Popular economics Books

Book Synopsis‘A persuasive manifesto for a better Britain.’ Observer Book of the Day Britain is in crisis. This timely book by one of the stars of frontline politics shows a way out. Trade Review‘Nandy makes a powerful argument for rethinking politics.’ New Statesman ‘A much-needed intervention. … This fast and accessible read [offers] a deceptively radical vision and one that Labour should embrace.’ Observer, Book of the Day ‘Gives a clear sense of Nandy’s ambitions for the Labour party’s future policy. … Bang on the political zeitgeist.’ The Sunday Times ‘Brilliant, brave and bursting with ideas.’ Jess Phillips MP ‘A humane and decent personal manifesto that does not shirk the challenges and dangers we face. Powerful and deeply authentic.’ Philippe Sands ‘Clear-eyed and compassionate, but caustic about the people and ideas that have let Britain down so badly, Lisa Nandy is a new kind of politician and a new kind of thinker. We have never needed voices like hers more urgently.’ Stuart Maconie ‘Nandy is a big thinker and a gifted story teller. A must-read.’ Frances O’Grady, former General Secretary of the TUC ‘Original, thought-provoking and exciting.’ Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark ‘A positive agenda for change and renewal rooted in the best traditions of the Labour movement.’ Jon Cruddas MP ‘Informative, perceptive and at times inspiring. This is the kind of political vision the country so badly needs.’ Anand Menon, Director, UK in a Changing Europe ‘Wide-ranging, imaginative, practical and believable.’ Danny Dorling ‘A tour de force. All In outlines what a better world might look like.’ Professor Will Jennings ‘With a sharp eye for illustration, Nandy offers one of Labour’s more radical routes out of neoliberalism in her accessible book.’ The House

Read more less

Book SynopsisA persuasive manifesto for a better Britain.' Observer Book of the DayBritain needs a fresh start. This timely book by one of the stars of the new government shows how to achieve it.In this brilliant and accessible intervention, Lisa Nandy reveals how Britain can leave behind the mess in which we find ourselves. All In charts a course towards a fairer, more equal, more prosperous country by drawing on the greatest asset we have each other.Rapid global changes, political division and economic crisis have left Britain reeling. For decades, large swathes of the country have been shut out, condemned to low productivity, underinvestment and managed decline, and stripped of their voice. With most major cities now beset with high housing costs, air pollution and congestion, even the winners' are losing.All In shows how, by handing power and resources to people with a stake in the outcome, Britain can draw on the talent, assets and potential in every part of the country and start firing on alTrade Review‘Nandy makes a powerful argument for rethinking politics.’ New Statesman ‘A much-needed intervention. … This fast and accessible read [offers] a deceptively radical vision and one that Labour should embrace.’ Observer, Book of the Day ‘Gives a clear sense of Nandy’s ambitions for the Labour party’s future policy. … Bang on the political zeitgeist.’ The Sunday Times ‘Brilliant, brave and bursting with ideas.’ Jess Phillips MP ‘A humane and decent personal manifesto that does not shirk the challenges and dangers we face. Powerful and deeply authentic.’ Philippe Sands ‘Clear-eyed and compassionate, but caustic about the people and ideas that have let Britain down so badly, Lisa Nandy is a new kind of politician and a new kind of thinker. We have never needed voices like hers more urgently.’ Stuart Maconie ‘Nandy is a big thinker and a gifted story teller. A must-read.’ Frances O’Grady, former General Secretary of the TUC ‘Original, thought-provoking and exciting.’ Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark ‘A positive agenda for change and renewal rooted in the best traditions of the Labour movement.’ Jon Cruddas MP ‘Informative, perceptive and at times inspiring. This is the kind of political vision the country so badly needs.’ Anand Menon, Director, UK in a Changing Europe ‘Wide-ranging, imaginative, practical and believable.’ Danny Dorling ‘A tour de force. All In outlines what a better world might look like.’ Professor Will Jennings ‘With a sharp eye for illustration, Nandy offers one of Labour’s more radical routes out of neoliberalism in her accessible book.’ The House

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAssume nothing, question everything.This is the message at the heart of Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner''s rule-breaking, iconoclastic book about crack dealers, cheating teachers and bizarre baby names that turned everyone''s view of the world upside-down and became an international multi-million-copy-selling phenomenon.''Prepare to be dazzled'' Malcolm Gladwell''A sensation ... you''ll be stimulated, provoked and entertained. Of how many books can that be said?'' Sunday Telegraph''Has you chuckling one minute and gasping in amazement the next'' Wall Street Journal''Dazzling ... a delight'' Economist''Made me laugh out loud'' Scotland on Sunday

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a book about how we should address the great, and interconnected, global challenges of the twenty-first century. Our task, Sachs argues, is to achieve truly sustainable development, by which he means finding a global course which enables the world to benefit from the spread of prosperity while ensuring that we don''t destroy the eco-systems which keep us alive and our place in nature which helps sustain our values. How do we move forward together, benefitting from our increasing technological mastery, avoiding the terrible dangers of climate change, mass famines, violent conflicts, population explosions in some parts of the world and collapses in others, and world-wide pandemic diseases? In answering these questions, Sachs shows that there are different ways of managing the world''s technology, resources and politics from those currently being followed, and that it should be possible to adopt policies which reflect long-term and co-operative thinking instead oTrade Review'This is an impressive exercise in presenting complex subject matter in plain English, and relating the practicalities of life- subsistence agriculture and water management, for example - to the biggest ideas of modern science' - Martin Vander Weyer, The Daily Telegraph 'His new book ! bursts with ideas and is suffused with what can only be described as irrepressible optimism' - Ed Pilkington, The Guardian

