responsibility In his most provocative and practical book yet, one of the foremost thinkers of our time redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others. Citing examples ranging from Hammurabi to Seneca, Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows how the willingness to accept one’s own risks is an essential attribute of heroes, saints, and flourishing people in all walks of life. As always both accessible and iconoclastic, Taleb challenges long-held beliefs about the values of those who spearhead military interventions, make financial investments, and propagate religious faiths. Among his insights:

Read more less

Book SynopsisProf. Dr. Christoph Knill is Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science at Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany.Prof. Dr. Jale Tosun is Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Political Science at Heidelberg University, Germany, and a co-director of the Heidelberg Center for the Environment.Trade ReviewChristoph Knill and Jale Tosun have provided an excellent update and extension of their textbook on public policy. The first edition provided an excellent introduction to the field for students, and the new edition will be an even more valuable resource for understanding contemporary public policy. * B. Guy Peters, University of Pittsburgh, USA *The first edition of Public Policy rapidly became a modern classic in the field, a must-read for all those working on public policy, whether students or established scholars. The epithets elegant, concise, profound and clear easily attached themselves to the well-written and useful book that stands head and shoulders above all its competitors. It is very welcome indeed to have the second edition that retains all the strengths of the first, but is fully updated to reflect recent thinking and scholarship in public policy as well as taking account of the profound changes in politics and policy that have occurred in recent years. Christoph Knill and Jale Tosun have pulled off a tremendous feat. * Peter John, King’s College, London, UK *This book is an outstanding introduction to studies of public policy. It combines both traditional approaches with innovative perspectives on the design and implementation of public policies. It is the best text book for policy studies in Europe. * Karin Ingold, University of Bern, Switzerland *There is no better policy textbook with a global perspective than Knill and Tosun’s. It combines the leading paradigms with innovative insights in a well-written, comprehensive and state-of-the-art account of the policy process. This volume belongs in the personal library of any student, scholar and practitioner who wants to master the essentials of public policy-making around the world. * Raymond Tatalovich, Loyola University Chicago, USA *The radically updated second edition of Public Policy engages with empirical developments, such as climate change, digitization and the questioning of the global international order, that have a path-changing significance for public policy. The authors successfully integrate theoretical, analytical and methodological advances in the book, which reflects that Jale Tosun and Christopher Knill are leading scholars in the field. I strongly recommend this book to scholars and educators of public policy and related fields. * Caroline de la Porte, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark *In this fresh edition of their Public Policy textbook, Knill and Tosun offer a comprehensive review of the theories that students must master if they want to make a difference in the policy world. This is the go-to resource book for all those who seek to formulate workable solutions to complex societal problems. * Arjen Boin, Leiden University, the Netherlands *Knill and Tosun’s Public Policy has proved to be an excellent text for introducing my students to fundamental ideas in public policy and policy making. It structures theoretical content in a clear and thoughtful way, and uses relevant real world examples to demonstrate the complexities of policy making across national and international contexts. * Alex Mankoo, University of Sussex, UK *Knill and Tosun have written a highly accessible and comprehensive textbook that not only discusses traditional policy theories but also highlights the importance of public-private governance and policy-making beyond the state. This text forms an excellent introduction for students and the new edition’s increased attention to climate change in particular makes this book even more indispensable than before. * Stefan Renckens, University of Toronto, Canada *Public Policy is a highly accessible book introducing public policy through examples drawn from all over the world. The authors survey and present a wide range of theoretical perspectives in a clear and concise fashion. It is a tremendous introduction to public policy and points the reader where to go next for detailed work on each topic. * Martin Hansen, Brunel University London, UK *Public Policy continues to provide an excellent foundation in key theories and debates regarding policy processes. This revised edition not only reflects development in the fields of academic debate but also political changes to provide an excellent introduction for new students. The revised conclusion provides useful practical guidance for students and practitioners alike. * Lee Gregory, University of Birmingham, UK *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Nature of Public Policies 3. The Context for Policy Making: Central Institutions and Actors 4. Theoretical Approaches to Policy Making 5. Problem Definition and Agenda Setting 6. Decision-Making 7. Implementation 8. Evaluation 9. Governance: A Synoptic Perspective on Policy Making 10. Public Policies Beyond the Nation-State 11. Policy Change and Policy Convergence 12. Conclusions: Theoretical Insights and Practical Advice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPublic understanding of, and outcry over, the dire state of the climate and environment is greater than ever before. Parties across the political spectrum claim to be climate leaders, and overt denial is on the way out. Yet when it comes to slowing the course of the climate and nature crises, despite a growing number of pledges, policies and summits, little ever seems to change. Nature is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. We remain on course for a catastrophic 3°C of warming. What's holding us back? In this searing and insightful critique, Adrienne Buller examines the fatal biases that have shaped the response of our governing institutions to climate and environmental breakdown, and asks: are the ‘solutions’ being proposed really solutions? Tracing the intricate connections between financial power, economic injustice and ecological crisis, she exposes the myopic economism and market-centric thinking presently undermining a future where all life can flourish. The book examines what is wrong with mainstream climate and environmental governance, from carbon pricing and offset markets to 'green growth', the commodification of nature and the growing influence of the finance industry on environmental policy. In doing so, it exposes the self-defeating logic of a response to these challenges based on creating new opportunities for profit, and a refusal to grapple with the inequalities and injustices that have created them. Both honest and optimistic, The Value of a Whale asks us – in the face of crisis – what we really value.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communitiesTrade ReviewAs featured in The Guardian and The New Statesman.One of the Financial Times' 'best new books on climate and the environment'.One of WIRED's Best Books of 2022.Longlisted for the 2023 Bread and Roses Award.'Why do so many of the alleged solutions to climate crisis fail to deliver? In this tightly-argued, precise and deeply-researched book Adrienne Buller looks inside the heads of ‘green’ capitalists, exposing how non-solutions proliferate. Read this brilliant expose if you want to understand not only how some of the world’s most powerful people think and act but also how their solutions differ from what is really needed to secure a safe and abundant future for everyone.'Amelia Horgan, author of Lost in Work'This is a witty, lucid and beautifully written critique of that contradiction-in-terms, ‘green capitalism’. It explains why, despite the farcical diminuendo of climate denialism, so little has changed. Its searching inquiry into the puritanical reduction of all living matter to economic value, which underpins most government responses to ecological catastrophe, incisively debunks one of the most dangerous illusions going. This is the book we have long needed.'Richard Seymour, author of The Twittering Machine'A wonderfully readable attack on the worldview that argues for adding a dollar value to nature in order to save it. An accessible account of a new phase of capitalism that we all need to understand.'Professor Simon Lewis, author of The Human Planet'At last! A wonderfully refreshing antidote to the notion that market forces can solve the climate and nature crises, and the deadly assumption that every idea must be evaluated in terms of markets, finance, property or profit. Elegant, incisive and fierce, Buller systematically takes apart the false solutions that dominate mainstream analysis, from carbon offsets to the commodification of nature, and gives us the tools to challenge their dominance and to broaden our understanding of what’s both possible and necessary.'Caroline Lucas MP'Buller offers essential context for understanding how economic dogmas and market-driven statecraft have warped our understanding of and responses to the climate crisis—or lack thereof. Crucially, she also presents a practical roadmap for course-correction. The Value of a Whale is an accessible and expertly curated guide to the increasingly slick, green face of capitalism in the 21st century. This book should be required reading for everyone from climate activists to policymakers and concerned citizens looking to salvage our collective prospects for a liveable future.'Kate Aronoff, author of Overheated'This is a book for anyone troubled by our lack of progress on the climate crisis, from young activists to hard-headed CEOs and investors that face losing control of companies as the climate breaks down. In her persuasive analysis of net zero policies that narrowly prioritise efficiency, market pricing and offsetting - and with unusual clarity and scrupulous integrity - Buller comes to unsettling conclusions. Read this before it is too late.' Ann Pettifor, author of The Case for the Green New Deal 'The Value of a Whale is an urgent and honest intervention, casting a magnifying glass over the institutions, insider groupthink, and non-solutions distracting and deflecting from the radical ideas and compassion we need to secure a safe planetary future. For too long, our response to ecological crisis has been steered by mainstream economic thinking that is not fit for purpose, to the exclusion of other vital perspectives. As Buller compellingly argues, we are long overdue a reset.'Farhana Yamin, Visiting Professor at UAK, Associate Fellow, Chatham House'A sorely needed corrective in an era of climate politics dominated by dollars and models. Adrienne Buller's The Value of a Whale is critical reading for the important task of prying the future out of the hands of corporations and technocrats.'Olúfemi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture and Reconsidering Reparations'As an argument, The Value of a Whale is utterly convincing, and thoroughly damning of the institutional and cultural forces it targets. Its factual analysis identifies and eviscerates the flawed assumptions and cynical illusions behind the recent turn to “sustainable finance.” Buller highlights the inefficacy and injustice of carbon markets and other hand-waving schemes to offset biodiversity loss and ecological impacts.'Chad A. Hines, Ancillary Review of Books 'The book provides a passionate and convincing critique of conventional environmental solutionism, and it ought to inspire greater scrutiny of what is being done in the name of saving the planet.'Chris Aylett, International Affairs, Volume 98, Issue 6'In this well-researched book, Buller forensically sets out the case against some common non-solutions – or certainly solutions that are leaned on too heavily.'Jeremy Williams, The Earthbound Report 'The seriousness of climate change cannot be over-stated. Yet after decades of UK policy-makers paying lip service to pro-environment policies, sadly it does seem that the next Prime Minister will be, at best, indifferent to climate change, and at worst, openly hostile to the notion that we must transform our economy to address it. Adrienne Buller’s outstanding book, however, perhaps helps us to understand why that might be the case.'Craig Berry, The Political Economy Blog'By synthesizing complicated interactions between the world of finance and the world of climate policy, Buller makes an important contribution to the public discourse.'Thomas Peterson, The Arts Fuse'Buller’s work challenges us to rethink the viability of the current system and prioritise the planet’s health and the well-being of all its inhabitants. In that sense, we must act now to protect the planet’s key biomes such as the Amazon before we reach a tipping point. This requires both a radical transformation of our economic systems and a radical rethinking of our ways of life on this planet. As a Brazilian rethinker committed to this cause both in research and advocacy, I find Buller’s message particularly resonant as a call to action to start building a world in which it is not only safe to live but also worth living in.'João Pedro Braga, Rethinking Economics'Maps and sharply criticizes the logics that characterize green capitalism and that block a real solution to the climate crisis.'Politiken'Dispelling the idea that economic value can be placed on nature in the name of protecting it, or indeed, using nature "sustainably", The Value of a Whale is an incredibly worthwhile read.' @whatsophieisreading -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: What’s the value of a whale?1 Gatekeepers: Economics and the collapse of possibility2 Sirens: Distraction and dispossession in carbon markets3 Titans: Assets, power and the construction of green capitalism4 Alchemists: What’s green is gold5 Time travellers: Escaping ecological debt6 Ghosts: Valuing a disappearing worldConclusion: Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Should we accept green capitalist solutions?Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A New Statesman Best Book of the Academic Presses""An Australian Most Anticipated Book""In his new book, As Gods Among Men, Bocconi University economic historian Guido Alfani outlines how in the past, rich individuals contributed more to the common good in times of war, famine, plague and financial disaster. Today, that sense of shared responsibility is gone."---Rana Foroohar, Financial Times"In this study of 1,000 years of economic inequality, the historian Guido Alfani looks not just at the means by which wealth was accumulated and kept – both largely unchanged ­– but also at the attitudes of less fortunate members of society towards the rich. Croesus-like riches have been seen as a sin, an obligation and a fact of life." * New Statesman *"In his fascinating history, As Gods Among Men, Guido Alfani shows how the super-rich have always bailed the rest of us out- until now." * The Telegraph *"If ever there was a moment to take stock of the relationship between the haves and have-nots, it is surely now, during the gilded age 2.0."---Geordie Williamson, The Australian"[An] exhaustive history of the super-rich through the ages."---Ferdinand Mount, Times Literary Supplement"Alfani notes a pattern that unfolds 'repeatedly and systematically across history': when economic élites become ingrown, impenetrable, and 'insensitive to the plight of the masses,' societies tend to become unstable."---Evan Osnos, New Yorker"The rich, like the poor, are always with us. In fact, over many centuries - as this wide-ranging and ambitious book tells us - the richest in society have captured more and more of the overall wealth of Western societies."---Roderick Floud, History Today"Guido Alfani’s magisterial As Gods Among Men offers a sweeping and welcome historical perspective on who the super-rich really are and how they got that way, blending data, biographical sketches and sociological observations reaching back to the European Middle Ages."---Martin Sandbu, Financial Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor a century, economists have driven forward the cause of globalization in financial institutions, labour markets, and trade. Yet there have been consistent warning signs that a global economy and free trade might not always be advantageous. Where are the pressure points? What could be done about them? Dani Rodrik examines the back-story from its seventeenth-century origins through the milestones of the gold standard, the Bretton Woods Agreement, and the Washington Consensus, to the present day. Although economic globalization has enabled unprecedented levels of prosperity in advanced countries and has been a boon to hundreds of millions of poor workers in China and elsewhere in Asia, it is a concept that rests on shaky pillars, he contends. Its long-term sustainability is not a given. The heart of Rodrik''s argument is a fundamental ''trilemma'': that we cannot simultaneously pursue democracy, national self-determination, and economic globalization. Give too much power to governmentsTrade ReviewReview from previous edition This book takes on the biggest issue of our time - globalization - and eloquently enlarges the debate about the extent and limits of global cooperation * Gordon Brown, MP *In this powerfully argued book, Dani Rodrik makes the case for country-specific paths to economic development and saner, more sustainable forms of growth. A provocative look at the excesses of hyper-globalization, The Globalization Paradox should be required reading for those who seek to prevent the financial crises and unfair trade practices that feed the backlash against open markets * Nouriel Roubini, co-author of Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance *Dani Rodrik may be globalization's most prominent - and most thoughtful - gadfly. In The Globalization Paradox, he wonders aloud whether extreme globalization undermines democracy - and vice-versa. Read it and you'll wonder, too * Alan S. Blinder, former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve *His excellent new book is a sequel to an earlier book about the often disruptive impact of international trade on national labor markets and social policies. The new book develops and extends this theme to include financial globalization... Rodrik concludes by considering how the world economy might be reformed * Robert Rowthorn, Finance and Development *His message is nuanced and rigorous, drawing on history, logic and the latest economic data, he manages to convey it in simple, powerful prose tht any reader can follow * Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post *Simply the best recent treatment of the globalization dilemma. . . he gives us nothing less than a general theory of globalization, development, democracy, and the state. The book provides the pleasure of following a thoughtful, critical mind working through a complex puzzle. Rodrik writes in highly friendly and nontechnical prose, blending a wide-ranging knowledge of economic history and politics and a gentle, occasionally incredulous, skepticism about the narrow and distorting lens of his fellow economists * Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Recasting Globalization's Narrative ; 1. Of States and Markets: Globalization in History's Mirror ; 2. The Rise and Fall of the First Great Globalization ; 3. Why Doesn't Everyone Get the Case for Free Trade? ; 4. Bretton Woods, GATT, and the WTO: Trade in a Politicized World ; 5. Financial Globalization Follies ; 6. The Foxes and Hedgehogs of Finance ; 7. Poor Countries in a Rich World ; 8. Trade Fundamentalism in the Tropics ; 9. The Political Trilemma of the World Economy ; 10. Is Global Governance Feasible? Is It Desirable? ; 11. Designing Capitalism ; 12. A Sane Globalization ; Afterword: A Bedtime Story for Grown-ups

