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Book SynopsisCan the Euro be saved? Should it be?Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz dismantles the prevailing consensus around what ails Europe - arguing that economic stagnation is a direct result of the Euro''s flawed birth, demolishing the champions of austerity and offering solutions that can rescue the continent from further devastation.''Stiglitz could hardly have timed The Euro better ... one of those economists with a rare ability to help readers understand complex ideas'' Philip Aldrick, The Times''Original, hard-hitting ... Much more than a demolition job. These chapters are full of constructive proposals'' Martin Sandbu, Financial Times''Terrific and clarifying'' Peter Goodman, The New York Times''Coolly analytical ... he is surely right: without a radical overhaul of its workings, the Euro seems all but certain to fail'' EconomistTrade ReviewHighly readable ... passionately written ... this important book will unnerve millions * Sunday Telegraph *Stiglitz could hardly have timed The Euro better ... one of those economists with a rare ability to help readers understand complex ideas -- Philip Aldrick * The Times *Coolly analytical ... he is surely right: without a radical overhaul of its workings, the Euro seems all but certain to fail * Economist *

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Book SynopsisIn the 1840s, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was barely more than a trading post nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River. But by 1900 the sleepy frontier town had become a thriving city. Hinterland Dreams tracks the growth of this community and shows that government institutions and policies were as important as landscapes and urban boosters in determining the small Midwestern city''s success. The businessmen and -women of La Crosse worked hard to attract government support during the nineteenth century. Federal, state, and municipal officials passed laws, issued rulings, provided resources, vested aldermen with financial and regulatory power, and created a lasting legal foundation that transformed the city and its economy. As historian Eric J. Morser demonstrates, the development of La Crosse and other small cities linked rural people to the wider world and provided large cities like Chicago with the lumber and other raw materials needed to grow even larger. He emphasizes the rTrade Review"An enjoyable and innovative look into the forging of American individualism and exceptionalism." * Urban History *"From the perspective of a small city in the Midwest, Morser impressively contributes to our understanding of how the 'hinterland dreams' of a small city could affect regional development." * Journal of American History *"Good history occasionally intersects with good storytelling to create a remarkable result. This book is one such happy achievement. . . . Fascinating . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *"Hinterland Dreams is a clearly written, well organized, and thoroughly researched work. Urban history has focused on the giants like Chicago. Smaller cities have largely been neglected until now. By examining La Crosse, Wisconsin, Morser breaks new ground and offers a needed reminder of the importance of government in urban development." * Jon C. Teaford, Purdue University *Table of ContentsPrologue: Professor Turner's Audience Part I. Paving the Way Chapter One. Red Bird's Tale Chapter Two. A Story of Settlement Chapter Three. Politics and Pine Part II. Boosting Municipal Power Chapter Four. Iron Tracks to the City Chapter Five. "The Most Necessary Reformes" Part III. New Economic Voices Chapter Six. From White Beaver to Working Man Chapter Seven. Fredericka's World Conclusion. "A City of Bustling Trade" Notes Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThe West has long defined the pursuit of happiness in economic terms but now, in the wake of the 2007-8 financial crisis, it is time to think again about what constitutes our happiness.In this wide-ranging new book, the leading economist Daniel Cohen traces our current malaise back to the rise of homo economicus: for the last 200 years, the modern world has defined happiness in terms of material gain. Homo economicus has cast aside its rivals, homo ethicus and homo empathicus, and spread its neo-Darwinian logic far and wide. Yet, instead of bringing happiness, homo economicus traps human beings in a world devoid of any ideals. We are left feeling empty and dissatisfied.Today more and more people are beginning to recognize that competition and material gain are not the only things that matter in life. The central paradox of our era is that we look to the economy to give direction to our world at the very time when social needs are migrating toward sectors that arTrade Review"What are we losing, as we are increasingly pressured to define the pursuit of happiness in narrowly economic terms? That is the question Daniel Cohen asks – and indeed answers – with frequently piercing new insights in this thought-provoking combination of ancient history, sociology, psychology and alternative economics." Colin Crouch, University of Warwick "The economy is the driving force of our world but to what end? In a fascinating book, the economist Daniel Cohen offers a long-term perspective on the relation between the search for individual happiness and the market. He shows how the market, in imposing its own model and valuing competition above everything else, has disrupted the relations between human beings. The emergence and eventual triumph of Homo Economicus has led to the collapse or stagnation of the indicators of wellbeing in the most advanced countries." Libération "Find happiness, or try to achieve it: a topic addressed often in the past by literature or philosophy is now a topic for economics. In Homo Economicus, the economist Daniel Cohen shows how our ultra-competitive societies have disrupted social relations and undermined all the indicators of wellbeing. He starts from a sombre fact: never before has so much wealth been created, never have people had access to so many goods, and yet they are not happier – if anything they are less happy. Why?" Le Monde "A highly readable, thought-provoking critique." Political Studies ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgements vi Introduction 1 1 Gross Domestic Happiness 5 2 Work: A Diminishing Value 20 3 The Decline of Empire 34 4 De-Centring the World 54 5 The Great Western Crisis 76 6 Darwin's Nightmare 91 7 The Postmodern Condition 106 Conclusion 124 Notes 127 Index 145

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Book Synopsis* A robust and unflinching account of the ongoing take-over of politics by global corporations * Lifts the lid on the world of lobbying, trade negotiations and treaties, in particular the controversial TTIP and its likely ramifications for national sovereignty in Europe and in the US.Trade Review"Susan George�s work has provided deep understanding of the world in which we live. Shadow Sovereigns carries these insights further to the carefully hidden core of global decision-making, a matter of prime significance for those who hope to take their fate into their own hands in times when critical decisions will determine the future of the human experiment."Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Driven by a virulent strain of neoliberalism, the global corporate assault on democracy has now reached unprecedented and planet-cooking extremes. Nobody is better qualified than Susan George to document and dissect the inner workings of this process. The result is a book will galvanize those new to the subject while providing veteran opponents with renewed urgency and fresh insights." Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine "Susan George has found and revealed the blueprint that transnational corporations are using to conquer our political system. In this vital book, written with characteristic rigor and flair, she lifts the veil on the many mechanisms through which corporations buy politicians, manipulate global policy, and in the process render our democracy a farcical pantomime. Most importantly, Shadow Sovereigns hauls corporations out of the dark where they like to operate and shows them to be the frontline troops in the neoliberal assault on public life. George�s diagnosis that the grand Enlightenment tradition is being fatally corrupted by what she calls the Great Neoliberal Regression is chilling. But by shining a light on our new silent rulers and telling us how they work, George replenishes the intellectual armory we need to fight back." Matt Kennard, author of Irregular Army and The RacketTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Lobbies, Mega-Lobbies and How To Join Them Chapter Two: Transnational Treaties: Tailored By and For Transnational Corporations Chapter Three: “Regulatory Cooperation”: More Danger Ahead Chapter Four: Corporate Troops Invade the United Nations Chapter Five: Davos: Designer Of The Future? Conclusion

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Book SynopsisExplains what has happened in Europe following the financial crash of 2008 as a case of neo-liberal economic shock doctrine.Trade Review'Narrates this war for the European Union's integrity and basic values and devastates the vicious claim that 'there is no alternative' to our present march toward collective misery' -- Yanis Varoufakis, Finance Minister in Greece's Syriza government'Everyone should read Piketty's book, of course. But Thomas Fazi's book, The Battle for Europe, deserves an equally high place in the charts' -- Henk de Vos, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Groningen'The book really is very, very good. I am particularly grateful for Thomas Fazi analysis, and placing on record the development of the crisis in Europe and its causes. But I am also grateful for the author's insistence that the Left must rise to give political leadership to a new reformed, Europe' -- Ann Pettifor, director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME)'Combines the best tradition of investigative journalism with profound scholarly insight and splendid writing. I was myself drifting to saying goodbye to the EU altogether but reading Fazi's book convinced me that the progressive option must be followed instead' -- Kees van der Pijl, Fellow of the Centre for Global Political Economy and Professor Emeritus at the University of Sussex'A must-read' -- Steve McGiffen, Assistant Professor, American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy (AGSIRD)'A solid, well argued 'political economy' of the current crisis. It enriches left debates about the crisis and the possible exits. Its particular strength lies in its capacity to demonstrate the class-politically motivated project of austerity based on a economic analysis' -- Walter Baier, economist and coordinator the network transform! Europe'Takes us to the front line in the struggle for progressive change in Europe. Those seeking pedestrian half-measures for reform will not find them in this book. Fazi goes to the heart of sickness of the European Union and proposes the fundamental changes required to achieve a Europe fit for working people. This is an essential book for anyone seeking an escape from the current dysfunctional austerity policies' -- John Weeks, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of London'Thomas Fazi's compelling history shows how flawed institutions, a weak tax system and bank-friendly financial codes produced the Eurozone crisis, and then how that debacle was transformed, country by country, into a crisis of public debts and an assault-by-bailout on Europe's social model' -- James Galbraith, senior scholar at the Levy Economics Institute and chair of the Board of Economists for Peace and Security'A timely and valuable addition to the existing literature on the crisis of the Euro Zone. Fazi offers us a lucid and tightly argued explanation of the roots of the crisis and its evolution, culminating in a call to action' -- David Lizoain, economist and former economic advisor to the Cabinet of the President of Catalonia'Fascinating ... delves deeper into the real causes of the crisis' -- Ronald Janssen, Economic advisor, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), TransferTable of ContentsList of Figures and Tables Preface 1. The Financial Crisis 2. The Coup 3. The Real Causes of the Euro Crisis 4. From Economic Crisis to Economic Shock 5. Brave New Europe 6. Another Europe Is Possible! Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Winner of the Gyorgy Ranki Prize, Economic History Association""Essential reading for economic historians."---Anne McCants, Journal of Economic History"[A] compendious history. . . . The geographic breadth and temporal length of [Ogilvie's] coverage make The European Guilds unique."---Marc Levinson, Wall Street Journal"The new and highly comprehensive book by Sheilagh Ogilvie . . . . likely to stand as one of the more important works of economic history from the last decade."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"A major contribution to economic history and institutional economics."---Mark Koyama, The Review of Austrian Economics"A comprehensive study of European guilds."---Steven A. Epstein, H-France Review"Ogilvie has re-galvanised the debate on guilds."---Richard Goddard, Medieval Archaeology"A learned and comprehensive study of an institution that stood at the heart of the European non-agricultural economy for over seven centuries."---Jan de Vries, EH.net"Ogilvie’s wide-ranging and scrutinous analysis of craft guilds is an essential and stimulating read for all scholars interested in guilds and institutions."---Arie van Steensel, Low Countries Journal of Social and Economic History"Ogilvie’s arguments are so well established in empirical terms, and so thoroughly designed, that all those who harbor more friendly attitudes toward guilds will have serious difficulties refuting her conclusions. . . . A unique contribution to the history of guilds.—Josef Ehmer, Renaissance Quarterly"

