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Greed Is Dead: Politics After Individualism
By Paul Collier, John Kay. 2020
Two of the UK's leading economists call for an end to extreme individualism as the engine of prosperity 'provocative but…
thought-provoking and nuanced' TelegraphThroughout history, successful societies have created institutions which channel both competition and co-operation to achieve complex goals of general benefit. These institutions make the difference between societies that thrive and those paralyzed by discord, the difference between prosperous and poor economies. Such societies are pluralist but their pluralism is disciplined.Successful societies are also rare and fragile. We could not have built modernity without the exceptional competitive and co-operative instincts of humans, but in recent decades the balance between these instincts has become dangerously skewed: mutuality has been undermined by an extreme individualism which has weakened co-operation and polarized our politics.Collier and Kay show how a reaffirmation of the values of mutuality could refresh and restore politics, business and the environments in which people live. Politics could reverse the moves to extremism and tribalism; businesses could replace the greed that has degraded corporate culture; the communities and decaying places that are home to many could overcome despondency and again be prosperous and purposeful. As the world emerges from an unprecedented crisis we have the chance to examine society afresh and build a politics beyond individualism.The Great Pensions Robbery: How New Labour Betrayed Retirement
By Alex Brummer. 2010
Once upon a time Britain's pension system was admired around the world. Now, it's in tatters and vast numbers of…
people face the grim choice of enduring a poverty-stricken future or working until they drop. What on earth went wrong?In The Great Pensions Robbery award-winning journalist Alex Brummer ventures into the corridors of power to find out how politicians bent on penny-pinching, a civil service cowed into submission and individuals more interested in their careers than public service have all taken a part in fatally undermining a 100-year-old system. It's also a story of breathtaking hypocrisy, where those in charge have feather-bedded their own pensions while destroying those of ordinary people. And, as Brummer convincingly argues, we're only just starting to live with the appalling consequences.The Good Room: Why we ended up in a debtors' prison – and how we can break free
By David McWilliams. 2012
A forensic, entertaining polemic from the author of The Pope's Children.Ireland is deeply in debt, beholden to the IMF, the…
EU and the bond markets. Its economy is frozen, and years of austerity are ahead.It didn't have to be this way - and it doesn't have to be this way. In The Good Room, David McWilliams, who spotted the dangers of the Irish property bubble and imbalances within the eurozone at a time when other commentators were cheerleading the boom, explains the bizarre economics behind Ireland's current predicament, and illuminates a different path for the country. He illustrates the consequences of debt and austerity for ordinary Irish people and explains why austerity can't work. And he shows that history offers numerous useful models for Irish recovery - provided we open our eyes to them. Economics is about people like you. The Pope's Children was the book that connected the dots between economics and daily life in Ireland during the boom years. The Good Room does the same for the Ireland of the bust, and is - in its call for a completely different approach - an even more urgent and necessary work.'McWilliams has a great knack for bringing a complex economics story to life. He is also funny. In economics, that's a rare and persuasive combination.' Stephanie Flanders, Irish Times'A gifted and often courageous polemicist who has done more to popularize the debate about economics in Ireland than anyone else' Irish Independent'McWilliams makes a compelling argument for the need for a different approach to Irish and European economic management ... [A] realistic, pragmatic call for innovative policies that take account of proven economic theory' Sunday Business PostDavid McWilliams is Ireland's leading popular economist, and a columnist for the Irish Independent and the Sunday Business Post. He is the author of the bestsellers The Pope's Children, The Generation Game, and Follow the Money.The Economist: Perilous Journey (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Pakistan is in a tricky situation. It is under constant scrutiny by the world media but is more often than not described in terms of its problems.There are indeed difficulties - bordering the unsettled nations of Afghanistan and Iran puts it in a precarious position. A poor and badly educated population for the most part is not helping the country's growth.There is hope.The wealth of natural