Read more less

Book SynopsisTough times don't last. Tough people do. In this book, the author shows that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world.Trade ReviewReally made me think about how I think -- Mohsin Hamid * Guardian *The hottest thinker in the world -- Bryan Appleyard * The Sunday Times *A superhero of the mind -- Boyd TonkinWall Street's principal dissident -- Malcolm GladwellA guru for every would-be Damien Hirst, George Soros and aspirant despot -- John Cornwell * Sunday Times *Nassim Taleb, in his exasperating but compelling book Antifragile, praises "things that gain from disorder" - people, policies and institutions designed to thrive on volatility, instead of shattering in the encounter with it -- Oliver Burkman * Guardian *More than just robust or flexible, it actively thrives on disruption -- Julian Baggini * Guardian *Modern life is akin to a chronic stress injury. And the way to combat it is to embrace randomness in all its forms. . . Taleb is the great seer of the modern age * Guardian *Something antifragile actively thrives under the impact of the unexpected...to embrace randomness rather than trying to control it * The Sunday Times *Enduring volatility is one thing; what about benefiting from it? That is what Taleb calls 'antifragility' and he thinks that it is the ultimate model to aspire to - for individuals, financial institutions, even nations. . . May well capture a quality that you have long aspired to without having quite known quite what it is. . . I saw the world afresh * The Times *Taleb takes on everything from the mistakes of modern architecture to the dangers of meddlesome doctors and how overrated formal education is. . . . An ambitious and thought-provoking read . . . highly entertaining * Economist *This is a bold, entertaining, clever book, richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides. . . . I will have to read it again. And again * Wall Street Journal *[Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff-not only within the management space but for readers of any literature-and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this * Harvard Business Review *What sometimes goes unsaid about Taleb is that he's a very funny writer. Taleb has a finely tuned BS detector, which he wields throughout the book to debunk pervasive yet pernicious ideas. . . . Antifragility isn't just sound economic and political doctrine. It's also the key to a good life * Fortune *At once thought-provoking and brilliant, this book dares you not to read it * Los Angeles Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Lanchester''s Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay is the unbelievable true story of the economic crisis. We are, to use a technical economic term, screwed. The cowboy capitalists had a party with everyone''s money and now we''re all paying for it. What went wrong? And will we learn our lesson - or just carry on as before, like celebrating surviving a heart attack with a packet of Rothmans? John Lanchester travels with a cast of characters - including reckless banksters, snoozing regulators, complacent politicians, predatory lenders, credit-drunk spendthrifts, and innocent bystanders to understand deeply and genuinely what is happening and why we feel the way we do. ''Devastatingly funny ... the route map to the crazed world of contemporary finance we have all been waiting for''  Will Self ''Bang on the money''   Independent ''Explains the crisis in a way that actuTrade ReviewThis is what George Bernard Shaw might have called An Intelligent Person's Guide to the Crisis of Modern Capitalism, and everyone ought to read it * Robert Harris, Sunday Times *Original . . . beautifully written . . . both entertaining and profoundly anger-inducing * Chris Blackhurst, Evening Standard *The route map to the crazed world of contemporary finance we have all been waiting for. John Lanchester's superb book is everything its subject - the 2008 crash - was not: namely lucid, beautifully contrived, comprehensible to the reader with no specialist knowledge - and most of all devastatingly funny -- Will SelfWickedly funny . . . Good humor and good company will be the things that'll get us through * Dwight Garner, New York Times *Endlessly witty, but the wit is underpinned by a tremendous, unembarrassed anger and moral lucidity. A superb guide which will turn any reader into an expert within the space of 200 pages. * Jonathan Coe *Explains the madness of modern capitalism with razor-sharp insight, brilliant clarity and a refreshing dose of humour. A great book. * John O'Farrell *Scarier than Thomas Harris * Nicci French *John Lanchester's newfound mission: to explain the world of finance to the general public . . . The result is the perfect read for anyone still wondering what went wrong and why. Unless you'd rather they didn't know * Bloomberg *Literary and profound . . . a master explainer with an excellent grasp of sophisticated finance * Christopher Caldwell, The Daily Beast *Acidic, frightening, and sharply funny . . . a better book about the global meltdown than any other to date * EW.com *[A] sober message lurking among Lanchester's delightful wordplay, and it deserves attention by everyone who cares to understand where we are, how we got here and who is responsible * John Lawrence Reynolds, Globe and Mail *This is a piece of genius . . . It tells a proper story, like a novel, and we're all part of it - which means it is *gripping*. Yes! Gripping! A book about money! I know! But it's true. It is necessary, particularly - but not exclusively - if you're somebody who thinks, 'Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Iceland, um, mortgages, er...' and doesn't want to keep thinking it until the end of time, amoeba-stylee. I humbly posit that it is a masterpiece * India Knight *Lanchester has turned that fascination - coupled with a kind of astonished anger - into a lucid, conversational account of the crisis designed for non-financial types and helpfully leavened with jokes, swearing and interesting asides * Quentin Webb, Reuters *An excellent book for anyone wondering what the hell is going on. Triple A, as the credit rating agencies might say * Irish Times *Or you could simply borrow the book from someone. If they've read it, even better - they won't be expecting you to return it * The Telegraph *For anyone still wondering what the hell those bankers did with our money, try John Lanchester's deliciously escoriating Whoops! Even someone who can't remember their eight times tables comes away feeling wonderfully well informed -- Allison Pearson * summer reading recommendation, Psychologies *This account is by far the most lucid and entertaining explanation of the world banking crisis of 2008 -- Megan Walsh * summer reading recommendation, Times *A lively lay reader's guide to the financial crisis, written by a novelist who sought to educates himself about banking and its failures. Funny and pointed, it exposes the gulf between the two cultures of modern Britain: financial and non-financial -- Ed Crooks * summer reading recommendation, Financial Times *If you want to look like a rock of good sense, a person who is deep and wise and worried, then I suggest Whoops! by John Lanchester ... If only the Queen Mother were still alive, it would make sense even to her -- Colm Toibin * summer reading recommendation, Guardian *

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The most important book about our economy and society to be published in my lifetime'' Irvine WelshFrom Paul Mason, the award-winning Channel 4 presenter, Postcapitalism is a guide to our era of seismic economic change, and how we can build a more equal society. Over the past two centuries or so, capitalism has undergone continual change - economic cycles that lurch from boom to bust - and has always emerged transformed and strengthened. Surveying this turbulent history, Paul Mason wonders whether today we are on the brink of a change so big, so profound, that this time capitalism itself, the immensely complex system by which entire societies function, has reached its limits and is changing into something wholly new.At the heart of this change is information technology: a revolution that, as Mason shows, has the potential to reshape utterly our familiar notions of work, production and value; and to destroy an economy based on markets an