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Book SynopsisLooks at the ways governments have supported entrepreneurs and venture capitalists across decades and continents. This title provides insights into why some public initiatives work while others are hobbled by pitfalls, and offers suggestions for how public ventures should be implemented.Trade ReviewCo-Winner of the 2010 Gold Medal Book Award in Entrepreneurship, Axiom Business Winner of the 2009 PROSE Award in Business, Finance & Management, Association of American Publishers "[S]uperb."--Edward L. Glaeser, New York Times' Economix blog "Lots of governments would like to promote high-tech entrepreneurship and venture capital in their regions--but many don't know how to do it effectively. In his new book Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Josh Lerner ... examines which types of policies to promote entrepreneurship and venture capital tend to work--and which don't. Lerner supports his carefully researched analysis with numerous examples chosen from around the globe."--MIT Sloan Management Review "Can governments spark start-up activity and job creation by getting into the venture capital business? Or do they just waste taxpayer money whenever they try? Those are the two questions that animate the new book from Harvard Business prof Josh Lerner, Boulevard of Broken Dreams... [W]hile the stories of failures are entertaining, what's most useful about Boulevard are the examples of governments that have gotten it right... [A] really readable collection of data, anecdotes, and thoughtful arguments."--Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe blog "Innovation Economy" "Today, calls for more innovation and entrepreneurship are more fashionable than ever, especially within government, where politicians and bureaucrats wastefully attempt to manufacture, via policy and subsidies, fresh batches of master agents and adventurers. But can government policy trigger entrepreneurship and subsequent growth? The title of a new book suggests not, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, by Harvard professor Josh Lerner. Much of Broken Dreams is a first-rate handbook for policy makers keen to avoid interventions that have proven track records as disasters. Lerner produces example after example of bad program design, bad implementation and plain dumb, even corrupt, policy making."--Terence Corcoran, National Post "Mr. Lerner provides more than a dozen rules of thumb for effective government intervention in the private sector."--Harry Hurt III, New York Times "[A] useful book."--David Brooks, New York Times "During economic turmoil, many look to the government to boost the economy by investing in entrepreneurship. But is that a good idea? Josh Lerner wrestles with that question in Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which considers the history of the public sector's involvement in entrepreneurship and venture capitalism--what's worked, from Silicon Valley to Singapore, and what's gone horribly awry... This book aims to steer policymakers in the right direction."--BizEd Magazine "The book is instructive, well researched and contains some wise lessons from the past in terms of the government's role in promoting entrepreneurship and growth businesses... [T]ake note, politicians and mandarins: this book can provide much-needed advice and perhaps a shortcut to developing more effective policies... [R]ecommended reading to any local economic development practitioner who takes an interest in the big policy questions of today, and [it has] direct relevance to local economic development."--Glenn Athey, Local EconomyTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments vii CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1 PART ONE: CAN BUREAUCRATS HELP ENTREPRENEURS? 23 CHAPTER TWO: A Look Backwards 25 CHAPTER THREE: Why Should Policymakers Care? 43 CHAPTER FOUR: Things Get More Complicated 65 PART TWO: THREADING THE NEEDLE 87 CHAPTER FIVE: The Neglected Art of Setting the Table 89 CHAPTER SIX: How Governments Go Wrong: Bad Designs 111 CHAPTER SEVEN: How Governments Go Wrong: Bad Implementation 137 CHAPTER EIGHT: The Special Challenges of Sovereign Funds 162 CHAPTER NINE: Lessons and Pitfalls 181 Notes 193 Index 219

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Book SynopsisThe idea that the people have a right to shape political decisions through democratic means is widely accepted. The same cannot be said of the decisions that impact on our everyday economic life in the workplace and beyond. Andrew Cumbers shows why this is wrong, and why, in the context of the rising tide of populism and the perceived crisis of liberal democracy, economic democracy's time has come. Four decades of market deregulation, financialisation, economic crisis and austerity has meant a loss of economic control and security for the majority of the world's population. The solution must involve allowing people to 'take back control' of their economic lives. Cumbers goes beyond older traditions of economic democracy to develop an ambitious new framework that includes a traditional concern with workplace rights and collective bargaining, but shifts the focus to include consideration of individual economic rights and processes of public engagement and deliberation beyond the workplace. This topical and original book will be essential reading for anyone interested in radical solutions for our economic and political crises.Trade ReviewAcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter One: A Brief History of Economic Democracy as Industrial DemocracyChapter Two: The Three Pillars of Economic DemocracyChapter Three: Putting Economic Democracy into PracticeConclusionNotesReferences

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History""Winner of the Henry Adams Book Prize, Society for History in the Federal Government""Winner of the PROSE Award in North American History, Association of American Publishers""Honorable Mention for the Theodore Saloutos Book Award, Immigration and Ethnic History Society""Finalist for the Shapiro Book Prize, The Shapiro Center for American History and Culture at The Huntington""In his superbly researched and briskly narrated The Deportation Machine, Adam Goodman, an assistant professor of history and Latin American and Latino studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, comprehensively recasts the way we think about expulsions from the US and their effects."---Julia Preston, New York Review of Books"Could not be timelier. The Deportation Machine provides new, crucial insights into the history of migrant expulsion and the origins of today's crises."---Hilary Goodfriend, NACLA Report on the Americas"The Deportation Machine is the first book to measure accurately the magnitude of exclusion and removal in modern American history. With painstaking archival work, Goodman tracks the true, and truly devastating, extent of removal policies. He makes an essential contribution."---Allison Brownell Tirres, Public Books"Adam Goodman, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, examines how immigration policies and practices have been shaped as much by those who interpret, administer, execute and enforce the laws as by those who write them. . . . Although these measures may appear extreme, distasteful and even un-American, they are, Goodman reminds us, a continuation rather than a deviation from past practices."---David Nasaw, New York Times Book Review"[A] superb history. . . . The Deportation Machine unearths policies and practices that have received scant attention and contributes immeasurably to our understanding of the dark side of immigration policy."---Susan Hartmann, H-Net Reviews"Deportation policy in the United States is nonsensical because it is determined by two opposing impulses: racist hate and greed. We want immigrants because they do cheap work we won’t do ourselves, but we don’t want them because they represent, in the eyes of some Americans, a threat to our way of life. . . . Goodman is sharp on this contradiction. He demonstrates that the federal government’s immigration policy emerges from a desire both to control the borders and to cater to employers, who want to maintain a ‘well-regulated, exploitable migrant labor force."---Rachel Nolan, Harper's Magazine"Exacting study of the historical roots of U.S. deportation policies. . . . [Goodman] confidently handles arcane historical details and a volatile subject. A well-researched historical discussion with clear current relevance." * Kirkus Reviews *"Adam Goodman’s The Deportation Machine offers an expansive, readable, and thought-provoking rethinking of the history of deportation in the United States. . . . [A] sweeping, engaging overview of U.S. deportation that will encourage scholars of immigration and the state to think differently about practices of exclusion today."---Abigail Andrews, American Journal of Sociology"Indeed, there is now a burgeoning critical deportation literature in law, history, and the social sciences. In The Deportation Machine, Adam Goodman offers a powerful, well-written, thoughtful addition to this emerging body of work."---Daniel Kanstroom, Western Historical Quarterly"For sociologists and political scientists studying deportation, the book provides a clear and expansive narrative about the ways in which formal deportation, voluntary departure and self-deportation feed into each other and have profoundly shaped the way non-citizens are deported from the United States from the late 19th century to present day."---Laura Cleton, International Migration"Goodman’s analysis of the human costs of the business of deportation represents another critical contribution to our understanding of expulsion and of the role that profits play in keeping the deportation machine functioning. . . . [An] engaging and beautifully written book."---Maddalena Marinari, California History"A fine and comprehensive history of deportations from the United States."---Raymond L. Cohn, EH.net

