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The $12 million stuffed shark: the curious economics of contemporary art
By Donald N Thompson. 2008
Delves into the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world - artists, dealers, auction houses, and wealthy collectors. If…
it's true that 85 percent of new contemporary art is bad, why were record prices achieved at auction in 2006 and 2007? Explores money, lust, and the self-aggrandizement of possession in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work of art valuable while others are ignored. 2008.Secret ingredients: the brave new world of industrial farming
By Stuart Laidlaw. 2003
A vivid portrait of what modern industrial farming is, what it is doing to the environment, to farmers, to the…
plants and livestock we eat, and to us as consumers and as citizens. The author takes us from the dairy farms of Pennsylvania to Canada's prairie wheatfields, from the tomato greenhouses of southern Ontario to the potato fields of P.E.I. All along the way, he shows us food's secret ingredient - its hidden costs. 2003.No logo: taking aim at the brand bullies
By Naomi Klein. 2000
As big companies such as McDonald's, Nike and Wal-mart keep getting bigger, consumers are becoming more wary of their attempts…
to force ready-to-wear lifestyles upon us. Klein discusses the growth of the corporate logo, and the resistance to the attempts of the big companies to move into every aspect of our lives. 2000.Fences and windows: dispatches from the front lines of the globalization debate
By Naomi Klein, Debra Ann Levy. 2002
The nature of economies
By Jane Jacobs. 2000
Jacobs examines the similarities between the growth and change that occurs within an economy, and the growth and changes that…
occur within nature. She argues that through the study of systems found in nature we can better understand economic development.The shock doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism
By Naomi Klein. 2007
Klein assails economist Milton Friedman's free-market precepts, as their exponents have applied them to a series of formerly state-dominated economies…
since 1975. She condemns reform programs of the last three decades that have aimed to separate the state from the economy; the process of market liberalization has created a "disaster capitalism complex," consisting of corporations that thrive on catastrophe. Some descriptions of sex and strong language, descriptions of violence. 2007.From the ageing oilfields of Saudi Arabia and the United States to the Canadian tar sands, from the shopping malls…
of Dubai to the shuttered auto plants of North America and Europe, from the made-in-China products on the shelves of the Wal-Mart down the road to the collapse of Wall Street giants, everything is connected to the price of oil. For generations we have built wealth by burning more and more oil, but there is no more cheap oil to burn. The auto industry will never recover from this oil-induced recession, distance will soon cost money, and so will burning carbon - so local economies will be revitalized, as will our cities and neighbourhoods. 2009.Analysis of the impact of monopolistic practices on the American economy and the ability of Americans outside of the top…
one-percent of wealth class to achieve the mythical "American dream." Topics include the history of monopolies in the US, legislation regarding monopolies, and examples of monopolies across industries. 2020The complacent class: the self-defeating quest for the American dream
By Tyler Cowen. 2017
Economist argues for living your life with greater disruption, because, by becoming risk averse, Americans are ill-prepared for navigating when…
change happens, both individually and as a nation. Discusses emotional causes, racial segregation, entrepreneurial growth, stagnation of political activity, and more. 2017The year without a purchase: one family's quest to stop shopping and start connecting
By Scott Dannemiller. 2015
Blogger and former missionary chronicles the year he and his family chose to avoid buying things for a year. Discusses…
what brought his family to that point, the negotiations he and his wife made about the rules for acceptable purchases, and the impact on his family's relationship with God. 2015Caring economics: conversations on altruism and compassion, between scientists, economists, and the Dalai Lama
By Matthieu Ricard, Tania Singer. 2015
Neuroscientist Singer and Buddhist monk Ricard collect fourteen essays examining the connections between behavioral science research, altruism, and economics. Discusses…
the impact of altruism on the brain, the mind-body connection, and the economic benefits of acting without ego. Includes a foreword by the Dalai Lama. 2015Shadow work: the unpaid, unseen jobs that fill your day
By Craig Lambert. 2015
A former Harvard Magazine editor examines unpaid tasks that people perform on behalf of businesses and organizations, often without even…
realizing it. Lambert contends that this trend is fueled by advancing technology and skyrocketing personnel costs, and argues that it results in personalized consumption, social leveling, and the weakening of communities. 2015The social climber's bible: a book of manners, practical tips, and spiritual advice for the upwardly mobile
By Dirk Wittenborn, Jazz Johnson. 2014
Wittenborn, author and producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Born Rich, and his niece Johnson, an heir to the Johnson &…
Johnson fortune, humorously detail situations and appropriate responses for those who are aspiring to move up in the social strata. 2014Excellent sheep: the miseducation of the American elite and the way to a meaningful life
By William Deresiewicz. 2014
Former Yale professor Deresiewicz, who served on the school's admission committee, addresses the school culture in the United States, which…
emphasizes perfect grades and test scores. Advocates the inclusion of humanities-based classes to encourage the development of critical-thinking skills. Bestseller. 2014Who owns the future?
By Jaron Lanier. 2013
Author of You Are Not a Gadget (DB 71244) examines the impact of digital networks on the world economy, arguing…
that their rise led to the 2008 recession. Proposes alternatives to decentralize the benefits of technology and ensure the wealth it creates is shared by all who contribute. 2013The bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and our gamble over Earth's future
By Paul Sabin. 2013
History professor examines the 1980 bet between biologist Ehrlich and economist Simon over what the prices of five metals would…
be ten years later--a test of coming worldwide prosperity or environmental doom. Examines the reasons for each scholar's prediction and the ways government actions influenced the outcome. 2013Flash boys: a Wall Street revolt
By Michael Lewis. 2014
Author of The Blind Side (DB 63689) and Moneyball (DB 56245) relates the influence of high-frequency trades--made by computers in…
fractions of seconds--on financial markets. Chronicles the efforts of a group of men called the Flash Boys to limit the power of this practice. Strong language. Bestseller. 2014The hard way on purpose: essays and dispatches from the Rust Belt
By David Giffels. 2014
English professor examines living in Akron, Ohio--as part of the "Rust Belt"--in twenty-three essays. "The Chosen Ones" compares Giffels's life…
in Akron to that of basketball player LeBron James, who attended the same high school sixteen years after the author graduated. 2014Reckles$ endangerment: how outsized ambition, greed, and corruption led to economic armageddon
By Gretchen Morgenson, Joshua Rosner. 2011
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times business journalist Morgenson and financial analyst Rosner investigate the 2008 financial meltdown. They assert that…
government regulators and public agencies were complicit in creating the circumstances for the economic crisis and name individuals they consider to be the key players. Bestseller. 2011Africa's turn? (Boston Review Books)
By Edward Miguel, Deborah Chasman. 2009
Economist Miguel posits that economic and political gains have been made in Africa in the twenty-first century. Nine scholars and…
experts on Africa's economy discuss Miguel's optimistic assertion. They evaluate the stability of Africa's politics, clean-environment technologies, population growth, and more. 2009