Best of
Economics
2013
How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region
Joe Studwell - 2013
Japan was going to dominate, then China. Countries were called “tigers” or “mini-dragons,” and were seen as not just development prodigies, but as a unified bloc, culturally and economically similar, and inexorably on the rise.Joe Studwell has spent two decades as a reporter in the region, and The Financial Times said he “should be named chief myth-buster for Asian business.” In How Asia Works, Studwell distills his extensive research into the economies of nine countries—Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and China—into an accessible, readable narrative that debunks Western misconceptions, shows what really happened in Asia and why, and for once makes clear why some countries have boomed while others have languished.Studwell’s in-depth analysis focuses on three main areas: land policy, manufacturing, and finance. Land reform has been essential to the success of Asian economies, giving a kick start to development by utilizing a large workforce and providing capital for growth. With manufacturing, industrial development alone is not sufficient, Studwell argues. Instead, countries need “export discipline,” a government that forces companies to compete on the global scale. And in finance, effective regulation is essential for fostering, and sustaining growth. To explore all of these subjects, Studwell journeys far and wide, drawing on fascinating examples from a Philippine sugar baron’s stifling of reform to the explosive growth at a Korean steel mill.Thoroughly researched and impressive in scope, How Asia Works is essential reading for anyone interested in the development of these dynamic countries, a region that will shape the future of the world.
Intellectuals and Race
Thomas Sowell - 2013
The role of intellectuals in racial strife is explored in an international context that puts the American experience in a wholly new light. The views of individual intellectuals have spanned the spectrum, but the views of intellectuals as a whole have tended to cluster. Indeed, these views have clustered at one end of the spectrum in the early twentieth century and then clustered at the opposite end of the spectrum in the late twentieth century. Moreover, these radically different views of race in these two eras were held by intellectuals whose views on other issues were very similar in both eras.Intellectuals and Race is not, however, a book about history, even though it has much historical evidence, as well as demographic, geographic, economic and statistical evidence -- all of it directed toward testing the underlying assumptions about race that have prevailed at times among intellectuals in general, and especially intellectuals at the highest levels. Nor is this simply a theoretical exercise. The impact of intellectuals' ideas and crusades on the larger society, both past and present, is the ultimate concern. These ideas and crusades have ranged widely from racial theories of intelligence to eugenics to "social justice" and multiculturalism. In addition to in-depth examinations of these and other issues, Intellectuals and Race explores the incentives, the visions and the rationales that drive intellectuals at the highest levels to conclusions that have often turned out to be counterproductive and even disastrous, not only for particular racial or ethnic groups, but for societies as a whole.
Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: or, How Capitalism Works—and How It Fails
Yanis Varoufakis - 2013
Now, he faces his most important—and difficult—audience yet. Using clear language and vivid examples, Varoufakis offers a series of letters to his young daughter about the economy: how it operates, where it came from, how it benefits some while impoverishing others. Taking bankers and politicians to task, he explains the historical origins of inequality among and within nations, questions the pervasive notion that everything has its price, and shows why economic instability is a chronic risk. Finally, he discusses the inability of market-driven policies to address the rapidly declining health of the planet his daughter’s generation stands to inherit.Throughout, Varoufakis wears his expertise lightly. He writes as a parent whose aim is to instruct his daughter on the fundamental questions of our age—and through that knowledge, to equip her against the failures and obfuscations of our current system and point the way toward a more democratic alternative.
The Irrational Bundle
Dan Ariely - 2013
Dan Ariely's three New York Times bestselling books on his groundbreaking behavioral economics research, Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, and The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, are now available for the first time in a single volume.
An Uncertain Glory: India and Its Contradictions
Jean Drèze - 2013
After India gained independence in the year 1947, she decided to adopt a political system that was democratic in nature and involved the existence of several political parties and many political rights. The end of the colonial era saw the disappearance of the continual famines that were striking India. Instead of stagnation, India began to witness growth in her economy, making her eventually rank at number two in the list of fastest growing economies in the world. Even now, though India's economy has dipped slightly, it still has one of the highest growths in the world. An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions is a book that has the opinions of two of India's leading economists, Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen, who highlight the major problems that the country faces at present. These two experts stress on the need to have sound knowledge concerning the deprivations of humans in India.
After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead
Alan S. Blinder - 2013
financial system, which had grown far too complex for its own good-and too unregulated for the public good-experienced a perfect storm beginning in 2007. When America's financial structure crumbled, the damage proved to be not only deep, but wide. It took the crisis for the world to discover, to its horror, just how truly interconnected-and fragile-the global financial system is. The second part of the story explains how American and international government intervention kept us from a total meltdown. Many of the U.S. government's actions, particularly the Fed's, were previously unimaginable. And to an amazing-and certainly misunderstood-extent, they worked. The worst did not happen. Blinder offers clear-eyed answers to the questions still before us, even if some of the choices ahead are as divisive as they are unavoidable. After the Music Stopped is an essential history that we cannot afford to forget, because one thing history teaches is that it will happen here again.
Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies
C. Otto Scharmer - 2013
Financial collapse, climate change, resource depletion, and a growing gap between rich and poor are but a few of the signs. Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer ask, why do we collectively create results nobody wants? Meeting the challenges of this century requires updating our economic logic and operating system from an obsolete “ego-system” focused entirely on the well-being of oneself to an eco-system awareness that emphasizes the well-being of the whole. Filled with real-world examples, this thought-provoking guide presents proven practices for building a new economy that is more resilient, intentional, inclusive, and aware.
Meatonomics: How the Rigged Economics of Meat and Dairy Make You Consume Too Much—and How to Eat Better, Live Longer, and Spend Smarter
David Robinson Simon - 2013
Yet omnivore and herbivore alike, the forces of meatonomics affect us in many ways.Most importantly, we've lost the ability to decide for ourselves what - and how much - to eat. Those decisions are made for us by animal food producers who control our buying choices with artificially-low prices, misleading messaging, and heavy control over legislation and regulation. Learn how and why they do it and how you can respond.Written in a clear and accessible style, "Meatonomics" provides vital insight into how the economics of animal food production influence our spending, eating, health, prosperity, and longevity"Meatonomics" is the first book to add up the huge "externalized" costs that the animal food system imposes on taxpayers, animals and the environment, and it finds these costs total about $414 billion yearly. With yearly retail sales of around $250 billion, that means that for every $1 of product they sell, meat and dairy producers impose almost $2 in hidden costs on the rest of us. But if producers were forced to internalize these costs, a $4 Big Mac would cost about $11.
The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America's Grasp
Marin Katusa - 2013
In The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America's Grasp, energy expert Marin Katusa takes a look at the ways the western world is losing control of the energy market, and what can be done about it.Russia is in the midst of a rapid economic and geopolitical renaissance under the rule of Vladimir Putin, a tenacious KGB officer turned modern-day tsar. Understanding his rise to power provides the keys to understanding the shift in the energy trade from Saudi Arabia to Russia. This powerful new position threatens to unravel the political dominance of the United States once and for all.Discover how political coups, hostile takeovers, and assassinations have brought Russia to the center of the world's energy market Follow Putin's rise to power and how it has led to an upsetting of the global balance of trade Learn how Russia toppled a generation of robber barons and positioned itself as the most powerful force in the energy market Study Putin's long-range plans and their potential impact on the United States and the U.S. dollar If Putin's plans are successful, not only will Russia be able to starve other countries of power, but the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) will replace the G7 in wealth and clout. The Colder War takes a hard look at what is to come in a new global energy market that is certain to cause unprecedented impact on the U.S. dollar and the American way of life.
Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Mark Blyth - 2013
In contrast, they have advanced a policy of draconian budget cuts--austerity--to solve the financial crisis. We are told that we have all lived beyond our means and now need to tighten our belts. This view conveniently forgets where all that debt came from. Not from an orgy of government spending, but as the direct result of bailing out, recapitalizing, and adding liquidity to the broken banking system. Through these actions private debt was rechristened as government debt while those responsible for generating it walked away scot free, placing the blame on the state, and the burden on the taxpayer. That burden now takes the form of a global turn to austerity, the policy of reducing domestic wages and prices to restore competitiveness and balance the budget. The problem, according to political economist Mark Blyth, is that austerity is a very dangerous idea. First of all, it doesn't work. As the past four years and countless historical examples from the last 100 years show, while it makes sense for any one state to try and cut its way to growth, it simply cannot work when all states try it simultaneously: all we do is shrink the economy. In the worst case, austerity policies worsened the Great Depression and created the conditions for seizures of power by the forces responsible for the Second World War: the Nazis and the Japanese military establishment. As Blyth amply demonstrates, the arguments for austerity are tenuous and the evidence thin. Rather than expanding growth and opportunity, the repeated revival of this dead economic idea has almost always led to low growth along with increases in wealth and income inequality. Austerity demolishes the conventional wisdom, marshaling an army of facts to demand that we austerity for what it is, and what it costs us.
Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Bondage Destroy the Global Economy
Michael Hudson - 2013
The essence of parasitism is not only to drain the host’s nourishment, but also to dull the host’s brain so that it does not recognize that the parasite is there.This is the illusion that much of Europe and the United States suffer under today. The aim of this book is to pierce this illusion and replace junk economics with economics based on reality. In Killing the Host, Michael Hudson argues that financial crises will continue unless we radically transform our economic and political structures, and reclaim the best ideas of classical economics.Ominous, yet clear-eyed and prophetic, Hudson provides viable solutions to our economic problems, at a time when politicians have shown themselves unable to understand our economy much less fix it.
Bachelor Pad Economics
Aaron Clarey - 2013
From dating, to what to major in, to purchasing a home, to starting a business, to children and “wife training,” Bachelor Pad Economics is the wisdom you wish the father-you-never-had gave you. Written FOR GUYS it is candid, blunt, honest and everything else Oprah isn’t, and will give you the road map you need to provide direction and purpose in your life.Guaranteed to prove more useful than a college degree, Bachelor Pad Economics is WELL worth the money to buy and the time to read.
What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?: How Money Really Does Grow on Trees
Tony Juniper - 2013
From the recycling miracles in the soil; an army of predators ridding us of unwanted pests; an abundance of life creating a genetic codebook that underpins our food, pharmaceutical industries and much more, it has been estimated that these and other services are each year worth about double global GDP. Yet we take most of Nature's services for granted, imagining them free and limitless ... until they suddenly switch off.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Thomas Piketty - 2013
But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality—the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth—today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again.
