{"product_id":"the-little-big-number-9780691175935","title":"The Little Big Number","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[Philipsen] is not the first to question the utility of GDP estimates, but he may be the most exasperated. His comprehensive history... compares GDP to any number of villains in order to make tangible the number's many flaws... He is keyed into how a culture that once burgeoned can implode, and he is anxious about ours.\"--Katy Lederer, New Yorker \"Comprehensive and readable... Philipsen is motivated by a profound dissatisfaction with the dominance of growth in the national economic agenda, and with the way in which GDP... has become a goal rather than simply a measuring tool... [I]n the end the policies he advocates may indeed prevail, and our fixation on growth in GDP as the sole indicator of human happiness may at last be laid to rest.\"--David Throsby, Times Literary Supplement \"[The Little Big Number] takes the anti-GDP case even further... Philipsen argues that not only is GDP a flawed statistic in need of replacing--but the whole notion of open-ended economic growth needs to go, too.\"--Kevin Hartnett, Boston Globe \"Some efforts are already underway, most notably the 'Beyond GDP' initiative by the European Commission, but much remains to be done. Philipsen's book is a clarion call.\"--Seeking Alpha \"[Philipsen's] call for a dialogue about setting new goals--sustainability, equity, democratic accountability, and economic viability--should command our attention... It won't be easy. But Philipsen is surely right that no task is more important.\"--Glenn C. Altschuler, Huffington Post \"Dirk Philipsen's The Little Big Number, couldn't have come at a better time.\"--Douglas Beal, Huffington Post \"[A] provocative and insightful book... The book stands on its own as a piece of economic history, but also serves as an important call for social change.\"--Alex Mitchell, Consumption Markets \u0026amp; Culture \"This book nicely summarizes the many critiques of GDP. Philipsen's knowledge of economic theory, statistics, econometric accounting, and history is impressive.\"--Stephen Macekura, American Historical Review \"Its cautionary story of the creation of GNP accounting is eye-opening, and well told. The list of ways that GDP could be improved, even as a measure of production ... all provoke thought. The book easily could be used as a directory of research criticizing GDP.\"--Donald Frey, EH.Net\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments vii  Introduction: We Become What We Measure 1  Casting a Spell 9  Exploring a Path 13  1. More, Better, Faster: The Beginnings 19  Productivity, Growth, and Success 20  Goals and Measures 27  Values and Measures 32  2. The Origins of Bling: The Spirit of Economic Growth 40  The World of Growth: Refining the Measure 52  Business Accounting Goes National 57  3. The Crucible of Crisis: The Great Depression and the Need for Economic Indicators 65  4. Born from Disaster: The Making of a Key Measure 83  The Challenge 84  The Players 89  The Method 93  The Findings 99  The Big Conundrum: Translating Findings into Action 102  5. Forged in War 107  6. Global Domination: The Age of GDP 117  For Richer or Poorer 117  A Stunted Priesthood 121  Stopgap Consensus 123  Going Global 128  New Rules 130  GDP Junkies 133  Shackled in Fool's Gold 139  7. Today's ABC of GDP 143  It's an Emperor, but Does It Have Clothes? 152  Why It Matters 157  8. More Is Not Enough 160  The Little Big Number: Our Report Card for Success 174  Emerging Dissent 178  9. \"The People of Plenty Are a People of Waste\" 184  Breaking the Spell 204  10. From Alchemy to Reason: What If? A Thought Experiment 208  Mental Cobwebs 219  One More Time: Simon Kuznets 230  Clearing a Path 236  11. Looking Forward 243  A Daring Vision 250  A Moment of Possibility 265  Appendix A. The Measure as Guide 271  Notes 277  Bibliography 351  Index 389","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49403845935447,"sku":"9780691175935","price":18.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691175935.jpg?v=1730484703","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-little-big-number-9780691175935","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}