Read more less

Book SynopsisTraditional economic models of how to manage environmental problems relating to renewable natural resources, such as fisheries, have tended to recommend either government regulation or privatisation and the explicit definition of property rights. These traditional models ignore the practical reality of natural resource management. Many communities are?able to spontaneously develop their own approaches to managing such common-pool resources. In the words of Mark Pennington: '[Professor Ostrom's] book Governing the Commons is a superb testament to the understanding that can be gained when economists observe in close-up detail how people craft arrangements to solve problems in ways often beyond the imagination of textbook theorists.' In particular, communities are often able to find stable and effective ways to define the boundaries of a common-pool resource, define the rules for its use and effectively enforce those rules. The effective management of a natural resource often requires 'polycentric' systems of governance where various entities have some role in the process. Government may play a role?in some circumstances, perhaps by providing information to resource users or by assisting enforcement processes through court systems. Elinor Ostrom's work in this field, for which she won the ?Nobel Prize in economics in 2009, was grounded in the detailed empirical study of how communities managed common-pool resources in practice. It is essential that we avoid the 'panacea problem'. There is no correct way to manage common-pool resources that will always be effective. Different ways of managing resources will be appropriate in different contexts - for example within different cultures or where there are different physical characteristics of a natural resource. Nevertheless, there are principles that we can draw from?the detailed study of the salient features of different cases to help us understand how different common-pool resources might be best managed; which rules systems and systems of organisation have the best chance of success or failure; and so on. Elinor Ostrom's approach has been praised by the left, who often see it as being opposed to free-market privatisation initiatives. In fact, her approach sits firmly within the classical liberal tradition of political economy. She observes communities freely choosing their own mechanisms to manage natural resource problems without government coercion or planning. In developing a viable approach to the management of?the commons, it is important, among other things, that a resource can be clearly defined and that the rules governing the use of the resource are adapted to local conditions. This suggests that rules imposed from outside, such as by government agencies, are unlikely to be successful. There are important areas of natural resource management where Elinor Ostrom's ideas should be adopted to avoid environmental catastrophe. Perhaps the most obvious example relevant to the UK is in European Union fisheries policy. Here, there is one centralised model for the management of the resource that is applied right across the European Union, ignoring all the evidence about the failure of that approach.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this fascinating and provocative book, David Willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has amassed unprecedented wealth and power at the expense of its children. Today's young people will pay heavier taxes, work longer hours for less money and live in a vastly degraded environment in order to pay for their parents' quality of life.Worried about the world they are passing on to their children, baby boomers are taking note. But are they willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a more equal distribution of wealth and assets? The Pinch is an insightful look at one of the most pressing issues facing Britain today; this fully revised and updated edition is essential reading for parents and policymakers alike.Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful, thought-provoking book, and is something of a tour de force...The implications of his argument are profound. * Financial Times *Mr Willetts's book lucidly explains how this unsuitable situation came about through the interaction of demographics, economics and electoral politics. * The Times *The Pinch is both a treasure trove of elegantly harvested statistics and a tremendous syhthesis of social analyses, culled from half a lifetime's study of economic and philosophical thought. -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *Table of Contents0: Introduction to the First Edition 1: Who We Are 2: Breaking Up 3: The Baby Boom 4: Spending the Kids' Inheritance 5: The Social Contract 6: Ages and Stages 7: Why Bother About the Future? 8: What Governments Do 9: Time for Childhood 10: Education and Social Mobility 11: Houses and Jobs: Generation Crunch 12: 3G

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe climate crisis is not primarily a problem of 'believing science' or individual 'carbon footprints' - it is a class problem rooted in who owns, controls and profits from material production. As such, it will take a class struggle to solve. In this ground breaking class analysis, Matthew T. Huber argues that the carbon-intensive capitalist class must be confronted for producing climate change. Yet, the narrow and unpopular roots of climate politics in the professional class is not capable of building a movement up to this challenge. For an alternative strategy, he proposes climate politics that appeals to the vast majority of society: the working class. Huber evaluates the Green New Deal as a first attempt to channel working class material and ecological interests and advocates building union power in the very energy system we so need to dramatically transform. In the end, as in classical socialist movements of the early 20th Century, winning the climate struggle will need to be internationalist based on a form of planetary working class solidarity.Trade ReviewHuber has written a 'What Is To Be Done?' for all of us who are vexed by the failure of progressive climate activism to produce a blueprint for a national action with clear strategic goals. In a blazing critique, he skewers 'radical' as well as liberal environmentalists who advocate market solutions to a crisis whose very cause is the cost-and-profit logic of energy markets. Equally he shows that the electoral road to a Green New Deal is a dead-end without a massive public struggle, integrally involving labor, for public ownership of the power industry. The shelves groan with books on the coming apocalypse , but here, at long last, is a concrete strategy for socialists. -- Mike DavisMore and more people recognize capitalism as a primary driver of climate change. Matt Huber takes the crucial next step. He powerfully demonstrates not just why working class power is indispensable to a just transition but how we build it. -- Jodi DeanThe most powerful missile yet hurled against bourgeois climate politics. With a laser-sharp focus, it strikes at the central fortress: the sphere of production, where one class dominates another and wrecks the planet in the process. A book for every union organiser and every climate activist and everyone who wishes for the two to join forces - to be read, studied, debated, aimed and fired. -- Andreas MalmThis book represents an important and timely contribution to the climate fight. -- Jonathan Rosenblum * Jacobin *We know we need to challenge the power of fossil capital to preserve a habitable planet - but how? Climate Change as Class War injects a necessary dose of strategic thinking into debates about the way forward, arguing for a mass climate politics rooted in the decommodification of basic needs and an organizing strategy focused on workers who can exert power at the point of electricity production. Huber's sharp analysis and challenging arguments open up debates that climate, labor, and socialist movements badly need to have. -- Alyssa BattistoniClimate Change as Class War is an audacious argument, particularly in its unabashed revitalization of Marxism. -- Ryne Clos * Spectrum Culture *

Read more less

Why are measures of stress and anxiety on the rise, when economists and politicians tell us we have never had it so good? While statistics tell us that the vast majority of people are getting steadily richer the world most of us experience day-in and day-out feels increasingly uncertain, unfair, and ever more expensive. In Angrynomics, Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth explore the rising tide of anger, sometimes righteous and useful, sometimes destructive and ill-targeted, and propose radical new solutions for an increasingly polarized and confusing world. Angrynomics is for anyone wondering, where the hell do we go from here?

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe have reached the point of no return. The existential threat of climate change is now a reality. The world has never been more vulnerable. Yet corporations are already planning a life beyond this point. The business models of fossil fuel giants factor in continued profitability in a scenario of a five-degree increase in global temperature. An increase that will kill millions, if not billions.This is the shocking reality laid bare in a new, hard-hitting book by David Whyte. Ecocide makes clear the problem won’t be solved by tinkering around the edges, instead it maps out a plan to end the corporation’s death-watch over us.This book will reveal how the corporation has risen to this position of near impunity, but also what we need to do to fix it.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate actionTrade Review'Ecocide is a refreshing analysis of the huge damage wrought on people and planet by the multinational corporations that play such a significant role in all of our lives. Rather than trying - and failing - to regulate these corporate behemoths, Whyte makes a compelling case that we must rid ourselves of private corporations altogether. Fast paced, original, and highly compelling, Ecocide should be required reading for activists and academics alike.'Grace Blakeley, author of Stolen: How to save the world from financialisation'This brilliant book not only offers solace to those struggling against invisible and, seemingly, invincible corporate power, it also throws us a lifeline through which we may be able to salvage everything we hold dear. Where the wall of callous indifference stands, Whyte paints a window to an alternative world away from this slow motion apocalypse. The survival of organised human life and avoidance of mass societal breakdown rests upon our ability to mobilise in demand of this alternative world. It is said “the corporation has no body to punish and no soul to condemn” and this book illustrates clearly that this kind of unaccountability is in no way exceptional to the neoliberal era, it is an inherent feature of the corporation as a shapeshifting structure of irresponsibility. Kill it so we may live.'Lowkey, rapper and activist'With a sense of urgency, but without despair, David Whyte powerfully deploys the concept of ‘ecocide’ to rigorously reveal how corporations and their reckless pursuit of profit are at fault for the existential threat posed by climate change. The time has come for solutions that are at once radical and possible.’ Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power'The timeliness of this brilliant account of the increasingly dire ecological consequences of the legal immunity of capitalist corporations could not be greater. At a moment when states everywhere are keeping corporations on life-support amidst the global pandemic of 2020, David Whyte's powerful rallying cry of 'death to the corporation' compels us to urgently address the question of 'what different form of industrial organization under what different forms of ownership' which has been for so long avoided, at such terrible cost.'Leo Panitch, author of Searching for Socialism: The Project of the Labour New Left from Benn to Corbyn'This book will have a good audience among the Extinction Rebellion movement, who may not understand the DNA of business but still feel the effects of its monopoly and expropriation of nature. It can help guide their protests and reform policies, as it is clear that corporations are at the centre of the ecological plunder we see today in the world. Ecocide is also written in an accessible way for both undergraduates and postgraduates who study political economy and business – it has excellent examples and case studies of modern business conduct. It is short, concise and easy to understand and follow, with excellent notes and references. I certainly will be putting it on my reading list.'LSE Review of Books‘Ecocide: Kill the corporation before it kills us provides an original, well-evidenced and scholarly argument that proceeds logically and in an engaging manner throughout the book. Each chapter can be taken alone, but when read together they not only alert the reader to the intrinsically ecocidal nature of the corporate form, they also provide a comprehensive and compelling argument for its dismantling. Although useful for an academic audience, this book will also be engaging for those beyond the academy with a more general interest in environmental harm.’Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime'A brilliant introduction to how to think and act to avoid the ultimate human catastrophe.' Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law, Princeton University and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights'A compelling read…which ranges across political economy, legal theory and environmental studies with a fluency that is easy to admire and doesn’t just dump jargon on the reader… and changes our perspective on the problem of climate change.'Morning Star'The analysis of the connections across racialised capitalism, ecocidal corporate chains and neocolonialism is excellent. A thoroughly stimulating and thought-provoking book.'Peter Somerville, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, College of Social Science, University of Lincoln'A fabulous book, informative and clearly argued. I learned a great deal from it.' William K. Carroll, Professor of Sociology, University of Victoria, Canada and Co-director, the Corporate Mapping Project'A hard-hitting look at the environmental impacts of all industries on our planet.'The Environment Magazine'Compellingly lays out the chilling reality of how capitalist corporations are responsible for the threat of climate change.'October Books Cooperative'Expertly situates how corporations are the driving engine of the ecological meltdown…Indispensable for a conversation we must have now, before its too late.'Occupy.com'Unique and urgently important weapon-book for climate activists.' Wolfgang Küchler -- .Table of ContentsPreface: from COVID-capitalism to survival of the speciesAcknowledgementsIntroduction: corporate ecocide1 What is the corporation?2 From colonialism to ecocide: capital’s insatiable need to destroy3 Regulation at the end-point of the worldConclusion: kill the corporation before it kills usNotes