The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills
David Stuckler - 2013
The result, as pioneering public health experts David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu reveal in this provocative book, is that many countries have turned their recessions into veritable epidemics, ruining or extinguishing thousands of lives in a misguided attempt to balance budgets and shore up financial markets. Yet sound alternative policies could instead help improve economies and protect public health at the same time.In The Body Economic, Stuckler and Basu mine data from around the globe and throughout history to show how government policy becomes a matter of life and death during financial crises. In a series of historical case studies stretching from 1930s America, to Russia and Indonesia in the 1990s, to present-day Greece, Britain, Spain, and the U.S., Stuckler and Basu reveal that governmental mismanagement of financial strife has resulted in a grim array of human tragedies, from suicides to HIV infections. Yet people can and do stay healthy, and even get healthier, during downturns. During the Great Depression, U.S. deaths actually plummeted, and today Iceland, Norway, and Japan are happier and healthier than ever, proof that public wellbeing need not be sacrificed for fiscal health. Full of shocking and counterintuitive revelations and bold policy recommendations, The Body Economic offers an alternative to austerity—one that will prevent widespread suffering, both now and in the future.
The Finance Curse: How Global Finance Is Making Us All Poorer
Nicholas Shaxson - 2013
He then gained prominence as an expert on tax havens, revealing the dark corners of that world long before the scandals of the Panama and Paradise Papers. Now, in The Finance Curse, revised with chapters exclusive to this American edition, he takes us on a terrifying journey through the world economy, exposing tax havens, monopolists, megabanks, private equity firms, Eurobond traders, lobbyists, and a menagerie of scoundrels quietly financializing our entire society, hurting both business and individuals. Shaxson shows we got here, telling the story of how finance re-engineered the global economic order in the last half-century, with the aim not of creating wealth but extracting it from the underlying economy. Under the twin gospels of "national competitiveness" and "shareholder value," megabanks and financialized corporations have provoked a race to the bottom between states to provide the most subsidized environment for big business, have encouraged a brain drain into finance, and have fostered instability, inequality, and turned a blind eye to the spoils of organized crime. From Ireland to Iowa, Shaxson shows the insidious effects of financialization on our politics and on communities who were promised paradise but got poverty wages instead.We need a strong financial system--but when it grows too big it becomes a monster. The Finance Curse is the explosive story of how finance got a stranglehold on society, and reveals how we might release ourselves from its grasp.
Verghese Kurien
Nimmy Chacko - 2013
Waiting for him was not just his own destiny but that of thousands of small, marginalised farmers who, until then, had only known exploitation and deprivation. The story of Dr. Kurien is the story of Amul. It is the story of Operation Flood, the 'billion-liter idea' that set India on the top of the world map for milk production. A die-hard patriot, Kurien was committed to the co-operative cause. He put the milk industry in the hands of the farmers, believing firmly that with ownership would come responsibility and great success. And he was right. Amar Chitra Katha traces the story of the man who is known as the 'Father of the White Revolution'
Become Your Own Financial Advisor: The real secrets to becoming financially independent
Warren Ingram - 2013
This highly accessible book is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their financial situation, from the financial novice who needs clear basic guidelines on how to deal with money to those who are more financially savvy but want to supplement their knowledge. Covering a range of topics, from saving, investing, debt management, buying a house to blunders to avoid, Become Your Own Financial Advisor provides people of all ages and levels of wealth with practical information on how to improve their finances. And, in the process, proves that financial freedom is possible for everyone.
The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis
Ben S. Bernanke - 2013
Federal Reserve, gave a series of lectures about the Federal Reserve and the 2008 financial crisis, as part of a course at George Washington University on the role of the Federal Reserve in the economy. In this unusual event, Bernanke revealed important background and insights into the central bank's crucial actions during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Taken directly from these historic talks, The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis offers insight into the guiding principles behind the Fed's activities and the lessons to be learned from its handling of recent economic challenges.Bernanke traces the origins of the Federal Reserve, from its inception in 1914 through the Second World War, and he looks at the Fed post-1945, when it began operating independently from other governmental departments such as the Treasury. During this time the Fed grappled with episodes of high inflation, finally tamed by then-chairman Paul Volcker. Bernanke also explores the period under his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, known as the Great Moderation. Bernanke then delves into the Fed's reaction to the recent financial crisis, focusing on the central bank's role as the lender of last resort and discussing efforts that injected liquidity into the banking system. Bernanke points out that monetary policies alone cannot revive the economy, and he describes ongoing structural and regulatory problems that need to be addressed.Providing first-hand knowledge of how problems in the financial system were handled, The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis will long be studied by those interested in this critical moment in history.
Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste: How Neoliberalism Survived the Financial Meltdown
Philip Mirowski - 2013
Yet in the harsh light of a new day, attacks against government intervention and the global drive for austerity are as strong as ever. Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste is the definitive account of the wreckage of what passes for economic thought, and how neoliberal ideas were used to solve the very crisis they had created. Now updated with a new afterword, Philip Mirowski’s sharp and witty work provides a roadmap for those looking to escape today’s misguided economic dogma.
The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire
Neil Irwin - 2013
They were the leaders of the world’s three most important central banks: Ben Bernanke of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Mervyn King of the Bank of England, and Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank. Over the next five years, they and their fellow central bankers deployed trillions of dollars, pounds and euros to contain the waves of panic that threatened to bring down the global financial system, moving on a scale and with a speed that had no precedent. Neil Irwin’s The Alchemists is a gripping account of the most intense exercise in economic crisis management we’ve ever seen, a poker game in which the stakes have run into the trillions of dollars. The book begins in, of all places, Stockholm, Sweden, in the seventeenth century, where central banking had its rocky birth, and then progresses through a brisk but dazzling tutorial on how the central banker came to exert such vast influence over our world, from its troubled beginnings to the Age of Greenspan, bringing the reader into the present with a marvelous handle on how these figures and institutions became what they are – the possessors of extraordinary power over our collective fate. What they chose to do with those powers is the heart of the story Irwin tells. Irwin covered the Fed and other central banks from the earliest days of the crisis for the Washington Post, enjoying privileged access to leading central bankers and people close to them. His account, based on reporting that took place in 27 cities in 11 countries, is the holistic, truly global story of the central bankers’ role in the world economy we have been missing. It is a landmark reckoning with central bankers and their power, with the great financial crisis of our time, and with the history of the relationship between capitalism and the state. Definitive, revelatory, and riveting, The Alchemists shows us where money comes from—and where it may well be going.
The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Kiva Loan at a Time
Bob Harris - 2013
Bob found his way to Kiva.org, the leading portal through which individuals make microloans all over the world: for as little as $25-50, businesses are financed and people are uplifted. Astonishingly, the repayment rate was nearly 99%, so he re-loaned the money to others over and over again.After making hundreds of microloans online, Bob wanted to see the results first-hand, and in The International Bank of Bob he travels from Peru and Bosnia to Rwanda and Cambodia, introducing us to some of the most inspiring and enterprising people we've ever met, while illuminating day-to-day life-political and emotional-in much of the world that Americans never see. Told with humor and compassion, The International Bank of Bob brings the world to our doorstep, and makes clear that each of us can, actually, make it better.
Inequality for All (Aftershock Movie Tie-in Edition)
Robert B. Reich - 2013
But Robert B. Reich, one of our most experienced and trusted voices on public policy, suggests another reason for the meltdown. Our real problem, he argues, lies in the increasing concentration of income at the top, robbing the vast middle class of the purchasing power it needs to keep the economy going. This thoughtful and detailed account of the American economy—and how we can fix it—is a practical, humane, and much-needed blueprint for rebuilding our society.
Economics: The Remarkable Story of How the Economy Works
Ben Mathew - 2013
Get a new and powerful understanding of the world around you. Save yourself from the nonsense spouted by politicians, TV pundits, right-wingers, left-wingers, shamans, uncles, and best friends.
Control Your Retirement Destiny: Achieving Financial Security Before The Big Transition
Dana Anspach - 2013
While never easy, retirement investing from your 20s through your early 50s has been straightforward. But once you hit your mid-50s and beyond, you need a different kind of plan to align investments, retirement accounts, taxes, Social Security, and pension decisions, all with a single objective: providing reliable, life-long income. In this book, nationally known retirement expert Dana Anspach explains how each part works, how one decision affects another, and how to focus on the things you can control (like managing taxes and risk) rather than on those you can't control (such as inflation or investment returns). When you put it all together in a plan that works for you, you'll have more choices and a greater sense of security about the financial decisions you are making. A transition into retirement can be scary. Control Your Retirement Destiny equips you with the knowledge you'll need to avoid big mistakes while optimizing the flow of funds to support the retirement you've always dreamed of. This book: • Covers all the major topics in retirement planning - investments, Social Security, annuities, taxes, healthcare, part-time work, and more • Provides examples of how planning decisions can result in a more secure outcome when they are coordinated • Helps couples coordinate their retirement incomes to maximize benefits - Shows how to create a plan to enable the life you'd like to live after ending full-time employment • Explains how to work with advisors (and how to find the best ones) if you'd rather not plan your own finances Control Your Retirement Destiny: Achieving Financial Security Before the Big Transition is for those who are beginning to think about when and how they might transition out of regular, full-time work. It will enable you to take charge of your financial future right now to ensure a happy, secure retirement.
Easy Money: Evolution of Money from Robinson Crusoe to the First World War
Vivek Kaul - 2013
Books on the current financial crisis which started in late 2008 are a tad like that. Until now they have tended to deal with certain aspects of the crisis without looking at the bigger picture of what really went wrong. That bigger picture of the ongoing financial crisis has now started to evolve. Easy Money captures this big picture. The history of money and the financial system as it has evolved over the centuries stand at the heart of this endeavor. It explores the idea that the evolution of money over centuries has led to an easy money policy being followed by governments and central banks across the world, which in turn has fueled humongous Ponzi schemes, which have now started to unravel, bringing the whole world on the brink of a financial disaster. The book also explains how the lessons of the financial crisis have still not been learned, and in trying to deal with it, governments across the world are making the same mistakes which led to the current crisis in the first place.
