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Book SynopsisSomething is stirring. People around the world are deciding that the well-being of their community and its economy lies with them. They''re people like you. They''ve had enough, and, rather than waiting for permission, they''re rolling up their sleeves, getting together with friends and neighbours, and doing something about it. Whether they start small or big, they''re finding that just doing stuff can transform their neighbourhoods and their lives. The Power of Just Doing Stuff argues that this shift represents the seeds of a new economy - the answer to our desperate search for a new way forward - and at its heart is people deciding that change starts with them. Communities worldwide are already modelling a more local economy rooted in place, in well-being, in entrepreneurship, and in creativity. And it works. Packed with inspiring real-life examples of how to change things, this book ties in with the increasing focus on community action during tough economic times. ThisTrade ReviewRob Hopkins reminds us how actions speak louder than words, and he does it with practical examples and the passion of someone who has successfully practiced what he writes about. * Tony Juniper, author and campaigner *There's no one on earth who's just done more stuff--and inspired more doing--than Rob Hopkins. This book shows how you can Do Stuff Too! * Bill McKibben, author, environmentalist, and co-founder of 350.org *Rob Hopkins has done more to change the way that we live in the past 10 years than any one else in Britain. Because he has given people the tools to create change for themselves. It is beautifully simple and incredibly powerful. * Monty Don, gardener, writer and broadcaster *There's a buzz around this book, and its message, that give great grounds for optimism on topics that are often rather doom-laden. Its true power lies in the fact that its many smart ideas are already underway. * Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, writer, broadcaster and campaigner *Rob Hopkins is a master at doing stuff. He makes the necessary look desirable and possible. Hopkins has understood that paths are made by walking and that what matters is taking steps. Dealing with global challenges will need important rules set at high levels, but we will only survive and thrive if we become enchanted by positive change locally, where we experience the world. This book is that spell to help rapid transition happen. * Andrew Simms, nef Fellow and author of Cancel the Apocalypse *I see [Transition] as a wonderful combination of civic local engagement and a worldwide network. In many towns throughout the world people get together, finding community, enthusiastic about the idea of together envisioning a future model for their town that will make it worth living in. * Horst Köhler, former German president and former president of the IMF *Rob Hopkins' book is a truly unique piece of work that anyone who cares about our future in this densely populated and threatened world should read. It offers original thought and clear analysis. It also combines realism and hope. * Jonathan Dimbleby, writer and broadcaster *Table of ContentsIntroduction Why we need to do something Opening the door to new possibilities The power of just getting on with it Daring to dream: where we could end up A few closing thoughts Next steps Notes Resources Index

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Book SynopsisSendhil Mullainathan, the ''most interesting young economist in the world'', and Eldar Shafir, the ''most brilliant psychologist'' of his generation, explain the hidden problem behind everything with ScarcityWhy can we never seem to keep on top of our workload, social diary or chores? Why does poverty persist around the world? Why do successful people do things at the last minute in a sudden rush of energy? Here, economist Sendhil Mullainathan and psychologist Eldar Shafir reveal that the hidden side behind all these problems is that they''re all about scarcity. Using the new science of scarcity, they explain why obesity is rampant; why people find it difficult to sleep when most sleep deprived; and why the lonely find it so hard to make friends. Scarcity will change the way you think about both the little everyday tasks and the big issues of global urgency.''Stars in their respective disciplines, and the combination is greater than the sum of its parts. Their project has a unique feel to it: it is the finest combination of heart and head that I have seen in our field'' - Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow''Scarcity is a captivating book, overflowing with new ideas, fantastic stories, and simple suggestions that just might change the way you live'' - Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics''An ultimately humane and very welcome book'' - Oliver Burkeman, Guardian Sendhil Mullainathan is a Professor of Economics at Harvard, and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. He conducts research on development economics, behavioural economics, and corporate finance. He is Executive Director of Ideas 42, Institute of Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University.Eldar Shafir is William Stewart Tod Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Most of his work focuses on descriptive analyses of inference, judgment, and decision making, and on issues related to behavioural economics.Trade ReviewStars in their respective disciplines, and the combination is greater than the sum of its parts. Their project has a unique feel to it: it is the finest combination of heart and head that I have seen in our field -- Daniel Kahneman, author of 'Thinking, Fast and Slow'Scarcity is a captivating book, overflowing with new ideas, fantastic stories, and simple suggestions that just might change the way you live -- Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of 'Freakonomics'Here is a winning recipe. Take a behavioral economist and a cognitive psychologist, each a prominent leader in his field, and let their creative minds commingle. What you get is a highly original and easily readable book that is full of intriguing insights. What does a single mom trying to make partner at a major law firm have in common with a peasant who spends half her income on interest payments? The answer is scarcity. Read this book to learn the surprising ways in which scarcity affects us all -- Richard Thaler, co-author of 'Nudge'An ultimately humane and very welcome book -- Oliver Burkeman * Guardian *The book's unified theory of the scarcity mentality is novel in its scope and ambition * The Economist *A succinct, digestible and often delightfully witty introduction to an important new branch of economics -- Felix Martin * New Statesman *A pacey dissection of a potentially life-changing subject * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisDeath and taxes are our inevitable fate. We''ve been told this since the beginning of civilisation. But what if we stopped to question our antiquated system? Is it fair? And is it capable of serving the needs of our rapidly-changing, modern society? In Daylight Robbery, Dominic Frisby traces the origins of taxation, from its roots in the ancient world, through to today. He explores the role of tax in the formation of our global religions, the part tax played in wars and revolutions throughout the ages, why, at one stage, we paid tax for daylight or for growing a beard. Ranging from the despotic to the absurd, the tax laws of the past reveal so much about how we got to where we are today and what we can do to build a system fit for the future.Featured on Stepping up with Nigel Farage''An important book for investors in gold and bitcoin'' - Daniela Cambone, Stansberry Research''This entertaining, surprising, contrarian book is a tour de force!'' - Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything''In this spectacular gallop through history, Frisby shows how taxation has warped, stunted and thwarted human progress'' - Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs''Frisby''s historical interpretation and utopian ideas will outrage Left and Right'' - Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe and Member of the House of Commons Treasury Committee ''Fascinating book which exposes the political and economic basis of tax. A must read for those of us who believe in simpler, lower taxes'' - Rt Hon Liz Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of TradeTrade ReviewWith dazzling clarity, Frisby illuminates just how much of history is explained by arguments over tax, from Magna Carta to the American civil war to today's political debates. This entertaining, surprising, contrarian book is a tour de force * Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything *An engaging and informative trip through tax history that leads on to some radical suggestions for the future. A must-read for anyone thinking about how our tax system should be structured * Roger Bootle, author of The AI Economy *A real page-turner! Dominic Frisby's historical interpretation and utopian ideas will outrage Left and Right. Both should read this book! * Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, member of the House of Commons Treasury Committee *In this spectacular gallop through history, Frisby shows how taxation has warped, stunted and thwarted human progress. An absolute must-read for anyone who thinks higher taxes are the answer to our ills. Should be compulsory reading for anyone who aspires to high political office! * Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs *A fascinating book which exposes the political and economic basis of tax. A must read for those of us who believe in simpler, lower taxes * Rt Hon Liz Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade *It has been said that the income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government. Dominic Frisby masterfully delves into the fascinating topic of taxation, vividly bringing it to life * Jon Matonis Monetary Economist *An utterly gripping account of the impact of taxes on the course of civilisation * Simon Evans, Comedian *A fantastic education on the surprising ways tax policies have shaped mankind's past and will impact our future * Roger Ver, Chairman, Bitcoin.com *A brilliant book full of insights into how governments have fleeced us down the ages. This is a must read for anyone interested in how technology might at last tilt things back in favour of the citizen rather than the state * Douglas Carswell, MP for Clacton, Co-founder Vote Leave *How when and where we pay tax affects everything - how and where we work, how we save, when we retire, whether we marry or not, whether we live in houses we own or not and sometimes even how many children we have. Few of us think properly about the way this shapes our lives and societies. With this well-written and hugely engaging book Dominic Frisby might be about to change that * Merryn Somerset Webb, Editor in chief of Moneyweek *A great read * George Galloway, former Member of Parliament, broadcaster and bestselling author of I'm Not the Only One *Both amusing and informative, you'll come away with a much deeper understanding of what taxation is all about * Bill Bonner, bestselling author of Empire of Debt *Whether you think your taxes are fair or unfair, too high or too low, you need to read this book * Greg Moffitt, editor of New Thought *Highly readable * Luke Johnson, British entrepreneur and Sunday Times columnist *A hugely readable, well-researched book about the history, reality and future of tax, which can draw the occasional chuckle! Also an informative tome, which raises important questions about how and why governments are funded * James Roberts, Political Director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance *A book about tax, that is readable, fascinating - and fun! Sounds impossible, I know. But that's what Dominic Frisby has written * Liam Halligan, the Telegraph *This entertaining, easily read book will make you laugh and arm you for debates * Heather McGregor, Mrs Moneypenny, The Sunday Times *Frisby is a moonlighting phenomenon: a finance journalist by day and Edinburgh Fringe comedic star by night, he brings wit to the world of policy-wonkery in a way that is probably unique * Helen Dale, author of The Hand that Signed the Paper *Whatever your political leanings, you will find much to enjoy in this entertaining and educational romp through the history of taxation * Moneyweek *Please let's let Dominic Frisby loose on the Treasury! * Jamie Blackett, The Critic *a fascinating book...educational and fun. You will enjoy it! * Mish Talk, The Street *

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Book SynopsisA fun take on some of the biggest questions in economics, made accessible for non-experts (and dogs)Trade Review'A truly delightful scamper through economic ideas and history.' -- Niall Kishtainy, author of A Little History of Economics‘I have read many introductions to economics, none as entertaining and readily accessible as this one. Monty, you’re a lucky dog to have such wonderful teachers!’ -- Alexander Pepper, professor of management practice, LSE'An engaging and at times touching book' -- John Crace * The Guardian *‘Economics concepts can often be difficult to grasp, but the authors have done an admirable job of explaining them in plain language … This is one of the few books on economics that works as a textbook while remaining actually readable!’ -- Terry Freedman, Teach Secondary'Enjoyable... This undemanding presentation serves equally well as an introduction or a refresher course and will especially appeal to readers who appreciate their learning enhanced with a bit of whimsy' * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisScott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU's Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He has founded nine companies, including Prophet, Red Envelope and L2. He is the bestselling author of The Four and The Algebra of Happiness and has served on the boards of directors of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters and UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. His Prof G and Pivot podcasts, No Mercy/No Malice blog, and Prof G YouTube channel reach millions. In 2020, Adweek named Pivot Business Podcast of the Year. In 2019, Scott founded Section4, an online education platform for working professionals where he teaches business strategy: section4.com.