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This brief but powerful book is a much-needed—and timely—Guide for the Perplexed Citizen, and it is as wise as it is witty. Capitalism and Democracy is a masterful synthesis of disparate sources, and a highly intelligent assessment and critique of arguments advanced by various economists, political theorists, and politicians. Spragens’s prose is pithy, clear, and a delight to read.” —Terence Ball, co-author of Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal“Capitalism and Democracy is a remarkably evenhanded book, and especially so in these highly contentious days. Spragens joins a sophisticated understanding of political theory to economic analysis and provides a fuller account of what is at stake in debates about the extent to which the market should be ‘free’ and the government should ‘interfere’ with it than one usually finds in writings on these matters. I read it practically straight through and found it almost as enjoyable as reading a good novel.” —Richard Dagger, author of Playing Fair"The free-market process is ultimately based on the reality of who we are as human beings. The free economy is not an ‘instrument’ but a ‘process’ which allows the ‘flourishing’ of the human person. . . . Spragens’s study is a most worthwhile contribution in this ongoing discussion." —VoegelinViewTable of ContentsForeword Introduction 1. The Political Economy Debate: What Brings Prosperity? 2. The Moral Philosophy Debate: Are Market Outcomes Morally Acceptable? 3. Markets and the Good Society 4. Why No Slam Dunk Answers 5. Conclusion: Toward Reasonable Judgements

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Book SynopsisThe logics and ethics of neoliberal capitalism dominate public discourses and politics in the early twenty-first century. They morally endorse and institutionalize forms of competitive self-interest that jettison social justice values, and are deeply antithetical to love, care and solidarity. But capitalism is neither invincible nor inevitable. While people are self-interested, they are not purely self-interested: they are bound affectively and morally to others, even to unknown others. The cares, loves and solidarity relationships within which people are engaged give them direction and purpose in their daily lives. They constitute cultural residuals of hope that stand ready to move humanity beyond a narrow capitalism-centric set of values. In this instructive and inspiring book, Kathleen Lynch sets out to reclaim the language of love, care and solidarity both intellectually and politically and to place it at the heart of contemporary discourse. Her goal is to help unseat capital at the gravitational centre of meaning-making and value, thereby helping to create logics and ethical priorities for politics that are led by care, love and solidarity.Trade Review“The force of this book demands that the reader viscerally engage with the destructive and life-threatening ideas, values, practices and consequences of capitalism and its servant neoliberalism, for human subjects, for non-human beings and the planet.... Lynch presents readers with a new language for social change.​”Irish Times“[A]n ambitious and impressive blockbuster […]at once a scholarly exploration and review of many of the most important contributions to care theory over recent years, and an inspiring, manifesto-like call for action.”Michael D. Fine, International Journal of Care and Caring"One of the most significant books I have read in years. Lynch challenges many of the key assumptions underpinning neoliberalism and the norms that guide it. At the same time, she provides powerful and insightful alternatives."Michael W. Apple, Beijing Normal University and University of Wisconsin–Madison"Kathleen Lynch brings her well-known understanding of care as affective relations to new realms. She deepens thinking about care’s relation to violence and extending care to non-human animals. Most importantly, she explains why capitalism is so hostile to care at all levels."Joan C. Tronto, University of Minnesota"This beautifully written indictment of neoliberal capitalism articulates a new definition of justice that goes beyond unfair appropriation to call out failures to reward necessary contributions to the public good. Impressive scholarship and passionate intensity make this book a stellar addition to the emerging discourse of care."Nancy Folbre, University of Massachusetts AmherstTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Care and Capitalism: Matters of Social Justice and Resistance Part I Care Matters Inside and Outside Capitalism 2 Care as Abject: Capitalism, Masculinity, Bureaucracy, Class and Race 3 Making Love: Love Labour as Distinctive and Non-Commodifiable 4 Time to Care Part II Challenges 5 Liberalism, Care and Neoliberalism 6 Individualism and Capitalism: From Personalized Salvation to Human Capitals 7 Care-Harming Ideologies of Capitalism: Competition, Measurement and Meritocratic Myths Part III Violence – the Nemesis of Care 8 The Violation of Non-Human Animals 9 Violence and Capitalism Part IV Conclusions 10 Resisting Intellectually, Politically, Culturally and Educationally Postscript: Care Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic

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Book SynopsisGDP is much more than a simple statistic. It has become the overarching benchmark of success and a powerful ordering principle at the heart of the global economy. But the convergence of major economic, social and environmental crises has exposed the flaws of our economic system which values GDP above all else as a measure of prosperity and growth. In this provocative and inspiring new book, political economist Lorenzo Fioramonti sets out his vision of a world after GDP. Focusing on pioneering research on alternative metrics of progress, governance innovation and institutional change, he makes a compelling case for the profound and positive transformations that could be achieved through a post-GDP system of development. From a new role for small business, households and civil society to a radical evolution of democracy and international relations, Fioramonti sets out a combination of top-down reforms and bottom-up pressures whose impact, he argues, would be unprecedented, making it possible to build a more equitable, sustainable and happy society.Trade Review "Fioramonti's critique of the limitations of GDP is extremely well constructed, highly appropriate and relevant."—Colin Crouch, University of Warwick, UK "What governments don't track today is often far more important than what they do because what we measure changes how we behave – and how we think. And changing what we think is essential if we are to build a more sustainable economic system. Read this fascinating and well-written book – and change the way you think!"—Graeme Maxton, Secretary General of the Club of Rome and bestselling author of The End of Progress "An original, comprehensive and compelling analysis of the problems with GDP and how to make the world better without it."—Robert Costanza, Australian National University and editor-in-chief of Solutions "A well-written and persuasive analysis of how to change the world by moving beyond the current narrow focus on GDP."—Herman Daly, founder of Ecological Economics and Emeritus Professor, University of Maryland "comprehensive, passionate and detailed overview" —Edoardo Campanella, International Affairs"Prof. Fioramonti’s The World After GDP is a very important study in helping us to understand the role of GDP in getting the world into its present condition, and what aspects of our understanding of GDP may help guide us through the coming era of great change. "—Defense & Foreign Affairs Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgements Figures and Tables Introduction Chapter 1 The making of a post-GDP world Chapter 2 The rise and fall of the GDP ideology Chapter 3 Post-GDP economy Chapter 4 Post-GDP politics Chapter 5 Post-GDP world Conclusion References

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Book SynopsisElgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. This Advanced Introduction presents a focused narrative about political decision-making based on the work that has defined public choice as a discipline. Randall G. Holcombe emphasizes the theoretical foundations of Public Choice, examining the way that voter preferences are aggregated through democratic decision-making, the way that political exchange leads to the production of public policy, and the way that the constitutional framework within which political activity takes place is designed. He provides a concise discussion of the main models of Public Choice in an engaging manner, giving readers a foundation for understanding the theoretical and empirical work in the field. Each chapter ends with a Notes section that discusses the research on which the chapter is based, with an emphasis on the pioneering work that has shaped the development of Public Choice.Undergraduate and graduate level students in economics, political science and public administration will find this introduction an essential resource for understanding political decision making. Instructors in those fields will find this book a useful and affordable text and an indispensable resource for teaching Public Choice.Trade Review'In this slim volume, Randall Holcombe takes the reader masterfully on an informative journey through the main regions of public choice theory. Among the topics this fine volume covers are voting theory, presidential vs. parliamentary systems, interest groups, bureaucracy, political entrepreneurship, and constitutional political economy. Someone who works through this book will be solidly prepared to venture into the higher reaches of public choice theory.' --Richard E. Wagner, George Mason University'Robert Kennedy said that ''Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.'' This is a book for both kinds of people. Holcombe provides a hard-headed analysis of how government and politics actually works, and careful analysis of why the dreams for optimal outcomes, whether coming from the formal models of supposedly sophisticated economists, (based on ''as if'' assumptions that exclude politics), or those coming from idealist ''reformers'' (stemming from their utopian visions), end up shattered by harsh behavioral and institutional realities. Written in a completely non-technical fashion, and covering topics like rational ignorance, rent-seeking and regulatory capture, this book works beautifully either as a complement to traditional introductory economics courses, or to introductory courses in political science.' --Bernard Grofman, University of California, Irvine'The author has extensive personal connections to all the aspects of public choice, and has produced a masterful volume. The insights of public choice are varied, but its explanatory power is consistent. Holcombe manages to weave together an interesting and informed commentary on the many strands of public choice scholarship in a way that will be useful even to experts, while providing an overview that a determined newcomer will be able to pick up immediately.' --Michael Munger, Duke UniversityTable of ContentsContents: Part I: Introduction 1. Public Choice and Public Policy Part II: Aggregating Voter Preferences 2. The Politics of Left and Right 3. Institutions: Proportional vs. Plurality; Parliamentary vs. Presidential 4. Political Strategy: Turnout and the Distribution of Preferences 5. Multidimensional Issue Space 6. Why Do People Vote? Rational Ignorance, Expressive Voting, Rational Irrationality Part III: Designing Public Policy 7. Transaction Costs and Political Exchange 8. Political Markets: Interest Groups, Rent-Seeking, and Regulatory Capture 9. Bureaucracy 10. Political Organization: Districts, Committees, and Institutional Design 11. Political Entrepreneurship Part IV: Constitutional Design 12. Constitutional and Post-Constitutional Decision-Making 13. Interest Groups and Constitutional Evolution 14. Checks and Balances: Elites and Masses Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1876, Carl Menger, then a young professor at the University of Vienna, was asked to teach the principles of political economy to Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, the 17 year old only son of Emperor Francis Joseph, who was to die tragically before he could inherit the throne.Rudolf's recently discovered Notebooks of these lectures, corrected by Menger, are a fascinating record of what the founder of the Austrian marginalist school thought worth teaching to the heir presumptive of a great power. Without referring to his own theories, Menger delivered a course on the economics of Adam Smith - as presented in the mainstream German textbooks of the time - in such a way that the Notebooks can be viewed as a key document on classical economic liberalism, pure and unadulterated. They cast new light on Menger's own theoretical discoveries, his view of government and his interpretation of classical economics. In this important volume Rudolf's Notebooks are published for the first time both in German and an English translation. The editor's detailed introduction provides the historical and intellectual background to the Notebooks as well as a thorough analysis of classical economics and its treatment by Menger. The text is fully annotated in German and English with its surprising sources traced passage by passage.Trade Review'This book will be of interest on a number of different levels. Most simply, it is a fascinating historical record of a pedagogical experience. . . . the Notebooks present the historian of economic thought, and those interested in the Austrian school in particular, with a number of intriguing, even frustrating puzzles.' -- Peter Lewin, History of Economic Ideas'. . . in all this volume provides a useful addition to our understanding of Carl Menger. The translation is very readable and the index is good. The Streisslers are to be commended for performing a real service to the scholarly community in editing and publishing this book.' -- Karen I. Vaughn, Journal of the History of Economic Thought