Worldly Philosopher: The Odyssey of Albert O. Hirschman
Jeremy Adelman - 2013
Hirschman, one of the twentieth century's most original and provocative thinkers. In this gripping biography, Jeremy Adelman tells the story of a man shaped by modern horrors and hopes, a worldly intellectual who fought for and wrote in defense of the values of tolerance and change.Born in Berlin in 1915, Hirschman grew up amid the promise and turmoil of the Weimar era, but fled Germany when the Nazis seized power in 1933. Amid hardship and personal tragedy, he volunteered to fight against the fascists in Spain and helped many of Europe's leading artists and intellectuals escape to America after France fell to Hitler. His intellectual career led him to Paris, London, and Trieste, and to academic appointments at Columbia, Harvard, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He was an influential adviser to governments in the United States, Latin America, and Europe, as well as major foundations and the World Bank. Along the way, he wrote some of the most innovative and important books in economics, the social sciences, and the history of ideas.Throughout, he remained committed to his belief that reform is possible, even in the darkest of times.This is the first major account of Hirschman's remarkable life, and a tale of the twentieth century as seen through the story of an astute and passionate observer. Adelman's riveting narrative traces how Hirschman's personal experiences shaped his unique intellectual perspective, and how his enduring legacy is one of hope, open-mindedness, and practical idealism.
Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide
Rachel Glennerster - 2013
Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offers practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments.This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy.With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid.Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countriesOffers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environmentsSelf-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learningComprehensive yet nontechnical
Avoiding the Fall: China's Economic Restructuring
Michael Pettis - 2013
Mounting debt and rising internal distortions mean that rebalancing is inevitable. Beijing has no choice but to take significant steps to restructure its economy. The only question is how to proceed.Michael Pettis debunks the lingering bullish expectations for China's economic rise and details Beijing's options. The urgent task of shifting toward greater domestic consumption will come with political costs, but Beijing must increase household income and reduce its reliance on investment to avoid a fall.
Financial Vipers of Venice: Alchemical Money, Magical Physics, and Banking in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Joseph P. Farrell - 2013
Farrell's Babylon's Banksters, the banksters have moved from Mesopotamia via Rome to Venice. There, they have manipulated popes and bullion prices, clipped coins, sacked Constantinople, destroyed rival Florence, waged war, burned "heretics," and suppressed hidden secrets threatening their financial supremacy . . . until Giordano Bruno and Christopher Columbus broke the banking cartel's control of information and bullion.We might wonder—with some justification—how an excursion into such magical mediaeval matters could possibly shed light on the contemporary debate on finance, commerce, credit, and debt taking place around the world.As will be seen in these pages, the modern global economy, with its bonds, annuities, bills of exchange, alchemical paper "fiat money," bullion, wage-slavery, national debts, private central banking, stock brokerages, and commodities exchanges, in a sense began in the Middle Ages, for all these institutions began for quite perceptible and specific reasons during that time.The centerpiece in this debate is of course money: what, and who, does it really represent? And how did it manage to begin as a purely metaphysical phenomenon, with deep ties to a cosmological and indeed topological and alchemical metaphor of the physical medium, thence to transmute itself into the conception that money is bullion, and thence once again to transmute itself back into a purely metaphysical construct of credit and debt denominated on tokens of paper?
Take Back the Economy: An Ethical Guide for Transforming Our Communities
J.K. Gibson-Graham - 2013
In this innovative book, J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy contribute complex understandings of economics in practical terms: what can we do right now, in our own communities, to make a difference?Full of exercises, thinking tools, and inspiring examples from around the world, Take Back the Economy shows how people can implement small-scale changes in their own lives to create ethical economies. There is no manifesto here, no one prescribed model; rather, readers are encouraged and taught how to take back the economy in ways appropriate for their own communities and context, using what they already have at hand.Take Back the Economy dismantles the idea that the economy is separate from us and best comprehended by experts. Instead, the authors demonstrate that the economy is the outcome of the decisions and efforts we make every day. The economy is thus reframed as a space of ethical action—something we can shape and alter according to what is best for the well-being of people and the planet. The book explores what people are already doing to build ethical economies, presenting these deeds as mutual concerns: What is necessary for survival, and what do we do with the surplus produced beyond what will fulfill basic needs? What do we consume, and how do we preserve and replenish the commons—those resources that can be shared to maintain all? And finally, how can we invest in a future worth living in?Suitable for activists and students alike, Take Back the Economy will be of interest to anyone seeking a more just, sustainable, and equitable world.
The Structure of World History: From Modes of Production to Modes of Exchange
Kōjin Karatani - 2013
Karatani seeks to understand both Capital-Nation-State, the interlocking system that is the dominant form of modern global society, and the possibilities for superseding it. In The Structure of World History, he traces different modes of exchange, including the pooling of resources that characterizes nomadic tribes, the gift exchange systems developed after the adoption of fixed-settlement agriculture, the exchange of obedience for protection that arises with the emergence of the state, the commodity exchanges that characterize capitalism, and, finally, a future mode of exchange based on the return of gift exchange, albeit modified for the contemporary moment. He argues that this final stage—marking the overcoming of capital, nation, and state—is best understood in light of Kant's writings on eternal peace. The Structure of World History is in many ways the capstone of Karatani's brilliant career, yet it also signals new directions in his thought.
Capital: Volumes One and Two
Karl Marx - 2013
Born in Trier into a middle-class Jewish family in 1818, by the time of his death in London in 1883, Marx claimed a growing international reputation. Of central importance then and later was his book Das Kapital, or, as it is known to English readers, simply Capital. Volume One of Capital was published in Paris in 1867. This was the only volume published during Marx's lifetime and the only to have come directly from his pen. Volume Two, published in 1884, was based on notes Marx left, but written by his friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). Readers from the nineteenth century to the present have been captivated by the unmistakable power and urgency of this classic of world literature. Marx's critique of the capitalist system is rife with big themes: his theory of 'surplus value', his discussion of the exploitation of the working class, and his forecast of class conflict on a grand scale. Marx wrote with purpose. As he famously put it, 'Philosophers have previously tried to explain the world, our task is to change it.'
Striker Jones and the Midnight Archer (Striker Jones #2)
Maggie M. Larche - 2013
Someone is firing arrows in the dead of night. Two campers hide a mysterious past. And is it a friend or foe who sabotages the dance decorations? This delightful and humorous sequel continues the adventures of Striker, Bill, Sheila, and Amy, with new characters joining the fun. Like the first Striker Jones novel, young readers will learn new economic concepts in each mystery, such as wants vs. needs, entrepreneurship, and investment.A finalist in the 2013 USA Best Book Awards, the Midwest Book Review calls Striker Jones a "fun and rollicking series" with "effortless teaching of both cooperation values and basic economics."Teachers and homeschooling parents, check out the Teacher's Companion, and read reviews by real educators at elementaryecon.com/teacher-editions.html.
Crony Capitalism in America: 2008-2012
Hunter Lewis - 2013
When politicians need money, they also know whom to call. The people involved try to keep most of it concealed behind closed doors.This is the system that prevails in Russia after the fall of Communism. But increasingly it is America's system as well.Many people regard Wall Street as the epicenter of American capitalism. In reality it is the epicenter of American crony capitalism. Where Wall Street stops and Washington begins is impossible to say. This situation was not caused, as many suppose, by the Crash of 2008. Rather the Crash was caused by the longstanding Wall Street-Washington partnership. But the problem extends far beyond Wall Street to every corner of America.If we are going to do anything about our present economic problems, and also give the poor a chance at a better life, we will need to eliminate crony capitalism and restore an honest economy.Although full of hair-raising stories, this book is also about solutions. It tells us in clear and simple terms what is wrong and what needs to be done about it.
True Riches
Jeff Lestz - 2013
Every page of this book carries insights which can help you bring about real transformation in your finances - practical, easy to follow guidelines on how you can actually find true riches and peace - God's way.
Predictable and Avoidable: Repairing Economic Dislocation and Preventing the Recurrence of Crisis. by Ivo Pezzuto
Ivo Pezzuto - 2013
Professor Ivo Pezzuto is described by business scholars as an expert on the global financial crisis. He has lectured about it at conferences and seminars; written some of the most read and quoted papers; contributed to what is considered the most authoritative book on the subject; and to one of the best known US-based blogs dealing with it. In Predictable and Avoidable, Dr Pezzuto offers business school students; academics; and industry experts in the fields of finance, risk management, audit, corporate governance, economics, and regulation, a truly independent and unbiased analysis of the financial crises starting in 2007 and one of the first fully considered expositions of the financial, governance and regulatory reforms needed for the future. Augmented with personal interviews involving selected global thought leaders and industry experts, the author's narrative focuses on the technical issues that led to the global crisis, but also addresses the human, cultural, and ethical aspects of the events from both sociological and managerial perspectives. The book exposes the root causes and contributes significantly to the debate about the change needed in the banking and finance industries and to supervisory frameworks and regulatory mechanisms. This analysis enables readers to understand that the crisis we have seen was predictable and should have been avoidable, and that a recurrence can be avoided, if lessons are learned and the right action taken.
The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy
David Graeber - 2013
He then jets forward to the nineteenth century, where systems we can easily recognize as modern bureaucracies come into being. In some areas of life—like with the modern postal systems of Germany and France—these bureaucracies have brought tremendous efficiencies to modern life. But Graeber argues that there is a much darker side to modern bureaucracy that is rarely ever discussed. Indeed, in our own “utopia of rules,” freedom and technological innovation are often the casualties of systems that we only faintly understand.Provocative and timely, the book is a powerful look and history of bureaucracy over the ages and its power in shaping the world of ideas.
The Atlas of Economic Complexity - Mapping Paths to Prosperity
Ricardo Hausmann - 2013
The Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg, Volume I: Economic Writings 1
Rosa Luxemburg - 2013
Also appearing here are ten recently discovered manuscripts, none of which has ever before been published in English.