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Book SynopsisStimulus: plans: good or bad? Jobs: can we afford them? Money: who's got it? Everybody's talking about the economy, but how can you evaluate what they're saying? How can we, the people, understand what the banks or government knows (or says they know)? Author Michael Goodwin asked himself the same questions and came up with a good answer: explore the development of economic thought, examine the reality of economic practice, add a wry sense of humour and tell all through the graphic medium. In a word, Economix. Goodwin's wit and clarity of writing along with artist Dan Burr's quirky, iconic art transform the dismal science of economics into a fun, fact-filled story about human nature and our attempts to make the most of what we've got . . . and sometimes what our neighbors have got. Economix explains it all from the beginning of Western economic thought to markets, free or otherwise, to economic failures, successes and anomalies, to how our modern economy is grappling with war, climate change and resource limitations. The book's graphic format means complex ideas can be comprehensive and accessible.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Galvanizing and uplifting' The Guardian'Bernie Sanders has changed US politics forever' Owen JonesIt's OK to be angry about capitalism. It's OK to want something better. Bernie Sanders takes on the 1% and speaks blunt truths about a system that is fuelled by uncontrolled greed, and rigged against ordinary people. Where a handful of oligarchs have never had it so good, with more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes, and the vast majority struggle to survive. Where a decent standard of living for all seems like an impossible dream.How can we accept an economic order that allows three billionaires to control more wealth than the bottom half of our society? How can we accept a political system that allows the super-rich to buy elections and politicians? How can we accept an energy system that rewards the fossil fuel corporations causing the climate crisis? How can we let it happen any longer? We must demand fundamental economic and political change. This is where the path forward begins.It's OK To Be Angry About Capitalism presents a vision of what would be possible if the political revolution took place. If we would finally recognize that economic rights are human rights, and work to create a society that provides them. This isn't some utopian fantasy; this is democracy as we should know it. Is it really too much to ask?Trade ReviewAn attack on the status quo from every conceivable direction ... galvanising and uplifting ... Precisely because Sanders is such a straightforward thinker and writer, he insists on some facts that the political establishment - on both sides - wilfully ignores. * The Guardian *I can't wait until everybody reads this book... it's like holding a little piece of hope in your hands. -- Emma DabiriBernie Sanders opens his latest book with a compelling thought: conventional wisdom says you get more conservative in politics as you grow older, but he finds himself going the opposite direction. The 81-year-old writes exactly how he speaks - with passion and in his signature blunt style ... The book embodies Sanders' politics. -- Prudence Wade * The Independent *Sanders lays forth a well-reasoned platform of programs to retool the American economy for greater equity ... the plutocrats might want to take cover. * Kirkus *Our favorite democratic socialist ... Yes, it is okay to be angry about capitalism, and it's even better to do something about it. -- Yaseen Al-Sheikh * Jacobin *A noble purpose ... a powerful new book. -- Charles Kaiser * The Guardian *Reality keeps endorsing Bernie Sanders. Pass it on. -- Naomi KleinA message of hope and courage - that collective action can rid the world of injustice. -- Owen JonesGives us a glimpse of what politics could be like. -- Yanis VaroufakisOnly Bernie Sanders can break the power of capitalism. -- Paul MasonA decent, honest person. It's pretty unusual in the political system. -- Noam ChomskySanders' success today shows that much of America is tired of rising inequality and these so-called political changes and intends to revive both a progressive agenda and the American tradition of egalitarianism. -- Thomas Piketty

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Book Synopsis''In this book, Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum contribute significantly to one of the most important issues of our time - how to move forward in the Fourth Industrial Revolution'' Jack Ma, Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group Holding, People''s Republic of China''It''s no secret that technologies are reshaping the world''s economies and societies. To manage the risks and spread the benefits, we have to act now, and in the interest of stakeholders everywhere'' Andrew McAfee, Co-Founder, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, MIT, USAWe are on the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And this one will be unlike any other in human history.Characterized by new technologies fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact all disciplines, economies and industries - and it will do so at an unprecedented rate. World Economic Forum data predicts that by 2025 we will see: commercial use of nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than human hair; the first transplant of a 3D-printed liver; 10% of all cars on US roads being driverless; and much more besides.In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Schwab outlines the key technologies driving this revolution, discusses the major impacts on governments, businesses, civil society and individuals, and offers bold ideas for what can be done to shape a better future for all.''The technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are extraordinary. Leadership has to be equally extraordinary to manage the complexities of systemic change'' Eric Schmidt, Technical Advisor, Alphabet, USATrade ReviewThe world has fast entered a data and technology-driven era where new opportunities but also challenges are emerging. In this book, Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum contribute significantly to one of the most important issues of our time - how to move forward in the Fourth Industrial Revolution * Jack Ma, Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group Holding, People's Republic of China *It's no secret that technologies are reshaping the world's economies and societies. To manage the risks and spread the benefits, we have to act now, and in the interest of stakeholders everywhere * Andrew McAfee, Co-Founder, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, MIT, USA *Sheds light on what's at stake for society and how leaders can play a part in shaping the course of history. Klaus makes a powerful call in the book: "We have to shake things up before technological inertia determines our future for us." Act now * Zhu Min, Chairman, National Institute of Financial Research, People's Republic of China *The technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are extraordinary. Leadership has to be equally extraordinary to manage the complexities of systemic change * Eric Schmidt, Technical Advisor, Alphabet, USA *This book is essential for gaining a perspective on some of the critical challenges that rapid technological change poses to us all: ensuring the wellbeing of societies, understanding the evolving role of governments, and rethinking how the global economy will work in the 21st century * Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva *The World Economic Forum shows us that improving the state of the world will mean seriously thinking about, and empowering, all of those whose lives are transformed by technologies * Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva *Prosperity with technology means defending the rights of women on the frontline of change, defending the dignity of work for all workers and improving working conditions around the world. A Fourth Industrial Revolution that can do that would benefit us all * Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Brussels *The Fourth Industrial Revolution is being felt profoundly around the world. Chapter by chapter, special insights from some of the best minds from the World Economic Forum's community show just where leadership focus is needed * Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington DC *The challenge is clear: if we want to create technologies which benefit us all, and help us create more just and inclusive societies, we need to ensure that the values of human dignity and equality become a core design and use principle * Shalil Shetty, Secretary-General, Amnesty International, United Kingdom *

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Book Synopsis''Our democracy has gone profoundly wrong. Economists have failed us. Politicians have lied to us. Things must change. This fearless new book will help make it happen'' Owen Jones''An explosive call for change ... packed with original research ... a case study for the question we should all be asking since the crash: how have the elites - in Westminster, in the City, in economics - stayed in charge?'' Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian''Utterly compelling and sobering'' Ha-Joon ChangA century ago, the idea of ''the economy'' didn''t exist. Now economics is the supreme ideology of our time, with its own rules and language. The trouble is, most of us can''t speak it.This is damaging democracy. Dangerous agendas are hidden inside mathematical wrappers; controversial policies are presented as ''proven'' by the models of economic ''science''. Government is being turned over to a publicly unaccountable technocratic elite.

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Book Synopsis''It is going to change the way in which we understand many modern debates about economics, politics, and society'' Ha Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don''t Tell You About CapitalismOver the past fifty years, the way we value what is ''good'' and ''right'' has changed dramatically. Behaviour that to our grandparents'' generation might have seemed stupid, harmful or simply wicked now seems rational, natural, woven into the very logic of things. And, asserts Jonathan Aldred in this revelatory new book, it''s economics that''s to blame.Licence to be Bad tells the story of how a group of economics theorists changed our world, and how a handful of key ideas, from free-riding to Nudge, seeped into our decision-making and, indeed, almost all aspects of our lives. Aldred reveals the extraordinary hold of economics on our morals and values. Economics has corrupted us. But if this hidden transformation is so recent, it can be reversed. LiceTrade Review[A] fascinating assault on modern economic orthodoxy... It is a call for us all to put aside our prejudices - some of which have been invented for us, decades ago - and ask, is this what we need? Is it even what we really want? -- Tim Stanley * Daily Telegraph *In this highly enlightening and hugely entertaining book, Jonathan Aldred guides us through the badlands of modern economics, revealing its pitfalls, quicksand, and quagmires. It is going to change the way in which we understand many modern debates about economics, politics, and society. -- Ha-Joon Chang, University of Cambridge, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism and Economics: The User's GuideThis an important and timely book, the best I have recently read on the subject of 'whither economics?' -- Lord Robert SkidelskyAn entertaining, wide-ranging and often challenging argument. Aldred writes exceptionally well and there is much here to agree with ... It's impossible to do justice to the sheer range of issues tackled. -- Paul Johnson * Literary Review *Illuminating ... an unusual approach to critiquing the modern economic canon. -- Paul Collier * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisPeople tend to be penny wise and pound foolish and cry over spilt milk, even though we are taught to do neither. Focusing on the present at the expense of the future and basing decisions on lost value are two mistakes common to decision-making that are particularly costly in the world of finance. Behavioral Finance: What Everyone Needs to KnowR provides an overview of common shortcuts and mistakes people make in managing their finances. It covers the common cognitive biases or errors that occur when people are collecting, processing, and interpreting information. These include emotional biases and the influence of social factors, from culture to the behavior of one''s peers. These effects vary during one''s life, reflecting differences in due to age, experience, and gender. Among the questions to be addressed are: How did the financial crisis of 2007-2008 spur understanding human behavior? What are market anomalies and how do they relate to behavioral biases? What role does overconfideTrade ReviewBehavioral Finance is a compact and useful overview of this important, comparatively new sub-field of finance and an excellent resource for practitioners wanting to refresh or deepen their understanding. * Enterprising Investor *If you are looking for a book that explains behavioral finance in plain understandable language, then this book is for you. This book adeptly applies the classic Socratic method to explain why the behavioral approach better explains the behavior of normal people than the neoclassical approach. * Hersh Shefrin, Mario L. Belotti Professor of Finance, Santa Clara University *Table of ContentsChapter 1. Foundations and Psychological Concepts Chapter 2. Cognitive Biases Chapter 3. Emotional Biases and Social/Cultural Influences Chapter 4. Investor Behavior Chapter 5. Nudge: The Influence of Frame Dependence Chapter 6. Cognitive Ability Notes Index