resources, a growing, urban population and a more democratic government all point to a positive future.But with the NATO withdrawal from its troubled neighbours nearing, Pakistan's survival hangs in the balance.Simon Long's special report includes the following sections:Perilous JourneyToo close for comfortState of vulnerabilityCaptain's inningsIn the shadow of the mosqueLights offA taste of HunnyAlways with usDripping with bloodGoing with the flowThe Economist: Revolution in Retreat (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Raúl Castro is changing Cuba. Recognising the limits that the Soviet style economy places upon the Cuban people, he is allowing the market greater freedoms. A new, private sector is emerging and is expected to employ around 25% of the labour force by 2015.What will these changes mean for foreign business and for Cuba's position on the global stage?As there doesn't seem to be a Castro successor and the party is pressured by the younger generation and the digital world, where will Cuba be in ten years time?This report will reflect on the likelihood and impact of political and economic change on the island - essential reading for anyone involved in the region.Sections include:Revolution in retreatThe deal's off - growing inequalitiesHasta la vista, baby - a disappearing populationEdging towards capitalism - slow reformGrandmother's footsteps - political changeThe Miami mirror - Cuba and MiamiThe biological factor - what next for the Castro dynasty?The Economist: Closing the Gap (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.When students graduate from university they are employed in equal numbers. Move up the ladder a few rungs and the number of women in high powered positions has fallen dramatically.Women make up just 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs and still generally get paid less than their male counterparts.Barbara Becks ask why this is and what can be done about it. She covers:Closing the gapFemale labour markets: The cashier and the carpenterA world of bluestockingsWork and family: Baby bluesTop jobs: Too many suitsWomen in China: The sky's the limitLooking ahead: Here's to the next half-centuryThe Economist: The Great Mismatch (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2011
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Globalisation and technology are changing the structure of the labour market. Now, companies have the choice to recruit from further afield and without the need for traditional office workers. Matthew Bishop explores how companies can, and will, recruit employees in the future and how individuals can get ahead in this era of change.Sections include:The great mismatchLabour-market trends: Winners and losersBottom of the pyramidSelf-help: My big fat careerFree-for-allCompanies' concerns: Got talent?The role of government: Lending a handA better balance: More feast, less famineThe Economist: All the World's a Game (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.In the US, the average age of a gamer is 37 and 42% are female. Last year the industry earned $56billion worldwide. Tim Cross analyses the proliferation of the video games in this Economist special report, and how its successes are set to grow. Sections in the report include:All the world's a gameAs you like itThe business of gaming: Thinking out of the boxPaying for pixels E-sports: Gentlemen, start your computersViolence and addiction: No killer appAlternative uses: The play's the thingThe importance of fun: Homo ludensThe Economist: Beyond the PC (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Twenty years ago one gigabyte of memory cost $200,000. Now, a terabyte (1000 gigabytes) costs a mere $100.Technology permeates our everyday lives and never more so than with our portable, personal devices. Businesses are struggling to keep up with their employees' technological abilities and demands.In Personal Technology, Martin Giles unpicks the changing landscape of technology, examining apps, new devices and their effect on world trade. In the following sections, he explains how technology and the economy are becoming inextricably linked and how this has resulted in the birth of the new, digital age.Beyond the PCConsumerisation: The power of manyApps on tapPersonal technology at work: IT's Arab springAdapting personal IT for business: The consumer-industrial complexDroid warsUbiquitous computing: Up closeTechnology and society: Here comes anywareThe Economist: The Visible Hand (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.As Western liberalist capitalism flounders in the wake of global recession, state backed companies are slowly taking over.The melding of the power of the state and the power of capitalism is on the rise. Prevalent in the emerging economies of China, Russia and Brazil, some of the world's most powerful companies are state owned. The 13 biggest oil firms are government controlled. China Mobile has over 600million customers