Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Thomas Piketty

A New York Times #1 Bestseller A Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller A USA Today Bestseller A Sunday Times Bestseller A Guardian Best Book of the 21st Century Winner of the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award Winner of the British Academy Medal Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award “It seems safe to say that Capital in the Twenty-First Century, the magnum opus of the French economist Thomas Piketty, will be the most important economics book of the year—and maybe of the decade.” —Paul Krugman, New York Times “The book aims to revolutionize the way people think about the economic history of the past two centuries. It may well manage the feat.” —The Economist “Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century is an intellectual tour de force, a triumph of economic history over the theoretical, mathematical modeling that has come to dominate the economics profession in recent years.” —Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post “Piketty has written an extraordinarily important book...In its scale and sweep it brings us back to the founders of political economy.” —Martin Wolf, Financial Times “A sweeping account of rising inequality...Piketty has written a book that nobody interested in a defining issue of our era can afford to ignore.” —John Cassidy, New Yorker “Stands a fair chance of becoming the most influential work of economics yet published in our young century. It is the most important study of inequality in over fifty years.” —Timothy Shenk, The Nation

The Stages of Economic Growth

A Non-Communist Manifesto

W. W. Rostow

This volume will be of interest not only to those concerned with the theory of economic growth but also to students of policy since the 1960s Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Capital and Ideology

Thomas Piketty

A New York Times Bestseller An NPR Best Book of the Year The epic successor to one of the most important books of the century: at once a retelling of global history, a scathing critique of contemporary politics, and a bold proposal for a new and fairer economic system. Thomas Piketty’s bestselling Capital in the Twenty-First Century galvanized global debate about inequality. In this audacious follow-up, Piketty challenges us to revolutionize how we think about politics, ideology, and history. He exposes the ideas that have sustained inequality for the past millennium, reveals why the shallow politics of right and left are failing us today, and outlines the structure of a fairer economic system. Our economy, Piketty observes, is not a natural fact. Markets, profits, and capital are all historical constructs that depend on choices. Piketty explores the material and ideological interactions of conflicting social groups that have given us slavery, serfdom, colonialism, communism, and hypercapitalism, shaping the lives of billions. He concludes that the great driver of human progress over the centuries has been the struggle for equality and education and not, as often argued, the assertion of property rights or the pursuit of stability. The new era of extreme inequality that has derailed that progress since the 1980s, he shows, is partly a reaction against communism, but it is also the fruit of ignorance, intellectual specialization, and our drift toward the dead-end politics of identity. Once we understand this, we can begin to envision a more balanced approach to economics and politics. Piketty argues for a new “participatory” socialism, a system founded on an ideology of equality, social property, education, and the sharing of knowledge and power. Capital and Ideology is destined to be one of the indispensable books of our time, a work that will not only help us understand the world, but that will change it.

Islam and Mammon

The Economic Predicaments of Islamism

Timur Kuran

The doctrine of "Islamic economics" entered debates over the social role of Islam in the mid-twentieth century. Since then it has pursued the goal of restructuring economies according to perceived Islamic teachings. Beyond its most visible practical achievement--the establishment of Islamic banks meant to avoid interest--it has promoted Islamic norms of economic behavior and founded redistribution systems modeled after early Islamic fiscal practices. In this bold and timely critique, Timur Kuran argues that the doctrine of Islamic economics is simplistic, incoherent, and largely irrelevant to present economic challenges. Observing that few Muslims take it seriously, he also finds that its practical applications have had no discernible effects on efficiency, growth, or poverty reduction. Why, then, has Islamic economics enjoyed any appeal at all? Kuran's answer is that the real purpose of Islamic economics has not been economic improvement but cultivation of a distinct Islamic identity to resist cultural globalization. The Islamic subeconomies that have sprung up across the Islamic world are commonly viewed as manifestations of Islamic economics. In reality, Kuran demonstrates, they emerged to meet the economic aspirations of socially marginalized groups. The Islamic enterprises that form these subeconomies provide advancement opportunities to the disadvantaged. By enhancing interpersonal trust, they also facilitate intragroup transactions. These findings raise the question of whether there exist links between Islam and economic performance. Exploring these links in relation to the long-unsettled question of why the Islamic world became underdeveloped, Kuran identifies several pertinent social mechanisms, some beneficial to economic development, others harmful.