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Book SynopsisRobots may one day rule the world, but what is a robot-ruled Earth like?Many think the first truly smart robots will be brain emulations or ems. Scan a human brain, then run a model with the same connections on a fast computer, and you have a robot brain, but recognizably human.Train an em to do some job and copy it a million times: an army of workers is at your disposal. When they can be made cheaply, within perhaps a century, ems will displace humans in most jobs. In this new economic era, the world economy may double in size every few weeks.Some say we can''t know the future, especially following such a disruptive new technology, but Professor Robin Hanson sets out to prove them wrong. Applying decades of expertise in physics, computer science, and economics, he uses standard theories to paint a detailed picture of a world dominated by ems.While human lives don''t change greatly in the em era, em lives are as different from ours as our lives are from those of our farmer and forager Trade ReviewHanson's predictions detail a world both uncanny and eerily familiar. * Mary Craig, Nature *Plenty of futurists and science fiction writers have toyed with the idea that the brains of particular humans could one day be scanned and uploaded into artificial hardware but Prof Hanson's take is different. His aim is to use standard theories from the physical, human and social sciences to make forecasts about how this technological breakthrough would really change our world * Sarah O' Connor, Financial Times *What is remarkable ... is not just the detail ... but the way he situates it within a perceptive analysis of our human past and present * Daniel J. Levitin, Wall Street Journal Europe *What happens when a first-rate economist applies his rigor, breadth, and curiosity to the sci-fi topic of whole brain emulations? This book is what happens. There's nothing else like it, and it will blow your (current) mind. * Andrew McAfee, Professor of Business, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Robin Hanson brings intelligence, imagination, and courage to some of the most profound questions humanity will be dealing with in the middle-term future. The Age of Em is a stimulating and unique book that will be valuable to anyone who wants to look past the next ten years to the next hundred and the next thousand. * Sean Carroll, Professor of Physics, California Institute of Technology, author The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself *A highly provocative vision of a technologically advanced future that may or may not come true — but if it does, we'll be glad Robin wrote this book now. * Marc Andreessen, cofounder Netscape, Andreessen Horowitz *Table of ContentsIntroduction Basics 1: Start 2: Modes 3: Framing 4: Assumptions 5: Implementation Physics 6: Scales 7: Infrastructure 8: Appearances 9: Information 10: Existence 11: Farewells Economics 12: Labor 13: Efficiency 14: Work 15: Business 16: Growth 17: Lifecycle Organization 18: Clumping 19: Groups 20: Conflict 21: Politics 22: Rules Sociology 23: Mating 24: Signals 25: Collaboration 26: Society 27: Minds Implications 28: Variations 29: Choices 30: Finale

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Book SynopsisDambisa Moyo is the critically acclaimed author of How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid. She was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009. She holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and has worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. She was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia.Trade ReviewIf Moyo's calculations are correct, we are in big trouble - which makes the central premise of her book all the more arresting...It's not hard to see why Moyo is such a hit as a public intellectual -- Decca Aitkenhead * Guardian *Written to clarify important global questions, this book deserves a wide audience * Kirkus Reviews *With Winner Take All, Dambisa Moyo offers a timely and provocative answer to two crucial questions: How are China's leaders rushing to meet their country's exploding demand for energy, and what does this mean for the rest of us? It's a recipe for conflict-and at a crucial moment for the future of the global economy -- Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and author of 'The End of the Free Market'For anyone longing to make sense of tectonic, eco-political shifts occurring in the commodities market, Winner Takes All is a fascinating and important book. By focusing her razor-sharp mind on China's central role in the new commodities rush, Moyo sheds light on and makes sense of a profound and dramatic moment in our history. Her book is a must-read -- Peter Munk, Chairman and Founder, Barrick Gold Corporation[Praise for How The West Was Lost] Moyo is a very serious lady indeed -- Dominic Lawson * The Times *Moyo's diagnosis of the recent disasters in financial markets is succinct and sophisticated...I applaud her brave alarum -- Paul Collier * The Observer *

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Book Synopsis''A Malcolm Gladwell-style social psychology/behavioural economics primer'' Evening StandardLow-level dishonesty is rife everywhere, in the form of exaggeration, selective use of facts, economy with the truth, careful drafting - from Trump and the Brexit debate to companies that tell us ''your call is important to us''. How did we get to a place where bullshit is not just rife but apparently so effective that it''s become the communications strategy of our times? This brilliantly insightful book steps inside the panoply of deception employed in all walks of life and assesses how it has come to this. It sets out the surprising logic which explains why bullshit is both pervasive and persistent. Why are company annual reports often nonsense? Why should you not trust estate agents? And above all, why has political campaigning become the art of stretching the truth? Drawing on behavioural science, economics, psychology and of course his knowledge of the medTrade ReviewA Malcolm Gladwell-style social psychology/behavioural economics primer * Evening Standard *Subtle and wide-ranging, written with the generous intelligence and wry humour that admirers of his broadcasting will recognise * New Statesman *His care and his determination to make complicated ideas accessible show, above all, why he is such a good broadcaster * Observer *Davis's journey through the bullshit swamplands makes fascinating reading for anybody involved in communication -- Roland White * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA Circular Economy seeks to rebuild capital, whether this is financial, manufactured, human, social or natural, and offers opportunities and solutions for all organisations. This book, written by Walter Stahel, who is widely recognised as one of the key people who formulated the concept of the Circular Economy, is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to quickly get up to speed with this vitally important topic for ensuring sustainable development. It sets out a new framework that refines the concept of a Circular Economy and how it can be applied at industrial levels. This concise book presents the key themes for busy managers and policymakers and some of the newest thinking on the topic of the Circular Economy from one of the leading thinkers in the field. Practical examples and case studies with real-life data are used to elucidate the ideas presented within the book.Trade Review"There are no limits to stupidity. This is the only way to explain the utterly wasteful economy we live in. If the world had had the courage to listen to Walter Stahel long ago, the linear production model would long be gone in favour of circular material flows. His most recent book is a wonderful introduction into the Performance Economy and an economy in the service of life."Anders Wijkman, Chairman Climate-KIC and Honorary President of the Club of Rome."Walter, one of the 'fathers' of the circular economy concept, makes crystal-clear that we need a cultural shift, moving us from ownership to stewardship. This book will serve students as much as decision makers to understand the CIE concepts, its mode of operations based on nodes of industrial relations and its advantages for society."Nathalie VERCRUYSSE, Scientific Officer for Foresight, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation."Lots of questions concerning circular economy need more convincing answers. But one thing is certain - when a book is written by Walter and edited by Ellen McArthur Foundation, it is a must-read. Walter was a pioneer with a vision well ahead of the rest of us, and who understood the importance of the concept and introduced it into the world of policy making."Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Science & Research (2004-2010); European Commissioner for Environment (2010-2014) in charge of preparing the EU Circular Economy Package. Since Co-Chair of the UN International Resource Panel (IRP).Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Circularity, Sustainability and Labour in the Circular Economy 2. The Circular Industrial Economy: New Opportunities in Changing from Producing Objects to Producing Services 3. The Loop of Stocks of Physical Objects: The Era of ‘R’ 4: The Loop of Stocks of Materials: The Era of ‘D’ 5. The Significance of the Point of Sale or Factory Gate 6. The Invisible Liability Loop and the Role of Policy 7. The Performance Economy 8. Radical Innovation: Injecting Innovative Ideas, Systems, Components and Materials into the Stocks 9. The Circular Economy: Roots, Context and Outlook