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Thrilling, brilliant, radical ... an admirable defence of humans against machines'' GuardianA passionate defence of humanity and a work of radical optimism from the international bestselling author of PostcapitalismHow do we preserve what makes us human in an age of uncertainty? Are we now just consumers shaped by market forces? A sequence of DNA? A collection of base instincts? Or will we soon be supplanted by algorithms and A.I. anyway?In Clear Bright Future, Paul Mason calls for a radical, impassioned defence of the human being, our universal rights and freedoms and our power to change the world around us. Ranging from economics to Big Data, from neuroscience to the culture wars, he draws from his on-the-ground reporting from mass protests in Istanbul to riots in Washington, as well as his own childhood in an English mining community, to show how the notion of humanity has become eroded as never before.In this bTrade ReviewIt has quick wit, vivid prose and makes rapid and stimulating connections. Its subtitle sums up its strengths. Fundamentally, Mason believes in the power of agency - the ability to choose to act and shape your own future.—John McTernan, Financial TimesA very interesting book, wide-ranging, insightful and yet still optimistic...some of his glosses on the history of ideas, and their impact on our troubled present, are alone worth the price of the book: he explains, lucidly and persuasively, how the uncertainty principles of quantum mechanics - questionable in themselves - have bled, via post-modernist theory, into the climate of irrationalism and fatalism that fuels Brexit, Putin and Trump.—Ed O'Loughin, Irish TimesClear Bright Future's account of our political predicament is thrilling.—Eliane Glaser, GuardianPaul Mason is doing something remarkable in this book, though it shouldn't be remarkable: he's focusing on the nature of being human, and how this is affected for better or worse by social, economic, and political forces that might seem overwhelming. It's the best analysis of neo-liberalism that I've seen for a long time, and puts our lives in a richly described context. Best of all, it's written with clarity and passion. I hope it'll change many minds.—Philip PullmanAmid the ruins of many modern ideologies, Paul Mason's consistently bracing book offers a guide to a sustainable future - one that we can still shape with a fresh transformational vision of what it means to be free human being. Everyone should read it.—Pankaj MishraAn unshakable humanist faith runs through this book... with his humane stress on the good life, Mason defies the caricature of the Corbyn left as reheated Soviet Communism. Corbynism is also routinely charged with wanting to "take us back to the 1970s." But here its leading thinker engages with tomorrow's economy with an urgency that's not currently matched on the right.—Tom Clark, Prospect

Read more less

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.

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Naomi Klein''s work has always moved and guided me. She is the great chronicler of our age of climate emergency, an inspirer of generations'' - Greta Thunberg For more than twenty years Naomi Klein''s books have defined our era, chronicling the exploitation of people and the planet and demanding justice. On Fire gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing from the frontline of climate breakdown, and pairs it with new material on the staggeringly high stakes of what we choose to do next. Here is Klein at her most prophetic and philosophical, investigating the climate crisis not only as a profound political challenge but also as a spiritual and imaginative one. Delving into topics ranging from the clash between ecological time and our culture of ''perpetual now,'' to rising white supremacy and fortressed borders as a form of ''climate barbarism,'' this is a rousing call to action for a planet on the brink. With dispaTrade ReviewNaomi Klein's work has always moved and guided me. She is the great chronicler of our age of climate emergency, an inspirer of generations -- Greta ThunbergThe greatest theorist of climate change. -- Amitav GhoshNaomi Klein applies her fine, fierce and meticulous mind to the greatest, most urgent questions of our times. . . . I count her among the most inspirational political thinkers in the world today. -- Arundhati RoyNaomi is like a great doctor - she can diagnose problems nobody else sees. -- Alfonso CuarónNaomi Klein is a precious gift: every time I read her words, my heart leaps from sadness and anger to action. She takes us deep, down to the roots of what is wrong - and then up, up to a height from which we can see what must be done. Everything we love is at stake now: these writings are our best and brightest hope. -- Emma ThompsonA critically important thought-leader in these perilous times, a necessary voice as a courageous movement of movements rises from the ashes. -- Michelle Alexander, author of THE NEW JIM CROWAn invigorating message of climate hope through social transformation. Bring on the revolution. -- Fred Pearce * New Scientist *In On Fire, the longstanding critic of corporate globalisation argues for a much more comprehensive economic reboot ... a long-lensed critique about humanity's relationship to nature. -- Jonathan Ford * Financial Times *A hopeful vision of the future ... In these extraordinary times it should appeal to a new set of readers looking for extreme solutions to match the extremity of the crisis. This is Klein doing what she does best: 'not being polite and not playing by the rules'. -- Harriet Constable * Geographical Magazine *A powerful and righteous blast against defeatism. -- Andrew Lynch * Business Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday Adam Smith, author of the Wealth of Nations, is associated with the promotion of self-interest and a defence of greed. Yet if Smith is actually read this is more a caricature than a faithful portrait. Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, set against contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy.Trade ReviewThe book certainly delivers on being a "stimulating and accessible account" of Smith's context and work and therefore every library must acquire a copy. * Alex M. Thomas, Indian Journal of Human Development *Christopher Berry provides a clear and thorough guide to all of Adam Smith's major works, as well as their social and intellectual context. The level of detailed attention, to texts and issues, is indeed remarkable, given the brevity of the book. This is a first-rate introduction, which has something to offer to college students and seasoned scholars alike. * Sam Fleischacker, author of On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion *Table of Contents1: Life and times 2: Communication and imagination 3: Sympathetic spectators 4: Living virtuously 5: Making and working 6: Trading and spending 7: Legacy and reputation References Further reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Common Sense, the New York Times best-selling author Joel Greenblatt offers an investor’s perspective on building an economy that truly works for everyone. With dry and self-deprecating wit, he makes a lively and provocative case for disruptive new approaches.Trade ReviewLike many others, I am deeply saddened by the degree of inequality in our society. In Common Sense: The Investor’s Guide to Equality, Opportunity and Growth, Joel Greenblatt goes beyond documenting the problem to advance a handful of proposals that can contribute to a solution or at least jumpstart the debate. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about these things. It’s not just for investors. -- Howard Marks, cofounder and cochairman, Oaktree Capital ManagementEven Joel Greenblatt, superb investor and lucid stylist, would be shocked if you agreed with each and every one of his ideas for improving the quality of American life. But there's not one idea in these fine and well-wrought pages that won't make you stop and think. -- James Grant, editor of Grant's Interest Rate ObserverThe only thing more appealing than common sense, humor, and brevity is—impact. In this thoroughly engaging tome you will find, among other things, a workable way to break the cycle of poverty (imagine our country without an underclass!) and a bipartisan immigration reform that screams to be enacted. Not bad for twenty bucks. -- Andrew Tobias, author of The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever NeedTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Going to School2. Getting an Education3. Technology, Globalization, and Disruption4. Immigration5. Wall Street6. Saving Time and Social SecurityConclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the very first mouthful, ''Lunch with the FT'' was destined to become a permanent fixture in the Financial Times.One thousand lunches later, the FT''s weekly interview has become an institution. From film stars to politicians, tycoons to writers, dissidents to lifestyle gurus, the list reads like an international Who''s Who of our times. Lunch with the FT is a selection of the best: 52 classic interviews conducted in the unforgiving proximity of a restaurant table. From Angela Merkel to Sean ''P. Diddy'' Combs, Martin Amis to one of the Arab world''s most notorious sons, this book brings you right to the table to decide what you think of or world''s most powerful players.