and the Emirates airlines is growing at 20% a year.However, despite the numerous successes, Adrian Wooldridge urges caution. He asks whether it could easily survive if confronted with difficulty, criticises the embedded corruption and cronyism and asks whether a fair trading system is possible to maintain with government favoured business.Slowly but surely, the invisible hand of the market is being usurped by the visible, often authoritarian, hand of state capitalism.Sections include:The visible handSomething old, something new - a brief history of state capitalismNew masters of the universe - how state enterprise is spreadingTheme and variations - state capitalism is not all the sameMixed bag - infrastructure and innovationThe world in their hands - state capitalism looks outward and inwardAnd the winner is - fatal flawsThe Economist: Rising Power, Anxious State (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.'The line up for next year's change of leadership does not give cause for optimism' says James Miles, the Economist's China correspondent.With a heavily state owned banking system, waning numbers of workers in a labour intensive industrial economy and lack of development in new business, China's current boom may be set to bust. In the following sections, James Miles examines the restrictive nature of government in China, and what it will mean for the country and the rest of the world.Urbanisation: Where do you live?Rising power, anxious stateChina's new leaders: The princelings are comingGrowth prospects: Beware the middle-income trapDeng & CoGovernment's role in industry: The long arm of the stateDemography: Getting onIdeological battles: Universalists v exceptionalistsThe Economist: Retail Renaissance (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Retail banking is heading for a revival. With the financial crisis still hanging over Western economies, banks have rejuvenated the retail arm of the business. They are now seen as more stable sources of profit than the risky traders.Technology is both a help and a hindrance. On one hand, online banking is revolutionizing money management. But will this lead to the close of the high street bank? How can banks outstrip the developing tech companies who are offering rival services?This report will assess the challenges and opportunities that banks face in the rich world and the emerging markets. Sections include:Retail renaissanceWithering awayDispatches from the hothouseCrunching the numbersA wealth of walletsOver the sea and far awayPrivate pursuitsWorld, here we comeThe Economist: Playing with Fire (Penguin Specials)
By The Economist Publications. 2012
The Penguin Economist Special reports delve into the most pressing economic issues of the day: from national and global economies,…
to the impact of trade, industry and jobs. Written to be read on a long commute or in your lunch hour - be better informed in under an hour.Is financial innovation good or bad?Did it cause the financial crisis of 2007/2008?Are the current financial systems working for a stable global economy?Andrew Palmer answers these questions in his special report, but urges that it's more that just a debate on whether financial innovation does or doesn't work. In fact, he claims, it is almost impossible to draw these distinctions.Using a variety of examples - from social bonds to securitisations risks - he highlights the weaknesses in innovative strategies, revealing how some innovation is doomed to failure.The consequences of innovation are now so crucial and so scrutinised - it is essential reading for anyone in the business world.Sections include:Playing with fireThe ferment of financeThe little guyFrom vanilla to rocky roadThe fast and furiousOf plumbing and promisesOn the side of the angelsSafety firstThe Econocracy: On the Perils of Leaving Economics to the Experts
By Joe Earle, Cahal Moran, Zach Ward-Perkins. 2017
A century ago, the idea of 'the economy' didn't exist. Now economics is the supreme ideology of our time, with…
its own rules and language. The trouble is, most of us can't speak it. This is damaging democracy. Dangerous agendas are hidden inside mathematical wrappers; controversial policies are presented as 'proven' by the models of economic 'science'. Government is being turned over to a publicly unaccountable technocratic elite. The Econocracy reveals that economics is too important to be left to the economists - and shows us how we can begin to participate more fully in the decisions which affect all our futures.Crossing Continents: A History of Standard Chartered Bank
By Duncan Campbell-Smith. 2021
For almost a hundred years from the 1860s, the City of London's overseas banks financed the global trade that lay…