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Book Synopsis''This book will challenge you to rethink some of your assumptions about democracy, capitalism, and globalization.'' - Adam Grant Huge corporations are acting like nations, global wealth is going to billionaires and ordinary people are suffering. It''s set to be a rocky decade - but we can fix it. As the market consolidates under fewer and larger companies, it''s increasingly in the interest of private companies to behave like nations. And when the government is bogged down in bureaucratic negotiations and culture wars, people begin to look to nimble, powerful companies to solve society''s problems - and to be our moral standard-bearers. It shouldn''t be like this. New York Times bestselling author Alec Ross weaves interviews with the world''s most influential thinkers with fascinating stories of corporate activism and malfeasance, government failure and renewal, and innovative economic and political models being implemented around the wTrade ReviewIn The Raging 2020s, Alec Ross... argues that our social contract is broken, that the roles of business, labor, government and foreign countries need to be rethought... An immensely (and unusually) readable account... Like watching a master jewel thief at work, except that this is not the movies, where the transfer is often from rich to poor. Quite the opposite. * New York Times *Government has ceded authority to corporations, which naturally act in their own interest rather than for the common good... A provocative, well-made case. * Kirkus *Alec Ross fearlessly confronts one of the fundamental concerns of our time: fixing the broken social contract between people, business, and government. His book will challenge you to rethink some of your assumptions about democracy, capitalism, and globalization. -- Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and host of the TED podcast WorkLifeAlec Ross is a keen analyst and brilliant storyteller. The Raging 2020s introduces us to the people whose lives are blighted by unconscionable policies and concentrations of power, helping us understand and indeed share the rage that fuels many 21st century political movements. Best of all, Ross is willing to speak truth to power in recommending a set of bold but realistic solutions. -- Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America, and Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton UniversityA gripping, illuminating chronicle that provides a wonderful birds-eye view from the heights of government and international business, that solidifies Ross's position among the most visionary of global thinkers on the future of technology and its implications, and that also is an amazingly enjoyable, page-turning read! -- General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan

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Book SynopsisMoney is our global language. Yet so few of us can speak it. The language of the economic elite can be complex, jargon-filled and completely baffling. Above all, the language of money is the language of power - power in the hands of the same economic elite.Now John Lanchester, bestselling author of Capital and Whoops! sets out to decode the world of finance for all of us, explaining everything from high-frequency trading and the World Bank to the difference between bullshit and nonsense.As funny as it is devastating, How To Speak Money is a primer and a polemic. It''s a reference book you''ll find yourself reading in one sitting. And it gives you everything you need to demystify the world of high finance - the world that dominates how we all live now.

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Book SynopsisCan you turn a hairpin into a house? This is the question Demi Skipper set out to answer in May 2020, when she posted an ordinary bobby pin to trade on Facebook Marketplace. She had two rules: no trading with anyone she knew, and no spending her own money on trades. Twenty months and 28 trades later, she completed the final trade and took possession of a house. How did she do it? It wasn''t luck. Hard work, ingenuity, and a talent for negotiation were essential to executing the series of trades that lead from the hairpin to the house. Along the way she sent around 300,000 messages, enlisted the help of strangers to drive vehicles across the country, and went deep into the world of sneakerheads in pursuit of the perfect trade, all while documenting her progress and amassing an audience of millions on TikTok. From the crushing disappointments to the surprising successes, Demi shares the behind-the-scenes stories of her first successful t

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Book SynopsisHow do labor markets work? Is it better to aim for inflation or full employment? How can developing countries escape the poverty trap? In this accessible and entertaining guide, readers can explore the key questions and theories that top economists have sought to answer, and gain valuable insights into the complex world of economics.Ranging from demand and supply to globalization and international trade to game theory, and featuring ideas from such esteemed economists as Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, this essential guide will bring you up to speed on the core themes and theories of this great subject and understand how world economies function.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Ideas Unpacked series explores several academic topics through their 50 greatest ideas, giving readers an entertaining and accessible overview of a subjects defining theories and thinkers.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the urgent workplace challenges we're facing today with an interdisciplinary and historical analysis that challenges and broadens the scope of existing economic literature. Exploring the current economic proposals to address these issues, it offers ways forward for greater economic social justice and equality at work.Table of Contents1. Introduction Part 1: Through the lens of economics 2. The unfortunate legacies of the 18th and 19th centuries 3. The scope and limits of economics 4. Paid work through the lens of economics 5. Equity, social justice and the ‘efficient economy’ Part 2: The rise and fall of progressive policies 6. From the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ to the welfare state 7. Enter neoliberalism Part 3: When profit and prejudice reign 8. Profits vs the duty of care 9. Still waiting – gender, race and ethnicity Part 4: Beyond the measuring rod of money 10. Looking at paid work outside the lens of economics 11. Power over others 12. Human rights and democracy in the workplace 13. Confronting climate change and the AI revolution Epilogue

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Book SynopsisJacques Peretti tells the story of the secret history of the deals that are changing our world.

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

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Book Synopsis'Lucid, smartly written ... A welcome intervention into the debate surrounding the future of liberalism' Financial Times 'It takes scholarly courage and knowledge to upend Adam Smith, but this is what Krzysztof Pelc has done . . . Profound and brilliant' Robert Skidelsky 'A fascinating book, bursting with paradoxes, riddles and counterintuitive ideas that will challenge some of your strongest beliefs about how society works' Daniel Susskind We’ve learned that the way to get ahead is through strong will, grit and naked ambition. The belief that self-interest makes the world go round has served us well: it has helped make our society more affluent. But does that premise still hold? In Beyond Self-Interest, Krzysztof Pelc argues that those who prosper increasingly do so by spurning prosperity, or by convincing others that they are pursuing passion, purpose, love of craft – anything but their own self-advancement. From the Puritans, who followed a religious calling and yet made a killing; to the fastest-growing firms of today, who claim to be ‘changing to the world’ through ‘doing what they love’, declaring passion over profit is a profitable move. A bold, incisive and original work that draws on three centuries of intellectual thought, Beyond Self-Interest is a book to upend how we relate to capitalism. What if the true driver of market society is not the appearance of self-interest, but its opposite?Trade ReviewIt takes scholarly courage and knowledge to upend Adam Smith, but this is what Krzysztof Pelc has done in this profound and brilliant study. It is not love of money, he argues, which drives the baker to bake bread, but the disinterested passion for baking, which assures the credibility of his product. There is an urgent moral lesson here for our own age of climate-induced scarcity: GDP is at best a means to the good life, it cannot be its meaning -- Robert SkidelskyWe cannot obtain happiness by pursuing it. Happiness is a byproduct of the pursuit of other goals. In this stimulating and important book, Krzysztof Pelc argues that the same is true of prosperity -- Martin WolfA fascinating book, bursting with paradoxes, riddles, and counterintuitive ideas that will challenge some of your strongest beliefs about how society works -- Daniel Susskind, author of A WORLD WITHOUT WORKWhy do so many people perceive capitalism to be failing us? This wide-ranging and provocative book argues that modern capitalists have fallen into the trap of believing their own arguments about the benefits of individual self-interest -- Diane CoyleWhat if greed is not good? What if the pursuit of happiness means embracing values beyond narrow ambition? Pelc argues that affluent societies have reached just such a point. Turning both economics and conventional wisdom on their head, he describes a world in which those who shun self-interest may actually end up being most successful - and most fulfilled -- David Pilling, author of THE GROWTH DELUSIONLucid, smartly written and a welcome intervention into the debate surrounding the future of liberalism. The very idea that to be a liberal - in the sense of advancing the cause of individuals - now requires our societies to move beyond a growth orientation, is a challenging idea worth engaging with * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis'The most explosive, mind-blowing business book I've ever read' – Bradley Hope, New York Times bestselling author of Billion Dollar Whale'Jaw-dropping . . . well-told, well-structured and exquisitely reported' – Financial Times book reviewDiscover the unauthorized, unvarnished story of famed Wall Street hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio.When Ray Dalio, billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, announced in October 2022 that he was stepping down from the company he founded forty-seven years ago, the news made headlines around the world. Dalio achieved worldwide fame thanks to a mystique of success cultivated in frequent media appearances, celebrity hobnobbing, and his bestselling book, Principles. In The Fund, Rob Copeland draws on hundreds of interviews with those inside and around the firm to reveal what really goes on with Dalio and his cohorts behind closed doors.Tracing more than fifty years of Dalio's leadership, The Fund peels back the curtain to reveal a rarefied world of wealth and power, where former FBI director Jim Comey kisses Dalio's ring, recent Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick sells out, and countless Bridgewater acolytes describe what it's like to work at this fascinating firm.Dalio has stepped down from Bridgewater before; will the legacy of his Principles continue to chart the course of the firm? The Fund provides unique insight into the story of Dalio and Bridgewater, past, present and future.'A taut, nonfiction thriller' – Bryan Burrough, bestselling author of Barbarians at the Gate'Manages to both shock and entertain at the same time' – Philipp Meyer, bestselling author of American Rust and The SonTrade ReviewThe most explosive, mind-blowing business book I've ever read - and the most fun, too -- Bradley Hope, bestselling author of Billion Dollar WhaleAt last, the era of the billionaire philosopher-king has a defining book. The Fund is a taut, nonfiction thriller -- Bryan Burrough, bestselling author of Barbarians at the GateA classic American story about the most famous man on Wall Street - or the person he seems to be. The Fund manages to both shock and entertain at the same time -- Philipp Meyer, bestselling author of American Rust and The SonJaw-dropping . . . well-told, well-structured and exquisitely reported -- Financial Times book reviewA terrific dagger of a book, packed with cringey detail, just long enough to efficiently disembowel its subject. For anyone who has had an awful boss, The Fund is the perfect rage-read -- Mark Gimein, reviewing for the New York TimesExplosive . . . rivetingly chronicles a traumatic social experiment in which hundreds of America’s sharpest Ivy League finance alums unwittingly became ensnared -- Ben Naparstek, reviewing for The AustralianEye-opening...[teaches us] to be more sceptical about investment and management gurus -- MoneyWeek Book of the Month review (December 2023)The best thing I read in 2023 -- Robin Wigglesworth, bestselling author of Trillions, writing for the Financial Times' Best of Further Reading list (2023)