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNFTs cause excitement and skepticism. How much value can a token hold? What drives this value?To properly appreciate NFTs we must first understand what they actually are, how they work and in what contexts they are used.The Everything Token is an essential primer on NFTs (non-fungible tokens), explaining their use, purpose, and how businesses can create and exploit them to develop new product lines, building customer loyalty and increased revenues at the same time.Together the authors have spent much of the past few years embedded in NFT communities and helping launch NFT products. As self-described beta testers of this brand-new technology, they've seen its power first-hand and aim to educate others on the importance, uses and purpose of NFT and surrounding, ever-evolving technologies.Demystifying the complexities, two experts in NFTs show why we should take NFTs much more seriously than their reputation as fun digital art collectibles suggest

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNaomi Klein, author of the #1 international bestsellers, The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, returns with This Changes Everything, a must-read on how the climate crisis needs to spur transformational political changeForget everything you think you know about global warming. It''s not about carbon - it''s about capitalism. The good news is that we can seize this existential crisis to transform our failed economic system and build something radically better.In her most provocative book yet, Naomi Klein, author of the global bestsellers The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, tackles the most profound threat humanity has ever faced: the war our economic model is waging against life on earth.Klein exposes the myths that are clouding the climate debate.You have been told the market will save us, when in fact the addiction to profit and growth is digging us in deeper every day. You have been told it''s impossible to get off fosTrade ReviewWill be one of the most influential books of our time -- Owen JonesKlein is a brave and passionate writer who always deserves to be heard, and this is a powerful and urgent book -- John Gray * Observer *Without a doubt one of the most important books of the decade -- Amitav GhoshSavages the idea that we will be saved by new technologies or by an incremental shift away from fossil fuels... Her solution requires a radical reconfiguration of our economic system * New York Times *Her task is to take a potential catastrophe of unimaginable reach and to be calm and welcoming, drawing new people in. She does vast amounts of travel and research and thinking, then crafts all of it to the scale of her own voice: the voice of a pleasant, funny, unthreatening-looking woman * Guardian *I have devoured Naomi Klein's This Changes Everything, the book the world has been waiting for. I urge everyone to read it (especially politicians). It is her most prescient book yet and is a much-needed call to arms as time runs out on climate change -- Cornelia Parker * Observer, Books of the Year *It's no exaggeration to say This Changes Everything is the most important book I've read all year - perhaps in a decade. Klein sets out the scientific case for urgent action on climate change and argues passionately that our only hope of combating its effects is a revolution in our entire economic system. Crucially, she manages to leave the reader with a degree of optimism -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer, Books of the Year *[T]he problems - climate change, plus everything that is changing as a result, plus the increasing toxicity of the planet - can no longer be denied. This is a conversation that needs to happen on a large scale, and on a local scale, and on a personal scale, very soon -- Margaret Atwood * Guardian, Books of the Year *Captured the collective sense of anger and awakening ... [a] frightening look at climate change and capitalism -- Matt Haig * Observer, Books of the Year *Naomi Klein applies her fine, fierce, and meticulous mind to the greatest, most urgent questions of our times. . . I count her among the most inspirational political thinkers in the world today -- Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things and Capitalism: A Ghost StoryA book of such ambition and consequence it is almost unreviewable ... The most momentous and contentious environmental book since Silent Spring * New York Times Book Review *Savages the idea that we will be saved by new technologies or by an incremental shift away from fossil fuels... Her solution requires a radical reconfiguration of our economic system * New York Times *The book has an uplifting message: that humans have changed before, and can change again. It poses a gutsy challenge to those who are vaguely hoping that the whole issue will go away, or that some new technology will save us * Sunday Times *This may be the first truly honest book ever written about climate change * Time *Her task is to take a potential catastrophe of unimaginable reach and to be calm and welcoming, drawing new people in. She does vast amounts of travel and research and thinking, then crafts all of it to the scale of her own voice: the voice of a pleasant, funny, unthreatening-looking woman * Guardian *The proposition that the world's political and economic institutions are preventing us from meeting the lethal challenge of global warming is hardly novel. But Naomi Klein in her new book articulates the case as forcefully and comprehensively as anyone has yet managed * Independent *Powerfully and uncompromisingly written, the impassioned polemic we have come to expect from Klein, mixing first-hand accounts of events around the world and withering political analysis . . . Her stirring vision is nothing less than a political, economic, social, cultural and moral make-over of the human world * New Scientist *Klein is one of the left's most influential figures and a prominent climate champion. . . . [She] is a gifted writer and there is little doubt about the problem she identifies * Financial Times *Gripping and dramatic . . . [Klein] writes of a decisive battle for the fate of the earth in which we either take back control of the planet from the capitalists who are destroying it or watch it all burn * Rolling Stone *An energetic exploration of issues surrounding climate change vociferously advocates immediate, radical reforms... The distinctiveness of the book resides... in its immersive reporting (on "Blockadia" eco-movements and futuristic geoengineering proposals) and in Klein's sheer outspokenness * New Yorker *Klein has, with this book, thoroughly and completely debunked everything promoted under the banner of conservatism today - and she has done so with a work that's more powerful than a stack of C4.This Changes Everything deserves to be viewed not as one of the greatest nonfiction works of the 2010s, but as one of the greatest nonfiction works of all-time. ... This book will expand and intensify the worldwide climate-justice movement, which is why the rhetorical attacks on Klein will become ever more aggressive. It will politically galvanize the young and the vulnerable, who have so much to lose due to the climate crisis. It will create climate leaders across this warming globe. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate is not just a book, not just a moment, not just a movement. It is a weapon of justice. It is a path of survival * Washington Monthly *[Her] words and knowledge run deep, inspiring change and the need for immediate action -- Charlize TheronToday @NaomiAKlein's new book #ThisChangesEverything is out now - I'm reading it - it's great -- Russell BrandNaomi Klein is a genius. She has done for politics what Jared Diamond did for the study of human history. She skillfully blends politics, economics and history and distills out simple and powerful truths with universal applicability -- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.The manifesto that the climate movement - and the planet - needs right now... For those with whom her message does resonate - and they are likely to be legion - her book could help catalyze the kind of mass movement she argues the world needs now * San Francisco Gate *Has the potential to be the definitive account of our current moment... Klein's great gifts have always been synthesizing huge amounts of information and drawing connections between seemingly disparate issues; on those points, This Changes Everything is no different * Globe and Mail *Meticulously researched and briskly rational in tone, [it] is one of the basic texts of the modern era... an essential purchase in that it tells you precisely what you need to know to discuss the climate dilemma intelligently... This Changes Everything is basic reading and no one will take you seriously until you've read every single page * Toronto Star *An intellectual hero of many in the alter-globalization protests as well as the Occupy movement. . . . Klein is ready for battle and is not afraid to own her politics * Los Angeles Review of Books *This is the best book about climate change in a very long time-in large part because it's about much more. It sets the most important crisis in human history in the context of our other ongoing traumas, reminding us just how much the powers-that-be depend on the power of coal, gas and oil. And that in turn should give us hope, because it means the fight for a just world is the same as the fight for a livable one -- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and co-founder of 350.org