at the core of the British Empire. Foremost among them from the beginning were two start-up ventures: the Standard Bank of South Africa, which soon developed a powerful domestic franchise at the Cape, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. This book traces their stories in the nineteenth century, their glory days before 1914 - and their remarkable survival in the face of global wars and the collapse of world trade in the first half of the twentieth century.The unravelling of the Empire after 1945 eventually forced Britain's overseas banks to confront a different future. The Standard and the Chartered, alarmed at the expansion of American banking, determined in 1969 on a merger as a way of sustaining the best of the City's overseas traditions. But from the start, Standard Chartered had to grapple with the fading fortunes of its own inherited franchise - badly dented in both Asia and Africa - and with radical changes in the nature of banking. Its British managers, steeped in the past, proved ill-suited to the challenge. By the late 1980s, efforts to expand in Europe and the USA had brought the merged Group to the brink of collapse.Yet it survived - and then pulled off a dramatic recovery. Standard Chartered realigned itself, just in time, with the phenomenal growth of Asia's 'emerging markets', many of them in countries where the Chartered had flourished a century earlier. In the process, the Group was transformed. Trebling its workforce, it brushed aside the global financial crisis of 2008 and by 2012 could look back on a decade of astonishing growth. Recent times have added an eventful postscript to a long and absorbing history.Crossing Continents recounts Standard Chartered's story with a wealth of detail from one of the richest archives available to any commercial bank. The book also affords a rare and compelling perspective on the evolution of international trade and finance, showing how Britain's commercial influence has actually worked in practice around the world over one hundred and fifty years.Conspicuous Consumption (Penguin Great Ideas)
By Thorstein Veblen. 2005
With its wry portrayal of a shallow, materialistic 'leisure class' obsessed by clothes, cars, consumer goods and climbing the social…
ladder, this withering satire on modern capitalism is as pertinent today as when it was written over a century ago.Competition is Killing Us: How Big Business is Harming Our Society and Planet - and What To Do About It
By Michelle Meagher. 2020
We live in the age of big companies where rising levels of power are concentrated in the hands of a…
few. Yet no government or organisation has the power to regulate these titans and hold them to account. We need big companies to share their power and we, the people of the world, need to reclaim it. In Competition is Killing Us, top business and competition lawyer Michelle Meagher establishes a new framework to control capitalism from the inside in order to make it work for the many and not just the few. Meagher has spent years campaigning against these multi-billion and trillion dollar mammoths that dominate the market and prioritise shareholder profits over all else; leading to extreme wealth inequality, inhumane conditions for workers and relentless pressure on the environment.In this revolutionary book, she introduces her wholly-achievable alternative; a fair and comprehensive competition law that limits unfair mergers, enforces accountability and redistributes power through stakeholder governance.Capital: Volume I (Capital #1)
By Karl Marx. 1976
'A groundbreaking work of economic analysis. It is also a literary masterpice' Francis Wheen, GuardianOne of the most notorious and…
influential works of modern times, Capital is an incisive critique of private property and the social relations it generates. Living in exile in England, where this work was largely written, Marx drew on a wide-ranging knowledge of its society to support his analysis. Arguing that capitalism would cause an ever-increasing division in wealth and welfare, he predicted its abolition and replacement by a system with common ownership of the means of production. Capital rapidly acquired readership throughout the world, to become a work described by Marx's collaborator Friedrich Engels as 'the Bible of the working class'.Translated by BEN FOWKES with an Introduction by ERNEST MANDELCapital: Volume II (Capital #2)
By Karl Marx. 1978
Capital: Volume III (Capital #3)
By Karl Marx. 1981
Unfinished at the time of Marx's death in 1883 and first published with a preface by Frederick Engels in 1894,…
the third volume of Das Kapital strove to combine the theories and concepts of the two previous volumes in order to prove conclusively that capitalism is inherently unworkable as a permanent system for society. Here, Marx asserts controversially that - regardless of the efforts of individual capitalists, public authorities or even generous philanthropists - any market economy is inevitably doomed to endure a series of worsening, explosive crises leading finally to complete collapse. But healso offers an inspirational and compelling prediction: that the end of capitalism will culminate, ultimately, in the birth of a far greater form of society.