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Book SynopsisHow do we rein in the power of Big Tech?How do we tackle the climate crisis? How can all of us play a part in making change happen? For the past four years, Ed Miliband has been discovering and interviewing brilliant people all around the world who are successfully tackling the biggest problems we face, transforming communities and pioneering global movements. Go Big draws on the most imaginative and ambitious of these ideas to provide a vision for the kind of society we need. A better world is possible; the solutions are out there. We can all make a difference. We just need to know where to look - and have the courage to think big.Go Big shows us how.'Enthralling' PHILIP PULLMAN'Such a hopeful book' ELIZABETH DAY'Should be the rallying cry of progressives around the world' RUTGER BREGMANTrade ReviewA new book by Mr Miliband is an important political event ... mounts a coherent challenge to orthodox views, encouraging his audience to think differently and laying the foundations of where the country needs to go ... Miliband is clear that we live in an age where it is movements of people, not politicians, that change the world * Guardian *Full of ambitious ideas about how to solve gigantic social issues such as working life, childcare and climate change ... This flawed, funny Miliband sparkles with an Alan Partridge-like flourish through Go Big ... Miliband never sounds angry. He doesn't even seem to get annoyed when the Tories steal his ideas * GQ *At a time when our problems seem insurmountable and our disagreements intractable, Ed Miliband gives us reasons to be hopeful. This book makes a compelling case we need to hear: if we are willing to think big, politics can be a force for change and a force for good -- MICHAEL J. SANDEL, author of The Tyranny of MeritThere's a lot of good stuff in here ... flashes of insight ... neat observations ... it is hard to disagree with much of what [he says] ... charmingly self-deprecating -- David Goodhart * Sunday Times *By turns bouncy, chatty and confidential, and above all relentlessly upbeat ... fully of ideas, nifty schemes for solving the climate crisis, sound stratagems for encouraging more and better housing, for revitalising public transport, for loosening the stranglehold of the market and a whole lot more besides * Private Eye *

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Book SynopsisThis breakthrough scientific masterwork - and INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - reveals the underlying forces that have shaped human history and will secure our future...'Masterful. Galor answers the ultimate mystery' Lewis Dartnell The stunning advances that have transformed human experience in recent centuries are no accident of history - they are the result of universal and timeless forces, operating since the dawn of our species. Drawing on a lifetime's scientific investigation, Oded Galor's ground-breaking new vision overturns a host of long-held assumptions to reveal the deeper causes that have shaped the journey of humanity:Education rather than industrialisationFamily size and gender equality as much as inventions and technologyGeography and diversity rather than wars, disease and famine'Unparalleled in its scope and ambition . . . All readers will learn something' Washington Post'An inspiring, readable, jargon-free and almost impossibly erudite masterwork' New Statesman'His optimism about humanity shines through' Observer'If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is' GuardianTrade ReviewA wildly ambitious attempt to do for economics what Newton, Darwin or Einstein did for their fields: develop a theory that explains almost everything ... an inspiring, readable, jargon-free and almost impossibly erudite masterwork, the boldest possible attempt to write the economic history of humanity * New Statesman *There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is * Guardian *Journey of Humanity... is only 300 pages long, which considering it covers thousands of years of global history... is surprisingly concise. Its breadth and ambition are reminiscent of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel...and Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens * Financial Times *A large-scale survey of human history... The heart of the matter is why some countries grow and some don't... Perhaps growth-mad Liz Truss should have read it. You certainly should. * The Times, Best philosophy and ideas books of 2022 *Unparalleled in its scope and ambition ... All readers will learn something, and many will find the book fascinating * Washington Post *Deeply rewarding and fascinating * Spectator *A completely brilliant and utterly original account of humanity's transit from crude beginnings to a deeply divided planet. A vastly readable insight into why our world is as it is. A book for our epoch -- Jon Snow, former presenter of Channel 4 NewsA masterful sweep through the human odyssey, from the origin of our species to the making of the modern world, that answers the ultimate mystery: what accounts for the staggering inequality in the wealth of nations today? Exquisite, eloquent and effortlessly erudite - if you liked Sapiens, you'll love this -- Lewis Dartnell, author of OriginsAstounding in scope and insight, The Journey of Humanity provides a captivating and revelatory account of the deepest currents that have shaped human history, and the keys to the betterment of our species -- Nouriel Roubini, author of Crisis EconomicsI am in awe of Oded Galor's attempts to explain inequality today as a consequence of such profound forces. A remarkable contribution to our understanding of this mammoth dilemma -- Jim O'Neill, author of The Growth MapA wonderfully clear-sighted perspective on progress, past and future, which is essential to tackling today's big challenges - potentially catastrophic climate change and inequality -- Diane Coyle, former Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, author of Cogs and MonstersBig Science at its best ... Galor's erudition and creativity are remarkable -- Prof. Steven N. Durlauf, University of Chicago, on Unified Growth TheoryAn engaging and optimistic answer to anyone who thinks that poverty and inequality will always be with us -- Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules – For NowGalor's project is breathtakingly ambitious -- Robert Solow, Nobel Laureate in EconomicsA magisterial account of the evolution of human civilization from its prehistoric origins into the present day. It's a page-turner, a suspense-filled thriller full of surprises, mind-bending puzzles and profound insights -- Glenn C. Loury, author of The Anatomy of Racial InequalityIn lucid, accessible prose, Galor ingeniously traces obscure influences over centuries ... This engrossing history reveals that subtle causes can have astounding effects * Publishers Weekly *A tour de force. This deeply argued book brilliantly weaves the threads of global economic history to deconstruct the rich tapestry that is the modern world -- Dani Rodrik, author of Straight Talk on TradeOne of the hottest books of the year ahead * Irish Independent *Reading Oded Galor's upbeat book I...[was] taken aback by his imagination and verve... great sections of Galor's book are to be applauded... his optimism about humanity shines through * Observer *The Journey of Humanity is a good summary of growth theories and is an elegantly written and accessible book * Irish Times *Galor argues that climate policy should not be restricted to cutting carbon but should also involve "pushing hard for gender equality, access to education and the availability of contraceptives, to drive forward the decline in fertility". India will do well to heed that advice * New Indian Express *The Journey of Humanity stretches from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the present day, and has a lot to say about the future, too. In just over 240 pages it covers our migration out of Africa, the development of agriculture, the Industrial Revolution and the phenomenal growth of the past two centuries. It takes in population change, the climate crisis and global inequality ... There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is ... Galor builds his case meticulously, always testing his assumptions against the evidence, and without the sense of agenda-pushing that accompanies other boosterish thinkers - the Steven Pinkers or Francis Fukuyamas of this world * Guardian *Incredibly wide-ranging and detailed historical and even anthropological examination of the myriad factors that have brought success and failure to nations ... Lively and learned -- Tim Hazledine, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Auckland * Inerest.co.nz *An optimist's guide to the future ... Oded Galor's 'Sapiens'-like history of civilisation predicts a happy ending for humanity * Guardian *Enjoyable and intriguing -- Steven Poole * Guardian *An antidote to doomscrolling * Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2022* *A great historical fresco * Le Monde *Breathtaking. A new Sapiens * L'Express *Ambitious and deep ... the product of genuine scholarship -- Jason Furman, economics professor at Harvard, former advisor to Barack Obama * #1 Best Economics Book of 2022, FiveBooks.com *

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Book SynopsisNOW WITH NEW PROLOGUE ABOUT DEMYSTIFYING CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS, DONALD TRUMP AND WHY STATISTICS MATTER MORE THAN EVER'The Number Bias combines vivid storytelling with authoritative analysis to deliver a warning about the way numbers can lead us astray - if we let them.' TIM HARFORDEven if you don't consider yourself a numbers person, you are a numbers person. The time has come to put numbers in their place. Not high up on a pedestal, or out on the curb, but right where they belong: beside words.It is not an overstatement to say that numbers dictate the way we live our lives. They tell us how we're doing at school, how much we weigh, who might win an election and whether the economy is booming. But numbers aren't as objective as they may seem; behind every number is a story. Yet politicians, businesses and the media often forget this - or use it for their own gain. Sanne Blauw travels the world to unpick our relationship with numbers and demystify our misguided allegiance, from Florence Nightingale using statistics to petition for better conditions during the Crimean War to the manipulation of numbers by the American tobacco industry and the ambiguous figures peddled during the EU referendum. Taking us from the everyday numbers that govern our health and wellbeing to the statistics used to wield enormous power and influence, The Number Bias counsels us to think more wisely.'A beautifully accessible exploration of how numbers shape our lives, and the importance of accurately interpreting the statistics we are fed.' ANGELA SAINI, author of SuperiorTrade ReviewThe Number Bias combines vivid storytelling with authoritative analysis to deliver a warning about the way numbers can lead us astray - if we let them. * Tim Harford *Statistics and data can tell the truth, but they can also lie, as this valuable book explains . . . you can never read the points Blauw makes too often. -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *If you don't consider yourself a numbers person, then this is the book for you. It is an intriguing and accessible exploration of how digits can shape our lives, be it measuring academic progress, election results or economic growth. Sanne Blauw, the numeracy correspondent for Dutch news outlet De Correspondent, provides startling insight about how manipulated figures can lead us astray, laying bare the perils of blindly buying into the hyperbole of peddled statistics * Herald *A beautifully accessible exploration of how numbers shape our lives, and the importance of accurately interpreting the statistics we are fed. THE NUMBER BIAS will give even the most maths-averse reader the tools they need to navigate our data-rich world. * Angela Saini, author of SUPERIOR *From Covid-19 to the tobacco industry to the climate crisis . . . a punchy, amusing history of the deliberate misuse of statistics . . . The digestibility of Blauw's offering is also a public virtue in itself, if it encourages more people to read it and immunise themselves against the virality of numerical disinformation. -- Stephen Poole * Guardian *Aware that many readers are likely to be daunted by a book about numbers, Blauw soothes such anxieties through her accessible style, brevity (the book runs to 170 pages) and, particularly, by focussing on stories rather than statistics . . . Using a calm, unshowy approach, Blauw convincingly argues that numbers should inform our choices, but they cannot make decisions for us. * Sunday Business Post *provocative . . . playful . . . necessary work, delivered with a light touch * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis**The Sunday Times Best Business Book of the Year 2020**'A satisfying ticktock of the company's rapid rise and crash, culminating in its disastrous I.P.O. in 2019 and Neumann's ouster.' New York Times'This absorbing book exposes the sheer madness of WeWork: not just its founder Adam Neumann's extreme hubris, but why so many wiser minds bought into the fairytale.' Sunday TimesThe inside story of the rise and fall of WeWork, showing how the excesses of its founder shaped a corporate culture unlike any other.__________In its earliest days, WeWork promised the impossible: to make the workplace cool.Adam Neumann, an immigrant determined to make his fortune in the United States, landed on the idea of repurposing surplus New York office space for the burgeoning freelance class. Over the course of ten years, WeWork attracted billions of dollars from some of the most sought-after investors in the world, while spending it to build a global real estate empire.Based on more than two hundred interviews, Billion Dollar Loser chronicles the breakneck speed at which WeWork's CEO built and grew his company. Culminating in a day-by-day account of the five weeks leading up to WeWork's botched IPO and Neumann's dramatic ouster, Reeves Wiedeman exposes the story of the company's desperate attempt to secure the funding it needed in the final moments of a decade defined by excess.With incredible access and piercing insight into the company, Billion Dollar Loser tells the full, inside story of WeWork and its CEO Adam Neumann who together came to represent the most audacious, and improbable, rise and fall in business.__________A Sunday Times Best Business Book of the YearFortune Best Book of the YearNew York Times' Books to Watch For in OctoberWIRED Books to Read This FallBloomberg's Nonfiction Title to Know this FallNewsweek's Must Read Fall NonfictionPublishers Weekly Top Ten for Business & EconomicsInsideHook's Best Books for OctoberLike John Carreyrou's Bad Blood and Mike Isaac's Super Pumped before it, Billion Dollar Loser traces the turmoil at a startup driven by a charismatic, arrogant founder.'A frisky dissection of how a rickety real-estate leasing company tricked the world into seeing it as an immensely valuable, society-shifting tech unicorn.' WIRED**Perfect for fans of the Apple TV show, WeCrashed**