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Book SynopsisBorn out of crisis a century ago, the Federal Reserve has become the most powerful macroeconomic policymaker and financial regulator in the world. The Myth of Independence traces the Fed's transformation from a weak, secretive, and decentralized institution in 1913 to a remarkably transparent central bank a century later. Offering a unique accountTrade Review"Finalist for the 31st D.B. Hardeman Prize, LBJ Foundation""Winner of the 2018 Gladys M. Kammerer Award, American Political Science Association""Winner of the 2018 Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Prize, Legislative Studies Section of the American Political Science Association""One of Project Syndicate’s Best Reads in 2017 (chosen by Koichi Hamada)""Even for readers who get through the day without thinking about monetary policy, Ms. Binder and Mr. Spindel offer compelling insights. . . . [An] impressively researched and often riveting study."---Roger Lowenstein, Wall Street Journal"Binder and Spindel have written an extremely thorough study of the Federal Reserve that shows how the institution, while in theory insulated from politics, is in reality anything but. Binder and Spindel persuasively argue that Congress and the Federal Reserve are interdependent entities. . . . Throughout, fascinating graphics depict the interrelationship between the Fed and congressional politics: one chart links the number of bills introduced to govern Fed policy with the unemployment rate. Binder and Spindel convincingly dispel the ‘myth' of the Fed’s independence as one of the Capitol’s urban legends." * Publishers Weekly *"The Myth of Independence is a timely analysis of political and economic countervailing forces that render the Fed and Congress interdependent."---Joseph M. Santos, EH.net

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Book SynopsisNewsweek hailed Paul Krugman as "a superstar among economists" and went on to praise Peddling Prosperity as "the best primer around on recent U.S. economic history." Others joined the chorus.

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Book SynopsisIllich?s theories on the effectiveness of cars, air travel, and energy showed that industrial progress actually hampers the speed and effectiveness we have as people who were born capable of walking to our desired destinations. Roads, airports, stations, traffic jams, all take away the benefits of using complicated engineered methods of travel, and make our actual travel times longer.

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Book SynopsisFinancial regulation has dramatically evolved and strengthened since the crisis on both sides of the Atlantic, with enhanced international coordination through the G-20 and the Financial Stability Board and, at the regional level, a definite contribution from the European Union. However the new regulatory environment has its critics, with many divergent voices arguing that over-regulation has become a root cause of our current economic stagnation.This book provides a bigger picture view of the impact and future of financial regulation in the EU, exploring the relationship between microeconomic incentives and macroeconomic growth, regulation and financial integration, and the changes required in economic policy to further European integration. Bringing together contributions from law, economics and management science, it offers readers an accessible but rigorous understanding of the current state of play of the regulatory environment, and on the future challenges.Coverage will include:• A review of the recent regulatory changes from a legal and economic perspective• Analysis of how the economic model of financial institutions and entities is impacted by the new frameworks• How to improve securitization and new instruments under MIFID II• Issues in the enhanced supervision under delegated acts for AIFMD, CRR-CRD IV and Solvency II• How long term funding can be supplied in lieu of the non-conventional monetary policies• A new architecture for a safer and more efficient European financial system Financial Regulation in the EU provides much needed clarity on the impact of new financial regulation and the future of the economy, and will prove a must have reference for all those working in, researching and affected by these changes.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThe atlas of contemporary capitalism is curious indeed. A desperately poor and civil-war-wracked nation, Liberia, is the world's shipping superpower; the Cayman Islands the fifth-largest financial center in the world; land-locked Zurich a venerable...Trade Review"What is the offshore world? When and why did it develop? Who supported its development? Where and how does it operate? How important is it in international commerce and finance today? To find answers to those questions, Palan (International relations and politics, Univ. of Sussex, UK) examines the offshore phenomenon in a broad sense of social and economic change. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate and Research Collections."—Choice, Dec. 2003."This practice of sovereign bifurcation, by which states divide their sovereign space into heavily and lightly regulated realms, suggests a radical redrawing of state boundaries and an important transformation in the nature of sovereignty and the relationship between state and capitalism. Offshore may be at the very heart of the transformation of modern politics: is it the beginning of 'postglobalization?'"—Future Survey 26:1, January 2004"Ronen Palan asks bold, provocative questions regarding the relationship between sovereignty and the offshore economy and its relevance to state formation, globalization, and the fate of the nation-state. The 'commercialization of sovereignty' is a very effective underlying theme."—Peter Andreas, Brown University"The Offshore World explores the important concept of 'offshore' with a high level of detail and theoretical sophistication. Ronen Palan illuminates aspects of state sovereignty that have not been fully described elsewhere. This book will extend our understanding of how contemporary international society emerged over the last century, while providing insight into how concepts like 'offshore' reshape our thinking about economic phenomena."—Peter Dombrowski, The Naval War College"The Offshore World is a subtle and intriguing look at one of the global economy's most prominent features."—Debora Spar, Harvard Business School

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Book SynopsisDrawing on extensive historical research, Eric Helleiner provides the first comprehensive political history of the phenomenon, one that details and explains the central role played by states in permitting and encouraging financial globalization.Trade ReviewEric Helleiner offers readers a very useful and readable history of post-war changes in international finance. I would readily assign this book to graduate and advanced under-graduate seminars in international political economy. It covers a lot of territory and does not sacrifice depth for expanse. * International History Review *"This is a fascinating tale of how the international financial system arrived at its present global span. Helleiner argues that the liberalization of financial markets worldwide has been driven largely by government choices, not by technological change or economic pressures. The challenges to states and the reemergence of global finance reveal what an interesting and provocative book it is. This brief outline cannot do justice to its theoretical sophistication and historical depth. Helleiner has made an important contribution in a debate that will undoubtedly continue." —International JournalTable of Contents1. IntroductionPART I: THE RESTRICTIVE BRETTON WOODS FINANCIAL ORDER 2. Bretton Woods and the Endorsement of Capital Controls 3. Continuing Caution: The Slow and Limited Move to ConvertibilityPART II: THE REEMERGENCE OF GLOBAL FINANCE 4. Support for the Euromarket in the 1960s 5. Failed Cooperation in the Early 1970s 6. Four Turning Points in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s 7. The Liberalization Trend in the 1980s 8. Weathering International Financial CrisesPART III: CONCLUSION 9. Explaining Differing State Behavior in Trade and FinanceWorks Cited Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the 2017 Deutscher Memorial Prize""Shortlisted for the 2018 C.B. Macpherson Prize, Canadian Political Science Association""Imaginative and refreshingly enjoyable."---David Harvey, Jacobin"Marx's Inferno is highly original and informative. . . . Roberts' insights open up a much broader and deeper reading of Marx. This is an excellent book." * Choice *"A lucid interpretation."---Christian Lotz, Contemporary Political Theory"Absorbing, wide-ranging, and original."---Nicholas Vrousalis, Capital & Class"The most substantial treatment of Marx’s political theory in recent years."---Daniel Luban, The Nation

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Book SynopsisFiscal crises have cascaded across much of the developing world with devastating results, from Mexico to Indonesia, Russia and Argentina. The extreme volatility in contemporary economic fortunes seems to mock our best efforts to understand the forces that drive development in the world economy.David Harvey, the single most important geographer writing today and a leading social theorist of our age, offers a comprehensive critique of contemporary capitalism. In this fascinating book, he shows the way forward for just such an understanding, enlarging upon the key themes in his recent work: the development of neoliberalism, the spread of inequalities across the globe, and 'space' as a key theoretical concept.Both a major declaration of a new research programme and a concise introduction to David Harvey's central concerns, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students across the humanities and social sciences.Trade ReviewHarvey is a scholarly radical; his writing is free of journalistic clichés, full of facts and carefully thought-through ideas. -- Richard SennettDavid Harvey provoked a revolution in his field and has inspired a generation of radical intellectuals. -- Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not Enough and This Changes Everything

