Reviews (4)

Hamiltons basis in stats is excellent
Clive Hamiltons sequel to Growth Fetish, "Affluenza", is rich with statistics on the state of Australian debt, spending habits and attitudes.Based on a great deal of research by the Australian Institute and others, perhaps in response to the more rhetorical basis of his last book.And those stats are truly shocking:the majority of Australians are sacrificing rich, fulfilling lives for overworked ones so they can live like therich.
Another utopian alternative.
I think the basic premise of the book is credible: there is something definitely fishy with our current statistical growth mania and neoliberal political blindness, both from a sustainability and from a conceptual point of view.
Must read - must act
Extraordinarily insightful - significant and urgent.As a 'civilised' society we must dampen the motivation of self interest and greed at the expense of all else (relationships, environment and happiness).This book describes in detail the roots of our unhappiness 'the prisoners of plenty' and seeks to describe a way forward.It will capture your imagination and stir you to reassess your definition of success.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consumer Behavior - General    5. Consumption (Economics)    6. Development - Economic Development    7. Development - Sustainable Development    8. Economic Conditions    9. Economic development    10. Environmental aspects    11. Globalization    12. Politics - Current Events    13. Social aspects    14. Sustainable development    15. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (1)

Excellent, thought-provoking and moving.A real eye-opener.
This is a work in the genre of Orwell's "Down and out in Paris andLondon."Immensely readable, despite the very serious nature of thework, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in development issues,untouchablity and in learningabout how it must be to live in abjectpoverty.Kudos to the author for this fine contribution to the few worksthat existon the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1947-    2. Asia - India    3. Asia - India & South Asia    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Business & Economics    6. Economic History    7. Economic conditions    8. Ethnic Cultures - General    9. History: World    10. India    11. Politics and government    12. Poverty    13. Social Classes    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Biography: general    16. Development studies    17. Human rights    18. Political Science / Economic Conditions    19. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    20. Social groups & communities   

Reviews (8)

good class action
This is what university work should be like: a professor leading a group of studnets in common action and collectieley publishing their work. Well done. Lots of good points which the unholy trinity should answer in some forum or other. All three organs are dominated by the US as Stiglitz, Bellamy and others have pointed out. Whether US hegemony is a good or bad thing is a different question.
good overview of the IMF, World Bank & WTO
Any one looking for a good, critical overview of the history of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization--the major institutions of international economic governance, the institutional guardians and promoters of neoliberal globalization--should check this book out. It reviews the history of these three organizations in depth. Most analyses of these organizations that I've seen just look at their current policies and critique them. Peet (and the junior student authors who assisted him) add a great deal of historical depth to this, looking at the conditions under which the unhol trinity were founded at the end of World War II, how their missions have changed over time, and the power structures in which these organizations are embedded and part of. He looks at how the changing ways the US government has used these organizations to advance the interests of the US political-economic elite (what Peet et al. call the Washington-Wall Street Alliance) on the world stage. This book also provides a progressive critique of their impact, although other sources probably go into deeper depth on that score. Since Peet is a social scientist, he doesn't just put the problem down to bad intentions, but down to bad social structures--a refreshing change from some of the simple-minded demonization of the elite you can find in some quarters. Peet particularly analyzes how the role of people's beliefs in shaping their actions within these institutions. In some ways, this is the weakest part of the book. He tries to use an analysis of discourse a la Foucault to explain the working of these organizations, explaining how the hegemony of neoclassical economics shuts out any debates of alternatives. While this is valuable, discourse analysis along can not bear the full weight of analyzing the problems with the unholy trinity--you need some sort of political-economic analysis in the lines of world-systems theory or something to make full sense of these organizations. Indeed, Peet lays out his Foucauldian analysis in the first chapter--and then those ideas barely show up again. Honestly, I would suggest anyone who's not an academic just skip the first chapter and read the rest of the book. You won't miss much. After the first chapter though, the book provides a solid overview of the history of the IMF, World Bank and WTO--and through them much of the process of globalization.