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Book SynopsisMarkets, models, mechanisms and monopolies… most of us understand that economics is important, but what exactly is it – and what do economists do? In this fresh and engaging introduction, Oxford University’s James Forder skilfully presents the key concepts crucial to mastering the subject. Combining theory with dynamic, real-life examples, he shows us why economics matters and how it shapes our world. Economics: A Beginner’s Guide is the perfect introduction for anyone wishing to understand and interpret economic problems, both past and present.Trade Review"An excellent introduction to some of the main ideas in modern economics. It is clearly written, balanced and, above all, reliable, with nothing to unlearn should it inspire someone to study the subject further." -- Roger Backhouse - Professor of the History and Philosophy of Economics, University of Birmingham “I hope that people read this book. It should change the way that people who are new to economics think about complex issues which affect the world we live in.” -- Timothy Besley, Professor of Economics and Political Science, London School of Economics

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Book SynopsisThis book sets out to provide a scholarly analysis of money and capital, the institutional economic class interests that exist in Ireland, and alternatives to same in the spheres of paid labour and social reproduction. In essence it is a political work in that it picks a side in the debate over these issues. Money is a social technology, one that underpins a complex system of social relations, and the ownership and control of that technology gives those who hold it enormous social, economic and political power. There is a class in Ireland that has carved out a niche for itself within that system at a national and international level, and that class is deeply embedded in the institutions of the State. There are alternatives, but they involve facing up to both the deep economic class divisions within Irish society and the gendered nature of economic inequality, as well as working collectively to transform the institutions and ideas which sustain and reproduce those divisions. The book's singular focus on that topic should not be taken as an argument for a singular causality - that the money system is somehow the cause of all our woes and that a change in that system will change everything. I do not believe that. Capitalism did not invent the money system. That system was appropriated by capitalism and shaped to serve its own particular interests.

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable run of self-proclaimed "democratic socialist" Bernie Sanders for president of the United States has prompted-for the first time in decades and to the shock of many-a national conversation about socialism. A New York Times poll in late November found that a majority of Democrats had a favorable view of socialism, and in New Hampshire in February, more than half of Democratic voters under 35 told the Boston Globe they call themselves socialists. It's unclear exactly what socialism means to this generation, but couple with the ascendancy of longtime leftwinger Jeremy Corbyn to the leadership of the Labour Party in the UK, it's clear there's a historic, generational shift underway.This book steps into this moment to offer a clear, accessible, informative, and irreverent guide to socialism for the uninitiated. Written by young writers from the dynamic magazine Jacobin, alongside several distinguished scholars, The ABCs of Socialism answers basic questions, including ones that many want to know but might be afraid to ask ("Doesn't socialism always end up in dictatorship?", "Will socialists take my Kenny Loggins records?"). Disarming and pitched to a general readership without sacrificing intellectual depth, this will be the best introduction an idea whose time seems to have come again.Table of ContentsBhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor and publisher of Jacobin magazine.

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Book SynopsisHow do you predict something that has never happened before? There's a useful calculation being employed by Wall Street, Silicon Valley and maths professors all over the world, and it predicts that the human species will become extinct in 760 years. Unfortunately, there is disagreement over how to apply the formula, and some argue that we might only have twenty years left. Originally devised by British clergyman Thomas Bayes, the theorem languished in obscurity for two hundred years before being resurrected as the lynchpin of the digital economy. With brief detours into archaeology, philology, and overdue library books, William Poundstone explains how we can use it to predict pretty much anything. What is the chance that there are multiple universes? How long will Hamilton run? Will the US stock market continue to perform as well this century as it has for the last hundred years? And are we really all doomed?Trade Review‘Thoroughly entertaining reading and it’s not hard to foresee a future in which readers everywhere will find it impossible to put down.’ * E&T Magazine *‘a fun and energetic romp through a mishmash of philosophical and cosmological ideas… an engagingly written foray.’ * The Inquisitive Biologist *‘A fascinating sweep through so many interesting and important insights into how we can understand our future, masterfully knitted together.’ -- Bobby Duffy, author of The Perils of Perception‘One of the best science writers of our time has taken on one of the most interesting and important subjects of all time – how to predict the future under great uncertainty… A gripping read.’ -- Michael Shermer, author of Heavens on Earth‘A very interesting and definitive book on this subject.’ -- J. Richard Gott, astrophysicist and author of The Cosmic Web

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Book SynopsisMillion Dollar Maths is an invaluable guide to the straightforward and outlandish mathematical strategies that can make you rich. ____________How can you turn $1000 into $1 million? What is the best way to beat the lottery odds? When is the best time to take out a loan?How did one group of gamblers bet on hole-in-ones to win £500,000? How can maths help you set up a successful tech start-up? What about proving the Goldbach Conjecture for $1 million?Learn the techniques for growing your everyday finances, as well as the common mistakes to avoid. Discover the skills, both fair and foul, that offer an additional edge when investing and gambling. And discover why we often misunderstand probability and statistics - with troubling financial costs. From making the most of special offers to utilising the power of exponential growth in your investments; from the art of card counting, to inventing the next Google, Million Dollar Maths is the quintessential primer to the myriad ways maths and finance intersect.Trade ReviewGreat fun. A clear, original and highly readable account of the curious relationship between mathematics and money. * Professor Ian Stewart – author of Significant Figures *A lively crash course in the mathematics of gambling, investing, and managing. Hugh Barker makes deep ideas fun and profitable. * William Poundstone – author of How to Predict the Unpredictable *Table of Contents1: The Power of Exponential Growth 2: Beating the Casino 3: Gambling Systems and Strategies 4: The Successful Investor 5: Hacking, Cracking and Gaming the System 6: Designing the Next Google 7: Use Maths to Improve Your Performance 8: Proving the Impossible

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Book SynopsisInstant Economics pulls together all the pivotal economic knowledge and thought into one concise volume. Each page contains a discrete 'cheat sheet', which tells you the most important facts in bite-sized chunks, meaning you can become an expert in an instant. From Adam Smith to Karl Marx, taxation to debt crisis, and inequality to economic freedom, every key figure, discovery, controversy and concept is explained with succinct and lively text and graphics. Perfect for the knowledge hungry and time poor, this collection of graphic-led lessons makes economics interesting and accessible. Everything you need to know is here. Table of ContentsIntroduction • What is economics? • What does an economist do? • What is wealth? • Ancient economics • Scholastic economics • Feudalism • Islamic economics • Double-entry bookkeeping • Mercantilism • The Industrial Revolution • Adam Smith • The invisible hand • Classical economics • Karl Marx • The marginal revolution • Neoclassical economics • Alfred Marshall • Carl Menger • Marginal productivity • Inflation • Deflation • The money illusion • Rational economic man • The corporation • Preferences • Diminishing marginal utility • Demand • Supply • Elasticities • The law of supply and demand • Equilibrium • Price controls • Indifference curve • Consumer budget • Economic surplus • Deadweight losses • Opportunity cost • Perfect competition • Efficiency • Market failure • Monopoly • Monopsony • Externalities • The Great Depression • Keynes • Propensity • The multiplier • The long and the short term • Neoclassical synthesis • Milton Friedman • Chicago school • The mainstream consensus • The macroeconomy • Investment • Interest rates • Gross domestic product (GDP) • Consumption • Economic growth I - classical theory • Division of labour • Comparative advantage • Thomas Malthus • The steady-state economy • Monetary policy • Bonds • Yield curve • Credit rating • Debt • Taxes • The economics of death • Price index • Negative interest rates • Fiscal policy • Neoliberalism • International trade • Bilateral balances • Development economics • Randomized control trials • Private property • The commons • Markets • Free market economy • Communism • The fall of the Berlin Wall • Mixed economy • The IMF and World Bank • Labour • The role of government • Economic model • William Petty • Laissez-faire economics • Léon Walras • The Pareto principle • The IS-LM model • The Phillips curve • Expected utility theory • Prisoner's dilemma • The Arrow-Debreu model • The representative agent • DSGE model • Econometrics • The unpredictable economy • Integrated climate-economy models • History of money • The two sides of money • Tally sticks • Gold and silver • Paper money • Fiat money • Fractional reserve banking • Central banks • Money creation by banks • Hyperinflation • Debt and deficits • Modern Monetary Theory • Quantitative easing • Basic income • Rates of exchange • The euro • Credit cards • Cryptocurrency • Neoclassical growth model • Creative destruction • The business cycle • Human capital • New Growth Theory • Promoting economic growth • Securities • Stock • Modern portfolio theory • Random walks • Efficient market hypothesis • Options • Hedge funds • Black-Scholes • Derivatives • Value at risk • Financial services industry • The Great Financial Crisis • Post-crisis economics • Behavioural economics • Cognitive biases • Prospect theory • Behavioural finance • Complexity economics • Systems dynamics • Agent-based models • Evolutionary economics • Quantum economics • Land • Inequality • Thomas Piketty • Limits to growth • Climate change economics • Alternatives to GDP • Instability • Hyper-globalization • Power • Gender • Tax evasion • Ethics • Glossary and Further Reading.