Planetary Economics: Energy, Climate Change and the Three Domains of Sustainable Development
Michael Grubb - 2013
It argues that tackling the energy and environmental problems of the 21st Century requires three different domains of decision-making to be recognised and connected. Each domain involves different theoretical foundations, draws on different areas of evidence, and implies different policies.The book shows that the transformation of energy systems involves all three domains - and each is equally important. From them flow three pillars of policy - three quite distinct kinds of actions that need to be taken, which rest on fundamentally different principles. Any pillar on its own will fail.Only by understanding all three, and fitting them together, do we have any hope of changing course. And if we do, the oft-assumed conflict between economy and the environment dissolves - with potential for benefits to both. Planetary Economics charts how.
The Centrist Manifesto
Charles Wheelan - 2013
As best-selling author and public policy expert Charles Wheelan writes, now is the time for a pragmatic Centrist party that will identify and embrace the best Democratic and Republican ideals, moving us forward on the most urgent issues for our nation.Wheelan—who not only lectures on public policy but practices it as well (he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2009)—brings even more than his usual wit and clarity of vision to The Centrist Manifesto. He outlines a realistic ground game that could net at least five Centrist senators from New England, the Midwest, and elsewhere. With the power to deny a red or blue Senate majority, committed Centrists could take the first step toward giving voice and power to America’s largest, and most rational, voting bloc: the center.
Financial Faithfulness: Unlocking Scripture to Avoid the Distraction of Money
Roger Gum - 2013
Regardless of how much or little we have, issues of money threaten to sidetrack us. If we have a lot of money, we fear losing what we possess. We are tempted to put our hope in our wealth instead of God. If we don't have so much, we stress about not having enough to provide for our families and are often consumed with the desire for more.Financial Faithfulness seeks to change your view of money by showing you how to use it in God's best interest. When it comes to managing money, this question is crucial: What is required from me to be a faithful steward?As you begin to see riches from a biblical perspective, you can experience the financial freedom and peace of mind that everyone desires, but few find.Free study guides and other resources available at www.FinFaith.com
The Smart Bunny's Guide to Debt, Deficit and Austerity (The Smart Bunny's Guides)
Arliss Bunny - 2013
Author, Arliss Bunny, suspects that, unlike politicians and pundits, you might have actual brain activity. Melissa Irwin's hilarious illustrations may annoy Arliss but you will be entertained. "The Smart Bunny's Guide" is short, simple and truly brings the funny. What more could you ask from a book about economic policy? Seriously, how often has Paul Krugman made you laugh? Exactly. Read this book.
Myth Or Magic - The Singapore Healthcare System
Jeremy Lim - 2013
It delves into different aspects of the Singapore healthcare landscape, including pharmaceutical cost management, medical tourism, doctors' remuneration, medical education, rules and regulations, workforce planning and health promotion. It suggests lessons that the Singapore healthcare story holds for healthcare policy makers and reformers and the challenges that the future holds.
Christianity and Capitalism
Rousas John Rushdoony - 2013
Capital, in the form of individual and family property, is protected in Scripture and is necessary for liberty.
Public Policy in an Uncertain World: Analysis and Decisions
Charles F. Manski - 2013
But how reliable is the analysis in the research they invoke? And how does that analysis affect the way policy is made, on issues ranging from vaccination to minimum wage to FDA drug approval? Charles Manski argues here that current policy is based on untrustworthy analysis. By failing to account for uncertainty in an unpredictable world, policy analysis misleads policy makers with expressions of certitude. Public Policy in an Uncertain World critiques the status quo and offers an innovation to improve how policy research is conducted and how policy makers use research.Consumers of policy analysis, whether civil servants, journalists, or concerned citizens, need to understand research methodology well enough to properly assess reported findings. In the current model, policy researchers base their predictions on strong assumptions. But as Manski demonstrates, strong assumptions lead to less credible predictions than weaker ones. His alternative approach takes account of uncertainty and thereby moves policy analysis away from incredible certitude and toward honest portrayal of partial knowledge. Manski describes analysis of research on such topics as the effect of the death penalty on homicide, of unemployment insurance on job-seeking, and of preschooling on high school graduation. And he uses other real-world scenarios to illustrate the course he recommends, in which policy makers form reasonable decisions based on partial knowledge of outcomes, and journalists evaluate research claims more closely, with a skeptical eye toward expressions of certitude.
Raghuram Rajan: India's New Central Banker
Raghuram G. Rajan - 2013
Read this exclusive collection of his Project Syndicate commentaries on fiscal stimulus, financial regulation, economic growth in emerging markets, and much more.
Game Theory
Michael Maschler - 2013
Mathematically oriented, the book presents every theorem alongside a proof. The material is presented clearly and every concept is illustrated with concrete examples from a broad range of disciplines. With numerous exercises the book is a thorough and extensive guide to game theory from undergraduate through graduate courses in economics, mathematics, computer science, engineering and life sciences to being an authoritative reference for researchers.
State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?
The Worldwatch Institute - 2013
Is it time to abandon the concept altogether, or can we find an accurate way to measure sustainability? If so, how can we achieve it? And if not, how can we best prepare for the coming ecological decline? In the latest edition of Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World series, scientists, policy experts, and thought leaders tackle these questions, attempting to restore meaning to sustainability as more than just a marketing tool. In State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?, experts define clear sustainability metrics and examine various policies and perspectives, including geoengineering, corporate transformation, and changes in agricultural policy, that could put us on the path to prosperity without diminishing the well-being of future generations. If these approaches fall short, the final chapters explore ways to prepare for drastic environmental change and resource depletion, such as strengthening democracy and societal resilience, protecting cultural heritage, and dealing with increased conflict and migration flows.State of the World 2013 cuts through the rhetoric surrounding sustainability, offering a broad and realistic look at how close we are to fulfilling it today and which practices and policies will steer us in the right direction. This book will be especially useful for policymakers, environmental nonprofits, and students of environmental studies, sustainability, or economics.
Rethinking Money: How New Currencies Turn Scarcity into Prosperity
Bernard A. Lietaer - 2013
In fact, there are thousands of ways to solve not only our recurring fiscal crises but our ongoing social and ecological debacles as well. Solutions are already in place where terrible problems once existed. The changes came about not through increased conventional taxation, enlightened self-interest, or government programs but by people simply rethinking the concept of money. With this restructuring, everything changes.In this visionary book, Bernard Lietaer and Jacqui Dunne explore the origins of our current monetary system—built on bank debt and scarcity—revealing the surprising and sometimes shocking ways its unconscious limitations give rise to so many serious problems. But there is hope. The authors present stories of ordinary people and their communities using new money, working in cooperation with national currencies, to strengthen local economies, create work, beautify cities, and provide education—and so much more is possible. These real-world examples are just the tip of the iceberg—over 4,000 cooperative currencies are already in existence.The book provides remedies for challenges faced by governments, businesses, nonprofits, local communities, and even banks. It demystifies a complex and critically important topic and will strike a deep chord with readers eager to find innovative, meaningful solutions that will do far more than restore prosperity—it will provide the framework for an era of sustainable abundance.
Fossil Fuels Improve the Planet
Alex Epstein - 2013
If we want a healthy, livable environment, then we must be free to use fossil fuels. Why? Because for the foreseeable future, fossil fuels provide the key to a great environment: abundant, affordable, reliable energy.
Foundations of Economic Prosperity
Daniel W. Drezner - 2013
Professor Drezner takes you behind the headlines and into the debates to dispel common myths about prosperity and get at deeper truths. By taking a broad view of economics that includes psychology, sociology, political science, and history, his lectures lead you to fundamental insights about how the modern world works and a deeper understanding of the functioning of the U.S., European, Chinese, and other major economies, as well as an appreciation for the special problems faced by underdeveloped nations. You'll examine dozens of case histories that illustrate what works and doesn't work in the drive to increase economic growth. You'll also learn about intriguing examples of prosperity won or lost, including the Dutch tulip mania in 1637, the era of globalization that started in the 1850s and lasting through World War I, and Ukraine's economic missteps after the breakup of the Soviet Union. As a start on your own road to greater prosperity, take this step to invest in an unparalleled explanation of the prerequisites to achieve it.
The Climate Casino: Risk, Uncertainty, and Economics for a Warming World
William D. Nordhaus - 2013
We have entered the Climate Casino and are rolling the global-warming dice, warns economist William Nordhaus. But there is still time to turn around and walk back out of the casino, and in this essential book the author explains how. Bringing together all the important issues surrounding the climate debate, Nordhaus describes the science, economics, and politics involved—and the steps necessary to reduce the perils of global warming. Using language accessible to any concerned citizen and taking care to present different points of view fairly, he discusses the problem from start to finish: from the beginning, where warming originates in our personal energy use, to the end, where societies employ regulations or taxes or subsidies to slow the emissions of gases responsible for climate change. Nordhaus offers a new analysis of why earlier policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol, failed to slow carbon dioxide emissions, how new approaches can succeed, and which policy tools will most effectively reduce emissions. In short, he clarifies a defining problem of our times and lays out the next critical steps for slowing the trajectory of global warming.
Right on the Money
Douglas R. Casey - 2013
Casey believes that the best returns come from going against the grain, and taking a closer look at what everyone else is leaving behind. This rational approach to speculation struck a chord with the investing public, inspiring the follow-up book Right on the Money: Doug Casey on Economics, Investing, and the Ways of the Real World with Louis James.In Right on the Money, Casey expands upon the basic ideas presented in Totally Incorrect, and translates them into actionable steps to take today to ensure a secure financial future. In a series of forty interviews, Casey presents his views on various topics, including investments, assets, real estate, and ethics. With his usual candor, he advocates for immediate action and lays down the path from idea to investment. Regardless of your position on each topic, you'll be forced to consider a perspective you've never before considered on topics such as:Protecting your assets with educated speculation The pros and cons of gold, cattle, and real estate Ethics of investing and the morality of money The impact of the EU, Africa, Egypt, and North Korea No matter what topic he focuses on, Casey's primary message is always clear: act now. Stop paralysis by analysis and take the leap. You only get one financial future, and it's up to you to make it as secure and comfortable as possible. In Right on the Money: Doug Casey on Economics, Investing, and the Ways of the Real World with Louis James, Casey presents the case for investing against the grain, and reaping the rewards others have passed over.