Read more less

Book SynopsisA LANDMARK WORK OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. A GLOBAL BESTSELLER. STILL AS RELEVANT TODAY. With the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989 the threat of the Cold War which had dominated the second half of the twentieth century vanished. And with it the West looked to the future with optimism but renewed uncertainty. The End of History and the Last Man was the first book to offer a picture of what the new century would look like. Boldly outlining the challenges and problems to face modern liberal democracies, Francis Fukuyama examined what had just happened and predicted what was coming next. Now updated with a new afterword, Fukuyama shows how the central issue today remains the same. Have any political and economic models arisen that could challenge liberal democracy as the best way of organizing human societies? He remains unconvinced. Tackling religious fundamentalism, politics, scientific progress, ethical codes and war, The End of History anTrade ReviewAwesome . . . a landmark . . . profoundly realistic and important . . . supremely timely and cogent * Washington Post *Clearly written, immensely ambitious * New York Times *Clever, important, teeming with original ideas * Mail on Sunday *We are indebted to Fukuyama for such an ambitious work of political philosophy * Foreign Affairs *

Read more less

Book SynopsisCurrent migration policy is based on a seemingly neutral accounting exercise, in which migrants contribute less in tax than they receive in welfare assistance. A “fact” that justifies increasingly restrictive asylum policies. Peo Hansen shows that this consensual cost-perspective on migration is built on a flawed economic conception of the orthodox “sound finance” doctrine prevalent in migration research and policy. By examining migration through the macroeconomic lens offered by modern monetary theory, Hansen is able to demonstrate sound finance’s detrimental impact on migration policy and research, including its role in stoking the toxic debate on migration in the European Union. More importantly, Hansen’s undertaking offers the tools with which both migration research and migration policy could be modernized and put on a realistic footing.Trade ReviewA timely book on the supposed trade-off between migration and the sustainability of the welfare state. Hansen’s skilful debunking of the 'sound finance' view demonstrates that there is no 'fiscal burden' when it comes to migration. Migrants are an essential part of the workforce and contribute to the economy. Hansen successfully rewires our thinking about migration and the economy. I highly recommend this superb book. -- Dirk Ehnts, Institute for International Political Economy, BerlinPeo Hansen’s superb new book dismantles the dominant idea in political circles that there is a trade-off between migration and the sustainability of the welfare state. Using the insights of modern monetary theory, this politically urgent book reveals the xenophobic reality hidden beneath discourses of sound finance and claims of fragile solidarity. Hansen’s deeply humane and pragmatic account of the issues has the potential to transform our understandings of migration and open up the space for different political possibilities. This book should be on the desk of every journalist, politician and policy-maker in the European Union and beyond. -- Gurminder Bhambra, University of SussexIn this important intervention, Peo Hansen explodes the treacherous and false opposition between moral and fiscal imperatives that dominates contemporary discourse around asylum and migration in Europe. He deftly interrogates the dubious but pervasive assumptions about the purported 'costs' of admitting refugees that serve to construct them as an economic burden, and elaborates a sophisticated alternative theory that repudiates the pernicious myth that migration is damaging to economic wellbeing. This book is essential reading. -- Nicholas De Genova, University of Houston, TexasTable of Contents1. Migration: "mother of all problems" 2. The fiscal impact of migration 3. A modern migration theory 4. Demography, security and the shifting conjunctures of the EU’s external labour migration policy 5. Labour migration in a sound finance policy logic 6. Why EU asylum policy cannot afford to pay demographic dividends 7. "We need these people": refugee spending, fiscal impact and refugees' real bearing on Sweden’s society and economy 8. Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisSubprime Cities: The Political Economy of Mortgage Markets presents a collection of works from social scientists that offer insights into mortgage markets and the causes, effects, and aftermath of the recent ''subprime'' mortgage crisis. Provides an even-handed and detailed analysis of mortgage markets and the recent housing crisis Features contributions from various social scientists with expertise in critical social theories who have assembled and analyzed detailed empirical information Offers a unique and powerful rebuttal to many of the misleading popular explanations of the crisis and its aftermath Reveals how racial minorities and the neighbourhoods inhabited by them are more likely to be targeted by subprime and predatory lenders Trade Review"Aalbers has edited a commendable volume that makes a strong case for the centrality of urban processes in crisis formation. It has implications for a number of subfields in political science—including urban politics, economic and housing policy processes, race and ethnicity, politics and history, and federalism and intergovernmental relations—and should be read by scholars seeking to pinpoint the urban origins of the global financial crisis, as well as by those with an interest in learning more about the unavoidable and deepening connection between the fate of cities and the fate of nations." (Perspectives on Politics, 1 September 2013) “So its reading will benefit not only economic geographers, but also sociologists, political scientists and, dare we say, economists.” (Political Studies Review, 8 January 2014) "Aalbers has edited a commendable volume that makes a strong case for the centrality of urban processes in crisis formation. It has implications for a number of subfields in political science—including urban politics, economic and housing policy processes, race and ethnicity, politics and history, and federalism and intergovernmental relations—and should be read by scholars seeking to pinpoint the urban origins of the global financial crisis, as well as by those with an interest in learning more about the unavoidable and deepening connection between the fate of cities and the fate of nations."(Perspectives on Politics, September 2013) “The book will be extremely useful for advanced courses in economic geography, housing policy and related topics. It should be widely cited in the ongoing debates over the subprime crisis as well as in discussions of mortgage and housing markets more generally.” (International Journal of Housing Policy, 20 June 2013) “Overall, the book is a must-have for not only those interested in the economics, geography, and politics of the subprime crisis or mortgage markets, but also those more broadly interested in economic geography more broadly, especially as it concerns finance. The book will be extremely useful for advanced courses in economic geography, housing policy, and related topics. It should be widely cited in the ongoing debate over the subprime crisis as well as in discussions of mortgage and housing markets more generally.” (International Journal of Housing Policy, 2012) Table of ContentsList of Figures vii List of Tables viii Notes on Contributors ix Foreword: The Urban Roots of the Financial Crisis xiii David Harvey Series Editors’ Preface xx Acknowledgments xxi Part I Introduction 1 Subprime Cities and the Twin Crises 3 Manuel B. Aalbers Part II The Political Economy of the Mortgage Market 23 1 Creating Liquidity Out of Spatial Fixity: The Secondary Circuit of Capital and the Restructuring of the US Housing Finance System 25 Kevin Fox Gotham 2 Finance and the State in the Housing Bubble 53 Herman Schwartz 3 Expanding the Terrain for Global Capital: When Local Housing Becomes an Electronic Instrument 74 Saskia Sassen 4 Building New Markets: Transferring Securitization, Bond-Rating, and a Crisis from the US to the UK 97 Thomas Wainwright 5 European Mortgage Markets Before and After the Financial Crisis 120 Manuel B. Aalbers 6 The Reinvention of Banking and the Subprime Crisis: On the Origins of Subprime Loans, and How Economists Missed the Crisis 151 Gary A. Dymski Part III Cities, Race, and the Subprime Crisis 185 7 Redlining Revisited: Mortgage Lending Patterns in Sacramento 1930–2004 187 Jesus Hernandez 8 The New Economy and the City: Foreclosures in Essex County New Jersey 219 Kathe Newman 9 Race, Class, and Rent in America’s Subprime Cities 242 Elvin Wyly, Markus Moos, and Daniel J. Hammel Part IV Conclusion 291 10 Subprime Crisis and Urban Problematic 293 Gary A. Dymski Glossary 315 Index 324

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy is it so difficult to develop and sustain liberal democracy? The best recent work on this subject comes from a remarkable pair of scholars, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. In their latest book, The Narrow Corridor, they have answered this question with great insight. -Fareed Zakaria, The Washington Post From the authors of the international bestseller Why Nations Fail, a crucial new big-picture framework that answers the question of how liberty flourishes in some states but falls to authoritarianism or anarchy in others--and explains how it can continue to thrive despite new threats. In Why Nations Fail, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson argued that countries rise and fall based not on culture, geography, or chance, but on the power of their institutions. In their new book, they build a new theory about liberty and how to achieve it, drawing a wealth of evidence from both current affairs and disparate threads of world history.   Liberty is hardly the natural order of things. In most places and at most times, the strong have dominated the weak and human freedom has been quashed by force or by customs and norms. Either states have been too weak to protect individuals from these threats, or states have been too strong for people to protect themselves from despotism. Liberty emerges only when a delicate and precarious balance is struck between state and society. There is a Western myth that political liberty is a durable construct, arrived at by a process of enlightenment. This static view is a fantasy, the authors argue. In reality, the corridor to liberty is narrow and stays open only via a fundamental and incessant struggle between state and society: The authors look to the American Civil Rights Movement, Europe’s early and recent history, the Zapotec civilization circa 500 BCE, and Lagos’s efforts to uproot corruption and institute government accountability to illustrate what it takes to get and stay in the corridor. But they also examine Chinese imperial history, colonialism in the Pacific, India’s caste system, Saudi Arabia’s suffocating cage of norms, and the “Paper Leviathan” of many Latin American and African nations to show how countries can drift away from it, and explain the feedback loops that make liberty harder to achieve. Today we are in the midst of a time of wrenching destabilization. We need liberty more than ever, and yet the corridor to liberty is becoming narrower and more treacherous. The danger on the horizon is not just the loss of our political freedom, however grim that is in itself; it is also the disintegration of the prosperity and safety that critically depend on liberty. The opposite of the corridor of liberty is the road to ruin.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the wall of Wittenberg church. He argued that the Church’s internally consistent but absurd doctrines had pickled into a dogmatic structure of untruth. It was time for a Reformation. Half a millennium later, Steve Keen argues that economics needs its own Reformation. In Debunking Economics, he eviscerated an intellectual church – neoclassical economics – that systematically ignores its own empirical untruths and logical fallacies, and yet is still mysteriously worshipped by its scholarly high priests. In this book, he presents his Reformation: a New Economics, which tackles serious issues that today's economic priesthood ignores, such as money, energy and ecological sustainability. It gives us hope that we can save our economies from collapse and the planet from ecological catastrophe. Performing this task with his usual panache and wit, Steve Keen’s new book is unmissable to anyone who has noticed that the economics Emperor is naked and would like him to put on some clothes.Trade ReviewOne of Martin Wolf's 'Best Books of 2021: Economics' in the Financial Times“It is written not to interpret economics, but to change it.”Financial Times“In this punchy and passionate book, Steve Keen deftly unravels the fundamentals of neoclassical economics – and then starts to weave together the mindset, models and maths of an economics that actually works. For any student of economic modelling who wants to help create tools that are fit for the twenty-first century, this is the handbook and call to action you have been waiting for.”Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics“This is a brilliant book. It deals with a crucial subject, and it does so with precision, wit and accessible prose.”Dissident VoiceTable of Contents1 Why this manifesto? 2 Money matters 3 Our complex world 4 Economics, energy and the environment 5 The Neoclassical disease 6 Conclusion: Be the change Notes References