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Book SynopsisWhere does wealth come from? How is it different from money? Does government intervention prevent or create crises? What is the most effective way to protect the environment? In Economics Without the Boring Bits, Oxford-trained economist Tejvan Pettinger takes readers on an enlightening tour of the powerful, counter-intuitive and frequently startling insights of economic research, showing us that middlemen are good, recycling is bad (sometimes) and why some people get rich and others don't.This clear, compelling and engaging book breathes life into big concepts such as debt, finance, trade, money, taxation, supply, demand and all the other economic issues that worry us all yet relatively few truly understand.This is your guide to understanding economics – without the boring bits.Table of ContentsECONOMIC ERRORS: Lump of labour fallacy • Luddite Fallacy • Broken window fallacy • Sunk cost fallacy • Fallacy of composition • Zero-sum games • This time it's different (why bubbles reoccur) POLITICAL QUANDRIES: Tax cuts • Government debt • Immigration • Presidents responsibility • Trickle-down • Inflation • Exchange rates • Bail-outs • Recessions WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT…: Division of labour • Raw materials • Economic forecasting • Farming and agriculture • Rational consumers • Deflation • Free riders • Monetary policy ECONOMISTS: Adam Smith • John Maynard Keynes • Milton Friedman • Gary Becker • Paul Krugman YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH BY INDULGING IN…: Fighting wars • Trade wars and trade retaliation • Propping up farming or heavy industry • Cutting inflation too much • Acquiring lots of money • Free trade • Eating too much chocolate cake ECO BOMBSHELLS: Nature • Shared resources • Air travel • Markets and global warming • Fat taxes are fair • Protecting the environment will create jobs, not destroy them • Recycling is good BUSINESS MYTHS: Ticket touts are bad • There is greater value on diamonds than fresh water • Workers are only motivated by money • It is unfair that airlines keep changing the price of tickets • The UK and US economies should be more balanced • Consumer boycotts of sweatshop factories • Are multinationals the great wealth creators?

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Book Synopsis"I learned much from this book I had not previously known. Its cautions for the future should be required reading for all policy makers." - Warren Buffett 2008 saw one of the worst financial crises in generations, the global implications of which are still being felt today. Ten years later Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner and Hank Paulson reflect on the causes of the crisis, why it was so damaging, and what it ultimately took to prevent a second Great Depression. All three had crucial roles in the government's response- Ben S. Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve; Henry M. Paulson, Jr., as secretary of the Treasury under President George W. Bush; Timothy F. Geithner as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York during the Bush years and then Treasury secretary under President Barack Obama. A powerful, warts and all account told with unprecedented clarity; from the flawed human response to the necessity to learn from the past and help firefighters of the future protect economies from the ravages of financial crises. Firefighting is a vital account of a defining moment in modern history and an inspiring lesson on leadership through crisis.Trade ReviewI'm glad I didn't have to do the job that these three 'fire chiefs' did. I learned much from this book I had not previously known. Its cautions for the future should be required reading for all policy makers. -- Warren Buffett

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Book SynopsisLearn everything you ever wanted to know about economics in this no-nonsense beginner's guideIn a world where everything seems to get more expensive by the day - but most of us don't seem to get any richer - it's easy to feel confused about the economy. If you think it's time you learnt how inflation works, what causes recessions and why the stock market is so unpredictable, then look no further. The Little Book of Economics will bring you up to speed on the basics of micro- and macroeconomics and demystify the world of taxes, trade, investments and finance, in simple English and with easy-to-follow examples. By the end of this crash course, you will have a grasp on all the essential terms, concepts and theories you need to know to understand modern-day capitalism and markets. And you'll also have the answers to questions like:- Can inflation be a good thing? - How does supply and demand work? - Is immigration good for the economy? - How do we prevent another global financial crisis? - What is GDP, and what are the alternatives? and - Why can't we just print more money?

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Book SynopsisWe are living through a cost of living crisis, with interest rate hikes and the prices of everyday consumables and energy bills sky-rocketing. Why is this happening? Sometimes we are told that wages are too high, or that the government has "printed" too much money or that events far away, such as the war in Ukraine, are solely to blame. The plain argument that high prices go together with high profits, falling wages, and weak production is often distorted and hidden by mainstream commentary in the media and elsewhere. This plain-speaking pamphlet tells it straight: the big businesses dominating production and distribution make huge profits out of high inflation, while working people lose out. It sets out factual evidence to illustrate that the source of record profits is the fall in real wages as inflation rises. A large part of the income of working people is being transferred directly into the profits of big business. The pamphlet shows that the deeper roots of the "cost of living crisis" lie in the very low investment and poor productivity growth for many years. The basic steps to resolving the crisis are simple: prices, especially of essentials, must be brought down, and wages, salaries, benefits, and pensions must be increased.Trade Review[An] excellent little book -- Will Podmore * The Morning Star *A small book with a mighty big punch ... Closely argued in clear, accessible language, [The Cost of Living Crisis] demolishes the decades-old lie that wage rises are the source of inflation, and backs that case with hard facts. * Scottish Socialist Voice *

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Book SynopsisWe are told that the future of work will be increasingly automated. Algorithms, processing massive amounts of information at startling speed, will lead us to a new world of effortless labour and a post-work utopia of ever expanding leisure. But behind the gleaming surface stands millions of workers, often in the Global South, manually processing data for a pittance.Recent years have seen a boom in online crowdworking platforms like Amazon's Mechanical Turk and Clickworker, and these have become an increasingly important source of work for millions of people. And it is these badly paid tasks, not algorithms, that make our digital lives possible. Used to process data for everything from the mechanics of self-driving cars to Google image search, this is an increasingly powerful part of the new digital economy, although one hidden and rarely spoken of. But what happens to work when it makes itself obsolete. In this stimulating work that blends political economy, studies of contemporary work, and speculations on the future of capitalism, Phil Jones looks at what this often murky and hidden form of labour looks like, and what it says about the state of global capitalism.Trade ReviewBeneath the noisy sphere of autonomous robots and smart assistants, Jones clearly and patiently reveals the hidden abode of underpaid, overworked, and insecure labourers that underpin our digital society. This is an essential guide to an often invisible world. -- Nick Snricek, author of Platform CapitalismLet Phil Jones be your guide to the darkest underbelly of work under digitized capitalism, where tech barons surveil workers' every move and sell their clicks for profit, and the 'job' falls apart but we work more all the time. A beautifully written call to arms to stop this miserable future before it comes for all of us -- Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won't Love You BackIn this fast-paced and exciting read, Phil Jones explores the hidden abodes of the digital economy, where the world's surplus workers label images, moderate content, and teach algorithms how to identify common house pets, all for a few cents an hour. /Work without the worker/ explores how dispossessed microworkers might band together to spearhead a global movement for free-time and material security. -- Aaron Benanev, author of Automation and the Future of WorkTakes readers to the hidden abode of production of artificial intelligence: a world of precarious, highly exploited, and onerous microwork increasingly performed in the slums, prisons, and refugee camps of sclerotic post-crisis capitalism. With an incandescent urgency, Jones argues that such digitally fragmented piecework threatens livelihoods of all sorts, but also that it offers a tantalizing potential for a world beyond wage labor -- if we can fight for it. -- Gavin Mueller, author of Breaking Things at Work[Phil Jones] establishes himself as a leading figure in what might be called post-accelerationism. -- John Foster * The Battleground *Striking ... After reading Jones' book, it is difficult to look at computers, or those who promote them as our collective salvation, the same way as before. -- Katjo Buissink * Marx & Philosophy *Microwork is the latest proof that technological development doesn't end work, but only produces new forms of labour - and new ways of concealing it. -- Katrina Forrester * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe health emergency that broke out in 2020 is a landmark event in the development of capitalism, confirming the underlying change signalled by the Great Crisis of 2007-9. The Pandemic Crisis has catapulted the state to the centre of economic activity. However, a historic impasse is steadily becoming apparent at the core of the world economy Productive accumulation is flaccid, as both profitability and labour productivity are weak. Financialisation has entered a new phase, as "shadow banking" grew relative to other banks but is entirely dependent on the state. The power of the state derives from command over fiat money and can certainly deliver enormous boosts to aggregate demand, but that is not enough to tackle the weakness of the productive sector. The rise in inflation for the first time in forty years indicates the impasse. There is a transparent need for intervention on the supply side, directly challenging capitalist property rights. There is no evidence, however, that the ruling blocs in core countries would engage in such policies.The Pandemic Crisis also brought to the fore fresh divisions of core and periphery across the world economy. Imperialism has assumed new forms, spurred by globally active financial capital and internationalised productive capital. A renewed contest for hegemony has emerged as US power declined. The economic challenge of China will unfold steadily in the years ahead, intensifying political tensions and military rivalries. This book is the work of a research collective comprising authors from several parts of the world. It analyses these vital issues from the perspective of Marxist political economy and puts forth alternative anticapitalist proposals.Trade ReviewA meticulous analysis of what happened when the greatest health crisis since 2018 crashed into the greatest capitalist crisis since 1929. A must read. -- Yanis VaroufakisCapitalism, in its current neoliberal variant, is a perfectly designed system for producing ruinous financial bubbles, massive increases in inequality, and the destruction of the planet. In The State of Capitalism, Costas Lapavitsas and the EReNSEP Writing Collective explain with great scope and force how this has been happening before our eyes for the past 40 years, in all regions of the globe. Critically, they also advance a clear-eyed political program for transcending neoliberalism and building viable democratic socialist alternatives. -- Robert Pollin, Distinguished University Professor of Economics and Co-Director, Political Economy Research InstituteThe State of Capitalism provides an elegant and exhaustive analysis of the changing faces of financialization, neoliberalism, state power and US empire - and how the left must adapt and respond. Lapavitsas develops a typically brilliant and incisive narrative on the transformation of global capitalism since the turn of the century, and shows how these changes formed the foundations of the era of perennial crisis in which we now live. -- Grace BlakeleyIf you wish to conclude your year consolidating your understanding of the world economy and its geopolitical elements, this book certainly offers the opportunity to do so. It is well written and easily accessible to the non-economist. -- Mathew D. Rose * Brave New Europe *