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Times Best Business Book of 2018What can the ideas of history''s greatest economists tell us about the most important issues of our time?''The best place to start to learn about the very greatest economists of all time'' Professor Tyler Cowen, author of The Complacent Class and The Great StagnationSince the days of Adam Smith, economists have grappled with a series of familiar problems - but often their ideas are hard to digest, before we even try to apply them to today''s issues. Linda Yueh is renowned for her combination of erudition, as an accomplished economist herself, and accessibility, as a leading writer and broadcaster in this field; and in The Great Economists she explains the key thoughts of history''s greatest economists, how their lives and times affected their ideas, how our lives have been influenced by their work, and how they could help with the policy challenges that we face today. ITrade ReviewAre you looking to learn about the very greatest economists of all time? Linda Yueh's book is the best place to start, a modern-day version of Robert Heilbroner's classic The Worldly Philosophers. -- Tyler Cowen, the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University, and author of The Complacent Class and The Great StagnationEconomics students are not taught the history of economic thought. They, like others, can learn a lot from this book: some of the great economists of the past had insights that could have saved the subject from its recent embarrassments. -- Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Oxford UniversityNot only a great way to learn in an easily readable manner about some of the greatest economic influences of the past, but also a good way to test your own a priori assumptions about some of the big challenges of our time. -- Lord Jim O’Neill, former Chairman at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, former UK Treasury Minister, and author of The Growth MapA fascinating event for anyone interested in economics. For this is a book which, as the title suggests, champions the value of studying the leading economic thinkers of the past ... As an Oxford don and a professor at London Business School, Yueh undoubtedly knows her stuff; and as a former chief business correspondent for the BBC and economics editor at Bloomberg TV, she is a well-known and skilful communicator ... The achievements of modern, scientific economics are significant, and the reader who wants a slick and well-curated tour of its current policy recommendations will profit greatly from Yueh's enjoyable and up-to-date book. -- Felix Martin * New Statesman *An extremely engaging survey of the lifetimes and ideas of the great thinkers of economic history, woven together with fascinating and useful discussions of how their ideas still shape economic policy today. Yueh's book is reminiscent of Heilbroner's marvellous classic The Wordly Philosophers, but more focused on contemporary debates on inequality, trade and productivity. Although targeted at readers interested in economic issues, this book would also make an excellent supplementary reading for undergraduate courses in economics, politics and social studies. -- Kenneth Rogoff, Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Economics at Harvard University, author of The Curse of Cash and co-author of This Time is DifferentLinda Yueh has had the brilliant idea of, not just describing the theories of each great thinker, but linking each one to a particular problem of today ... I am sure Linda Yueh's original approach will deepen students' understanding of the Great Economists. * Lord Lamont, former Chancellor of the Exchequer *What would the great economists of the past make of today's problems? Linda Yueh takes on this ambitious task in this engaging book, introducing us to the work of each economist and conjecturing how they might have advised us. This book is a very readable introduction to the lives and thinking of the greats, and reminds us that policymakers continue to be, as Keynes wrote, "slaves of some defunct economist". -- Raghuram Rajan, Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and author of I Do What I Do and Fault LinesTo anyone with even a passing interest in the economic problems, large and small, affecting us today, What Would the Great Economists Do? comes at the right time: a highly accessible and acute guide to thinking and learning from the men and woman whose work can inform and ultimately aid us in understanding the great national and global crises we face. -- Nouriel Roubini, author of the New York Times bestselling Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of FinanceThis well-written book provides more than an engaging discussion of how the "Great Economists" changed the course of economic thinking and history. It links their insights to current economic challenges, assessing how their unique contributions can improve future wellbeing. It concludes by artfully bringing together the economists' individual insights to shed light on the backlash against globalization. Read it not only to learn about the world's great economists, but also to see how consequential thought innovations can be, and have been. -- Mohamed A. El-Erian, Chief Economic Adviser at Allianz, former CEO of PIMCOIs economics a science in which each new generation's discoveries build on those of the old? Or a humanistic study in which old ideas remain valid and relevant today? Linda Yueh's account of the thinking of the great economists demonstrates that both perspectives are true. -- Professor John KayA highly informative and entertaining introduction to the ideas of some of the great economists. -- Robert A. Cord, editor of The Palgrave Companion to Cambridge Economics, co-editor of Milton Friedman: Contributions to Economics and Public Policy, and author of Reinterpreting the Keynesian RevolutionYou can see her journalistic training in the way she makes connections between the lives, characters and thinking of her subjects -- John Lanchester * Sunday Times *Crisp pen portraits and introductions to complex ideas have been melded with an assessment of what a particular dead economist might have advised about a contemporary issue ... The portraits are entertainingly crafted and the details of family lives well deployed. -- Iain Martin * The Times *Would [Adam] Smith's view have changed in modern times? Probably yes. Linda Yueh in her brilliant new book, "The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today", argues that due to rapid technological advancements since Smith's time, the tune of the musician, which he regarded as ephemeral, now holds tangible value. Also, since Smith believed in the power of the invisible hand of the markets, he would have derided any move towards introducing market distortions like the Trump tariffs to promote manufacturing. * India Times *I certainly wish that [The Great Economists] had been around when I started to study the subject. -- Dr Matthew Partridge * Money Week *The style is engaging and takes the readers through key elements of the economic challenges we currently face, with the support of data and international comparisons ... Readers will certainly enjoy learning about the economists, as many of them lived quite unconventional lives. -- Angela Gallo * Financial Times Adviser *As a broad and accessible overview of the lives and ideas of prominent economic thinkers, Yueh's book is a useful addition to the field. Its strongest sections make important connections between historical figures and modern decision-makers, such as the chapter detailing former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke's interest in Irving Fisher's debt-deflation hypothesis. -- Alasdair Hutchison * Reaction *Readable, informative, and thought-provoking, and deserves a place in all libraries -- David Tyckoson * Booklist *The book is lucidly written... It offers glimpses into the lives of these influential economists, often laced with interesting nuggets of information. -- Ishan Bakshi * Business Standard *An accessible and lively evaluation of the global financial crisis . . . [Yueh] has a way of simplifying the arcane and ferreting out good news - of which we need a lot. -- Mary Kaye Schilling * Newsweek *Awesome yet accessible...recommended! -- Tim HarfordAmazing new book . . . warmly recommend -- NPR Planet MoneyExcellent . . . what makes this book special is that it is simple to read and understand . . . extremely engaging and serves a grand five-star buffet -- Madan Sabnavis * Financial Express *Want to learn about great ideas in economics and the great economists without doing any algebra? Here is an engagingly written book for you by Linda Yueh. She is both a real economist and an experienced journalist, so she knows how and what to write * Richard Baldwin *A great book and Linda Yueh is well worth listening to -- Kevin Watkins, former head of the Overseas Development InstituteYueh's CV - Oxford economics fellow; former editor at Bloomberg TV; ex-advisor to the World Bank - could inspire an inferiority complex in almost anyone. Yet she has written a remarkably accessible primer that profiles 12 of history's greatest economists (from Adam Smith to Joan Robinson), and then asks what they can reveal about the world today. Perhaps its most important lesson is not to take financial advice from economists: many of Yueh's subjects lost fortunes * The Times, Best business books of 2018 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe subject of advertising is often treated with indifference by economists and disdain by the public. Indeed, from time-to-time, there have been calls to ban advertising. Though there has been no general ban, advertising has been prohibited in some sectors and further regulation in this field is continually being considered. Given the importance of advertising in political discussion and the lack of evidence regarding its role and effectiveness, Ralph Harris and Arthur Seldon published Advertising in a Free Society in the late 1950s. This seminal work provided a dispassionate and serious analysis of the subject. It concluded that advertising played a positive role in communicating information and building brand loyalty. Interestingly, some of the most dishonest forms of promotion came from politicians. Christopher Snowdon has skillfully abridged Harris and Seldon's work whilst adding important modern insights. Perhaps the most important of these is his critique of the claim that adver