Read more less

Book SynopsisA study of the political nature and dynamics of Hezbollah in relation to the socio-economic and political context in Lebanon and in the wider regionTrade Review'Most appraisals of Hezbollah from a left-wing perspective have focused, often solely, on its role in the fight against the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, thus serving the party's own mythology. The merit of this iconoclastic book is that it endeavours to analyse Hezbollah from a historical materialist perspective' -- Gilbert Achcar, SOAS, University of London'An insightful and timely analysis of Hezbollah, situating the party within a fascinating account of the wider Lebanese political economy. An important contribution' -- Adam Hanieh, SOAS, University of London'Timely...[a] well-rounded and incisive discussion of the organisation's place in the contemporary global order' -- Muftah'Both an excellent introduction and fine analysis of Hezbollah as a political entity in Lebanon as well as a social movement ... Highly recommended' -- CHOICE'[An] excellent book ... [This] book is a must-read for those seeking to understand Middle Eastern politics. It provides much needed detail and historical context for understanding the rise of one of the most important political parties in the region' -- Marxist Left Review'Essential reading for anyone interested in gaining a more complete understanding of Hezbollah, or present day Lebanese politics' -- Perspectives on TerrorismTable of ContentsList of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Sectarianism and the Lebanese Political Economy: Hezbollah’s Origins 2. Hezbollah and the Political Economy of Lebanese Neoliberalism 3. Lebanese Class Structure under Neoliberalism 4. Hezbollah and Shi’a Civil Society 5. Hezbollah and the Lebanese Labor Movement 6. Hezbollah’s Military Apparatus 7. Hezbollah and Revolutionary Processes in the Middle East and North Africa Since 2011 Conclusion Appendix: Shi’a Fraction of the Bourgeoisie Notes References Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEconomic growth isn't working, and it cannot be made to work. Offering a counter-history of how economic growth emerged in the context of colonialism, fossil-fueled industrialization, and capitalist modernity, The Future Is Degrowth argues that the ideology of growth conceals the rising inequalities and ecological destructions associated with capitalism, and points to desirable alternatives to it. Not only in society at large, but also on the left, we are held captive by the hegemony of growth. Even proposals for emancipatory Green New Deals or postcapitalism base their utopian hopes on the development of productive forces, on redistributing the fruits of economic growth and technological progress. Yet growing evidence shows that continued economic growth cannot be made compatible with sustaining life and is not necessary for a good life for all. This book provides a vision for postcapitalism beyond growth. Building on a vibrant field of research, it discusses the political economy and the politics of a non-growing economy. It charts a path forward through policies that democratise the economy, "now-topias" that create free spaces for experimentation, and counter-hegemonic movements that make it possible to break with the logic of growth. Degrowth perspectives offer a way to step off the treadmill of an alienating, expansionist, and hierarchical system. A handbook and a manifesto, The Future Is Degrowth is a must-read for all interested in charting a way beyond the current crises.Trade ReviewA most comprehensive analysis of the different trends converging in the degrowth movement, showing its capacity to both subvert the logic of capitalism and project visions of social justice. A book that powerfully challenges any reductive views of degrowth. -- Silvia FedericiThe Future Is Degrowth: A Guide to a World beyond Capitalism offers a sober presentation of the futility of the ideology and pursuit of infinite growth on a finite planet. Current multiple crises, including the unfolding catastrophic global heating, ought to force humans to pull the brakes on current fatal pathways. However, myopia has locked humans in a fatal pursuit of wealth, power and externalizations built on the platform of oppression, colonial exploitation, ecological despoliation and barbaric economic supremacy made possible by militarism, cultural manipulations, delineation of sacrificial zones and acceptance of enforcement of sacred or untouchable zones to sustain unquenchable consumption and wasteful appetites. This book presents a call for a world in which, through sober acceptance of having toed highly destructive growth, consumption and developmental paths, human beings understand and respect the ecological limits of Mother Earth her and regain both their humanity and place in the communities of other beings. -- Nnimmo Bassey, author of To Cook a Continent, Destructive Extraction and the Climate Crisis in AfricaIn economics, 'growth' implies a malignancy absent in nature: perpetual expansion and extraction. This book rigorously demolishes a concept that is the intellectual foundation of today's economics profession, a central pillar of capitalism and the source of ecological depletion. -- Ann PettiforA radical critique of capitalist growth and a powerful vision for a more just and ecological future. Don't miss this book. -- Jason HickelThis book is to degrowth what the IPCC is to climate science: the best available literature review on the topic. -- Timothée ParriqueAn excellent introduction to the degrowth agenda written in plain language. It shifts the burden of proof concerning solutions to climate and social crises to optimist eco-modernists from all political backgrounds. -- Nick Trantas * Journal of Political Ecology *Degrowth gains ground. * Yes Magazine *Must-read. * Occupy.com *If you are looking for a clear, comprehensive, scholarly but practical overview, then I'd recommend The Future is Degrowth. -- Mark BurtonThis book is a great handbook of ideas to help spread the word. * Bookbuster *Magnificent. The Future is Degrowth is arguably one of the most complete works on the concept of degrowth. This book is essential reading for both actors within civil society movements and policymakers, as it manages to be extremely ambitious in its goals while remaining realistic. * Green European Journal *Behind this strategy to reclaim our world from the forces of collapse is the vision of a free people taking charge of their lives. -- Bernard Marszalek * Counterpunch *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew York Times BestsellerRenowned political scientist Ian Bremmer draws lessons from global challenges of the past 100 years—including the pandemic—to show how we can respond to three great crises unfolding over the next decade. In this revelatory, unnerving, and ultimately hopeful book, Bremmer details how domestic and international conflicts leave us unprepared for a trio of looming crises—global health emergencies, transformative climate change, and the AI revolution. Today, Americans cannot reach consensus on any significant political issue, and US and Chinese leaders behave as if they’re locked in a new Cold War. We are squandering opportunities to meet the challenges that will soon confront us all. In coming years, humanity will face viruses deadlier and more infectious than Covid. Intensifying climate change will put tens of millions of refugees in flight and require us to reimagine how we live our daily lives. Most dangerous of all, new technologies will reshape the geopolitical order, disrupting our livelihoods and destabilizing our societies faster than we can grasp and address their implications. The good news? Some farsighted political leaders, business decision-makers, and individual citizens are already collaborating to tackle all these crises. The question that should keep us awake is whether they will work well and quickly enough to limit the fallout—and, most importantly, whether we can use these crises to innovate our way toward a better world. Drawing on strategies both time-honored and cutting-edge, from the Marshall Plan to the Green New Deal, The Power of Crisis provides a roadmap for surviving—even thriving in—the 21st century. Bremmer shows governments, corporations, and every concerned citizen how we can use these coming crises to create the worldwide prosperity and opportunity that 20th-century globalism promised but failed to deliver.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow China’s economic development combines a veneer of unprecedented progress with the increasingly despotic rule of surveillance over all aspects of lifeSince the mid-2000s, the Chinese state has increasingly shifted away from labor-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing to a process of socioeconomic development centered on science and technology. Ya-Wen Lei traces the contours of this techno-developmental regime and its resulting form of techno-state capitalism, telling the stories of those whose lives have been transformed—for better and worse—by China’s rapid rise to economic and technological dominance.Drawing on groundbreaking fieldwork and a wealth of in-depth interviews with managers, business owners, workers, software engineers, and local government officials, Lei describes the vastly unequal values assigned to economic sectors deemed “high-end” versus “low-end,” and the massive expansion of tech

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PRESENTER OF THE BBC RADIO 4 SERIES 'HOW TO STEAL A TRILLION' SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2019 SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AN ECONOMIST POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOK OF THE YEAR A DAILY MAIL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland.' Simon Kuper, New Statesman 2019: democracy is eating itself, inequality is skyrocketing, the system is breaking apart. Why? Because in 1962, some bankers in London had an idea that changed the world. That idea was called 'offshore'. It meant that, for the first time, thieves could dream big. They could take everything. Join investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into the hidden world of the new global kleptocrats. See the poor countries where public money is stolen and the rich ones where it is laundered and invested. Watch the crooks at work and at play, and meet their respectable, white-collar enablers. Learn how the new system works and begin to see how we can tackle it.Trade ReviewEye-opening and essential ... Bullough has provided a model for how to tell a gripping and comprehensible story about a complex and crucial subject. You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland. -- Simon Kuper * New Statesman *If you want to know why international crooks and their eminently respectable financial advisors walk tall and only the little people pay taxes, this is the ideal book for you. Every politician and moneyman on the planet should read it, but they won't because it's actually about them. -- John le Carré, author of A Legacy of SpiesCorruption undermines democracy, weakens institutions and erodes trust, it destroys lives and impoverishes millions. Moneyland starts from that truth and tells London's part of that story ... This important book shows clearly that foreign policy isn't about foreigners, it's about us. -- Tom Tugendhat, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select CommitteeA concise, confident book ... pacy, clever and entertaining ... if you still have any illusions about the wonders of liberated capitalism, Moneyland will probably cure you. -- Andy Beckett * Guardian *A darkly fascinating ride. -- John Arlidge * Sunday Times *There are few people who know the world of illicit finance and money laundering like Oliver Bullough. He takes us on a journey through the maze of complicity and criminality that will upend all your confidence in the institutions that should be protecting us. -- Bill Browder, author of Red Notice: How I became Putin's No. 1 EnemyYou cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland. -- Simon Kuper * New Statesman *This is meticulously researched and engagingly told, and reveals the horror and scale of dirty money flowing around the world. The central role played by the UK and jurisdictions associated with the British family mean that every person concerned about corruption and fairness in the UK should read this book - and then campaign and act. -- Margaret Hodge, MPA great guide to a country you can't afford to visit but which is all around you. -- Richard Brooks, author of Bean CountersUnputdownable. Funny, tragic and explains the world. I hope it helps change it, too. -- Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything is PossibleJaw-dropping and deeply unsettling. Oliver Bullough provides a sobering and brilliant account of how piracy on an epic-scale is alive and well in the 21st century. A must-read. Simple as that. -- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk RoadsPraise for Let Our Fame Be Great: With this impassioned volume [Bullough] has struck a blow for the glory of the Caucasus and helped to give a voice to the voiceless. -- Justin Marozzi * Financial Times *Praise for The Last Man in Russia: The Last Man in Russia might be compared to Colin Thubron's Among the Russians - perhaps the last book in English to come so close to pinning down the Russianness of Russia. -- Mary Dejevsky * Independent *The Last Man in Russia is distinguished by the excellence of its writing and its lucid, unsparing gaze. * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn insider's analysis of the major institutions of globalization, this title details Joseph E. Stiglitz's disillusionment with the International Monetary Fund and other major institutions as they put the interests of Wall Street and the financial community ahead of the poorer nations.Trade Review"Accessible, provocative and highly readable. … Brings an insider's insights into the crises of the 1990s and beyond, from East Asia to Russia and on to Argentina." -- New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom their earliest meetings, activist David Graeber knew that the Occupy Wall Street movement was something different. From small beginnings its demonstrations spread across the world to cities like Cairo, Athens, Barcelona and London and gave a glimpse of a new way. This provocative look at the actions of the 99% asks: why was it so effective? What went right? And what can we all do now to make our world democratic once again? Both a treatise on power and protest and an energetic account of contemporary events, The Democracy Project will change the way you think about politics, and the world.Trade ReviewCaptures the joys and fears of a movement that believed it was on the cusp of achieving something special -- John Kampfner * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA comprehensive study of cooperation among the advanced capitalist countries. It analyzes the institutions, or 'international regimes', through which cooperation has taken place in the world political economy and describes the evolution of these regimes as American hegemony has eroded.Trade ReviewWinner of the 1989 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1984 "Can cooperation increase if there is no hegemony? Yes, says Professor Keohane in this outstanding book... The author's painstaking consideration of difficulties and objections should show how often narrow assumptions and obscurantist jargon have led to loose thinking and worse policy conclusions."--Foreign Affairs "[T]he 'state-of-the-art' publication on the influential, and somewhat controversial, idea of 'regime' in the study of international political economy. The concept is provided with its most thoroughgoing, cogent and stimulating defence."--R. J. Barry Jones, Political Studies "This is vital and powerful stuff. It makes a major contribution towards breaking the destructive polarization between realism and idealism which for far too long has obscured intellectual middle ground of real importance to policy-making."--Barry Buzan, International Affairs "This book takes a major step toward bringing economic reasoning and understanding of politics to bear on questions of international political economy."--James E. Alt, Journal of Economic Literature From review of Princeton's original edition: "The 'state of the art' publication on the influential, and somewhat controversial, idea of 'regime' in the study of international political economy."--Political Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Financial Times Best Economics Book of the Year 2021""A CapX Book of the Year""Winner of the Gold Medal in Business Commentary, Axiom Business Book Awards""Eloquent. . . . Thought-provoking."---Felix Martin, Financial Times ​​​​​​​"Coyle’s contribution is valuable. The book reads like a timely intervention delivered by a perceptive friend, in the kindest tone they can muster. Economists would do well to listen."---James Plunkett, Prospect"[Coyle] is extremely wise, and the best friend economics could have—one willing to offer some serious tough love."---Tim Harford, timharford.com"Full of illuminating anecdotes about the gap between theory and practice."---Simon Torracinta, Boston Review"An inspiring read for those developing, using or seeking to understand economics in a rapidly changing world."---Dr Anna Valero, London School of Economics Blog