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Book SynopsisMany on the Left see the European Union as a fundamentally benign project with the potential to underpin ever greater cooperation and progress. If it has drifted rightward, the answer is to fight for reform from within. In this iconoclastic polemic, economist Costas Lapavitsas demolishes this view. He contends that the EU’s response to the Eurozone crisis represents the ultimate transformation of the union into a neoliberal citadel that institutionally embeds austerity, privatization, and wage cuts. Concurrently, the rise of German hegemony has divided the EU into an unstable core and dependent peripheries. These related developments make the EU impervious to meaningful reform. The solution is therefore a direct challenge to the EU project that stresses popular and national sovereignty as preconditions for true internationalist socialism. Lapavitsas’s powerful manifesto for a left opposition to the EU upends the wishful thinking that often characterizes the debate and will be a challenging read for all on the Left interested in the future of Europe.Trade Review"For those wanting a clear and concise summary of the left case against the euro and of the misrepresentation of German European hegemony as the consummation of the 'European idea', there is no way around this book. Nowhere has the political economy of the common currency and of German ascendancy in Europe been more clearly exposed."—Wolfgang Streeck, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies "Costas Lapavitsas is the most important commentator on the EU and its current crises, including Brexit. This is one of the most significant books on modern politics to appear in the last decade, and virtually the only one fully to grasp the nature of our present situation."—Richard Tuck, Harvard University "Important and timely"—E-International Relations "In 2015, a left-wing government in Athens was wrestling with Berlin and Brussels. Two prominent economists took part in the scuffle: one, Yanis Varoufakis, became Minister of Finance; the other, Costas Lapavitsas, was a member of the ruling party, Syriza. The first was a Europhile who viewed the capitulation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as an invitation to struggle for 'another Europe'. The second, always the sceptic, saw his views confirmed by the debacle."—Le Monde Diplomatique "Expedient, informed and lucid."—LSE Review of BooksTable of ContentsCh. 1. The European Union and the Left 1.1 Fragmentation and retreat of democracy 1.2 The challenge for the Left Ch. 2. The evolution of the EU since Maastricht 2.1. Neoliberalism and hegemony in the EU – drawing on Hayek 2.2. Neoliberalism and state monopoly over money 2.3. Creating the euro: A lever of neoliberalism and conditional German hegemony 2.4. The “architectural flaws” of the euro 2.5. The broader context of conditional German hegemony Ch. 3. The ascendancy of Germany and the division of Europe 3.1. A distinctive financialised economy 3.2. The defeat of German labour in the 1990s 3.3. The competitive advantage of Germany and the creation of the Southern periphery 3.4. The unstable core of the EMU and the Central European periphery Ch. 4. The Eurozone crisis: Class interests and hegemonic power 4.1. Crisis erupts 4.2. Imposing a neoliberal agenda 4.3. An unstable and fraught equilibrium Ch. 5. Greece in the iron trap of the euro 5.1 The proximate causes of the Greek crisis 5.2 Long-term weaknesses of the Greek economy 5.3. The lenders impose bail-outs and bring disaster 5.4. Class and national interests in the Greek disaster 5.5 The political debacle of SYRIZA Ch. 6. Seeking democracy, sovereignty, and socialism 6.1. Democracy and sovereignty in the EU, once again 6.2 The impossibility of radical reform 6.3. A class-based stance for the Left 6.4. What to do?

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book synthesizes research on innovation and sustainability in a way that I've not seen. The authors work through systemic issues that we must consider in order to reach a more sustainable economy."—Glen W. S. Dowell, Cornell University"Lenox and Chatterji make a major contribution by explaining the systematic dynamics of "going green." Their sophisticated analysis of complex challenges will enable the private sector to successfully adopt and implement sustainable innovations."—David Vogel, University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Market for Virtue"This marvelous book unites rigorous research with in-depth examples to show how business really might be able to save the earth. It's the perfect answer to the question my students ask me all the time: How can I make a difference?"—Rebecca M. Henderson, Harvard Business School"Lennox (UVA) and Chatterji (Duke) developed a model that businesses can consider when addressing climate change and environmental sustainability.The authors provide many examples of environmentally friendly efforts from businesses such as Uber, Apple, Apex Clean Energy, TerraCycle, and Home Depot."—G.E. Kaupins, Choice"There is bad news and good news about the state of the earth, and business school professors Michael Lenox and Aaron Chatterji address both with eye-opening accuracy in this compelling, provocative treatise....The authors make an impassioned plea, particularly to businesses, to bring to market the innovative products and services necessary to create value while reducing environmental impacts. While the tenor of Can Business Save the Earth? is generally positive, one cannot miss the real sense of urgency it conveys."—Barry Silverstein, Foreword MagazineTable of Contents1. Business as Savior 2. Innovator as Genius 3. Manager as Hero 4. Investor as Visionary 5. Customer as King 6. System as Catalyst

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Book SynopsisModern political culture features a deep-seated faith in the power of numbers. But quantitative evidence has not always been revered, as William Deringer shows. After the 1688 Revolution, as Britons learned to fight by the numbers, their enthusiasm for figures arose not from efforts to find objective truths but from the turmoil of politics itself.Trade Review[Statistics] are center stage again now for reasons of both political conflict and epistemological uncertainty. Once again, some politicians wield numbers without any great concern about their accuracy or meaningfulness; the victory in debate is all that matters. Once again, given the profound changes in the structure of the economy, we can’t be sure what categories and methods will give us the understanding we would like. This is a terrific book for reflecting on contested and uncertain statistical terrain. -- Diane Coyle * Enlightened Economist *[Deringer] focuses on the early 18th century, with its increasingly vitriolic debates over government expenditure, taxation, and debt as well as the trade balance… Deringer tells these vivid stories with a richness of research that brings to life not only the events surrounding them but also the many famous characters involved. We can learn from the 18th century debate, he says, by promoting new and diverse computational approaches to stimulate public debate and offset what he fears is growing anti-quantitative sentiment. -- Robert Heath * Finance & Development *A thoroughly impressive work…[Deringer] recontextualizes the skepticism about numbers and suspicion of ‘experts’ in our time as something that has existed from the beginning rather than a recent disillusionment… A book this insightful about the past and with such a trenchant analysis of the present is a rare pleasure indeed. -- Chris Dudley * Journal of British Studies *Tells the coming-of-age story of (early) modern public fascination with numbers…A great book that should be on the shelves of everyone who takes history of economic thought seriously. -- Gábor Bíró * History of European Ideas *Highly original in its research, highly intelligent in its analysis, and highly sophisticated in its argumentation, there is much to impress in this book. Calculated Values resonates with our own financial obsessions. -- Theodore Porter, University of California, Los AngelesEngaging, learned, and beautifully written, Calculated Values is a major scholarly work. Deringer builds on his own experiences as a financial calculator to imbue material that otherwise might be a tad dry with a sense of wonder and adventure, not to mention an adroit sentiment of happy-go-lucky deceitfulness. It is a must-read for a wide variety of scholars and interested general readers—truly impressive and timely in the extreme. -- Sophus A. Reinert, Harvard Business SchoolDeringer’s inspired and insightful book shows how mathematics and accounting mixed with politics to create modern finance. The story is so important, and yet, until now, has not been told. There is no way to understand the birth of economics without reading it. -- Jacob Soll, University of Southern CaliforniaShows how numerical calculation has both worked and failed in political life and what we can learn from it to help us use numbers more effectively in the future…A tour de force of intellectual and social history to explain how numerical thinking became the way to understand the world. Original in its approach and sophisticated in its argument. -- Lee Trepanier * VoegelinView *

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Book SynopsisChina has gone from being a marginal to a leading power in Africa in just over two decades. Its striking ascendancy in the continent is commonly thought to have been primarily driven by economic interests, especially resources like oil. This book argues instead that politics defines the ‘new era’ of China–Africa relations, and examines the importance of politics across a range of areas, from foreign policy to debt, development and the Xi Jinping incarnation of the China model. Going beyond superficial depictions of China’s engagement as predatory or benign, this book explores how Africa is – and isn’t – integral to China’s global ambitions, from the Belt and Road Initiative to strategic competition with the United States. It demonstrates how African actors constrain, shape and use China’s engagement for their own purposes. As China seeks to protect its more established interests and Chinese citizens, it also shows how security has become a particularly notable new area of engagement. This innovative book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to contemporary China–Africa relations. It will be essential reading for students and scholars working on global politics, development and international relations.Trade Review‘The China–Africa relationship has generated legends and almost a mythology of use and misuse, often based on biases and misinformation. In this new book Daniel Large takes a hard-headed and extraordinarily perceptive look at the relationship as it has evolved under President Xi. Balanced, but anchored in an unsentimental realism, Large's book offers a significant corrective to strands in the current debate and does so in a timely and prescient manner.’Stephen Chan OBE, SOAS University of London ‘Daniel Large’s well-buttressed argument that politics is the foundation, and security the new leading edge, makes this book an essential guide to the China–Africa relationship at a key moment of transition.’Deborah Bräutigam, Director of the SAIS China Africa Research Initiative, Johns Hopkins UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsChronologyList of AbbreviationsList of Tables and BoxesIntroduction 1: The New Era in Context 2: Africa in China’s Global Politics 3: New Era Economics 4: Xi’s China Model, African Politics 5: Chinese-African Relations 6: Security: a New ‘Pillar’ ConclusionReferences