Leveraged Buyouts: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity
Paul Pignataro - 2013
Such investing requires a strong technical know-how in order to turn private investments into successful enterprises. That is why Paul Pignataro has created Leveraged Buyouts + Website: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity.Engaging and informative, this book skillfully shows how to identify a private company, takes you through the analysis behind bringing such an investment to profitability--and further create high returns for the private equity funds. It includes an informative leveraged buyout overview, touching on everything from LBO modeling, accounting, and value creation theory to leveraged buyout concepts and mechanics.Provides an in-depth analysis of how to identify a private company, bring such an investment to profitability, and create high returns for the private equity funds Includes an informative LBO model and case study as well as private company valuation Written by Paul Pignataro, founder and CEO of the New York School of Finance If you're looking for the best way to hone your skills in this field, look no further than this book.
Buying Time: The Delayed Crisis of Democratic Capitalism
Wolfgang Streeck - 2013
Well-nigh unfathomable problems lead to measures that seem like emergency operations on the open heart of the Western world, performed with no knowledge of the patient's clinical history. The gravity of the situation is matched by the paucity of our understanding of it, and of how it came about in the first place.In this book, compiled from his Adorno Lectures given in Frankfurt, Wolfgang Streeck lays bare the roots of the present financial, fiscal and economic crisis, seeing it as part of the long neoliberal transformation of postwar capitalism that began in the 1970s. Linking up with the crisis theories of that decade, he analyses the subsequent tensions and conflicts involving states, governments, voters and capitalist interests—a process in which the defining focus of the European state system has shifted from taxation through debt to budgetary “consolidation.” The book then ends by exploring the prospects for a restoration of social and economic stability. Buying Time is a model of enlightenment. It shows that something deeply disturbing underlies the current situation: a metamorphosis of the whole relationship between democracy and capitalism.
Gold Wars: The Battle for the Global Economy
Kelly Mitchell - 2013
As gold is the barmometer of systemic ills, a war on gold--to drive down its price-is taking place to hide the negative impacts of fiat currency, shadow banking and central banking on the global financial system. Starting with an introductory discussion on the nature of money and the bizarre fractional reserve structure currently in place, Mitchell moves on to address the massive, but little known systemic pivot point: the Petrodollar standard. Tying dollars to oil, this mechanism undergirds the dollar's reserve status. But soon it will fail with paradigm shifting consequences. Gold Wars features a detailed breakdown of the gross manipulations in the gold market - from nonexistent paper gold, smackdowns, high- frequency trading, and ETF's to Central Bank games like swapping/leasing, shell accounting, midnight raids, clandestine gold movements and regulatory attacks on investors. Mitchell offers a prediction of the results for the gold market: when the manipulation fails, paper and physical prices will separate, with the physical selling for multiples of paper. Similarly silver, with its own unique characteristics for industry and investment, is also targeted as a potential refuge for flight from paper, though strangely, above-ground gold is now more plentiful than silver. Add to this a silver short position rolling from one institution to another as each fails, a 4-year foot dragging investigation into market fraud, and a class action suit for manipulation and the market has a recipe for a pressure cooker at maximum. Western banks, lacking the gold to cover their obligations, will eventually declare a force majeure-an event supposedly the result of the elements of nature, as opposed to one caused by human behavior-as a pretext for settling their obligations in increasingly valueless paper. Where is the resistance to this distortion and corruption of value? Power is flowing East as China and Russia have drawn in massive amounts of gold while denying the inflow. The BRICS will unveil a gold backed trade note to supplant the dollar. Simultaneously, they will force the US debt back home in exchange for real assets, choking the Fed/Treasury on the mountain of paper, and grabbing the financial power. This momentous shift is already underway. What is to be done? Some radical solutions are examined
Free Our Markets: A Citizens' Guide to Essential Economics
Howard Baetjer Jr. - 2013
Free Our Markets explains why, in terms of foundational economic principles. Dr. Baetjer aims to show readers that liberty, not the force of government, is the means to achieve the goals we all have for humanity-high and rising standards of living, increasing security and abundance for all. In this book Baetjer presents the principles of spontaneous economic order and explains why, for practical economic reasons, free markets produce better results than even the best intended and most carefully crafted government interventions.
A Journey Through Oligarch Valley
Yasha Levine - 2013
It’s the main road connecting Northern and Southern California and the trick to navigating it is to set your cruise control to as close to 100 mph as you dare and gun it, eyes peeled for the sleek black CHP cruisers that prowl the highway. The 5 bisects the Central Valley, a giant tub 450 miles long and 50 miles wide in the heart of California. It is not a place in which motorists dawdle or on which any sane human mind dwells—and that suits the people who own it just fine. The area along the 5 from Silicon Valley to Los Angeles County is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. The last thing they need is people realizing this and asking themselves, “Hmmm, I wonder who owns all this cow shit?”
What Went Wrong: How the 1% Hijacked the American Middle Class . . . and What Other Countries Got Right
George R. Tyler - 2013
We’ve been told from the time we were children that we live in the best country in the world, with the most expanding and dynamic economy. We’ve been told that we live in the home of the American Dream, a country that—more than any other—allows people to rise up from poverty into the ranks of the rich. But the truth is average real incomes in the United States have been flat for more than three decades. Economic inequality in the United States is now closer to a third-world country than to our first-world peers, and is growing. Many things have been blamed for these failures—globalization, outsourcing, economic cycles, weakening education, and so on—but the reality is that the failure of our economy stems directly from a set of political and economic choices voters have made since the early 1980s.Proof of this is embodied in several countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden—that practice "family capitalism,” a variation of free-market capitalism that emphasizes corporate productivity and growth in family incomes. These countries, facing even harsher challenges than the United States, have achieved dramatically better results: growing wages, higher productivity, higher incomes, and lower inequality.This isn’t about the size of government or social welfare programs. And it isn’t about left versus right—prudent Australia, for example, had a right-wing government for many years and is ranked by the Heritage Foundation as far more free than the United States. It’s about policies on wages and corporate governance that have converted globalization to nationwide family prosperity and have been proven over decades to generate superior results. It’s about crafting an economy that creates wealth for all, not just for a few. It’s about returning to a set of policies that once made the United States the most dynamic and fair economy on the planet.What Went Wrong is a fact-based analysis of how America got on the wrong track and what we can do to return our nation to greatness. It is the most optimistic book about economics you will ever read.
The Falling Rate of Learning and the Neoliberal Endgame
David Blacker - 2013
While normal business profits plummet and theft-by-finance rises, capitalism now shifts into a mode of elimination that targets most of us along with our environment as waste products awaiting managed disposal. The education system is caught in the throes of this eliminationism across a number of fronts: crushing student debt, impatience with student expression, the looting of vestigial public institutions and, finally, as coup de grace, an abandonment of the historic ideal of universal education. Education reform is powerless against eliminationism and is at best a mirage that diverts oppositional energies. The very idea of education activism becomes a comforting fiction. Educational institutions are strapped into the eliminationist project the neoliberal endgame in a way that admits no escape, even despite the heroic gestures of a few. The school systems that capitalism has built and directed over the last two centuries are fated to go down with the ship. It is rational therefore for educators to cultivate a certain pessimism. Should we despair? Why, yes, we should but cheerfully, as confronting elimination, mortality, is after all our common fate. There is nothing and everything to do in order to prepare."
Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equal Opportunity
Joseph Fishkin - 2013
But what does it mean? On close examination, the most attractive existing conceptions of equal opportunity turn out to be impossible to achieve in practice, or evenin theory. As long as families are free to raise their children differently, no two people's opportunities will be equal; nor is it possible to disentangle someone's abilities or talents from her background advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, given different abilities and disabilities, different people need different opportunities, confounding most ways of imagining what counts as equal.This book proposes an entirely new way of thinking about the project of equal opportunity. Instead of focusing on the chimera of literal equalization, we ought to work to broaden the range of opportunities open to people at every stage in life. We can achieve this in part by loosening thebottlenecks that constrain access to opportunities-the narrow places through which people must pass in order to pursue many life paths that open out on the other side. A bottleneck might be a test like the SAT, a credential requirement like a college degree, or a skill like speaking English. Itmight be membership in a favored caste or racial group. Bottlenecks are part of the opportunity structure of every society. But their severity varies. By loosening them, we can build a more open and pluralistic opportunity structure in which people have more of a chance, throughout their lives, to pursue paths they choose for themselves-rather than those dictated by limited opportunities. This book develops this idea and other elements of opportunity pluralism, then applies this approach to several contemporary egalitarian policy problems: class and access to education, workplaceflexibility and work/family conflict, and antidiscrimination law.
Independence, Propertylessness, and Basic Income: A Theory of Freedom as the Power to Say No
Karl Widerquist - 2013
Independence, Propertylessness, and Basic Income argues that philosophers have focused too much on scalar freedom and proposes a theory of status freedom as effective control self-ownership—simply, freedom as the power to say no. This exciting new volume argues for and explores the implications of this theory of freedom. It shows that most societies today put the poor in situations in which they lack this crucial freedom, making them vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, and injustice. Widerquist argues that the basic income guarantee is an appropriate institution to help secure status freedom in a modern industrial society.
The Money Bubble
James Turk - 2013
This book explains those mistakes and the likely shape of the crisis, and offers advice to those hoping to protect themselves and profit from what's coming.
Our Common Wealth: The Hidden Economy That Makes Everything Else Work
Jonathan Rowe - 2013
"The Commons" is a generic term that denotes everything we share, our entire life support system, both natural and social. Some parts of the commons are gifts of nature: the air and oceans, the web of species, wilderness and flowing water. Others are the product of human creativity and endeavor: sidewalks and public squares, the stories of childhood, language, customs and traditions. But they all “belong” to all of us, if that is the word. No one has exclusive rights. We inherit them jointly and hold them in trust for those who come after us.This concise, comprehensive work examines the history and tragic neglect of the commons and offers pragmatic advice for strengthening and protecting it at a time when privatization and control are economic mantras. It is both reflective and practical, exploring the complex but vital relationship of the commons to the market and the state and the importance of the commons in the modern world.
Pricing for Profit: How to Develop a Powerful Pricing Strategy for Your Business
Peter Hill - 2013
When the pressure is on to perform or grow, the instinct may be to discount, undercut the competition, cut costs and promote through price. Yet these are often the last things businesses should do. Pricing for Profit is a practical guide to value-based pricing. Using a firm, profit-focused framework developed from running real projects for real businesses, this book shows how to increase prices without losing business and how to make a huge difference to the bottom line by getting pricing structures right. Explaining that the assumption that all customers want the lowest price is fundamentally flawed, Hill gives business owners and managers simple, achievable pricing strategies that will deliver sustainable business growth.