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis textbook presents an innovative new perspective on the economics of development, including insights from a broad range of disciplines. It starts with the current state of affairs, a discussion of data availability, reliability, and analysis, and an historic overview of the deep influence of fundamental factors on human prosperity. Next, it focuses on the role of human interaction in terms of trade, capital, and knowledge flows, as well as the associated implications for institutions, contracts, and finance. The book also highlights differences in the development paths of emerging countries in order to provide a better understanding of the concepts of development and the Millennium Development Goals. Insights from other disciplines are used help to understand human development with regard to other issues, such as inequalities, health, demography, education, and poverty. The book concludes by emphasizing the importance of connections, location, and human interaction in determining fTrade Review'This is a masterful textbook on development. It extensively discusses the root causes of development, and more recent topics such as randomized controlled trials. The book stands out by also providing a rich discussion of 'international' issues relevant for development, such as globalization, international trade, migration, and international financial flows.' Robert Lensink, University of Groningen'A splendid new textbook by van Marrewijk and Brakman! Their lucid exposition is wide ranging, deeply informed and up to date. The student will acquire a broad knowledge of developing and emerging economies and, more importantly, understand the data, theories, and methods that inform the authors' insights.' Donald Davis, Columbia University'This excellent new textbook on development economics is up to date in its coverage of research - history, data, and theories. It explains difficult concepts simply and clearly. The visual presentation - figures, charts, and use of color - is outstanding. It is balanced and thoughtful in its assessment of the issues and policies. A treasure for students and teachers alike.' Avinash Dixit, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction and Deep Roots: 1. Economic Development Today; 2. Data and Methods; 3. Uneven Playing Field; 4. Geo-Human Interaction; Part II. Human Interaction: 5. Globalization and Development; 6. International Trade; 7. Economic Growth; 8. Institutions and Contracts; 9. Money and Finance; Part III. Human Development: 10. Poverty, Inequality, and Gender; 11. Poor Economics; 12. Population and Migration; 13. Education; 14. Health; Part IV. Connections and Interactions: 15. Agriculture and Development; 16. Urbanization and Agglomeration; 17. Geographical Economics and Development; 18. Heterogeneous and Multinational Firms; 19. Sustainability and Development.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A FiveBooks Best Economic History Book of the Year""An excellent book."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"[Prak and van Zanden] have provided a path forward for studying economic history that takes complexity seriously without letting it prevent us from getting to the important truths of economic history. One can only hope that more social and economic historians follow Prak and van Zanden’s path in the future."---Samuel Gregg, Engelsberg Ideas"[Pioneers of Capitalism] will be the standard work on the topic for years and perhaps decades to come, as it offers a very well-written and powerful account of the rise and fall of the Dutch Republic in the medieval and early modern periods."---Gijs Dreijer, Business History Review"[Pioneers of Capitalism] surpasses the previous syntheses of Dutch capitalism by bringing it in line with recent developments in economic history. . . . Fascinating."---Bas Spliet, Journal of European Economic History

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the 2019 Hayek Prize, The Manhattan Institute""Economic historian Jerry Muller delivers a riposte to bean counters everywhere with this trenchant study of our fixation with performance metrics."---Barbara Kiser, Nature"To his credit, Muller isn’t interested only in documenting the ways in which the metric fixation produces unintended consequences. Beyond that, he wants, first, to work out what causes this high level of dysfunction, and second, to identify ways in which metrics might be used more productively."---Stefan Collini, London Review of Books"For every quantification, there's a way of gaming it. So argues this timely manifesto against measured accountability." * Kirkus Reviews *"Many of us have the vague sense that metrics are leading us astray, stripping away context, devaluing subtle human judgement, and rewarding those who know how to play the system. Muller’s book crisply explains where this fashion came from, why it can be so counterproductive and why we don’t learn. It should be required reading for any manager on the verge of making the Vietnam body count mistake all over again."---Tim Harford, Financial Times"A short and highly readable account of the way such management systems are undermining important institutions, such as universities, schools, policing, charities and even companies."---Luke Johnson, Sunday Times"As Muller says ‘anything that can be measured and rewarded will be gamed.’ Too many people appear oblivious to this basic fact of life. A close reading of Muller’s excellent, if somewhat brief, introduction to the pitfalls of quantitative measurement should set them right."---Edward Chancellor, Breakingviews"There is also ample evidence, expertly summarised in Jerry Muller’s recent book, The Tyranny of Metrics, that metrics can be counter-productive." * The Economist *"Muller . . . says that an over-reliance on metrics can lead us to disproportionately value the things that are easiest to measure. These and the many other criticisms of metric fixation the author offers are well argued and will feel all too familiar to teachers and school leaders alike. Shortly after I agreed to review this title, Ofsted’s chief inspector . . . gave a speech explaining how she had recently read the book and how it was influencing her own thinking. Having now had the chance to read it myself, I think we should take this as a positive sign. My hope is that others involved in school accountability, including politicians, have the chance to consider its core message."---James Bowen, Times Education Supplement"A timely and important critique of the pervasive tendency to define success in terms of quantifying human performance, accountability and transparency, a trend that has invaded every profession." * Paradigm Explorer *"Jerry Muller’s The Tyranny of Metrics mercilessly exposes the downside of the cult of measurement and managerialism." * The Economist *"Muller’s book remains an interesting one: short, unpretentious, scholarly, and full of insights. And it provokes the reader into asking further questions."---Pierre Lemieux, Regulation"I cannot stress enough how important this book is for all organization studies scholars. If anything, I see it as an act of resistance to the plethora of publications that ‘count’ but are completely uninteresting, unimportant, and unread."---Alexia Panayiotou, Organization"Jerry Z. Muller’s thought-provoking The Tyranny of Metrics raises old post-positivist arguments on the limits of quantitative knowledge by using new theoretical leverages and applying them to original case studies."---Simone Raudino, European Legacy

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCrisply written, compellingly argued, authoritative . . . [University Technology Transfer] provides extremely useful information to anyone who is involved in creating or developing a TT office . . . It should be required reading for all presidents, vice-chancellors and senior managers of universities that have a TT office and are tempted to interfere in its activities.—Mark Anderson, IP DraughtsTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Question Time2. Coming Out3. How It Works4. Why It Is Difficult5. Structures6. Going to Market7. Mind the Gap8. Innovation Community9. Give and Take10. Currencies and Metrics11. Impact12. Whatever NextAfterwordAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisA non-Eurocentric, sweeping look at the material conditions and events that created capitalismTrade Review'A fundamental rethinking of the origins of capitalism and the emergence of Western domination by the interactive relations with the non-European world. Highly Recommended.' -- CHOICE'A fascinating tour de force that will surely be debated in the fields of history, sociology, Marxism and International Relations for years to come' -- Justin Rosenberg, Professor in International Relations at the University of Sussex'An excellent book' -- Professor John M. Hobson, University of Sheffield'This rigorously argued book presents a compelling challenge to standard narratives of capitalist modernity. The authors combine theoretical sophistication and a wide-ranging account of extra-European histories to provide a superb - and provocative - alternative' -- Gurminder K Bhambra, author of Connected Sociologies'A superb account which successfully transcends a false dichotomy. Drawing on the best aspects of Historical Sociology and International Relations, and within a rigorous Marxist framework, the authors offer a challenge to all existing explanations of the rise of the West to world dominance' -- Neil Davidson, author of How Revolutionary Were the Bourgeois Revolutions?'There is much talk these days of Big History, yet the advocates invariably stop short of talking about capitalism. With their bold and wide-ranging treatment, Anievas and Nişancıoğlu now place the origins of capitalism at the very centre of the agenda' -- Geoff Eley, Karl Pohrt Distinguished University Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Michigan'An excellent, inventive and fascinating piece of scholarship' -- Tony Mckenna, Marx & Philosophy Review of Books'A work of towering scholarly erudition combined with deep political insights that must be reckoned with' -- Louis Proyect'Provocative and brilliant ... An enormous contribution to redressing the one-sided debates about the origins of capitalism and the West's conquest of the planet ... Their book should be read by anyone hoping to understand as well as challenge Eurocentrism, imperialism, and the capitalist system as a whole' -- International Socialist Review'Provides an important introduction to a truly global history of the origins of capitalism which recognises the vital inputs and roles of a range of non-European societies' -- Review of African Political EconomyTable of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction 1. The Transition Debate: Theories and Critique 2. Rethinking the Origins of Capitalism: The Theory of Uneven and Combined Development 3. The Long Thirteenth Century: Structural Crisis, Conjunctural Catastrophe 4. The Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry over the Long Sixteenth Century 5. The Atlantic Sources of European Capitalism, Territorial Sovereignty and the Modern Self 6. The ‘Classical’ Bourgeois Revolutions in the History of Uneven and Combined Development 7. Combined Encounters: Dutch Colonisation in South-East Asia and the Contradictions of ‘Free Labour’ 8. Origins of the Great Divergence over the Longue Durée: Rethinking the ‘Rise of the West’ Conclusion Notes Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis*FEATURED IN BILL GATES''S 2019 SUMMER READING RECOMMENDATIONS* ''This is a beautifully written and important book. Read it'' Martin Wolf, Financial TimesFrom world-renowned economist Paul Collier, a candid diagnosis of the failures of capitalism and a pragmatic and realistic vision for how we can repair itDeep new rifts are tearing apart the fabric of Britain and other Western societies: thriving cities versus the provinces, the highly skilled elite versus the less educated, wealthy versus developing countries. As these divides deepen, we have lost the sense of ethical obligation to others that was crucial to the rise of post-war social democracy. So far these rifts have been answered only by the revivalist ideologies of populism and socialism, leading to the seismic upheavals of Trump, Brexit and the return of the far right in Germany. We have heard many critiques of capitalism but no one has laid out a realistic way to fix it, until now. In a passionate and polemical book, celebrated economist Paul Collier outlines brilliantly original and ethical ways of healing these rifts - economic, social and cultural - with the cool head of pragmatism, rather than the fervour of ideological revivalism. He reveals how he has personally lived across these three divides, moving from working-class Sheffield to hyper-competitive Oxford, and working between Britain and Africa, and acknowledges some of the failings of his profession. Drawing on his own solutions as well as ideas from some of the world''s most distinguished social scientists, he shows us how to save capitalism from itself - and free ourselves from the intellectual baggage of the 20th century.These times are in desperate need of Paul Collier''s insights. The Future of Capitalism restores common sense to our views of morality, as it also describes their critical role in what makes families, organizations, and nations work. It is the most revolutionary work of social science since Keynes. Let''s hope it will also be the most influential - George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001 In this bold work of intellectual trespass, Paul Collier, a distinguished economist, ventures onto the terrain of ethics to explain what''s gone wrong with capitalism, and how to fix it. To heal the divide between metropolitan elites and the left-behind, he argues, we need to rediscover an ethic of belonging, patriotism, and reciprocity. Offering inventive solutions to our current impasse, Collier shows how economics at its best is inseparable from moral and political philosophy'' - Michael Sandel, author of What Money Can''t Buy and JusticeFor thirty years, the centre left of politics has been searching for a narrative that makes sense of the market economy. This book provides it - John Kay, Fellow of St John''s College, Oxford and the author of Obliquity and Other People''s Money For well-to-do metropolitans, capitalism is the gift that goes on giving. For others, capitalism is not working. Paul Collier deploys passion, pragmatism and good economics in equal measure to chart an alternative to the divisions tearing apart so many western countries. -Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of EnglandTrade ReviewCollier is one of the UK's most distinguished economists. In this important book, he analyses what has gone wrong with contemporary capitalism, focusing on the growing divide between the educated and the less educated and between booming metropolis and the declining provinces. Rejecting the illusions of the ideologues and the populists, he puts forward pragmatic, provocative and perceptive ways to deliver widely shared prosperity, by restoring an ethical basis to our national politics, companies and families. -- Martin Wolf, The Best Books of 2018 * Financial Times *I'm a big fan of Paul Collier. When I saw that The Future of Capitalism was about the polarization we're seeing in the U.S., Europe, and other places, I was eager to see what he had to say. I'm glad I did. The Future of Capitalism is an ambitious and thought-provoking book. . . . I think he is right more often than not. Ultimately, I agree with him that 'capitalism needs to be managed, not defeated.' -- Bill Gates, Summer Reading Recommendations 2019These times are in desperate need of Paul Collier's insights. The Future of Capitalism restores common sense to our views of morality, as it also describes their critical role in what makes families, organizations, and nations work. It is the most revolutionary work of social science since Keynes. Let's hope it will also be the most influential -- George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001For me the most gripping [2018 book on capitalism] was Paul Collier's The Future of Capitalism: a deep exploration of the ethical institutions underlying our market society -- and an impassioned argument about how to restore them. -- Jesse Norman * The New Statesman *Collier has set for himself [the task] to re-establish the ethical character of social democracy. This is an important book for anyone concerned at the state of modern politics and our liberal democracies. -- Jon Cruddas MPThis book is not an easy read but it is an important one - the revenge of the clever provincial biting the metropolitan hand that has fed him so generously. -- David Goodhart * Evening Standard *In this bold work of intellectual trespass, Paul Collier, a distinguished economist, ventures onto the terrain of ethics to explain what's gone wrong with capitalism, and how to fix it. To heal the divide between metropolitan elites and the left-behind, he argues, we need to rediscover an ethic of belonging, patriotism, and reciprocity. Offering inventive solutions to our current impasse, Collier shows how economics at its best is inseparable from moral and political philosophy' -- Michael Sandel, author of What Money Can’t Buy and JusticeFor thirty years, the centre left of politics has been searching for a narrative that makes sense of the market economy. This book provides it -- John Kay, Fellow of St John's College, Oxford and the author of Obliquity and Other People's MoneyFor well-to-do metropolitans, capitalism is the gift that goes on giving. For others, capitalism is not working. Paul Collier deploys passion, pragmatism and good economics in equal measure to chart an alternative to the divisions tearing apart so many western countries. -- Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England