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Book SynopsisFrom the international bestselling author of The Post-American World ''An intelligent, learned and judicious guide for a world already in the making'' The New York TimesSince the end of the Cold War, the world has been shaken to its core three times. 11 September 2001, the financial collapse of 2008 and - most of all - Covid-19. Each was an asymmetric threat, set in motion by something seemingly small, and different from anything the world had experienced before. Lenin is supposed to have said, ''There are decades when nothing happens and weeks when decades happen.'' This is one of those times when history has sped up.In this urgent and timely book, Fareed Zakaria, one of the ''top ten global thinkers of the last decade'' (Foreign Policy), foresees the nature of a post-pandemic world: the political, social, technological and economic consequences that may take years to unfold. In ten surprising, hopeful ''lessons'', he writes about the acceleration of natural and biological risks, the obsolescence of the old political categories of right and left, the rise of ''digital life'', the future of globalization and an emerging world order split between the United States and China. He invites us to think about how we are truly social animals with community embedded in our nature, and, above all, the degree to which nothing is written - the future is truly in our own hands.Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World speaks to past, present and future, and will become an enduring reflection on life in the early twenty-first century.Trade ReviewIt is an intelligent, learned and judicious guide for a world already in the making. -- Josef Joffe * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the aggressive US rhetoric against China, to the escalating trade war with tit for tat responses, and China's 2025 initiative that threatens the US global leadership in advanced technologies, tensions between the US and China (the two dominant forces of today's world) have never been higher. This book provides a timely analysis of the US-China relationship. Each model is deeply rooted in their respective histories and cultures, with both models highly successful in achieving their main goals and highly resilient over time. It explores the core misconceptions on governance, economic, social and military issues, and the root causes of these misconceptions. If China and US could close the gap by each understanding those differences and their implications, the author argues, they could work together to overcome global issues to the benefit of all. This updated paperback edition includes a new introduction covering recent events in US-China relations.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA New York Times Bestseller Winner of the 2017 PROSE Award in U.S. History, Association of American Publishers #36 on Bloomberg's "50 Most Influential" List One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Economics Books of 2016 One of Foreign Affairs' Editors' Picks 2016 One of The Economist's Economics and Business Books of the Year 2016 One of The Wall Street Journal's "The 20 Books That Defined Our Year" 2016 One of the Washington Post's Best Economics Books 2016 One of Bloomberg View's Great History Books of 2016 One of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2016 One of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2016 One of Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Books of 2016 in History One of the Strategy+Business Best Business Books 2016 in Economy One of Bloomberg View's "Five Books to Change Conservatives' Minds," chosen by Cass Sunstein Shortlisted for the 2016 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award One of The NewYorker.com Page-Turner blog's "The Books We Loved in 2016" Longlisted for the 2016 Cundill Prize in Historical Literature, McGill University "The Rise and Fall of American Growth... is the Thomas Piketty-esque economic must read of the year."--Rana Foroohar, Time "This is a book well worth reading--a magisterial combination of deep technological history, vivid portraits of daily life over the past six generations and careful economic analysis... [The Rise and Fall of American Growth] will challenge your views about the future; [and] it will definitely transform how you see the past."--Paul Krugman, New York Times Book Review "[An] authoritative examination of innovation through the ages."--Neil Irwin, New York Times "Robert Gordon has written a magnificent book on the economic history of the United States over the last one and a half centuries... The book is without peer in providing a statistical analysis of the uneven pace of growth and technological change, in describing the technologies that led to the remarkable progress during the special century, and in concluding with a provocative hypothesis that the future is unlikely to bring anything approaching the economic gains of the earlier period... If you want to understand our history and the economic dilemmas faced by the nation today, you can spend many a fruitful hour reading Gordon's landmark study."--William D. Nordhaus, New York Review of Books "Mr. Gordon uses exhaustive historic data to buttress his thesis."--Greg Ip, Wall Street Journal "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] is full of wonder for the miraculous things that America has accomplished."--Edward Glaeser, Wall Street Journal "A masterful study to be read and reread by anyone interested in today's political economy."--Kirkus "Normally, these kinds of big-think books end with a whimper, as the author totally fails to identify solutions to the problem he is writing about. But Gordon's conclusion offers some admirably definitive policy advice."--Matthew Yglesias, Vox "Magnificent... Gordon presents his case... with great style and panache, supporting his argument with vivid examples as well as econometric data... Even if history changes direction... this book will survive as a superb reconstruction of material life in America in the heyday of industrial capitalism."--Economist "Every presidential candidate should be asked what policies he or she would offer to increase the pace of U.S. productivity growth and to narrow the widening gap between winners and losers in the economy. Bob Gordon's list is a good place to start."--David Wessel, WSJ.com's Think Tank blog "[W]hat may be the year's most important book on economics has already been published... What Gordon has provided is not a rejection of technology but a sobering reminder of its limits."--Robert Samuelson, Washington Post "Robert Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth is an extraordinary work of economic scholarship... Moreover, this is one of the rare economics books that is on the one hand deeply analytical ... And on the other a pleasure to read... [A] landmark work."--Lawrence Summers, Prospect "Ambitious... The hefty tome, minutely detailed yet dauntingly broad in scope, offers a lively portrayal of the evolution of American living standards since the Civil War."--Eduardo Porter, New York Times "Two years ago a huge book on economics took the world by storm. Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century ... became a surprise bestseller... Robert Gordon's tome on American economic growth stretches to 768 pages and its central message is arguably more important."--David Smith, Sunday Times "A landmark new book."--Gavin Kelly, The Guardian "Looking ahead, judging presidents by policies rather than outcomes may be all the more important. In a new book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, the economist Robert Gordon argues that we are in the midst of an era of meager technological change. Yes, we now have smartphones and Twitter, but previous generations introduced electric lighting, indoor plumbing and the internal combustion engine. In Mr. Gordon's view, technological change is just not what it used to be, and we had better get used to slower growth in productivity and incomes."--N. Gregory Mankiw, New York Times "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is likely to be the most interesting and important economics book of the year. It provides a splendid analytic take on the potency of past economic growth, which transformed the world from the end of the nineteenth century onward... Gordon's book serves as a powerful reminder that the U.S. economy really has gone through a protracted slowdown and that this decline has been caused by the stagnation in technological progress."--Tyler Cowen, Foreign Affairs "[A]n important new book."--Martin Ford, Huffington Post "[A] lightning bolt of a new book."--Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect "So powerful and intriguing are the facts and arguments marshaled by Gordon that even informed critics who think he is wrong recommend that readers plow through his The Rise and Fall of American Growth, with its 60 graphics and 64 tables spread over more than 700 pages. You don't need to be an economist to appreciate or understand the book. His thesis is straightforward."--David Cay Johnston, Al Jazeera America.com "What is novel about Gordon's approach to this problem is that he doesn't try to find political causes for our economic woes... [E]xhaustive and sweeping in scope, and novel in its thinking about growth."--Chris Matthews, Fortune.com "[A] fascinating new book."--Jeffrey Sachs, Boston Globe "One of the most important books of recent years... Powerful and impressive."--Cass R. Sunstein, Bloomberg View "This is a tremendous, sobering piece of research, which does a lot to explain the febrile, nervous state of modern Western democracies."--Marcus Tanner, The Independent "A new book by economist Robert Gordon--The Rise and Fall of American Growth--is causing quite a stir."--City A.M. "If he's right, and one links this with growing income inequality, our would-be leaders will have difficulty in making the case for achieving the American dream through steady incremental progress achieved through collaboration and political compromise."--Michael Hoffmann, Desert Sun "Robert Gordon's new book on productivity in the U.S. economy, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, is masterful... Gordon skillfully lays out myriad information about the history and trends of productivity. One can learn a great deal."--Edward Lotterman, St. Paul Pioneer Press "[I]mpressive."--Peter Martin, Sydney Morning Herald "In his unsettling new book, Gordon, who teaches at Northwestern, weighs in on the role of technology in the U.S. over the past century-and-a-half. He does so forcefully, so forcefully, in fact, as to wipe the smiles off the faces of most techno-optimists, myself included."--Peter A. Coclanis, Charlotte Observer "[A] thoughtful new book."--David D. Haynes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] is this year's equivalent to Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century: an essential read for all economists, who are unanimously floored by its boldness and scope even if they don't agree with its conclusions."--Adam Davidson, New York Times Magazine "Gordon makes a compelling case for why the era of fast growth in America ended around 1970 and will not return in the foreseeable future, if ever."--Dick Meyer, DecodeDC "Gordon argues that we are not going to get another surge soon and that there are several headwinds that are going to work against faster growth, including income inequality, education as a differentiator and not an equalizer, the debt overhang, and demography."--John Mason, TheStreet.com "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] challenges every political claim, and every pundit's remedy, regarding how to get the lackluster American economy to boom again in the decades ahead, as it once did a half-century or more ago... [The book] represents the culmination of Gordon's many years of investigation into this key economic question of our age, namely: 'Why is it that the American economy has never been able to return to the happy boom years of our grandparents' time?' Why is it that, decade after decade, administration after administration, annualized productivity growth has only been about one-half to one-third that of the age of Truman and Eisenhower?"--Paul Kennedy, Tribune Content Agency "[M]asterful... Gordon skillfully lays out information about the history and trends of productivity. One can learn a great deal... The Rise and Fall of American Growth is a rare example of a work with solid economics that can be understood, and enjoyed, by nearly any lay person."--Ed Lotterman, Idaho Statesman "As an economic historian, Gordon is beyond reproach."--Edward Luce, Financial Times "Provocative."--Associated Press "The Rise and Fall of American Growth, is a deep dive into the past with an eye to the future... [The book] is part of a fascinating debate about future prospects for the American economy."--Knowledge@Wharton "[The Rise and Fall of American Growth] has set the wonky world of economics aflame."--Ryan Craig, TechCrunch "Magisterial."--John Kay, Financial Times "[A] contentious new book."--Margaret Wente, The Globe & Mail "[A] fabulous new book... [I]mpressive."--Dr. Mike Walden, Morganton News Herald "Northwestern Bob Gordon's new book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, offers a deeper explanation for the underlying mechanics behind slowed economic growth."--Jon Hartley, Forbes.com "So much of what the presidential candidates and the American people want to accomplish over the next four years and beyond depends on the U.S. economy growing faster, and more inclusively, than it has in recent years. This year's hot economics book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, by one of America's most distinguished macroeconomists, Robert Gordon, casts a pall on whether this is possible, arguing that the U.S. had a golden century of increasing innovation from roughly 1870 to 1970, but this was unique."--Robert Litan, Fortune.com "Gordon's book offers the definitive account of how the many technological innovations between 1870 and 1940 dramatically improved life in the United States."--Richard A. Epstein, Hoover Institution's Defining Ideas blog "[M]agiserial... The Northwestern University professor lays out the case that the productivity miracle underlying the American way of life was largely a one-time deal."--Matt Phillips, Quartz "Robert Gordon's new book The Rise and Fall of American Growth has taken the economics world by storm this winter."--Myles Udland, Business Insider "[M]assive."--Ben Casselman, FiveThirty Eight "[G]roundbreaking."--Zeeshan Aleem, Mic "With a painstaking--and fascinating--historical analysis of American productivity, [Gordon] argues that the innovations of today pale in comparison to earlier in our history and that we might actually be entering a period of prolonged stagnation. He may very well be right."--Greg Satell, Forbes.com "[P]rovocative."--Barrie McKenna, The Globe & Mail "[I]nfluential."--Martin Neil Baily, Fortune.com "[A] stimulating book."--George Will, Washington Post "Compulsive reading."--Andrew Hilton, Financial World "Gordon is not an alarmist, far from it. His is a sober voice of concern, of caution, which needs to be heard by those in the helm in America. And a fascinating lesson for ambitious and growing countries like India."--Dr R Balashankar, Sunday Guardian "[A] fascinating convergence of green and mainstream thought."--Tom Horton, Chesapeake Bay Journal "[T]his panoramic book makes good reading."--Shane Greenstein, Harvard Magazine "The book's great contribution is the tapestry it weaves of all the innovations that changed most Americans' lives beyond recognition in the century from 1870 to 1970."--Martin Sandbu, Financial Times "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is unquestionably an important book that raises fundamental questions about the United States' economy and society."--New Criterion "[A] masterpiece."--Martin Wolf, Financial Times "[An] impressive book... Gordon's book provides sufficient ammunition to show the colossal problems facing capitalism."--Socialism Today "Rich with detailed information, meticulous observations, and even anecdotes and stories ... a fascinating read."--Ricardo F. Levi, Corriere della Sera "The Rise and Fall of American Growth is essential reading for anyone interested in economics."--Choice "In an important new book, economist Robert Gordon makes the case for pessimism. He believes that technologies like smartphones, robots, and artificial intelligence aren't going to have the kind of big impact on the economy that earlier inventions--like the internal combustion engine and electricity--did."--Timothy B. Lee, Vox "Robert Gordon has written an engaging economic-based history of America... Gordon is to be commended for helping to stimulate a national debate on the current low level of economic productivity."--Allan Hauer, Innovation: The Journal of Technology & Commercialization "If you want to see how far we have come and how tough life was a century and a half ago, read Gordon's book."--David R. Henderson, Regulation "A fantastic read."--Bill Gates, GatesNotes "The book is well written, and one can only be in awe of Gordon's mastery of the factual history of the American standard of living."--Robert A. Margo, EH.net "Monumental."--John Cassidy, NewYorker.com "Zeitgeist-defining."--Myles Udland, Business Insider "[A] magisterial treatise."--Nick Gillespie, Reason.com "[A]n essential read for anyone interested not only in US economic history but also American economic prospects ... a tremendous achievement."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "A comprehensive history of American economic growth."--Eric Rauchway, American Prospect "Professor Robert J. Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth is a magisterial volume that will benefit any serious student of economics, demographics or history."--Wendell Cox, New Geography "A wonderful new book."--Jeff Sachs, Boston Globe "The most important economics book of 2016."--Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune "This spectacular history traces the rise and the plateau of the American economy since industrialization."--Jay Weiser, Weekly Standard "[A] landmark book... An impressive history of how the American people progressed in their standards of living and productivity in the 'golden century' of 1870-1970."--Stephen M. Millett, Strategy & Leadership "Gordon's encyclopedic The Rise and Fall of American Growth, a new history of modern U.S. economic life, [is] perhaps the best yet written."--Jonathan Levy, Dissent "One of our greatest economic historians... Gordon's exhaustive research program ... has knocked me back on my intellectual heels."--J. Bradford DeLong, Strategy + Business "This is the most important book on economics in many years."--Martin Wolf, Financial Times "Robert Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth set out a thesis of technological diminishing returns that does much to explain an age of economic pessimism."--Lorien Kite, Financial Times "In the course of Gordon's book, a vivid picture of everyday life as our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents lived it emerges... What lingers in my mind, alongside these ideas, is a new, weightier sense of the past, and of what the people who lived in it ate, touched, heard, saw, and did. Reading The Rise and Fall of American Growth, I thought a lot about my grandparents. Gordon's book has made their lives more real to me."--Joshua Rothman, NewYorker.com's Page-Turner blog "Magisterial... While the book has gotten attention because of its bold projection of slow growth in the future, this is actually just one small element of a magnificent and detailed presentation of how our economy has changed since 1870. Most people don't fully appreciate what life was like in the past and Gordon gives a blow-by-blow description of how people lived in America from 1870 on. In addition, he carefully explains how each new innovation was created and how its adoption changed people's lives."--Stephen Rose, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas "Gordon constructs a strong case using conventional economic principles and exacting data measurement."--Don Pittis, CBC News "Gordon's genius is to weave together economic history with the story of the technology, know-how, politic, demographics and medicine that made the astonishing progress of the US perhaps the most remarkable ever."--Sean O'Grady, The Independent