A Golden State

Mining and Economic Development in Gold Rush California

Marlene Smith-Baranzini

A collection of essays on mining and economic development in California from the Gold Rush through the end of the 19th century. This is the second in a series of four volumes comemmorating the state's sesquicentennial.

The Economic History of Latin America Since Independence

V. Bulmer-Thomas

A comprehensive balanced portrait of the factors affecting economic development in Latin America, first published in 2003.

Discrimination and Disparities

Thomas Sowell

An empirical examination of how economic and other disparities arise Economic and other outcomes differ vastly among individuals, groups, and nations. Many explanations have been offered for the differences. Some believe that those with less fortunate outcomes are victims of genetics. Others believe that those who are less fortunate are victims of the more fortunate. Discrimination and Disparities gathers a wide array of empirical evidence from to challenge the idea that different economic outcomes can be explained by any one factor, be it discrimination, exploitation or genetics. It is readable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum. The point of Discrimination and Disparities is not to recommend some particular policy "fix" at the end, but to clarify why so many policy fixes have turned out to be counterproductive, and to expose some seemingly invincible fallacies--behind many counterproductive policies.

As a Man Thinketh

James Allen

Unlock Your Potential with the Power of Thought As a Man Thinketh, James Allen's timeless classic, reveals the profound impact of our thoughts on our character, circumstances, and destiny. This concise guide empowers you to take control of your inner world and transform your outer reality. Discover how to: Cultivate positive thinking and mindfulness Shape your character and achieve your goals Overcome negative circumstances and find inner peace As a Man Thinketh is for anyone seeking self-improvement, spiritual growth, and a more fulfilling life. Embrace the power of your thoughts and create the life you desire!

Boomerang

Travels In The New Third World

Michael Lewis

Explores the causes of the 2008 American financial crisis, and looks at similar situations that have occurred in other parts of the world.

Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy, third edition

J. Barkley Rosser, Jr., Marina V. Rosser

An approach to comparative economic systems that avoids simple dichotomies to examine a wide variety of institutional and systemic arrangements, with updated country case studies. Comparative economics, with its traditional dichotomies of socialism versus capitalism, private versus state, and planning versus market, is changing. This innovative textbook offers a new approach to understanding different economic systems that reflects both recent transformations in the world economy and recent changes in the field.This new edition examines a wide variety of institutional and systemic arrangements, many of which reflect deep roots in countries' cultures and histories. The book has been updated and revised throughout, with new material in both the historical overview and the country case studies. It offers a broad survey of economic systems, then looks separately at market capitalism, Marxism and socialism, and “new traditional economies” (with an emphasis on the role of religions, Islam in particular, in economic systems). It presents case studies of advanced capitalist nations, including the United States, Japan, Sweden, and Germany; alternative paths in the transition from socialist to market economies taken by such countries as Russia, the former Soviet republics, Poland, China, and the two Koreas; and developing countries, including India, Iran, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil. The new chapters on Brazil and South Africa complete the book's coverage of all five BRICS nations; the chapter on South Africa extends the book's comparative treatment to another continent. The chapter on Brazil with its account of the role of the Amazon rain forest as a great carbon sink expands the coverage of global environmental and sustainability issues. Each chapter ends with discussion questions.

Paths of Resistance

Tradition and Dignity in Industrializing Missouri

David Paul Thelen

This book looks at economic development and social change in one specific state, Missouri, between the Civil War and the First World War.