The Politics of Writing
The Writers of books like Unholy Trnity make very little money for their hard work (usually a few hundred dollars a year for 3-4 years). They write books like this out of political commitment. And then people like "Not Right" (though he or she probably is, Right Wing) criticize the author for responding to an obviously political critique! This book, as the Publishers Weekly review says, provides a scholarly grounding for the anti-WTO, IMF and World Bank protests. The group of students and faculty who worked on it did a splendid job. Read it and you will see. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Development - Economic Development    5. Globalization    6. History    7. International - Economics    8. International Monetary Fund    9. Politics/International Relations    10. World Bank    11. World Trade Organization    12. Business & Economics / Economics / International    13. Development studies    14. International finance   

Reviews (1)

An introduction to alternative thought on grassroots culture
Esteva and Prakash provide sources of alternative thought about what is important in and of the world.The book offers evidence of how grassroots cultures in non-western nations are combining people interests withenvironmental interests to assure a future for their cultures.The bookgives support to the idea that technological development is not inevitable,but a choice that may be much easier for non-western nations to make. Additionally, the authors offer food for thought for rural sustainablecommunity development in the U. S. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Culture conflict    5. Economic development    6. General    7. Human Geography    8. International - Economics    9. International cooperation    10. Postmodernism    11. Social Science    12. Social aspects    13. Sociology    14. Sociology - General    15. Cultural studies    16. Development studies    17. Human rights   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Developing countries    5. Development - Economic Development    6. Economic History    7. General    8. Government policy    9. Municipal services    10. Business & Economics / Economic History    11. Development economics   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Capitalism    5. Development - Economic Development    6. Economic Conditions    7. Economic development    8. Finance    9. Business & Economics / Economic Conditions    10. Economic theory & philosophy   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economics    3. Economics - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Public Policy - Economic Policy    7. Political economy    8. Social Science / Pornography   

Editorial Review

The "commanding heights," according to Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Yergin and international business advisor Joseph Stanislaw, are those dominant enterprises and industries that form the high economic ground in nations around the globe. In their analysis of the new world economy, Read more

Reviews (41)

an excellent report of the world economy
Public sector economy or market economy, this is the epic quest of the twentieth century. In a time of unemployment and global markets, everyone is looking for an answer to get growth and employment high. Daniel Yergin examines the twentieth century under the aspects of political and economic point of views.
Documents the winners but ignores the losers
Having read The Prize I was disappointed in the story telling but that could be because I come from an oil producing country and oil is central to our lives. The Commanding Heights does not have such an exciting cast of characters as the oil business did: Churchill, Gulbenkian, Rockefeller, Detering, and Lydia Pavlova to name a few.
Globalization's Historical Context
The Commanding Heights tells the fascinating history of the past century through economics. Starting with the reconstruction after the world wars, the rise of communism, socialism, and the economic slump of the 1970's through the rise of globalization and laissez-faire economics in the 1980's and 1990's.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Economic Development    5. Economic Conditions    6. Economic policy    7. Economics - Theory    8. Markets    9. Privatization    10. Business & Economics / General    11. Business strategy    12. Public finance   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - Microeconomics    5. Health Care Delivery    6. Public Policy - Economic Policy    7. Business & Economics / Microeconomics    8. Health systems & services   

Subjects:  1. 1981-    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Development - Economic Development    6. Economic conditions    7. Economic development    8. Environmental Science    9. United States    10. Business & Economics / Economic Development    11. Development economics    12. Science / Environmental Science    13. Science-Environmental Science    14. Social welfare & social services   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Currency question    3. Developing countries    4. General    5. History & Theory - General    6. History - General History    7. International - Economics    8. Monetary policy    9. Money    10. Money & Monetary Policy    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Public Policy - Economic Policy    14. History / General    15. International economics    16. Political economy    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Commodities    4. Corporations    5. Finance    6. Government - National    7. History    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. Securities and Exchange Commis    12. Securities and Exchange Commission    13. United States    14. United States.   