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Book SynopsisThis is the best-selling book written by the co-founder of the Fairtrade movement, Francisco Van der Hoff Boersma. It tells the fascinating story of how Fairtrade began and how it has evolved as a potent solution to rural poverty. It offers practical and tested solutions to alleviate global poverty and a vision of world-dignity and self-reliance. This 'little yellow book' is a charter for everyone who is looking to create an alternative, more equitable and harmonious world. Written by the co-founder of Fairtrade movement, Francisco Van der Hoff Boersma, it uses models of Fairtrade and small-scale organic farming to explain why Fairtrade farmers don't need all the money and luxury that is deemed so important in the West to thrive. By earning a fair wage for their produce and through hard work, they can create inclusive, vibrant communities of people who are interconnected, valued and celebrated. The author also tells the fascinating story of how Fairtrade began and how it has evolved as a potent solution to rural poverty.This best-selling book is an inspiring account of the campesino movement that offers practical and tested solutions to alleviate global poverty and a vision of world-dignity and self- reliance.Trade ReviewVan der Hoff brings to life the story of Fairtrade, a story for the new world. He has demonstrated through word and action that by taking a vision and making it a reality, that a better world is indeed possible. His experience proves this: by plotting the route and leading by example, many more can follow - where people and planet are put first. Polly Higgins, Award-winning author of 'Eradicating Ecocide' and advocate for Ecocide law and Earth law

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that identity is changing profoundly and that money is changing equally profoundly. Because of technological change the two trends are converging so that all that we need for transacting will be our identities captured in the unique record of our online social contacts. Social networks and mobile phones are the key technologies. They will enable the building of an identity infrastructure that can enhance both privacy and security - there is no trade-off. The long-term consequences of these changes are impossible to predict, partly because how they take shape will depend on how companies (probably not banks) take advantage of business opportunities to deliver transaction services. But one prediction made here is that cash will soon be redundant - and a good thing too. In its place we will see a proliferation of new digital currencies.Trade Review"Dave Birch gives one of the best accounts available today on how we'll navigate the challenges of the emerging payments landscape, and how traditional data points on identity don't really make sense in a digital world. An outstanding piece of work which may well define our journey moving forward." Brett King, Founder and CEO of Moven.com. "Dave Birch's thoughts on digital identity were seminal to the UK's Identity Assurance Scheme. Anyone entering the field of digital identity should take this book with them." David Rennie, Identity Assurance Programme, Government Digital Service, Cabinet Office.

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Book SynopsisOur current neoliberal capitalist economic system is based on unethical values. The twentieth century economist John Maynard Keynes recognized this and wrote of a time in the future when we could transcend those values. Unfortunately Keynes believed that this would somehow happen automatically, and did not grasp the necessity of the need now to directly challenge the values on which our society is based, instead of simply waiting for them to fade away. The Buddha identified the vital importance of working to uproot the poisons of greed and hatred in the human psyche and in human society, and to replace them with their counterparts of generosity and loving kindness, in order to allow a different society to come into being.

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Book SynopsisThe performance of the British economy over the past fifty-odd years does not make for comforting reading. Indeed, the story is a depressing catalogue of misapprehensions, missteps, wasted opportunities, crises and humiliations, with all-too-familiar problems arising time and again and yet never being satisfactorily addressed. All nations and their economic policymakers are to a certain extent prisoners of their history, but this seems to apply more to the UK than to other countries. Nostalgia for the great days of the past has become tyrannical – and is in some sense embodied in the form of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s famous ‘budget box’, made for William Gladstone in the 1850s and only passed over to a museum in 2010. Nostalgia has led to wishful thinking, and this has been the underlying sentiment driving poorly thought through – sometimes even panicky – initiatives that were blindly borrowed from elsewhere, that flew in the face of experience, or that were drawn from theoretical and political extremes. The Tyranny of Nostalgia describes and interprets the economic and political history of the past half a century, examining the challenges confronted by successive governments and their Chancellors, the policies employed for good or ill, and – running through it all – the desperate search for a panacea that could arrest the nation’s relative decline and return the country to its supposed former glories.Trade Review“This powerful and elegant account of the twists and turns in British macroeconomic policy should be essential reading for students and practitioners alike. Russell Jones’s analysis of the past half a century of British economic life – and particularly of the run-up to Brexit and of its subsequent implementation and its disastrous consequences – is absolutely stunning.” (William Keegan, senior economics commentator for The Observer); “For at least half a century, British economic policy has been inept and capricious, with politicians of all parties labouring under the delusion that the country is still a major economic power. For much of that time Russell Jones has had a ringside seat observing their many mistakes and misfortunes. It is hard to read his clear-sighted and highly readable account and remain optimistic about the UK economy’s next 50 years.” (Professor Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History); “The complex and persistent woes of British economic developments over the past fifty years are covered in fascinating detail by Russell Jones in this joyously readable book. The book works brilliantly both for those that have, like me, shared Jones’s path through the world of high finance and for those that haven’t but want to try and understand the role of individual politicians and policymakers, and the circumstances surrounding their vain attempts to steer the UK to a more fruitful pasture.” (Lord O’Neill, Chairman of the Council of the Royal Institute of International Affairs)

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Book SynopsisWhen crises occur, citizens, media and policymakers alike expect government to respond and to take a leading role in recovery. Given the scale and scope of crises, whether natural (such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes), manmade (such as conflict and economic downturns), or often a combination of the two, governments are often seen as being in the best position to identify the problems, understand the circumstances, and direct action. They are also likely to be the entities that have adequate resources to devote to such large-scale efforts. Yet, governments are not spared from the effects of crises. They are composed of individuals who are impacted by disasters and face many of the same challenges in identifying needs, prioritizing action, and adjusting to changing circumstances. It is by no surprise that governments are also often scrutinized during and after crises. How, then, do we understand the capability of and proper role for governments to respond to crisis and to drive recovery? This edited volume—comprised of chapters by accomplished scholars and seasoned practitioners in disaster and crises studies and management, spanning multiple disciplines including sociology, economics, and public administration—examines the roles, expectations, and capabilities of government responses to crises. It gives an overview of the literature, provides lessons learned from both research and experience on the ground during crises, and puts forth a framework for understanding crisis management and subsequent policy implications. It will be of use to any scholars, students, practitioners or policymakers interested in learning from and better preparing for crises and responding when they do occur. Table of Contents Introduction The Rules of the Game and Post-disaster Rebuilding and Recovery Government as Gardener: Cultivating the Environment for Private Sector Natural Disaster Response The Role of the Local Emergency Manager in a Centralized System of Disaster Management Recognizing Vulnerability and Capacity: Federal Initiatives Focused on Children and Youth across the Disaster Lifecycle The Political Economy of Foreign Intervention When is Top-down State-building Appropriate? The European Migrant Crisis: A Case Study in Failure of Government and Supra-governmental Responses

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Book SynopsisCrises occur in all societies across world, and can be natural (such as hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes), man-made (such as wars and economic downturns), or, often, a combination of both (such as famines, the flooding of New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and subsequent levy failures, and the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011). Crises cause fatalities, injuries, and property damages as well as introduce uncertainty and challenges for individuals, societies, and polities. Yet, we see individuals and communities rebounding effectively from crises all the time. How do communities go about returning to normalcy and beginning again the mundane life of every day affairs? This edited volume looks at bottom-up responses to crises. The chapters in this volume will highlight the ingenuity and persistence of individuals and private organizations as well as discuss the possibilities, limitations, and adaptability of bottom-up responses. It argues that there are many ways that local leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members can play a role in their own recovery by examining the capabilities, feedback mechanisms, and network effects of decentralized crisis response and recovery efforts. Chapters will focus on the role of local emergency managers in the disaster management process and offer suggestions for reform and the role of businesses, citizens, and children in providing crisis response and recovery. This book will also consider theories of self-governance and nonviolent action in encouraging and sustaining bottom-up recovery.Table of Contents Introduction The What, How, and Why of Bottom-up Rebuilding and Recovery after Natural Disasters Nonviolent Action The Private Sector's Contribution to Natural Disaster Response Formation of Public-Private Partnerships by Local Emergency Managers Children Take Charge: Helping Behaviors and Organized Action among Young People after Hurricane Katrina Bottom-up State-building Government Intervention Induced Structural Crises: Exploratory Notes on the Patterns of Evolution and Response

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