Read more less

Book SynopsisAcclaim for previous edition:'Benjamin J. Cohen's Advanced Introduction to International Political Economy evaluates the fragmented intellectual landscape of international political economy and suggests points of convergence, if not integration, among its varied elements. His analysis is wide-ranging and balanced, geographically and in its examination of a variety of standpoints; it is engaging in its combination of sympathy and criticism. All advanced students of the field will benefit from reading it.'- Robert O. Keohane, Princeton University, US Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Now in its second edition, Benjamin J. Cohen's introduction provides a comprehensive and up-to-date global survey of the field of international political economy. With detailed discussions regarding the divergent paths of different schools of thought in the field, this unique guide explores the links between contending factions. This Advanced Introduction gives students access to the multiple analytical styles and traditions of all perspectives in this rich field of study. Key features of the second edition: ? Concise introduction to the field in an accessible, non-technical form updated with the most recent discussions in IPE? Further in depth analysis of the most established American and British schools of IPE? Extended discussion of other key regions contributing to IPE, including Continental Europe, Latin America, Australia, Canada and China. Written in a concise and dynamic style, this Advanced Introduction serves as a thoughtful entry point text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as being an excellent go-to resource for scholars specializing in international political economy.Trade ReviewAcclaim for previous edition:'There is no better guide through the terrain of international political economy. Jerry Cohen has been a major contributor since the contemporary field emerged in the late 1960s at the intersection of international relations and international economics. He remains a superbly clear writer with first-hand knowledge of the key developments in what is now a truly global discipline. I recommend this book enthusiastically for introductory courses at the undergraduate or graduate levels.' --Louis W. Pauly, University of Toronto, Canada'A concise, readable and deeply informed survey of different approaches to international political economy. Essential reading for students in the field. Even advanced professionals will appreciate the diversity of perspectives examined. Cohen aims to create a more open field of IPE that appreciates and learns from difference. This book is a major contribution towards that goal.' --David A. Lake, University of California, San Diego, US'Jerry Cohen occupies that rare position from which, when he defines a field, other people sit up and take notice. Here, his experience, insight and vision are brought to bear on how best to define international political economy (IPE) for students who are already familiar with its basic subject matter. Written with his usual panache and in his usual engaging prose, this is a must-read book for both advanced students of IPE and the people who teach them.' --Matthew Watson, University of Warwick, UKTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. The American school 3. America’s “Left-Out” 4. The British school 5. Britain’s “Far-Out” 6. Continental Europe 7. Latin America 8. China 9. The geography of IPE 10. What have we learned? Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmericans across the political spectrum have turned away from free market capitalism, calling for more government intervention into the economy. This optimistic book explains how a dynamic, Commercial Republic that benefits all Americans is still possible."Will someone intent on changing the direction of America’s economy seize on this text and send it far and wide?”—Hugh Hewitt, author, attorney, and national host of The Hugh Hewitt Show“Markets grounded in a commercial republic are what America needs. Gregg shows why.” —Vernon L. Smith, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor of Business Economics and Law at Chapman UniversityOne of America’s greatest success stories is its economy. For over a century, it has been the envy of the world. The opportunity it generates has inspired millions of people to want to become American.Today, however, America’s economy is at a crossroads. Many have lost confidence in the country’s commitment to economic liberty. Across the political spectrum, many want the government to play an even greater role in the economy via protectionism, industrial policy, stakeholder capitalism, or even quasi-socialist policies. Numerous American political and business leaders are embracing these ideas, and traditional defenders of markets have struggled to respond to these challenges in fresh ways. Then there is a resurgent China bent on eclipsing the United States’s place in the world. At stake is not only the future of the world’s biggest economy, but the economic liberty that remains central to America’s identity as a nation.But managed decline and creeping statism do not have to be America’s only choices, let alone its destiny. For this book insists that there is an alternative. And that is a vibrant market economy grounded on entrepreneurship, competition, and trade openness, but embedded in what America’s founding generation envisaged as the United States’s future: a dynamic Commercial Republic that takes freedom, commerce, and the common good of all Americans seriously, and allows America as a sovereign-nation to pursue and defend its interests in a dangerous world without compromising its belief in the power of economic freedom.Trade Review“Read this powerful argument from Samuel Gregg as to why faith in the American Experiment in liberty under law requires us to reject economic nationalist trends toward protectionism, the use of industrial policy, and other interventions in the pursuit of transient and populist agendas. Markets grounded in a commercial republic are what America needs. Gregg shows why.”—Vernon L. Smith, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor of Business Economics and Law at Chapman University“We’re long overdue for a morally compelling defense of the market economy—one that avoids the errors of utilitarian dogma and the absolutizing of individual autonomy. In the great and neglected tradition of Adam Smith, Samuel Gregg has given us a philosophical treatment of economic questions that places moral and political concerns front and center while bringing to bear empirical knowledge and sophisticated technical expertise.” —Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University“In The Next American Economy, Samuel Gregg creatively distinguishes between the forces of state capitalism and the free market economy. For the latter to succeed and benefit all people, he shows us, with fascinating historical examples, that America must do much more than follow sound economics. It must embrace all the ideas that made America strong.” —John B. Taylor, Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics at Stanford University, George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution“Could we get Samuel Gregg’s book into the hands of every high school senior and graduating college student, please? Will someone intent on changing the direction of America’s economy seize on this text and send it far and wide? Gregg has written a book for broad audiences that should be read from East to West, North to South—by the young, but also by those older among us who have forgotten the purpose of the American story in a dangerous world. Exhortations alone cannot carry forward renewed faith in the American way of capitalism. It must be explained. This is what Gregg has done and in a winsome, winning fashion. Read and pass it on. Purchase it again and again.”—Hugh Hewitt, author, attorney, and national host of The Hugh Hewitt Show“For years, movements that reject free trade and advocate for industrial policy have gained traction on the right. They have yet to receive a cogent response from conservatives who recognize the U.S. economy’s problems—especially those associated with a belligerent China—but who also reject economic nationalism as a solution. Samuel Gregg has produced the response that we need. The Next American Economy is a perfect storm. It acknowledges today’s challenges, rebuts economic nationalist policies, and makes a fresh case for a market economy grounded in sound economics and the wisdom of America’s first principles. We will be talking about this books for years. For my money, it represents the defining book in addressing this vital topic.”—David L. Bahnsen, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of The Bahnsen Group, host of National Review’s Capital Record podcast, and regular guest on Fox Business, CNBC, and Bloomberg

