This is a book about a handful of men with a curious claim to fame. By all the rules of schoolboy history books, they were nonentities: they commanded no armies, sent no men to their deaths, ruled no empires, took little part in history-making decisions. A few of them achieved renown, but none was ever a national hero; a few were roundly abused, but none was ever quite a national villain. Yet what they did was more decisive for history than many acts of statesmen who basked in brighter glory, often more profoundly disturbing than the shuttling of armies back and forth across frontiers, more powerful for good and bad than the edicts of kings and legislatures. It was this: they shaped and swayed men's minds. And because he who enlists a man's mind wields a power even greater than the sword or the scepter, these men shaped and swayed the world. Few of them ever lifted a finger in action; they worked, in the main, as scholars -- quietly, inconspicuously, and without much regard for what the world had to say abou

Will the sun set on the greatest currency in the history ofthe world? For decades the dollar has been the undisputed champ. It’s not onlythe currency of America but much of the world as well, the fuel ofglobal prosperity. As the superengine of the world’s onlysuperpower, it’s accepted everywhere. When an Asian company tradeswith South America, those transactions are done in dollars, thecurrency of international business. But for how much longer? Economists fear America is digging a holewith an economy based on massive borrowing and huge deficits thatcloud the dollar’s future. Will the buck be eclipsed by the euro oreven China’s renminbi? Should Americans worry when the value of themighty U.S. dollar sinks to par with the Canadian “loonie”? Craig Karmin’s in-depth “biography” of the dollar explores theseissues. It also examines the green-back’s history, allure, andunique role as a catalyst for globalization, and how the Americanbuck became so almighty that $ became perhaps the most po

The book is... timely, and if it will irritate some of theexperts it will also help bring some neglected issues and theoriesinto public focus. This ... has always been Mrs. Jacobs' mostnotable taient and her most constructive contribution.

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in coommon? Why do drug dealers still live with their mums? How much do parents really matter? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life - from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing - and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book:Freakonomics 作者简介 Steveb D. Levitt teaches economics at the University of Chicago. He recently received the John Bates Clark Medal, awarded every two years to the best American economist under forty. Stephen J. Dubner lives in N

"Economics is haunted by more fallacies than any other studyknown to man." -- Henry Hazlitt, Economics in One Lesson(1946) Every day economic claims are used by the media or inconversation to support social and political positions. Those onthe left tend to distrust economists, seeing them as friends of theright. There is something to this, since professional economistsare almost all keen supporters of the free market. Yet whilefactions on the right naturally embrace economists, they also tendto overestimate the effect of their support on free-marketpolicies. The result is widespread confusion. In fact, virtuallyall commonly held beliefs about economics--whether espoused bypolitical activists, politicians, journalists or taxpayers--arejust plain wrong. Professor Joseph Heath wants to raise our economic literacyand empower us with new ideas. In Economics WithoutIllusions , he draws on everyday examples to skewer the sixfavourite economic fallacies of the right, followed by impaling thesix

Friedman makes clear once and for all that no one is immunefrom monetary economics-that is, from the effects of its theory andits practices. He demonstrates through historical events themischief that can result from misunderstanding the monetary system.Index.

Galbraith's classic on the "economics of abundance" is, in thewords of the New York Times, "a compelling challenge toconventional thought." With customary clarity, eloquence, andhumor, Galbraith cuts to the heart of what economic security means(and doesn't mean) in today's world and lays bare the hazards ofindividual and societal complacence about economic inequity. While"affluent society" and "conventional wisdom" (first used in thisbook) have entered the vernacular, the message of the book has notbeen so widely embraced--reason enough to rediscover The AffluentSociety.

This volume examines just why and in what sense, Sir KarlPopper's view of empirical falsifiability as the distinguishingcharacteristic of science has found appeal among economists. Thelimitations of this tenet, both for a philosophy of science and asa guideline to economic inquiry, are examined, as are several ofthe proposed alternatives.