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Book SynopsisToday, the European Union is facing a crisis as serious as anything it has experienced since its origins more than half a century ago. What makes this so serious is that it is not a single crisis but rather multiple crises – the euro crisis, the migration/refugee crisis, Brexit, etc. – that overlap and reinforce one another, creating a cumulative array of challenges that threatens the very survival of the EU. For the first time in its history, there is a real risk that the EU could break up. This volume brings together sociologists, economists and political scientists from around Europe to shed light on how the EU got into this predicament. It argues that the multiple crises that have plagued the European Union in the last decade stem to a large extent from flaws in its construction and that these flaws are consequences of the political processes that led to the formation of the EU – in other words, the decisions that made possible the development of the EU created the conditions for the multiple crises it experiences today. This timely and wide-ranging book on one of the most important issues of our time will be of great interest to students and scholars in the social sciences, to politicians and policy-makers and to anyone concerned with Europe and its future.Trade Review"Castells and his colleagues convincingly show that the multiple crises facing Europe today - from Greece to Brexit - are not problems imposed on it from without but are to a large extent crises of its own creation. Their wide-ranging and insightful account should be read by everyone concerned with Europe and its future - and above all by those politicians and policy-makers who could change the direction of the EU before it's too late." Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future"To understand what we Europeans must do to secure a brighter future together, firstly we must understand the multifaceted nature of the challenges that our common project is facing. This insightful book reminds us that constructive self-criticism is an indispensable exercise in today's Europe." Javier Solana, President at ESADE Geo-Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics and Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution"Europe's Crises takes the reader on a journey of relationships and interdependencies, from Maastricht to Brexit [,..] [and] unlike the mainstream media's insistence on hiding the wider context, the reader is constantly reminded of the history, geography and wider geopolitics impacting on the daily lives of Europeans."Morning Star Table of Contents List of Contributors List of Figures Introduction Part I: Economic Crises Chapter 1: The End of European Integration as We Knew It: A Political Economy Analysis Olivier Bouin Chapter 2: Making Sense of the Greek Crisis, 2010-2016 Manos Matsaganis Chapter 3: The Consequences of Crisis on the European Banking System Emilio Ontiveros Chapter 4: The Financial Crisis and the Restructuring of the Italian Banking System Sviatlana Hlebik Chapter 5: European Science and Technology in a Time of Crisis: ERC, EIT and Beyond João Caraça et al. Part II: Social Crises Chapter 6: Austerity and Health: The Impact of the Crisis in the UK and Rest of Europe David Stuckler et al. Chapter 7: Suffering: The Human and Social Costs of Economic Crisis John B. Thompson et al. Chapter 8: Achilles’ Heel: Europe’s Ambivalent Identity Manuel Castells Chapter 9: Europe Facing Evil: Xenophobia, Racism, anti-Semitism and Terrorism Michel Wieviorka Chapter 10: Europe and Refugees: Tragedy Bordering on Farce Paul Collier Part III: Political Crises Chapter 11: The Crisis of Legitimacy of European Institutions Sara B. Hobolt Chapter 12: Narratives of Responsibility: German Politics in the Greek Debt Crisis Claus Offe Chapter 13: The Double Crisis of European Social Democracy Colin Crouch Chapter 14: The Rise of the Radical Right Michel Wieviorka Chapter 15: From Crisis to Social Movement to Political Change: Podemos in Spain Manuel Castells Chapter 16: Italy: Autumn of the Second Republic by Pierfranco Pelizzetti Chapter 17: Brexit: The Causes and Consequences of the UK’s Decision to Leave the EU Geoffrey Evans et al. Chapter 18: Social Movements, Participation and Crisis in Europe Gustavo Cardoso et al. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisGlobalization is taking a step backward. What, then, is the best way to organize a global enterprise? The key, Steven Weber explains, is to prepare for a world increasingly made up of competing regions with distinct rules and standards. This new condition could be more prosperous, but there will also be more friction and therefore more risk.Trade ReviewA spectacular book that engages with the biggest questions in international political economy and economic geography. It’s brimming with new and provocative ideas, conveyed in an easy and open style. -- Janice Stein, University of TorontoAs globalization enters uncharted waters, Bloc by Bloc takes on a fundamental question—how should firms organize? Drawing on insights from economic geography, Weber urges us to leave behind the past and reach for new models and thinking to build the future. Integrating business, politics, and International affairs, Bloc by Bloc is a must-read for all those interested in successfully navigating the global economy over the next decades. -- Abraham Newman, Georgetown University