Reviews (1)

civil war != development
These days, when the idea of failed states occupies the minds of many policymakers in the developed world, Collier provides a timely study of how civil war can help bring about a failed state. He studies several decades of civil wars, spread across the world, though primarily focused on Africa. In these wars, we see how the development of those countries was severely stunted. From Liberia to Sudan to Cambodia and other places.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Civil war    4. Developing countries    5. Development - Business Development    6. Development - Economic Development    7. Economic aspects    8. History & Theory - General    9. Military - General    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Poverty    12. Social aspects    13. Business & Economics / Economic Development    14. Development economics    15. Development studies    16. Economics | Developmental    17. Violence in society   

Reviews (5)

A Balanced Look at Immigration
If you only read one book about immigration this year read Lockout.It does have a bias towards allowing immigration but both sides of the argument are explored.She quotes John F. Kennedy saying: "Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible." Lockout is filled with very good historical data about how we got into the immigration mess that we are in today.It is not primarily about the low skilled Mexican illegal immigrants. It is focused much more on the difficulties encountered by skilled, highly educated people who would like to work in the United States.Michelle Wucker makes a very good argument that the labyrinth of immigration law that we have created is hurting our competitiveness in the world.
One sided view of acomplexproblem
It is too easy to write a book which has one sided view about a complex problem. This book is on the liberal side of immigration policy. The real issue is why we failed as a nation enforcing our immigration laws. Just painting sorry stories about immigrants but forgetting that we have serious economical problems to solve. Today's manufacturing GDP in USA is about 12.7% according to Clyde Prestowitz; soon America will stop being the honey pot. We are diluting the standard of living of average Americans, and Mexico is just dumping their unemployment problem into our country.
Eloquent Advocacy of a Sensible Immigration Policy for the United States
My favorite camera store in Tucson, AZ had two wonderful Mexican-American women employees who became close confidants and surrogate mothers of mine. We spent hours discussing not only photography, but also politics and immigration, noting with much dismay, the porous border existing between southern Arizona and the adjoining Mexican state of Sonora (For example I can recall at least two instances where young pregnant Sonoran women had moved into my apartment complex, staying long enough to deliver their babies in a Tucson hospital, before returning, almost immediately, to Sonora.). Both were proud to be American citizens, recognized the necessity of speaking in English in public, and were strongly opposed to government funding of bilingual education in public schools (But in private, amongst themselves, their families, and close friends, they enjoyed speaking the Mexican Spanish they had known since their youth.). If theirs were views widely held by Tucson's Mexican-American community - and I have much reason to believe that they were - then I'm not surprised that eight years after I had moved back to New York City, the citizens of Arizona voted in favor of Proposition 120 by a 56% to 44% margin, requiring public officials to verify the legal status of those seeking public assistance or the right to vote, and to deny them to those unable to offer such proof. I have no doubt that my Tucson friends would greet Michele Wucker's "Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Out Prosperity Depends On Getting It Right" with ample interest, but also harbor some reservations about her positive, somewhat practical, view of immigration to the United States, both now and in the future. These may be reservations that I too might share, but I would also add that Wucker's latest book is one deserving of wide readership, regardless of how one perceives this issue.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economic Conditions    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration And Immigration    5. General    6. Government policy    7. Immigrants    8. Law    9. Public Policy    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. Sociology    12. United States    13. Central government policies    14. Immigration & emigration   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. East Asia    3. Economic integration    4. International Relations - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Policy - Economic Policy    10. Regionalism    11. ASIA    12. International economics   

Reviews (2)

essential reading
This book blew me away when I read it.In fact, I read it again as soon as I finished it.This book is thoroughly documented to support the author's point.Whereas John Stephens focused more on total spending on welfare state programs, Esping-Andersen pointed to the crucial role that ideology plays in the structure of the welfare state.The structure of the programs often being more important than the total amount of money spent.Anyway, I don't need to recount the details of his argument.This book was a paradigm shifting, enlightening experience.I understand the world better because of this book.I think you will too.