How Asia Works

Success and Failure In the World's Most Dynamic Region

Joe Studwell

"A good read for anyone who wants to understand what actually determines whether a developing economy will succeed." —Bill Gates, "Top 5 Books of the Year" An Economist Best Book of the Year from a reporter who has spent two decades in the region, and who the Financial Times said "should be named chief myth-buster for Asian business." In How Asia Works, Joe 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. "Provocative . . . How Asia Works is a striking and enlightening book . . . A lively mix of scholarship, reporting and polemic." — The Economist

The Worldly Philosophers

The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers

Robert L. Heilbroner

The bestselling classic that examines the history of economic thought from Adam Smith to Karl Marx—“all the economic lore most general readers conceivably could want to know, served up with a flourish” (The New York Times). The Worldly Philosophers not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us better understand our own times. In this seventh edition, Robert L. Heilbroner provides a new theme that connects thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The theme is the common focus of their highly varied ideas—namely, the search to understand how a capitalist society works. It is a focus never more needed than in this age of confusing economic headlines. In a bold new concluding chapter entitled “The End of the Worldly Philosophy?” Heilbroner reminds us that the word “end” refers to both the purpose and limits of economics. This chapter conveys a concern that today’s increasingly “scientific” economics may overlook fundamental social and political issues that are central to economics. Thus, unlike its predecessors, this new edition provides not just an indispensable illumination of our past but a call to action for our future.

Who Really Drove the Economy Into the Ditch?

Joseph Fried

This is an opinionated book with an attitude. However, the author, a CPA and MBA, presents economic information in a conversational tone and meticulously backs up his views with references, charts, and quotes. Joseph N. Fried has published several books with Algora, explaining financial controversies and challenges for the general reader. Here, he highlights eye-popping aspects of the recent financial circus including: Drive-by house appraisals; the impact of hundreds of local housing programs funded by HUD; state governments, and housing advocacy groups; false delinquency statistics put forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; ''silent second''? and ''?piggyback? loans''.

Anthropology, Economics, and Choice

Michael Chibnik

In the midst of global recession, angry citizens and media pundits often offer simplistic theories about how bad decisions lead to crises. Many economists, however, base their analyses on rational choice theory, which assumes that decisions are made by well-informed, intelligent people who weigh risks, costs, and benefits. Taking a more realistic approach, the field of anthropology carefully looks at the underlying causes of choices at different times and places. Using case studies of choices by farmers, artisans, and bureaucrats drawn from Michael Chibnik's research in Mexico, Peru, Belize, and the United States, Anthropology, Economics, and Choice presents a clear-eyed perspective on human actions and their economic consequences. Five key issues are explored in-depth: choices between paid and unpaid work; ways people deal with risk and uncertainty; how individuals decide whether to cooperate; the extent to which households can be regarded as decision-making units; and the "tragedy of the commons," the theory that social chaos may result from unrestricted access to commonly owned property. Both an accessible primer and an innovative exploration of economic anthropology, this interdisciplinary work brings fresh insight to a timely topic.

Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy

John Barkley Rosser

The second edition of an innovative undergraduate textbook in Comparative Economic Systems that goes beyond the traditional dichotomies.

Developing Poverty

The State, Labor Market Deregulation, and the Informal Economy in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic

José Itzigsohn

Using data from local surveys, interviews, and rational statistics, this is a comparative study of two Central American cities similarly positioned in the world economy. It explores how development and state policies have affected the lives of people working in the informal economy.

The Free-market Innovation Machine

Analyzing the Growth Miracle of Capitalism

William J. Baumol

This title marks a milestone in the comprehension of the accomplishments of our free-market economic system - a new understanding that promises to benefit many countries that lack the advantages of this immense innovation machine.

The Panic of 1907

Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect Storm

Robert F. Bruner, Sean D. Carr

Presents a comprehensive study of the events and personalities that sparked the 1907 financial crisis, resulting in the establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913.

The New Ruthless Economy

Work and Power in the Digital Age

Simon Head

Globalization and information technology require a new commitment to lifelong learning by workers. Education is the key to surviving the new economy. Hierarchical organization, obedience, loyalty, etc. are all characteristics of the old economy. This show looks at and details work ethics in the new economy. The new economy reality is that in order to compete globally, industries must constantly change and adapt. This show discusses specific survival tips useful to the employees caught in this global shift.