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA riveting history of raw capitalism that exposes the unscrupulousness at its heart Vice is endemic to Western capitalism, according to this fascinating, wildly entertaining, often startling history of modern finance. Ian Klausâs Forging Capitalism demonstrates how international financial affairs in the nineteenth century were conducted not only by gentlemen as a noble pursuit but also by connivers, thieves, swindlers, and frauds who believed that no risk was too great and no scheme too outrageous if the monetary reward was substantial enough. Taken together, the grand deceptions of the ambitious schemers and the determined efforts to guard against them have been instrumental in creating the financial establishments of today. In a story teeming with playboys and scoundrels and rich in colorful and amazing events, Klaus chronicles the evolution of trust through three distinct epochs: the age of values, the age of networks and reputations, and, ultimately, in a world of increased technol

Read more less

Book SynopsisA chronicle of recent events that have shaken the world, from the author of Capital in the Twenty-First CenturyTrade Review“What makes this manifesto noteworthy is that it comes from . . . an economist who gained his reputation as a researcher with vaguely left-of-center sensibilities but was far from a radical. Yet the times are such . . . that even honest moderates are driven to radical remedies.”—Robert Kuttner, New York Times“The ideas propounded are influential and represent a stream of thought which has considerable resonance both in Europe and the UK.”—Bridget Rosewell, Reading Room for the Society of Professional Economists“Lively, thought-provoking, grounded in facts, and resolutely optimistic—these essays grapple with the big questions of our time, from the rise of Trumpism and Brexit, to gender inequality and wealth taxation.”—Gabriel Zucman, University of California, Berkeley“Thomas Piketty’s personal journey from liberalism to socialism, at a time when socialism was in retreat, is a mark of the man’s ethos but also evidence of the soul-crushing inhumanity of our post-2008 hypercapitalism. Reading this volume of collected essays offers important glimpses to the parallel evolution of our political economy and of one of its most renowned scholars.”—Yanis Varoufakis, author of Another Now and leader of MeRA25 in Greece’s Parliament

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on the series produced for the BBC World ServiceTrade ReviewEndlessly insightful and full of surprises - exactly what what you would expect from Tim Harford -- Bill BrysonHarford is a fine, perceptive writer, and an effortless explainer of tricky concepts. His book teems with good things, and will expand the mind of anyone lucky enough to read it -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBlood and Treasure is the story of the economics of conflict from the Viking Age to the war in Ukraine.Wars are expensive, both in human terms and monetary ones. Since at least the 1640s, in the aftermath of the British Civil Wars, the phrase ''blood and treasure'' has sought to encapsulate these costs.Two economic notions, in particular, feature in this book: incentives and institutions. A rational look at incentives explains even the most seemingly irrational behaviour - and few things are as irrational as war. Crucially, incentives are not formed in a vacuum, they are shaped by the wider social, cultural and political context - the kind of things economists call institutions (i.e. the State). Over time institutions change and with them incentives change too. Together institutions and incentives shape and explain human behaviour. Over the long span of human history, nothing has shaped institutions - and hence economic outcomes - as much as war an