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Resource Nationalism in Indonesia, Eve Warburton traces nationalist policy trajectories in Indonesia back to the preferences of big local business interests. Commodity booms often prompt more nationalist policy styles in resource-rich countries. Usually, this nationalist push weakens once a boom is over. But in Indonesia, a major global exporter of coal, palm oil, nickel, and other minerals, the intensity of nationalist policy interventions increased after the early twenty-first-century commodity boom came to an end. Equally puzzling, the state applied nationalist policies unevenly across the land and resource sectors. Resource Nationalism in Indonesia explains these trends by examining the economic and political benefits that accrue to domestic business actors when commodity prices soar. Warburton shows how the centrality of patronage to Indonesia's democratic political economy, and the growing importance of mining and palm oil as drivers of export earnings, enhanced both the instrumental and structural power of major domestic companies, giving them new influence over the direction of nationalist change.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW IN PAPERBACK The book the American Prospect calls “an essential resource for future reformers on how not to govern,” by America’s leading defender of the public interest and a bestselling historian “An essential read for those who want to fight the assault on public goods and the commons.” —Naomi Klein A sweeping exposé of the ways in which private interests strip public goods of their power and diminish democracy, the hardcover edition of The Privatization of Everything elicited a wide spectrum of praise: Kirkus Reviews hailed it as “a strong, economics-based argument for restoring the boundaries between public goods and private gains,” Literary Hub featured the book on a Best Nonfiction list, calling it “a far-reaching, comprehensible, and necessary book,” and Publishers Weekly dubbed it a “persuasive takedown of the idea that the private sector knows best.” From Diane Ravitch (“an important new book about the dangers of privatization”) to Heather McGhee (“a well-researched call to action”), the rave reviews mirror the expansive nature of the book itself, covering the impact of privatization on every aspect of our lives, from water and trash collection to the justice system and the military. Cohen and Mikaelian also demonstrate how citizens can—and are—wresting back what is ours: A Montana city took back its water infrastructure after finding that they could do it better and cheaper. Colorado towns fought back well-funded campaigns to preserve telecom monopolies and hamstring public broadband. A motivated lawyer fought all the way to the Supreme Court after the state of Georgia erected privatized paywalls around its legal code. “Enlightening and sobering” (Rosanne Cash), The Privatization of Everything connects the dots across a wide range of issues and offers what Cash calls “a progressive voice with a firm eye on justice [that] can carefully parse out complex issues for those of us who take pride in citizenship.”Trade ReviewPraise for The Privatization of Everything:“Deserves a wide readership, and would be an informative and appropriate addition to courses in urban politics and public administration, but also potentially courses on democratic theory, American politics, and contemporary political economy. ”—Journal of Urban Affairs“Cohen and Mikaelian have written a seminal book on how government went wrong in the age of Reagan—an essential resource for future reformers on how not to govern.”—The American Prospect“Privatization has become disturbingly widespread, as Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian show in their new book, The Privatization of Everything, seeping into every aspect of our society, from our schools, to our food inspection, to weather forecasting, to even the administration of our public welfare systems.”—The New Republic“A strong, economics-based argument for restoring the boundaries between public goods and private gains.”—Kirkus Reviews “[An] impassioned and well-informed cri de coeur that the decades-long trend of privatizing public services in the U.S. has been a disaster for the average citizen.”—Publishers Weekly "The Privatization of Everything is not just an invaluable critique of corporate America’s fifty-year campaign to turn public goods into private profit centers—it also includes reproducible examples of successful anti-privatization fights.”—Labor Notes “The book demonstrates why racial justice is a foundational principle for our democracy and how the racialized dismantling of the public is an attack on our core values as a nation. Racial justice and democracy are inextricably intertwined, and we cannot have one without the other. Both require robust public institutions driven by our values. The authors provide compelling, detailed and unassailable history and case studies on how privatization impoverishes our government and divides our people from each other. It is a powerful call to end these practices and build our public institutions through an equitable vision. We would be wise to heed that call.”—Glenn Harris, president, Race Forward“From water systems to private prisons, charter schools to exclusive patents on life-saving drugs, Cohen and Mikaelian describe an astonishing array of privatization scams and schemes and, helpfully, where some communities are successfully resisting.”—Annie Leonard, executive director, Greenpeace USA, and author of The Story of Stuff “Brilliantly distills and illustrates the critically important idea that our public goods should be controlled by the American people.”—Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains “Connects the dots between privatization and our current political crisis, showing how it has been enabled by and fed racism and the deterioration of our democratic culture. A must-read for policymakers and activists who want to rebuild government and democracy.”—Deepak Bhargava, distinguished lecturer, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, and former director, Center for Community Change “A well-researched call to action that reveals with crystal clarity the stakes of the stealth project to destroy the commons.”—Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together “A compelling and poignant case for why our public goods deserve to be in the hands of the public and how privatization exploits our most vulnerable while exacerbating social, political, health, and economic barriers to equality.”—Rosa DeLauro, congresswoman and author of The Least Among Us “Brings us up to speed on one of the most important shifts in our political economy in a generation. And somehow makes it a fun read!”—George Geohl, director, People’s Action “Exposes with incredible detail and acuity the market-driven, anti-government ideology that now pervades every corner of our society, and offers a rousing defense of public goods as essential to our collective well-being.”—Astra Taylor, author of Democracy May Not Exist, but We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone “The issue of privatization is one of the subtlest, most insidious bait-and-switch schemes of the last century. It happened gradually but relentlessly, and so it is the hardest kind of problem to address. The Privatization of Everything tells us how. Every American should read this book.”—Abigail Disney, activist and filmmaker “A dozen years ago, after years of organizing against and research about privatization as it spread across all sectors, we concluded that ‘Damn! They really do want it all.’ The Privatization of Everything skillfully documents the extent to which this is even more true today, and how we can fight to take back what’s rightfully ours.”—Si Kahn and Elizabeth Minnich, authors of The Fox in the Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy “A passionate defense of the idea of public goods and a detailed account of the myriad problems that are caused by turning them over to private corporations. Exploring the gritty, compromised way that privatization actually works cuts through ideological celebrations of the market’s glories and offers a political language with which to defend the public sector.”—Kim Phillips-Fein, author of Invisible Hands: The Businessmen’s Crusade Against the New Deal“Pulls the lid off one of the longest cons in American history—the wholesale privatization of public goods, which enriches the wealthy and corporations while immiserating everyone else. For the last four decades we’ve been scammed into selling our infrastructure, our public health, and even our drinking water to for-profit businesses. This book cogently explains how we can stop the scammers and retake the public sector, creating a more prosperous future for everyone.”—Nick Hanauer, entrepreneur and author of It’s Never Our Fault (And Other Shameless Excuses)“The Privatization of Everything reveals how the private sector has taken over public functions—from providing clean water to forecasting the weather—long performed better and less expensively by government agencies, and how taking back public control will make us a better, healthier country.”—David Michaels, former administrator of OSHA and author of The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception “Pulls back the curtain on the multi-decade effort by profiteers to privatize and monetize America’s public goods at the expense of the American people. This book is a must-read for anyone who values the importance of our public schools, libraries, transit and health systems and a clean and healthy environment in creating vibrant communities and a strong democracy. Public goods are indeed for the common good and it’s vital we turn the tide on the privatization agenda that has only succeeded in draining our communities and making the rich richer and Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian give us the road map to do just that.”—Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers “Enlightening and sobering. It is a relief to have a progressive voice with a firm eye on justice who can carefully parse out complex issues for those of us who take pride in citizenship, and have a deep interest in policy.”—Rosanne Cash “In the face of pandemic and catastrophic climate change, our atomized, privatized society does not and cannot provide for our well-being. The Privatization of Everything explains how we arrived at this critical juncture and where we must go from here. This fascinating, lively book reveals how, over decades, the American public’s power over essential goods, including everything from water and roads to education and health care, has been transferred into the hands of corporate entities that, by definition, seek private profit over the public interest. It is a clarion call to reclaim our citizenship and rebuild the public sphere.”—Vanessa Williamson, senior fellow, Brookings Institution, and author of Read My Lips: Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes “The Privatization of Everything warns of the dangers of leaving our collective future and well-being in the hands of private market interest alone. We lose sight of our interdependence and create barriers to the care and support we all need. The book’s clarion call for a movement for the public good is just what we need to build a caring economy and society, rooted in the complexities of humanity.”—Ai-jen Poo, executive director, National Domestic Workers Alliance “An important and groundbreaking book, detailing the decades-long campaign/grift to turn public goods and services into private profit-centers. Instead of saving the taxpayer’s money, the scheme enriched private business at the expense of both our pocketbooks and civic life. We’ve been had and Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian show us exactly how the scheme worked—and what we as Americans can do to fight back.”—Helaine Olen, author of Pound Foolish “In The Privatization of Everything, Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian expose how right-wing ideology and class profit-seeking masquerading as social science undermined our national interests and values over many decades. Cohen and Mikaelian reframe the concepts of democracy, freedom, competition, and efficiency in this timely and essential book.”—Thea Mei Lee, deputy undersecretary for International Labor Affairs and former president of the Economic Policy Institute “Nearly fifty years ago, large corporations and their Wall Street backers adopted a two-pronged strategy to seize power: they would use monopolization to concentrate control over our markets and privatization to assume the authority of government itself. This smart and engaging book moves far beyond the conventional debates about privatization. Filled with shocking stories of the cooptation of democracy by corporate interests, it shows that what’s at stake is nothing short of our liberty as a free and self-governing people.”—Stacy Mitchell, co-director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance “Essential reading for understanding big business’s movement to privatize public goods and how we can fight back and create an economy that works for all.”—Dorian Warren, president, Community Change

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“When Wall Street, world governments, and radical activists join forces in the name of ‘saving the planet,’ there can only be one goal: they get richer, while everyone else gets poorer. You Will Own Nothing is a well-researched and well-written wakeup call to everyone who wants to make sure that this does not happen.” — MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER, founder and president of Environmental Progress and bestselling author of San Fransicko and Apocalypse Never “If you don’t want to lose everything, own nothing, and live on a diet of bugs, then buy Carol Roth’s You Will Own Nothing—your battle plan for surviving the war with the new financial world order.” — DANA LOESCH, host of the nationally syndicated Dana Show and bestselling author “When it comes to who really rules the world and what kind of future they are shaping for the rest of us, so many things whispered and dismissed over the years have come into clear and undeniable focus. It’s not enough to know what’s happening and simply complain. Carol has laid out a plan for how to fight back and win.” — CHARLES PAYNE, CEO of Wall Street Strategies and television anchor

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A powerful case for limitarianism—the idea that we should set a maximum on how much resources one individual can appropriate. A must-read!" —Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First CenturyAn original, bold, and convincing argument for a cap on wealth by the philosopher who coined the term "limitarianism."How much money is too much? Is it ethical, and democratic, for an individual to amass a limitless amount of wealth, and then spend it however they choose? Many of us feel that the answer to that is no—but what can we do about it?Ingrid Robeyns has long written and argued for the principle she calls "limitarianism"—or the need to limit extreme wealth. This idea is gaining momentum in the mainstream – with calls to "tax the rich" and slogans like "every billionaire is a policy failure"—but what does it mean in practice?Robeyns explains the key reasons to support the case against extreme wealth: It keeps the poor poor and inequalities growing It’s often dirty money It undermines democracy It’s one of the leading causes of climate change Nobody actually deserves to be a millionaire There are better things to do with excess money The rich will benefit, too This will be the first authoritative trade book to unpack the concept of a cap on wealth, where to draw the line, how to collect the excess and what to do with the money. In the process, Robeyns will ignite an urgent debate about wealth, one that calls into question the very forces we live by (capitalism and neoliberalism) and invites us to a radical reimagining of our world.Trade Review"A powerful case for limitarianism – the idea that we should set a maximum on how much resources one individual can appropriate. A must-read!"—Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century"Robeyns has written an essential book from a radical point of view. It is high time someone asked the question, "Is there such a thing as having too much money?" Along with its corollary question, 'So what are we going to do about it?' Robeyns tackles both with deep knowledge, experience and empathy." —Abigail Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist, and activist "Is it possible to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet? Definitely not in a world dominated by extreme wealth, as Ingrid Robeyns powerfully argues. This landmark book combines meticulous logic with compelling personal stories to draw everyone - from the super-rich to the super-riled - into one of the most critical public debates of our times. Read it." —Kate Raworth, bestselling author of Doughnut Economics "Limiting extreme wealth is an idea whose time has surely come and Ingrid Robeyns makes a powerful case for why this should be a priority for public and political debate. Limitarianism builds on what the epidemiology shows so clearly - inequality damages all of us and it needs to be tackled with the greatest urgency." —Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Livel "Robeyns proves that in a true democracy there are no rights without duties – no wealth without limits. Limitarianism offers a way to re-democratize wealth and thus re-socialize the richest 1%." —Marlene Engelhorn, author of Geld and co-founder of taxmenow "Many people accept that there is a threshold that no one should fall below. But few have thought that there is a threshold that no one should be free to soar above. In this wonderful book, Ingrid Robeyns presents a novel and nuanced set of arguments for just such an upper threshold. This is a model of how to bring rigorous analysis to bear on practical issues, and to do so in an engaging, humane and accessible way." —Debra Satz, author of Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale"Ingrid Robeyns raises what, historically, would be a tendentious question because in the Industrial Age a rising tide of wealth tended to lift yachts and dinghies alike. But in our Digital Age yachts proliferate while dinghies get swamped. Robeyns’ argument that top heavy wealth is sinking living standards for the many, spreading economic fear that authoritarians exploit is sound and her thoughtful ideas for reining in extreme wealth are provocative."—David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Perfectly Legal, Free Lunch, and It's Even Worse Than You Think"Effortlessly navigating between ethics, political theory, economics and public policy, Ingrid Robeyns’ nuanced and persuasive defence of limitarianism is also a much-needed manifesto for reimagining political institutions." —Lea Ypi, author of Free: Coming of Age at the End of History "Robeyns delivers an urgent, thought provoking treatise that is both a compelling critique of limitless inequality and an imaginative account of a world without the superrich." —Peter Geoghegan, author of Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics "The best case I've read for putting an upper limit on the accumulation of wealth. Even the super-rich might be glad if there was a finishing line!" —Richard Wilkinson, bestselling author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level (with Kate Pickett)"There is a limit beyond which additional wealth can’t do much to enhance its owner’s life or happiness. But our economic system generates fortunes far beyond any such limit. Is the existence of billionaires and multi-millionaires a necessary feature of a system that makes everyone better off in the long run? Or is it one of the sources of the growing inequality and political breakdown that we see today? Ingrid Robyens makes a convincing case that an upper limit on wealth would be good for society as a whole and even for the wealthy themselves." —John Quiggin, author of Zombie Economics"Ingrid Robeyns makes a compelling case for limiting extreme wealth, along economic, political and moral lines—and outlines the structural, fiscal and ethical actions required to achieve this. This argument has never been more important, and this book is a persuasive call to action." —Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts AmherstTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: How much is too much?Chapter 2: Keeping the poor poor while inequalities growChapter 3: Dirty moneyChapter 4: Undermining democracyChapter 5: Setting the world on fireChapter 6: Nobody deserves to be a multimillionaireChapter 7: There’s so much we can do with excess moneyChapter 8: Philanthropy is not the answerChapter 9: The rich will benefit, tooConclusion: the road ahead