Nothin' But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times, and Hopes of America's Industrial Heartland
Edward McClelland - 2013
Decades of unprecedented prosperity followed, memorably punctuated by riots, strikes, burning rivers, and oil embargoes. A vibrant, quintessentially American character bloomed in the region's cities, suburbs, and backwaters.But the innovation and industry that defined the Rust Belt also helped to hasten its demise. An air conditioner invented in Upstate New York transformed the South from a sweaty backwoods to a non-unionized industrial competitor. Japan and Germany recovered from their defeat to build fuel-efficient cars in the stagnant 1970s. The tentpole factories that paid workers so well also filled the air with soot, and poisoned waters and soil. The jobs drifted elsewhere, and many of the people soon followed suit.Nothin' but Blue Skies tells the story of how the country's industrial heartland grew, boomed, bottomed, and hopes to be reborn. Through a propulsive blend of storytelling and reportage, celebrated writer Edward McClelland delivers the rise, fall, and revival of the Rust Belt and its people.
Foundations of a Free Society
Eamonn Butler - 2013
The author sets out the wider benefits of free societies and explains how a combination of small government, the rule of law, strong private property rights, and free trade enables entrepreneurship to thrive, delivering large improvements in living standards and lifting people out of poverty. Furthermore, the book elucidates how a society based on ordered liberty allows free associations and networks of cooperation to develop, which produce wider social as well as economic benefits. It also demonstrates how attempts to expand the role of government to promote equality or security at the expense of liberty have tended to end in failure and oppression. With its clear language, concise arguments, and persuasive real-world examples, this primer is essential reading for those attempting to bring freedom to countries where the foundations of a free society are absent, and for those defending liberty in places where traditional freedoms are under threat.
The Banking Swindle: Money Creation and the State
Kerry Bolton - 2013
Rather, this is a book intended to explain in a straight-forward manner the way private banking interests - which have no loyalty to anything other than to greed - create credit and money as profit-making commodities which has driven individuals, businesses and entire states to ruin through debt. As importantly, The Banking Swindle examines the many communities and states that have rejected the fraudulent banking system, and sometimes had to fight to do so, and brought prosperity where there was destitution, by taking issuing money and credit for their legitimate purpose: as mere tokens for the exchange of goods and work, debt-free. The Banking Swindle is unique also in regard to its coming from the 'Right', and redefining the 'Right' with precision, after decades of having been misinterpreted by both the Left and Classical Liberals as being synonymous, especially in the English-speaking world, with Free Market Capitalism, which it is not, and never has been. Indeed, as The Banking Swindle shows, drawing on such thinkers as Oswald Spengler from the Right, and Karl Marx himself from the Left, Free Market Capitalism is subversive and anti-conservative. The Banking Swindle shows that historically it has been the Right that has fought Usury, that it was Rightist parties that offered clear policies on overthrowing the power of the bankers. The Right has largely forgotten this background, at the very time when policies are needed to address the world's Number One issue: Debt.
Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Dream: How Muhammad Yunus Changed the World and What It Cost Him
Katharine Esty - 2013
When Muhammad Yunus lent $27 dollars to 42 women in rural Bangladesh, he sparked what became the microcredit movement that has empowered millions of poor women in nearly 100 countries. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2006, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the US Congressional Gold Medal on April 17, 2013. Social psychologist Katharine Esty paints a cool-eyed and richly textured portrait of this charismatic and controversial hero of our time. Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Dream captures the drama of Yunus s story- the challenges, betrayals and astonishing successes from his founding of the Grameen Bank in 1983 to his removal from his position at the Bank in 2011. Undaunted by his ouster, Yunus is using his celebrity status to promote social businesses around the world. Katharine Esty shows how it happened that one person has been able to change the world and she provides guidance for all those who wish to make a difference themselves. The book is filled with fascinating stories about Yunus from his colleagues, his family and his critics. Katharine Esty s personal impressions of Muhammad Yunus and her experiences in Bangladesh add additional spice to Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Dream. This book is a wonderful way to learn about microcredit and it provides insight into the strategies and patterns of actions that undergird Yunus s ongoing successes.
Property and Political Order in Africa: Land Rights and the Structure of Politics
Catherine Boone - 2013
These differences produce patterned variations in relationships between individuals, communities, and the state. This book captures these patterns in an analysis of structure and variation in rural land tenure regimes. In most farming areas, state authority is deeply embedded in land regimes, drawing farmers, ethnic insiders and outsiders, lineages, villages, and communities into direct and indirect relationships with political authorities at different levels of the state apparatus. The analysis shows how property institutions - institutions that define political authority and hierarchy around land - shape dynamics of great interest to scholars of politics, including the dynamics of land-related competition and conflict, territorial conflict, patron-client relations, electoral cleavage and mobilization, ethnic politics, rural rebellion, and the localization and "nationalization" of political competition.
The Public Bank Solution: From Austerity to Prosperity
Ellen Hodgson Brown - 2013
Shock waves from one Wall Street scandal after another have completely disillusioned us with our banking system; yet we cannot do without banks. Nearly all money today is simply bank credit. Economies run on it, and it is created when banks make loans. The main flaw in the current model is that private profiteers have acquired control of the credit spigots. They can cut off the flow, direct it to their cronies, and manipulate it for personal gain at the expense of the producing economy. The benefits of bank credit can be maintained while eliminating these flaws, through a system of banks operated as public utilities, serving the public interest and returning their profits to the public. This book looks at the public bank alternative, and shows with examples from around the world and through history that it works admirably well, providing the key to sustained high performance for the economy and well-being for the people.
The Book of Money: Everything You Need to Know about How World Finances Work
Daniel Conaghan - 2013
Money is big news. Banks have collapsed, the property bubble has burst and national debts are at unimaginable levels.
The Book of Money
will help readers understand what is happening and how it affects them. It is a practical, understandable guide to all the nuances of the world of finance written for the lay reader.Financial journalists Daniel Conaghan and Dan Smith present authoritative, insightful, insider knowledge in a clear manner. They provide up-to-date coverage of the most important economic issues that affect us all.Topics include: History of economics Supply and demand Bank collapses, the property bubble and the global meltdown Stock markets, hedge funds Inflation, deflation, hyperinflation Pensions Coinage and paper money Economic forecasting Interest rates Economic class, the welfare state How countries cope with debt Electronic trading Microfinance Personal finance and tax systems Globalization The International Monetary Fund and World Bank How credit ratings work Can money buy happiness? Explanations are presented in a uniquely visual style. Numerous color illustrations, graphs, charts, timelines and Jargon Buster boxes aid in comprehension. Profiles describe key figures, and panels focus on special topics such as the Global Meltdown and PayPal.
The Book of Money
is an authoritative, straightforward guide to the complex world of global finance. It is an ideal introduction for the average reader new to the topic and a reliable, up-to-date review for those with some knowledge. It is an essential purchase for a large audience eager to understand our complex world.
The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters
Gregory Zuckerman - 2013
Everyone, that is, except a few reckless wildcatters - who risked their careers to prove the world wrong. Things looked grim for American energy in 2006. Oil production was in steep decline and natural gas was hard to find. The Iraq War threatened the nation’s already tenuous relations with the Middle East. China was rapidly industrializing and competing for resources. Major oil companies had just about given up on new discoveries on U.S. soil, and a new energy crisis seemed likely.But a handful of men believed everything was about to change. Far from the limelight, Aubrey McClendon, Harold Hamm, Mark Papa, and other wildcatters were determined to tap massive deposits of oil and gas that Exxon, Chevron, and other giants had dismissed as a waste of time. By experimenting with hydraulic fracturing through extremely dense shale—a process now known as fracking—the wildcatters started a revolution. In just a few years, they solved America’s dependence on imported energy, triggered a global environmental controversy—and made and lost astonishing fortunes.No one understands these men—their ambitions, personalities, methods, and foibles—better than the award-winning Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman. His exclusive access enabled him to get close to the frackers and chronicle the untold story of how they transformed the nation and the world. The result is a dramatic narrative tracking a brutal competition among headstrong drillers. It stretches from the barren fields of North Dakota and the rolling hills of northeastern Pennsylvania to cluttered pickup trucks in Texas and tense Wall Street boardrooms.Activists argue that the same methods that are creating so much new energy are also harming our water supply and threatening environmental chaos. The Frackers tells the story of the angry opposition unleashed by this revolution and explores just how dangerous fracking really is.The frackers have already transformed the economic, environmental, and geopolitical course of history. Now, like the Rockefellers and the Gettys before them, they’re using their wealth and power to influence politics, education, entertainment, sports, and many other fields. Their story is one of the most important of our time.MEET THE FRACKERSGEORGE MITCHELL, the son of a Greek goatherd, who tried to tap rock that experts deemed worthless but faced an unexpected obstacle in his quest to change history.AUBREY McCLENDON, the charismatic scion of an Oklahoma energy family, who scored billions leading a historic land grab. He wasn’t prepared for the shocking fallout of his discoveries.TOM WARD, who overcame a troubled childhood to become one of the nation’s wealthiest men. He could handle natural-gas fields but had more trouble with a Wall Street power broker.HAROLD HAMM, the son of poor sharecroppers, who believed America had more oil than anyone imagined. Hamm was determined to find the crude before others caught on.CHARIF SOUKI, the dashing Lebanese immigrant who saw his career crumble and his fortune disintegrate, leaving one last, unlikely chance for success.MARK PAPA, the Enron castoff who panicked when he realized a resurgence of American natural gas was at hand, one that his company wasn’t prepared for.
Owning the Earth: The Transforming History of Land Ownership
Andro Linklater - 2013
But that pattern, and the ways of life that went with it, were consigned to history by, Andro Linklater persuasively argues, the most creative and at the same time destructive cultural force in the modern era-the idea of individual, exclusive ownership of land.Spreading from both shores of the north Atlantic, it laid waste to traditional communal civilizations, displacing entire peoples from their homelands, but at the same time brought into being a unique concept of individual freedom and a distinct form of representative government and democratic institutions. By contrast, as Linklater demonstrates, other great civilizations, in Russia, China, and the Islamic world, evolved very different structures of land ownership and thus very different forms of government and social responsibility.The history and evolution of landownership is a fascinating chronicle in the history of civilization, offering unexpected insights about how various forms of democracy and capitalism developed, as well as a revealing analysis of a future where the Earth must sustain nine billion lives. Seen through the eyes of remarkable individuals-Chinese emperors; German peasants; the seventeenth century English surveyor William Petty, who first saw the connection between private property and free-market capitalism; the American radical Wolf Ladejinsky, whose land redistribution in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea after WWII made possible the emergence of Asian tiger economies-Owning the Earth presents a radically new view of mankind's place on the planet.