Read more less

Book SynopsisUntangle the jargon and understand how you're involved in everyday economics If you want to get to grips with the basics of economics and understand a subject that affects British citizens on a daily basis, then look no further than Economics For Dummies.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: Economics: The Science of How People Deal with Scarcity 7 Chapter 1: What Does Economics Study? And Why Should You Care? 9 Chapter 2: Cake or Ice Cream? Tracking Consumer Choices 25 Chapter 3: Producing the Right Stuff in the Right Way to Maximise Human Happiness 39 Part II: Macroeconomics: The Science of Economic Growth and Stability 63 Chapter 4: Measuring the Macroeconomy: How Economists Keep Track of Everything 65 Chapter 5: Inflation Frustration: Why More Money Isn’t Always a Good Thing 89 Chapter 6: Understanding Why Recessions Happen 111 Chapter 7: Fighting Recessions with Monetary and Fiscal Policy 141 Part III: Microeconomics: The Science of Consumer and Firm Behaviour 169 Chapter 8: Supply and Demand Made Easy 171 Chapter 9: Getting to Know Homo Economicus, the Utility-Maximising Consumer 197 Chapter 10: The Core of Capitalism: The Profit-Maximising Firm 217 Chapter 11: Why Economists Love Free Markets and Competition 243 Chapter 12: Monopolies: How Badly Would You Behave If You Had No Competition? 269 Chapter 13: Oligopoly and Monopolistic Competition: Middle Grounds 291 Chapter 14: Property Rights and Wrongs 315 Chapter 15: Market Failure: Asymmetric Information and Public Goods 329 Part IV: The Part of Tens 345 Chapter 16: Ten (Or so) Famous Economists 347 Chapter 17: Ten Seductive Economic Fallacies 355 Chapter 18: Ten Economic Ideas to Hold Dear 363 Appendix: Glossary 369 Index 377

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Commoner's Catalog for Changemaking was born of a simple realization: The world we have inherited is no longer working.The future of the planet and civilization as we know it are threatened, and the cries heard during the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protestsI can't breathecontinue to echo. By giving us tools for navigating the transitions ahead, this catalog helps us breathe more deeply.The Commoner's Catalog for Changemaking explains the transformational power of social collaboration by showcasing dozens of pathbreaking projects, books, websites, and activist initiatives. Commoners seek to prioritize people's needs over market extraction, steward the Earth, relocalize the economy, and build new institutions of empowerment.The emerging Commonsverse can be seen in relocalized food systems and community land trustsin racial empowerment through collective action and mutual aidand in free and open source software, peer prod

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGraetz and Shapiro wrestle with a fundamental question of our day: How do we address a system that makes too many Americans anxious that economic security is slipping out of reach? Their cogent call for sensible and achievable policies offers a pathway back to functional governance and should be read by progressives and conservatives alike. -- Jacob J. Lew, former Secretary of the TreasuryIn The Wolf at the Door, Michael Graetz and Ian Shapiro trace masterfully the sources of insecurity increasingly haunting millions of Americans. Not content to tell the tale or just focus on politicians’ desire to exploit that insecurity, they consider important policy ideas to reward work and bolster individuals’ ability to cope with economic shifts beyond their control. The thesis of the book and its recommendations are a must-read for any serious observer of what is happening to the American economy and body politic today. -- Glenn Hubbard, Columbia Business School, former chairman of the US Council of Economic AdvisersSmart, interesting, and important, The Wolf at the Door tackles the topic of policy and political responses to economic insecurity and political dysfunction with concrete recommendations and evidentiary backing. Graetz and Shapiro write with vigor and clarity, telling readers directly what policies and politics are empirically supportable, feasible, and normatively desirable, and what are not. -- Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard UniversityTwo books in one! A concise, trenchant, and very readable history of how economic insecurity produced today’s American populism—and a thoughtful, politically realistic, economically sound set of remedies for those who know both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are onto something, but who also know their answers to American economic insecurity won’t succeed. -- David Wessel, The Brookings InstitutionMichael Graetz and Ian Shapiro take a hard and pragmatic look at how America can ameliorate its inequality, focusing especially on ‘bottom-up’ approaches. Their work is deep, informed, and reeks of common sense. This book should be read by every presidential candidate and every lawmaker. -- Norman Ornstein, coauthor of One Nation After TrumpIt is now beyond debate that rising inequality is not only leaving millions of Americans living on a sharp edge but also is threatening our democracy. Michael Graetz and Ian Shapiro provide a fresh, insightful look at how we got here and, more to the point, how we might work our way out. For activists and scholars alike who are struggling to create a more equitable society, this is an essential read. -- David Gergen, Professor at Harvard Kennedy School and adviser to four US presidentsThis is a terrific book, original, erudite, and superbly well-informed, and full of new wisdom about what might and what might not help the majority of Americans who have not shared in our growing prosperity, but are left facing the wolf at the door. Graetz and Shapiro use coalition building as their organizing principle, explaining the coalitions behind previous policy successes, and suggesting what sort of new coalitions could get us out of the current mess. They have a brilliantly startling suggestion for Medicare for all, by extending it first, not to the near old, but to the young. They make a powerful case for a value added tax, and against the idea that the wolf can be seen off only by taxing the rich. Everyone interested in public policy should read this book. -- Angus Deaton, Princeton University and the University of Southern California[An] eye-opener for anyone interested in tracing the origins of economic insecurity in the U.S. -- Arthur Zaczkiewicz * Women’s Wear Daily *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis pioneering work by Thomas Piketty explains the facts and dynamics of income inequality in France in the twentieth century. On its publication in French in 2001, it helped launch the international program led by Piketty and others to explore the grand patterns and causes of global inequality research that has since transformed public debate.Trade ReviewIn light of Piketty’s history, every part of Hayek’s argument now looks doubtful…The tremendous amount of data he gathers and analyzes (from tax rates to the price of butter) point to unavoidable conclusions. High taxes on income and inheritances can keep inequality in check, or even make it fall…Inequality is not incomprehensible or uncontrollable. It is the result of political decisions…Piketty makes clear, at great length, exactly what would stem the tide. -- Paul W. Gleason * Pacific Standard *Thomas Piketty’s Top Incomes in France in the Twentieth Century is in many ways a precursor to his famous Capital in the Twenty-First Century, a pioneering book in the methodological sense with empirical analysis that provides the core around which political and economic developments in France are woven and discussed. -- Branko Milanovic, City University of New YorkTop Incomes in France is simply unavoidable for anyone wanting to understand the historical evolution of inequality in France, and it is the groundwork without which Capital would be nonexistent. -- Camille Landais, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTop Incomes in France in the Twentieth Century provides an important, detailed, and analytically insightful discussion of the political and legislative history of taxation in France. This book will be of tremendous value to all those interested in issues of social justice, inequality, taxation, and the evolution of capitalism. -- Martin O’Neill, University of YorkA door-stopping work of economic history. * Kirkus Reviews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe end of capitalism is always around the corner. Why do we keep predicting its demise, and how has it survived so many external shocks and internal contradictions? Francesco Boldizzoni traces the history of a prophecy unrealized and identifies the source of capitalism’s durability: its rootedness in Western social hierarchies and individualism.Trade ReviewA sprawling, informative, thought-provoking, and opinionated history of ideas. -- Andrew Stuttaford * Wall Street Journal *Is this the beginning of capitalism’s end? If you think it might be—whether you are eagerly awaiting capitalism’s collapse or anxiously anticipating it—Francesco Boldizzoni’s new book…will make you think twice. -- Alyssa Battistoni * Boston Review *Boldizzoni has a deep familiarity with the thinking of both the anti-capitalist left and the pro-capitalist right, and his discussion of the intellectual evolution of various factions within both camps is superb. -- Ryan Cooper * Washington Monthly *Lively and wide-ranging…Moves briskly across a century and a half of intellectual history, from Marx and John Stuart Mill in the mid-19th century (when the term ‘capitalism’ entered the lexicon) to the aftermath of the 2008 crash. * The Nation *Takes us on a 200-page tour of capitalism’s critics, from the well-worn fields of Marx, Mill and Keynes through the wilder thickets of critical theory. * The Spectator *An intellectual achievement…Foretelling the End of Capitalism will be an excellent reference point for debating the future of capitalism and human history. -- Hans G. Despain * Marx & Philosophy Review of Books *A wide-ranging historical essay on the social-scientific forecasting of capitalism’s fate. -- Jonathan Levy * Journal of Modern History *This beautifully written book captures the peculiar complicity between hope and disappointment that characterizes prophecies about the end of capitalism over the last three centuries. It will be of great interest to readers, both as a cautionary tale about prophecy and as a model study of the logic of capitalism itself. -- Arjun Appadurai, New York UniversityFrancesco Boldizzoni shows how predicting the collapse of capitalism is as old as capitalism itself. He illuminates a tradition of economic thinking that has justified do-nothing posturing in the name of revolution, and how it resists learning lessons of its own failures. This book is also a brilliant study of the cult of forecasting. -- Jeremy Adelman, Princeton UniversityForetelling the End of Capitalism is an essential book for anyone interested in intellectual history and political economy. It will play a major role in current debates on capitalism and its future, as well as on crisis and crisis theory. -- Wolfgang Streeck, author of How Will Capitalism End?Boldly written and brimming with new insights on every page, this is not your grandfather’s old and staid intellectual history. Boldizzoni takes us through a fast-paced history of capitalism’s failed doomsayers—only to then explain why they clearly underestimated its elongated life expectancy and stubborn durability. A superb intellectual history of how people have (wrongly) predicted and imagined the end of capitalism from the time of Marx until today. -- Eli Cook, author of The Pricing of Progress