Esping-Andersen Thinks Big Thoughts
As a policy analysis grad-student, I couldn`t help but like this book.In a field where so many authors stick slavishly to what they can PROVE empirically, Esping-Andersen dares to ask big questions and think bigthoughts.Interpreting the welfare state from a nineteenth centuryesquepolitical economy perspective, he provides real insight, and defends hisMarxist-inspired interpretation with flair and not a little bit of style. Not only that, but his exposition is clear and (dare I say?) kind of fun toread.If you want to understand why all rich western societies spend a BIGchunk of GDP on the welfare state, this is a great place to start ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economics - Theory    3. Political Science    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Public Policy - Economic Policy    6. Welfare economics    7. Economic theory & philosophy    8. Economics    9. Political Science / Economic Policy    10. Political Science and International Relations    11. Sociology   

Reviews (3)

This book shows how the famine cycle works.
A very persuasive acount of the famine problem is displayed by Nobel Laureate Dr. Sen. Contrary to all expectations, is a very readable book, because all the formulas and elaborate economic theories are confined to the appendix section. An opinion on merits and demerits of Entitlement Approach
Poverty and Famines: An essay on Entitlement and Deprivation A deeply enlightening insight into the dark world of poverty
Hunger and poverty are not regional or national issues any more. This bookliterally changed the way people thought about famines and hunger,according to Robert Solow. Human beings are deprived of food in many ways.Sen points out that food availability dedcline is only one possible causeof occurrence of a famine. Famines can occur even if the food output issufficient in a region, for example in a situation when certain groups ofpeople become richer and purchase more food leading to a steep rise in theprices, while the poor find the food increasingly unaffordable. Senconceptualizes these issues in the framework of entitlement and ownership.Obviously, a person gets starved when his 'exchange entitlement set' is anull set, i.e., he owns nothing worth exchanging for bundles of food. Afamine occurs when a large number of people in a country or a region sufferfrom such entitlement failures at a same time. In the second chapter,Sendiscusses two alternative methods to measure poverty - the Income methodand the Direct method. Both methods essentially represent two alternativeconceptions of poverty analysis. The inequality approach to poverty is alsofound to be very common.Read more

Subjects:  1. Development - Economic Development    2. General    3. Literary Criticism    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - Rural    6. Famine    7. Social Science / Poverty    8. Sociology | Economic   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Development - Economic Development    3. Economics - Microeconomics    4. Green Business   

Reviews (4)

China's burgeoning environmental crisis
"The River Runs Black" by Elizabeth C. Economy is an intelligent analysis of contemporary China and its burgeoning environmental crisis. This engaging book helps us understand how globalization is reshaping China and issues an urgent plea for international cooperation to help monitor and rectify an increasingly worrysome situation.
powerful, well documented
Not an easy read, but one that many Americans probably should...it demonstrates well how our life styles here in the US increases demand for cheap consumer goods, resulting in corporations poisoning other parts of the planet to supply them quickly and without major expense to us.
A Great Perspective for Everyone!
For anyone with even a hint of environmental concern, this book provides a great look at what can and will go wrong. The problems in China outlined here teach us first hand that if economic and technologic advancement go unchecked, the cost will be the environment, and we will all pay.A copy of Dr. Economy's book should be sent to all current politicians and policy makers so that history is not repeated, in the US, or anywhere in the world, and that immediate steps be taken to reverse all environmental insults that are taking place.I really enjoyed this excellent political and economic commentary in which myself, as a common reader, can appreciate the importance of environmental salvation.Let's learn from this author's teachings. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Environmental Science    3. Government - International    4. History    5. History: World    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Public Policy - Economic Policy    8. Public Policy - Environmental Policy    9. China    10. The Environment   

Reviews (46)

excellent
Very useful and have already used it myself twice . And very accurate .

Good Medical Resource
I was introduced to this book while in the Amazon basin...It was a very handy tool for treating minor problems and emergency first-aid since medical help was hours away.I highly recommend the book.

Must have!
I recently returned from a week in Guatemala. We had a very basic health clinic set up. This book was invaluable for may things- rehydration solution, drug doses, all in an easy to use format. Although I'm an NP, this basic guide was a blessing for village medicine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sociology    2. Africa    3. Development studies    4. Health systems & services    5. Public health & preventive medicine    6. Rural communities