Irrationality in Health Care: What Behavioral Economics Reveals About What We Do and Why
Douglas Hough - 2013
is peculiar. We spend close to 18% of our GDP on health care, yet other countries get better results—and we don't know why. To date, we still lack widely accepted answers to simple questions, such as "Would requiring everyone to buy health insurance make us better off?" Drawing on behavioral economics as an alternative to the standard tools of health economics, author Douglas E. Hough seeks to more clearly diagnose the ills of health care today.A behavioral perspective makes sense of key contradictions—from the seemingly irrational choices that we sometimes make as patients, to the incongruous behavior of physicians, to the morass of the long-lived debate surrounding reform. With the new health care law in effect, it is more important than ever that consumers, health care industry leaders, and the policymakers who are governing change reckon with the power and sources of our behavior when it comes to health.This change request is for the later paper discount code.
Economic Growth: Unleashing the Potential of Human Flourishing
Edd S. Noell - 2013
But today, the deep poverty that was the global norm for most of human history is almost entirely foreign to citizens of the developed world. What caused this burst of prosperity? What has been its impact? In Economic Growth: Unleashing the Potential of Human Flourishing, Edd S. Noell, Stephen L. S. Smith, and Bruce G. Webb make a comprehensive case for economic growth, equipping readers with an understanding of not only its pragmatic benefits but also its moral dimensions. The authors offer empirical evidence from the past two centuries showing the relationship between growth and human well-being, greater global income equality, and environmental improvements and sustainability. They make the case that economic growth is key to lifting societies from dire poverty to prosperity and holds the promise of sustaining unreached levels of human flourishing.
Thrivability: Breaking through to a World that Works
Jean M. Russell - 2013
In its place she proposes 'breakthrough thinking' an approach that recognizes the gritty reality we face but enables us to envision and co-create a world of wellbeing and health.Part I looks at the stories we tell about our world and our limited ways of perceiving it.Part II outlines new tools for understanding ourselves and the social and data revolutions we are part of.Part III sets out ways we can take action together to create the world of the possible, a thriving world, a world that works.
The Market and Other Orders
Friedrich A. Hayek - 2013
A. Hayek also closely examined the ways in which the knowledge of many individual market participants could culminate in an overall order of economic activity. His attempts to come to terms with the “knowledge problem” thread through his career and comprise the writings collected in the fifteenth volume of the University of Chicago Press’s Collected Works of F. A. Hayek series.The Market and Other Orders brings together more than twenty works spanning almost forty years that consider this question. Consisting of speeches, essays, and lectures, including Hayek’s 1974 Nobel lecture, “The Pretense of Knowledge,” the works in this volume draw on a broad range of perspectives, including the philosophy of science, the physiology of the brain, legal theory, and political philosophy. Taking readers from Hayek’s early development of the idea of spontaneous order in economics through his integration of this insight into political theory and other disciplines, the book culminates with Hayek’s integration of his work on these topics into an overarching social theory that accounts for spontaneous order in the variety of complex systems that Hayek studied throughout his career.Edited by renowned Hayek scholar Bruce Caldwell, who also contributes a masterly introduction that provides biographical and historical context, The Market and Other Orders forms the definitive compilation of Hayek’s work on spontaneous order.
Underminers: A Guide to Subverting the Machine
Keith Farnish - 2013
A user's guide for dismantling modern civilization.
An Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance: A Deterministic Approach
Stephen Garrett - 2013
An Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance
The Church and the Usurers: Unprofitable Lending for the Modern Economy
Brian M. McCall - 2013
Tracing its history from Biblical texts, through Aristotelian philosophy and Roman law, to the great scholastic synthesis Professor McCall separates the unchanging principles from the changes in there applications to the new economic realities. See his presentation on it:
The Principle and Gross Injustice of Usury
and the publisher's description page.
Getting Back to Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People
Dean Baker - 2013
Particularly in an era of historically high wage and income inequality, many in the workforce depend on full employment labor markets, and the bargaining power it provides, to secure a fair share of the economy's growth. For the bottom third or even half of the wage distribution, high levels of employment are a necessary condition for improving wages, higher incomes, and better working conditions.This book is a follow-up to a book written a decade ago by the authors, The Benefits of Full Employment (Economic Policy Institute, 2003). It builds on the evidence presented in that book, showing that real wage growth for workers in the bottom half of the income scale is highly dependent on the overall rate of unemployment. In the late 1990s, when the United States saw its first sustained period of low unemployment in more than a quarter century, workers at the middle and bottom of the wage distribution were able to secure substantial gains in real wages. When unemployment rose in the 2001 recession, and again following the collapse of the housing bubble, most workers no longer had the bargaining power to share in the benefits of growth. The book also documents another critical yet often overlooked side effect of full employment: improved fiscal conditions (without mindless budget policies like the current sequestration). Finally, in this volume, unlike the earlier one, the authors present a broad set of policies designed to boost growth and get the unemployment rate down to a level where far more workers have a fighting chance of getting ahead.
Neuromarketing for Dummies
Stephen Genco - 2013
Neuromarketing and the brain sciences behind it provide new ways to look at the age-old question: why do consumers buy? Neuromarketing For Dummies goes beyond the hype to explain the latest findings in this growing and often misunderstood field, and shows business owners and marketers how neuromarketing really works and how they can use it to their advantage. You'll get a firm grasp on neuromarketing theory and how it is impacting research in advertising, in-store and online shopping, product and package design, and much more. Topics include:How neuromarketing works Insights from the latest neuromarketing research How to apply neuromarketing strategies to any level of advertising or marketing, on any budget Practical techniques to help your customers develop bonds with your products and services The ethics of neuromarketing Neuromarketing for Dummies demystifies the topic for business owners, students, and marketers and offers practical ways it can be incorporated into your existing marketing plans.
Free Prices Now!
Hunter Lewis - 2013
How can it be that billions still lack even enough to eat? It then provides the answer. A prosperous society is a cooperative society. Cooperation in turn depends on trust. And trust requires honesty. The most reliable barometer of economic honesty is to be found in prices. Honest prices, neither manipulated nor controlled, provide both investors and consumers with reliable economic signals. They are the foundation for a successful economy.A corrupt economic system does not want honest prices, honest information, or honest results. The truth may be unprofitable for powerful government leaders, private interests allied with them, or economic “experts” whose careers have been devoted to price manipulations and controls.The US Federal Reserve and other central banks have created a system of “liar loans” and false prices. Other parts of government have contributed as well. In effect, the regulators on whom we depend have become dis-regulators.Can it really be this simple, that economic prosperity and job growth depend on allowing economic prices to tell the truth, free from the self-dealing and self-interested theories of powerful special interests?Yes.Although Lewis takes us inside the complexities of the national economy and the Federal Reserve, his lively and transparently clear writing style makes it easy for anyone to follow him.
The Master Key to Asia: A 6-Step Guide to Unlocking New Markets
David Clive Price - 2013
They think Asia is one big region and anyway the business environment and mind-set are pretty much the same as their own. They can pick up the 'touchy feely' stuff later. The result is that they find themselves excluded from or trailing the competition because of simple cultural mistakes and poor communication. Companies waste MILLIONS of dollars in lost productivity, failed deals, ill-conceived strategies, and loss of goodwill simply because they don't understand the business etiquette, customs and traditions of the Asian country in which they operate or intend to operate. The Master Key to Asia is based on David Clive Price's experience of giving strategic communications advice to many Asian multinationals and of the challenges of setting up his own business in various Asian countries. This quick read book provides a step-by-step guide into the personal world of Asian business with Action Points and simple exercises to help the reader along the way. The cultures and business customs of 13 individual Asian countries are examined in detail, but there are also chapters on the Importance of Culture in International Business, the Basics of Asian Business Etiquette, Building Asian Leadership Skills, Asian Values, and The Road Map to Greater Success. Readers of this book will learn how to: * Enhance efficiency by understanding the impact of cultural differences * Eliminate cultural mistakes and blunders to raise performance * Communicate and present successfully to international audiences and clients * Build enduring relationships in Asia based on trust and credibility * Leverage cultural knowledge to build strong cross-border partnerships * Learn vital networking and negotiating skills in diverse cultures With this first book in his innovative Master Key series, David Clive Price offers a clear path to transforming your company's abilities to meet the challenges of the Asian Century.
Mind Your Own Business: Survive and Thrive in Good Times and Bad
Feargal Quinn - 2013
Feargal Quinn presents his tips and techniques for surviving and thriving in business, no matter what the economic climate is.