Read more less

Book SynopsisEconomists say there is a limit to what we gain by buying consumer goods. Americans say they want to work less. Yet we continue toiling away and use the proceeds to buy, buy, buy. Why? Stephen Rosenberg offers a novel theory, arguing that workers have learned to treat goods as stores of potential free time, legitimating endless wage work.Trade ReviewAn enormously ambitious and highly provocative book, Time for Things addresses one of the most central and most difficult puzzles in economics and political economy: why is it that advanced capitalist societies do not use their high and growing productivity for more free time—with great benefits for individuals, social life, and the environment—and instead increase consumption in line with rising productive capacity? With extraordinary conceptual precision and theoretical acumen, Rosenberg shows how the various versions of modern economics fail to even come close to resolving the puzzles posed by the apparent stability of consumerist capitalism. Whether or not his approach to this puzzle will stand after criticism, the debate that Rosenberg has started will be a major one and is likely to add significantly to our understanding of contemporary capitalism. -- Wolfgang Streeck, author of How Will Capitalism End?This remarkable book examines the master issue of our daily lives, the scarcity of time, and makes a startling argument about the norms that facilitate capitalist expansion: time is turned into ever more things because things begin to be seen as time. Rosenberg’s wide-ranging approach draws from, and challenges, historians, economists, psychologists, and philosophers, as much as sociologists. Time for Things is not an incremental addition to an existing conversation, but the start of a whole new conversation. -- Monica Prasad, author of The Land of Too MuchThis brilliant book presents a revolutionary account of America’s consumption economy, arguing that standardized consumer durables provided essential legitimation for the very idea of wage labor. Drawing on economics, sociology, and history, Rosenberg combines data on economic trends, consumption patterns, business and labor movements, product development, and marketing. His magisterial study states and defends a novel theory of consumption that has profound implications for our understanding of the modern American economy. -- Andrew Abbott, University of ChicagoRosenberg settles on an intriguing explanation: that the reason workers stopped pushing to reduce working time is that products got better, and consumers began to demand more of them…Brings a much-needed social dimension to our understanding of work. -- Andrew Leigh * Inside Story *[Rosenberg] deploys an arrangement of resources drawn from social theory combined with evidence from history and economic data to develop a theory of mass consumption as ‘wage-labor commensuration.’ According to this, since the 1920s the preference to trade the prospect of the leisure dividend with the pursuit of the wage-labor increment (to finance a greater propensity to consume) is the hallmark of work-leisure relations. Rosenberg is nothing less than heroic in assembling an enormous range of the theoretical and empirical date to make the case. -- Chris Rojek * Business History Review *Rosenberg argues that consumers are plunged into an insatiable quest to consume enough so that they can feel that they are receiving at least fair pay…Hence the propensity for capitalist production and consumption, work and spend, to spiral upwards indefinitely…Rosenberg is to be congratulated for a book that, unusually nowadays, has something genuinely original to say. -- Ken Roberts * International Review of Social History *Could not be more timely…With so many Americans in the COVID era trying to tie their well-being to securing work they find rewarding in pay, purpose, and private life, Time for Things powerfully conveys that this oftentimes difficult pursuit involves factors far beyond the individual’s control. -- Lizabeth Cohen * American Journal of Sociology *In considering a variety of other explanations of American pursuit of higher wages, [Rosenberg] continuously raises the often-ignored question: Why haven’t Americans sought more time? He offers a clear argument…[and] a new way of thinking about the modern obsession with goods. -- Gary S. Cross * American Historical Review *In a world where working from home is now more common and technology allows us to be available and potentially working 24 hours a day, Rosenberg’s theory helps us to step back and ask just why higher wages seem to be the main focus for both organized labour and individual workers, rather than a dramatic increase in free time…One looks forward to scholars of labour and consumption grappling with this new explanation and trying it out in many different milieus. -- Sarah Elvins * Left History *

Read more less