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Book SynopsisHow the global optimism that characterized the 1990s evolved into pessimism and chaos.Trade Review" A stimulating testimony by one of the most important actors on the global stage at the turn of the millennium. Is it, as Johnson says, a ' true but tragic story?' I am not as pessimistic, but only because I expect his lucid account will help redress a very challenging and demanding global situation." Jean-Claude Trichet, former president of the European Central Bank " Read it and weep! Don Johnston has written what he rightly calls the ' true but tragic story' of how the United States and its allies squandered their chance to build a better world in the 1990s. Published as Donald Trump takes office, this compelling memoir by the former secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will be painful reading. It' s a story of bungled opportunities to draw Russia, Turkey, and other problem nations of the twenty-first century closer to the West. Most of all, Missing the Tide is the sad story of how the United States lost its luster as a true superpower, ' magnanimous and fair.' All the wisdom that Johnston accumulated in his ten years of running the OECD is shared in this book to help leaders catch the tide if it ever returns." David Ignatius, columnist for The Washington Post

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Book SynopsisThere have been many attempts to build a socialist society, from the Soviet Union to Maoist China to Venezuela. All of them have ended in failure. But, according to socialism's adherents, that is only because none of these experiments were real socialism. This book documents the history of this response.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Tim Rogan’s book, The Moral Economists: R. H. Tawney, Karl Polanyi, E. P. Thompson, and the Critique of Capitalism (2017), ably reconstructs the first extensive crisis of liberalism."---Pankaj Mishra, New Yorker"The Moral Economists is part historiographical exegesis, part subtle polemic about the limitations of contemporary critiques of capitalism. . . . Rogan looks to history for help in understanding capitalism, its works and its empty promises."---Katrina Navickas, London Review of Books"A timely, vivid and attractive book, vindicating on every page Rogan’s choice of three musketeers, handing on their flame to their noble heirs."---Fred Inglis, Times Higher Education"Rogan’s captivating work of intellectual history demonstrates that utilitarianism shaped much of the Left, as well as the Right’s thinking on social questions."---Patrick Diamond, Times Literary Supplement"Rogan’s reintroduction of Tawney, Polanyi, and Thompson to modern readers is a valuable endeavor."---Joseph Coletti, Journal of Markets & Morality"Rogan brings the authors and their perspectives closer to the reader not only by presenting their opus and their thoughts but also by contextualizing them . . . thoroughly and deeply researched."---Christian Leitner, Zeitschrift fuer Soziologie"Tim Rogan’s book is a fine example of intellectual history and will appeal to historically inclined humanists and social scientists at large, as well as to political activists, career politicians, and interested readers of all stripes, who, for one reason or another, may wish to ruminate on twentieth-century British experiences in civilising capitalism."---Giorgio Baruchello, European Legacy

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Book SynopsisNo economist has written more incisively and provocatively on financial crisis than Hyman Minsky. Minsky is best known for his claim that "stability is destabilizing" – that the seeds of the bust are sown in the boom. This financial instability hypothesis received renewed attention – and substantial confirmation – in the global financial crisis of 2008. Minsky's insights are not limited to moments of crisis; they grow out of a comprehensive and critical theory of financial capitalism. This book provides a systematic overview of Minsky's thought, covering his entire body of work. It shows how financial crises arise not as exceptions, but out of the normal operation of a financial capitalist system. It explains why Minsky's theories sit uncomfortably with economics and what efforts have been made to integrate them, and shows how Minsky's work can be incorporated into other fields of social thought. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in economics, political economy, finance, politics, and social theory, as well as to anyone with an interest in the financial system and its tendency toward crisis.Trade Review“Capitalism is essentially a financial system, said Minsky fifty years ago, and his thought laid the foundations for understanding how that system works. Reinterpreting Minsky for today, Neilson offers the best available introduction to Minsky’s thought for the modern reader.”Perry Mehrling, Boston University “Daniel H. Neilson’s book manages an extraordinary feat: the reader understands Minsky’s life and his system of thought in one book. You need to understand Minsky’s ideas to understand capitalism in the twenty-first century. This is the best book to help you do that.”Stephen Kinsella, University of LimerickTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 Financial Capitalism 3 A Payments Theory of Finance 4 The Inadequacy of Economics 5 Making the Market 6 Last Resort 7 The Resilience of Economics 8 Minsky for All Moments References

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Book SynopsisThe End of Certainty is a classic study of power, personality and national destiny. From boom to recession, Hawke to Keating, and Labor's victory for the 'true believers' in 1993, Paul Kelly has written the ultimate inside story of how the 1980s changed Australia and its political parties forever. His detailed scrutiny of the inner working of the Hawke-Keating partnership and its slow disintegration, his unravelling of the crippling rivalries for the Liberal Party leadership and his burrowing into cabinet room struggles over the deregulation of Australia's financial system reveal the brutal realities of Australian politics and how it is played at the very top. But above all, he reminds us of the sheer pace of economic and social change the country lived through and the wake of uncertainty it left behind. Joining The Hawke Ascendancy, this second instalment in Paul Kelly's analysis of modern Australian politics, remains as compelling and incisive as when it was first written.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A masterpiece he has recently updated. . . . Baldwin’s (1985) work laid a solid foundation for subsequent studies related to economic statescraft."---Falin Zhang, China International Strategy Review

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Book SynopsisA LITHUB BOOK OF THE DECADE. The US is one of the largest democracies in the world or is it?America is experiencing an age of profound economic inequality. Employee protections have been decimated, and state welfare is virtually non-existent, while hedge fund billionaires are grossly under-taxed and big businesses make astounding profits at the expense of the environment and of their workers. How did this come about, and who were the driving forces behind it?In this powerful and meticulously researched work of investigative journalism, New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer exposes the network of billionaires trying to buy the US electoral system and succeeding. Led by libertarian industrialists the Koch brothers, they believe that taxes are a form of tyranny and that government oversight of business is an assault on freedom. Together, they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars influencing politicians and voters, and hijacking American democracy for their own ends. Dark Money brilliantly illuminates a shady corner of US politics. It is essential reading for anybody interested in the future of democracy.

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Book SynopsisAs chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979-1987), Paul Volcker slayed the inflation dragon that was consuming the American economy and restored the world's faith in central bankers. That extraordinary feat was just one pivotal episode in a decades-long career serving six presidents.Told with wit, humour, and down-to-earth erudition, the narrative of Volcker's career illuminates the changes that have taken place in American life, government, and the economy since World War II. He vibrantly illustrates the crises he managed alongside the world's leading politicians, central bankers, and financiers. Yet he first found his model for competent and ethical governance in his father, the town manager of Teaneck, NJ, who instilled Volcker's dedication to absolute integrity and his "three verities" of stable prices, sound finance, and good government.

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Book SynopsisFrom Nobel Prize-winning economist and bestselling author Joseph Stiglitz, this account of the dangers of free market fundamentalism reveals what has gone so wrong, but also shows us a way out.We all have the sense that our economy tilts toward big business, but as Joseph E. Stiglitz explains in People, Power and Profits, a few corporations have come to dominate entire sectors, contributing to skyrocketing inequality and slow growth. This is how the financial industry has managed to write its own regulations, tech companies have accumulated reams of personal data with little oversight, and government has negotiated trade deals that fail to represent the best interests of workers. Too many have made their wealth through exploitation of others rather than through wealth creation. If something isn''t done, new technologies may make matters worse, increasing inequality and unemployment.Stiglitz identifies the true sources of wealth and increases iTrade ReviewThis eminent economist provides an authoritative defence of government intervention using mainstream economics and a justification for how to build a fairer society without sacrificing growth -- Gavin Jacobson * Financial Times *His conclusions are bleak, his prescriptions radical -- Gerard Baker * The Times *People, Power, and Profits builds on Stiglitz's earlier work and adds some pretty big ambitions -- Daniel W. Drezner * The New York Times *Urgent ... Unless rising inequality caused by mismanaged globalization, financial liberalization, and destabilizing technological change is addressed, Stiglitz argues, nostrum-peddling demagoguery will find a receptive audience * New Yorker *

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