Rule of Money: An Introduction to Market Economics
Rand McGreal - 2013
The foundation of this economic skyscraper is the simple Rule of Money; it must be earned. From this strong foundation simple obvious conclusions about the actions of the private sector and the public sector are derived and stated in easily understood rules. From these rules a new framework is established for Economics and the operation of government. Rand McGreal begins Rule of Money by tracing the history of banking to establish the root of his new economic theory. Every hundred years or so, a revolutionary idea is introduced in Economics. Rand McGreal in this book introduces several. He redefines money and the result is a method that allows most countries of the world a path out of debt. Rand explains how competition and profit ensure economic success. Next, Supply and Demand Theory is discredited and replaced with his own N Theory based on the choices of consumers. The book culminates in Rand explaining that the U. S. economy is better managed in the hands of the business sector than in the grip of government. In the final chapters he sketches out a plan to eliminate unemployment, reduce the national debt to zero and debunks the Fed's fear of inflation. The result is a new monetary edifice that allows education, healthcare, retirement and childcare to be provided to all citizens at no cost to them or the government. These are not modest ideas, but if right, they solve much of the debt problem of the world. All of this is achieved by building upon the original foundations of banking, money and the private sector. The new economic edifice Rand proposes includes a new funding strategy for education, retirement and healthcare. Discover the future. Follow the author along a path that leads to solutions for our national debt, unemployment, inflation and job creation. Rand relies on his business experience to target the goals of a properly functioning economy. He explains how a focus on wealth and employment creation will invigorate the system. Through examples and careful analysis of academic assumptions about the economy he overturns many of the traditional economic foundations. The use of Supply and Demand Theory to explain the functioning of the marketplace is shown to be a particular case, and not suitable as the foundation of Economics. Rand shows that the 18th century idea that Economics developed to solve the Scarcity problem is historically inaccurate. Rand replaces these mainstream theories with his own theory based on the purchase negotiations of Buyers and Sellers called N Theory. N Theory that takes its cue from the purchase Negotiation between Buyers and Sellers is a system of consumer choice. You can take a breath, but Rand doesn't. He is on a mission to reengineer our economy. If he is right, the world's economy is going to take off. He proposes many counter-intuitive ideas, but after reading his explanation you will be convinced we should try some of his solutions. Is the idea of free education through graduate school intriguing? Do you want to know how to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service? Do you want to know how government can rebuild your house after a hurricane at no cost to you? Do you want to know how to eliminate unemployment? All of these topics are discussed and appealing solutions proposed. The book is written in a conversational style like the Economics books of Thomas Sowell, Tim Harford and Dan Ariely. The author uses charts and photos to make his points. The book includes a full index. The book completely describes a libertarian economic theory that challenges the existing theories of Economics and offers an original perspective on how the economy could be managed based on a completely new approach.
Social Justice: How Good Intentions Undermine Justice and Gospel
E. Calvin Beisner - 2013
The Barons of Banking
Bakhtiar K. Dadabhoy - 2013
Deshmukh, A.D. Shroff, H.T. Parekh and R.K. Talwar who not only played a pioneering role in the growth of the institutions which they founded or were actively associated with but left an indelible mark on the banking industry as a whole. Through the narration of the history of five key institutions the Central Bank of India, the Reserve Bank of India, the State Bank of India the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Ltd and the Housing Development and Finance Corporation Ltd the author gives us a keen insight into the contributions of these luminaries to banking in India. Also included is a narration of the recommendations of important committees and commissions which influenced the course of Indian banking. Divided into four parts, the book uses hitherto unused archival material recently put in the public domain by the RBI. Of particular interest is a discussion of the acrimonious relationship between Sir James Grigg, the Finance Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council and Sir Osborne Smith, the first Governor of the RBI, which throws fresh light on a spat which remains unprecedented not only in the bank's history, but possibly in all of banking history. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, this book will be of interest to both the academic and general reader and, of course, to the professional banker interested in a selective peep into the history of his profession.
Godonomics: How to Save Our Country--and Protect Your Wallet--Through Biblical Principles of Finance
Chad Hovind - 2013
National leaders have failed to pull the country out of its financial tailspin because both major parties are working from the wrong text. For a nation to achieve stability and enjoy lasting economic health, it needs to adopt the economic principles set forth in the Bible. Godonomics uncovers the core teachings from God’s Word that offer the only workable solution to our nation’s economic back-slide. Biblical principles uphold the superiority of free-market capitalism, which produced history’s highest standard of living and established the United States as an unrivaled superpower. But forces are at work today, even in the church, that seek to enslave our nation in a socialistic system. Now you can speak out—using God’s Word—against false teachings that endanger your livelihood and the future of America. Let Godonomics show you God’s requirements for financial success—in your own life and in the affairs of our nation. By following Scripture’s economic principles, you can ensure your family’s financial wellbeing even if America falls into a deepening crisis. And if we act together, it is not too late to reverse the decline. “Godonomics is a thoughtful critique of the theories that control the world of commerce and shape the lives of men and nations. Chad Hovind challenges us to reassess doing business as usual.”—Dr. Peter A. Lillback, president of Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia “Chad Hovind offers a creative and compelling case for the constitutional framework for government. He also provides practical fi nancial principles that will help you make wise decisions with your money.”—Shane F. Krauser, author of Your Nation to Save, director of the American Academy for Constitutional Education “Godonomics is an incredible comparison of biblical economics and the culture. A real eye-opener.” —Josh D. McDowell, popular speaker, coauthor of Undaunted and The Unshakable Truth “Chad Hovind brings a reasonable voice to the convinced and the unconvinced. Godonomics applies God’s wisdom on economics both to individuals and nations. You will learn about the Bible’s prescription to secure our nation’s future economic health.”—David Barton, founder and president of WallBuilders “Using God’s Word regarding financial principles, you can now be bold in speaking out against false teachings. Your entire family will learn from this important book.”—Mark Whitacre, PhD, president of operations and COO of Cypress Systems Inc.
The Poverty of Capitalism: Economic Meltdown and the Struggle for What Comes Next
John Hilary - 2013
Yet the era of corporate globalisation has been defined by unprecedented levels of inequality and environmental degradation. A return to capitalist growth threatens to exacerbate these problems, not solve them.In The Poverty of Capitalism, John Hilary reveals the true face of transnational capital in its insatiable drive for expansion and accumulation. He exposes the myth of ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR), and highlights key areas of conflict over natural resources, labour rights and food sovereignty.Hilary also describes the growing popular resistance to corporate power, as well as the new social movements seeking to develop alternatives to capitalism itself. This book will be essential reading for all those concerned with global justice, human rights and equity in the world order.
How I learned to trade like Tom Sosnoff and Tony Battista: Book Two. Advanced Strategies and Insights
Tony Rihan - 2013
Book two, is a more advanced book, we touch on advanced trading strategies, how to use volatility in your trading, how to mange winners, and many valuable trading insights. Most of the concepts and ideas from book 2 I learned from the best traders in the whole world; Tom Sosnoff and Tony Battista, and I want to pass on what I have learned from them. If you have some experience trading and want to go to the next level, this is a good book for you.
Everybody Ought to Be Rich: The Life and Times of John J. Raskob, Capitalist
David Farber - 2013
But few people realize that they were first widely promoted by John Jakob Raskob (1879-1950), the innovative financier and self-made businessman who built the Empire State building, made millions for DuPont and General Motors, and helped shape the contours of modern capitalism. David Farber's 'Everybody Ought to Be Rich' is the first biography of Raskob, a man who shunned the limelight (he was the anti-Trump of his time) but whose impact on free market enterprise can hardly be overstated. A colorful figure, Raskob's life evokes the roaring twenties, the Catholic elite, the boardrooms of America's biggest corporations, and the rags-to-riches tale that is central to the American dream. Farber follows Raskob's remarkable trajectory from a teenage candy seller on the railway between Lockport and Buffalo to the pinnacles of wealth and power. With no formal education but possessed of a boundless energy and an unshakeable faith in individual initiative (his motto was "Go ahead and do something!"), Raskob partnered with great industrialists and financiers, buying up companies, leveraging investments, reorganizing corporations, funneling money into the political system, and creating new pools of credit for rich investors and middle class consumers alike--practices commonplace today but revolutionary at the time. His most famous innovation was mass consumer credit, which he offered to individual car buyers, enabling working and middle-class Americans to purchase GM's more expensive cars. Raskob desperately wanted to bridge class divides and to share the wealth American corporations were fast creating--so that everyone could be rich. Chronicling Raskob's short-comings as well as his successes, 'Everybody Ought to Be Rich' illuminates a crucial but little-known figure in American capitalism whose influence can still be felt today.
The Undercover Economist Strikes Back: The Babysitting Recession
Tim Harford - 2013
In this, the second chapter from the book, Harford shows what we can learn from one particular recession that began in the early 1970s and was entirely created on Capitol Hill, the heart of American government. Readers should note that this ebook is just one chapter from the new book. The full book will be released on August 29.A million readers bought The Undercover Economist to get the lowdown on how economics works on a small scale, in our everyday lives. Since then, economics has become big news. Crises, austerity, riots, bonuses – all are in the headlines all the time. But how does this large-scale economic world really work? Find out in The Undercover Economist Strikes Back.
The Political Economy of Human Happiness
Benjamin Radcliff - 2013
Benjamin Radcliff seeks to provide an objective answer to the perennial debate between Left and Right over what public policies best contribute to human beings leading positive and rewarding lives. The book thus offers an empirical answer to this perpetual question, relying on the same canons of reason and evidence required of any other issue amenable to study through social-scientific means. The analysis focuses on the consequences of three specific political issues: the welfare state and the general size of government, labor organization, and state efforts to protect workers and consumers through economic regulation. The results indicate that in each instance, the program of the Left best contributes to citizens leading more satisfying lives, and, critically, that the benefits of greater happiness accrue to everyone in society, rich and poor alike.
A Freedom Budget for All Americans: Recapturing the Promise of the Civil Rights Movement in the Struggle for Economic Justice Today
Paul Le Blanc - 2013
An important challenge to the neoliberal agenda."-Immanuel Ness, Editor, WorkingUSA: The Journal of Labor and SocietyWhile the Civil Rights Movement is remembered for efforts to end segregation and secure the rights of African Americans, the larger economic vision that animated much of the movement is often overlooked today. That vision sought economic justice for every person in the United States, regardless of race. It favored production for social use instead of profit; social ownership; and democratic control over major economic decisions. The document that best captured this vision was the Freedom Budget for All Americans: Budgeting Our Resources, 1966-1975, To Achieve Freedom from Want published by the A. Philip Randolph Institute and endorsed by a virtual 'who's who' of U.S. left liberalism and radicalism. Now, two of today's leading socialist thinkers return to the Freedom Budget and its program for economic justice. Paul Le Blanc and Michael D. Yates explain the origins of the Freedom Budget, how it sought to achieve "freedom from want" for all people, and how it might be reimagined for our current moment. Combining historical perspective with clear-sighted economic proposals, the authors make a concrete case for reviving the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement and building the society of economic security and democratic control envisioned by the movement's leaders--a struggle that continues to this day.Paul LeBlanc is Professor of History at La Roche College and the author of many titles, including "From Marc to Gramsci" and "Marx, Lenin and the Revolutionary Experience."Michael D. Yates is Associate Editor of "Monthly Review" and the author of "Why Unions Matter" and "The ABC's of Economic Crisis" (with Fred Magdoff).