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 2020 World Happiness Report ranked Finland, for the third year running, as the world’s happiest country. The "Nordic Model" has long been touted as the aspiration for social and public policy in Europe and North America, but what is it about Finland that makes the country so successful and seemingly such a great place to live? Is it simply the level of government spending on health, education and welfare? Is it that Finland has one of the lowest rates of social inequality and childhood poverty, and highest levels of literacy and education? Finland clearly has problems of its own – for example, a high level of gun ownership and high rates of suicide – which can make Finns sceptical of their ranking, but its consistently high performance across a range of well-being indicators does raise fascinating questions. In the quest for the best of all possible societies, Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen explore what we might learn from Finnish success.Trade ReviewAs inequality reaches eye-watering levels around the world, this book contains some fascinating and important lessons on how policies like progressive taxation and investing in public services can lead to more equal – and happier - societies. -- Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, Oxfam GBAn absorbing, insightful and scholarly book, grounded in emancipatory hope and humility, that captures the very essence of why Finland has become one of the most equitable countries in a highly unequal world. -- Paul Stepney, Adjunct Professor of Social Work, Tampere University, FinlandFinland is one of the fairest, most inclusive and dynamic countries to live in. This is not because it is small or culturally homogeneous, or enjoys a great deal of oil wealth. As Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen show us in this marvellous book, it is because of what Finns have learned about ‘caring for each other more and more cleverly’ over recent decades. We would do well to follow their example. -- Simon Reid-Henry, Reader in Geography, Queen Mary University of London, and Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute in OsloFinntopia is the remarkable story of a country on Europe’s perceived fringes that should instead be in the centre of our view for creating a better society. Dorling and Koljonen provide a compelling picture of why Finland may not be the Utopia that it sometimes is portrayed as, but can still teach us many lessons about a different kind of politics, one that has the interest of people at its heart. -- Benjamin Hennig, Professor of Geography, University of IcelandAmong the world’s countries, Finland ranks at or near the top in air quality, education, equality, happiness, honest government, milk consumption, opportunities for children, preparedness, safety, trust in its police, and many other things. Eighty years ago, most of those things were not true. How did Finland become so successful, so quickly, across such a broad spectrum? How can other countries achieve Finland’s happiness? Read this wonderful book, and learn the answers! -- Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography, UCLA, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and SteelGood enough to be true – just like the story of Finland. -- Anna Sievala, journalist, Joensuu... in simple terms, the image of Finland I see in your book is precisely how I see things. -- Markku Loytonen, Professor of Geography, University of HelsinkiA fascinating book which reads like a detective story. It makes one wonder if the secret behind the happiness of Finns is their ignorance of their own happiness. There is much to learn from Finntopia, even for a native Finn. -- Juha Kaakinen, chief executive of the Y-Foundation (that has built 6,500 homes for the homeless in Finland)Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen's portrait of Finland's socio-political system and history is a thought-provoking read. They convincingly demonstrate that the most profitable investment any institution or country can make is to invest in the well-being, education, and capabilities of its people. -- Mikko Weckroth, postdoctoral researcher, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability ScienceTable of ContentsPart 1 Context1. The geography, geology, climate and weather2. History and politics3. The economy since 1945 Part 2 Social Policy4. Childhood5. Adulthood6. Old age and health Part 3 The Future7. Austerity, populism, Europe and the immediate future8. Demography and environmental challenges9. Attempts to overcome success fatigue

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis powerful book shows how poor countries can ignite growth without waitingfor global action or the creation of ideal local conditions.Trade Review"Shortlisted for the 2018 Africa-Asia ICAS Book Prize, International Convention of Asia Scholars and Association for Asian Studies in Africa"

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I could not recommend this more. If you're looking for a sense of optimism, a sense of political possibility, this book is very important' Owen JonesWhat would a fair and equal society actually look like?Imagine a world with no banks. No stock market. No tech giants. No billionaires.In Another Now world-famous economist, Yanis Varoufakis, shows us what such a world would look like. Far from being a fantasy, he describes how it could have come about - and might yet. But would we really want it?Varoufakis's boundary-breaking new book confounds expectations of what the good society would look like and confronts us with the greatest question: are we able to build a better society, despite our flaws.'A vision of a new society with new ways of thinking is possibly the most important thing an artist can offer at the moment' Brian EnoTrade ReviewCombining a provocative thought-experiment with a deeply original sci-fi narrative, this book is both visionary in its search for new possibilities and realistic in its embrace of the complexities of our human nature -- Alfonso Cuarón, Oscar-winning Director of Roma and GravityA landmark work ... A vision of a new society with new ways of thinking is possibly the most important thing an artist can offer at the moment -- Brian EnoI am enjoying Yanis Varoufakis's Another Now. The way we live is not inevitable -- Jeanette WintersonI could not recommend this more. If you're looking for a sense of optimism, a sense of political possibility, this book is very important -- Owen JonesFrom @yanisvaroufakis' sf novel ANOTHER NOW, the absolute best description of the scam of #InvestmentBanking I've ever read * Cory Doctorow on Twitter *There is something exciting, even invigorating, about envisioning this world alongside Varoufakis ... one finishes Another Now buzzing with a sense of possibility * The Monthly *Another Now is structurally, ideologically and linguistically an extraordinary work -- Zoe WilliamsI've absolutely loved reading [Another Now] ... the second I started reading it, it surprised and intrigued me -- Matthew Taylor, RSAAnother Now is not only a marvellously good read - it is a notable addition to the literature of social change * The Wire *The reason Varoufakis seems to have captured the imaginations of so many is that his words about the European crisis speak universal truths about democracy, capitalism and social policy * Guardian *One of my few heroes -- Slavoj ZizekThe most interesting man in the world * Business Insider *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA challenge to the conventional wisdom surrounding financial risk, providing insight into why easy solutions to control the financial system are doomed to failTrade Review“In The Illusion of Control, [Daníelsson] argues that putting central banks in charge of financial stability is an error because they face ‘a complex, ill-defined policy domain for which there is no clear consensus on either the problem or the objective.’ So, the enterprise is doomed to fail. Separate agencies, with more direct political accountability, are needed for that task.”—Sir Howard Davies, The Guardian“In this thought-provoking book, Jón Daníelsson, professor of finance at the London School of Economics, offers five recommendations. First, ‘the real danger is endogenous risk,’ that is, the risks the system itself creates. Second, models of risk will always miss what matters. Third, remember the objectives of regulation. Fourth, think globally, not locally. Finally, encourage a diverse financial system, not a monoculture.”—Martin Wolf, Financial Times, “Best Books of 2022: Economics”“Daníelsson dives into why financial crises happen. His explanations also lay waste to conventional thinking.”—Mike Berner, The Tycoonist“Jón Daníelsson provides a fascinating synthesis of systemic financial crises, based on theoretical and empirical research.”—George Inderst, IPE“Too little financial regulation or too much of the wrong kind? Whatever your view, Jón Daníelsson’s lively account and richly informed discussion will surely intrigue you and challenge preconceptions.”—Patrick Honohan, former governor, Central Bank of Ireland“Financial regulators should be required to read this book. It shows in sparkling and non-technical language what aspects of risk can, and frequently cannot, be measured. Anyone concerned with portfolio management should read it.”—Charles Goodhart, London School of Economics“Jón Daníelsson makes a compelling case for a fundamental re-think in the approach to risk management taken by both financial services firms and their regulators. Those charged with the management, governance and regulation of risk—either at the level of an entity or an economy—should benefit enormously from Jón ’s alternative framework.”—Lutfey Siddiqi, Risk Management Institute, National University of Singapore“Is international cooperation on regulatory standards stifling good risk taking, leading to bad risk taking? Refreshingly critical, The Illusion of Control is an important contribution to the ongoing mapping of financial risk.”—Yves Mersch, former ECB board member and vice-chair, Single Supervisory Mechanism

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardA New York Times technology and business reporter charts the dramatic rise of Bitcoin and the fascinating personalities who are striving to create a new global money for the Internet age.Digital Gold is New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper''s brilliant and engrossing history of Bitcoin, the landmark digital money and financial technology that has spawned a global social movement.The notion of a new currency, maintained by the computers of users around the world, has been the butt of many jokes, but that has not stopped it from growing into a technology worth billions of dollars, supported by the hordes of followers who have come to view it as the most important new idea since the creation of the Internet. Believers from Beijing to Buenos Aires see the potential for a financial system free from banks and governments. More than just a tech industry fad, Bitcoin has threatened to decentralize some of society''s most basic institutions.An unusual tale of group invention, Digital Gold charts the rise of the Bitcoin technology through the eyes of the movement''s colorful central characters, including an Argentinian millionaire, a Chinese entrepreneur, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Bitcoin''s elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Already, Bitcoin has led to untold riches for some, and prison terms for others.Trade ReviewLively and thorough... a vivid guide to the characters who met online and built bitcoin -- John Gapper * Financial Times *An amazing story... crucial reading for anyone who wants to understand the future -- Walter Isaacson, author of The InnovatorsAn elegant, thrilling tour-de-force, the fast-paced action never stops in the ongoing quest to create something the world has never seen before -- William D. Cohan, author of House of CardsA highly readable and informative account of the early years of a technology-cryptocurrency-that may one day turn out to be almost as significant as the internet itself... a tech thriller -- John Naughton * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough economics, our politicians have the power to transform people's lives for better or worse. Think Deng Xiaoping who lifted millions out of poverty by opening up China; Franklin D Roosevelt whose 'New Deal' helped the USA break free of the Great Depression. Or Peron and his successors in Argentina who brought the country to the brink of ruin.In this magisterial history, economist and politician Vince Cable examines the legacy of 16 world leaders who transformed their countries' economic fortunes and who also challenged economic convention. From Thatcher to Trump, from Lenin to Bismarck, Money and Power provides a whole new perspective on the science of government. Examining the fascinating interplay of economics and politics, this is a compelling journey through some of the most significant people and events of the last 300 years.Trade ReviewVince Cable brings economics to life in this thrilling history, revealing how 16 leading politicians over the last 250 years have used it in their own totally different ways to make the world anew. * Sir Anthony Seldon, author of May at 10 *A wonderful journey through the economic ideas that have shaped leading politicians throughout history. * Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of LSE *Impressive... The essay on Robert Peel lucidly explains his pioneering influence on the politics of trade. Similarly, thechapter on Juan Peron is an excellent summary of his political career as prime minister and the Peronist model of government and economics. * Irish Times *From Hamilton and Lenin to Abe and Trump, these brilliant essays are true to the dictum that 'people don't believe in ideas, they believe in people who believe in ideas'. This is a book which will change the way you think about politics and the leaders and ideas which have driven it forward in the last three centuries. * Lord Andrew Adonis *Vince Cable brings out with spectacular clarity how important and radical leaders end up combining economic theory, political ideology and practical administration. This book needs to be read by anyone who is interested in how the world's economies are really run. * Sir Oliver Letwin *Money and Power provides a masterly analysis of how economic policy has determined the success and failure of political leaders through the ages. * Vicky Pryce, former Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service *As a former policymaker, Cable has an eye for the sort of political detail that brings a historical episode to life. It's an accessible read that helps us see the long-standing links between money and power all over the world. * Linda Yueh, author of The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today *Cable shows the influence of leaders in the course of history and the influence of economic ideas on their thoughts and actions. A brilliant project and splendidly delivered. * Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, LSE *A fast-paced, highly readable account of political leaders who transformed their countries - for better or worse - through the economic ideologies of their time. As an economist turned politician, Vince Cable is uniquely placed to provide a critical, but fair judgment of those who have shaped today's major economies. * Dame DeAnne Julius, senior adviser, Chatham House *A lucid, erudite analysis of the global economy, and Britain's place in it. * Observer on After the Storm *A remarkably rounded work... Cable has produced a book that makes a serious and relevant contribution to the continuing debate about banking, infrastructure, housing, China, executive pay, short-termism and many of the other topics which continue to top the business and political agenda. * Evening Standard on After the Storm *The undisputed heavyweight champion of the credit crunch in parliament'. * Robert Peston *Table of Contents0: Introduction: Politicians and the Politics of Economics 1: Hamilton: The Economic Founding Father 2: Peel: Free Trade 3: Bismarck: The Economics of 'Iron and Blood' 4: Lenin: From War Communism to State Capitalism 5: Roosevelt: The Keynesian Revolution Without Keynes 6: Erhard: The Social Market and Ordoliberalism 7: Erlander: The Social Democratic Model Made Real 8: Perón: Peronism and Economic Populism 9: Park: The Development State and Hypergrowth 10: Lee: The Eclectic Economics of Lee Kuan Yew 11: Thatcher: Thatcherism and Its Cousin, Reaganomics 12: Deng: China's Economic Architect 13: Manmohan Singh: The Quiet Reformer 14: Balcerowicz: Big Bang Theory and Practice 15: Abe: Japan Pioneers Abenomics 16: Trump: Trumponomics, Economic Nationalism and Pluto-populism 17: Conclusion: Sixteen Politicians: Sixteen Varieties of Economics

Read more less