In this incisive and controversial expos of the hidden effects of today's free-market capitalism, Edward Luttwak describes in powerful detail how it vastly differs from the controlled capitalism that flourished from 1945 to the 1980s. Turbo-capitalism is private enterprise liberated from government regulation, unchecked by effective trade unions, unfettered by concerns for employees or communities, and unhindered by taxation or investment restrictions. The winners in this free-for-all are getting much richer, while the losers are becoming poorer and are forced by downsizing to take the traditional jobs of the underclass. Led by the United States, closely followed by Britain, turbo-capitalism is spreading fast throughout Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world without the two great forces that check its enormous power in the United States: a powerful Legal system and the stringent rules of American calvinism. Luttwak exposes the major societal upheavals and inequities turbo-capitalism causes and the broad dis

Ask a dozen talking heads about the course of action we should take to right the economy and you’ll get thirteen different answers. But what if we possessed a handful of basic principles that could guide our decisions—both the personal ones about how to save and spend but also those national ones that have been capturing the headlines? Robert H. Frank has been illustrating these principles longer and more clearly than anyone else. In The Economic Naturalist’s Field Guide, he reveals how they play out in Washington, on Wall Street, and in our own lives, covering everything from healthcare to tax policy to everyday decisions about what we do with our money. In today’s uncertain economic climate, The Economic Naturalist’s Field Guide’s insights have more bearing than ever on our pocketbooks, policies, and personal happiness.

A collection of Peter Ferdinand Drucker's legendary essays onbusiness, management, economics and society, written between 1972and 1980. They reflect an international viewpoint and are concernedwith what Drucker called "social ecology" and especiallyinstitutions - governments, organized science, business or schools.This hardcover release is being published as part of the HarvardBusiness Press Drucker Library.

In this short, powerful book, multimillionaire and bestsellingauthor Steven K. Scott reveals King Solomon’s breakthroughstrategies to achieve a life of financial success and personalfulfillment. Steve Scott flunked out of every job he held in his first six yearsafter college. He couldn’t succeed no matter how hard he tried.Then Dr. Gary Smalley challenged him to study the book of Proverbs,promising that in doing so he would achieve greater success andhappiness than he had ever known. That promise came true, makingScott a millionaire many times over. In The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, Scott reveals Solomon’s key forwinning every race, explains how to resolve conflicts and turnenemies into allies, and discloses the five qualities essential tobecoming a valued and admired person at work and in your personallife. Scott illustrates each of Solomon’s insights and strategieswith anecdotes about his personal successes and failures, as wellas those of such extraordinary people as Benjamin Franklin, ThomasEdis

Exploding growth. Soaring investment. Incoming talent waves.India's top companies are scoring remarkable successes on thesefronts - and more. How? Instead of adopting management practices that dominate Westernbusinesses, they're applying fresh practices of their owninstrategy, leadership, talent, and organizational culture. In The India Way, the Wharton School India Team unveils thesecompanies' secrets. Drawing on interviews with leaders of India'slargest firms - including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries,Narayana Murthy of Infosys Technologies, and Vineet Nayar of HCLTechnologies - the authors identify what Indian managers dodifferently, including: Looking beyond stockholders' interests to public mission andnational purpose Drawing on improvisation, adaptation, and resilience to overcomeendless hurdles Identifying products and services of compelling value tocustomers Investing in talent and building a stirring culture The authors explain how these innovations work within Indiancompanies, identifyi

Unrivaled in its unique combination of analytical rigor and accessibility, Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach has garnered one of the broadest adoption lists in the market. Now appearing in its Sixth Edition, Professor Varian's hallmark text is better than ever, featuring new treatments of game theory and competitive strategy, and a variety of new illustrative examples. Modern, authoritative, and above all crafted by an outstanding teacher and scholar, Intermediate Microeconomics, Sixth Edition will expand students' analytic powers and strengthen their understanding of microeconomics.

This unique text uses Microsoft Excel workbooks toinstruct students. In addition to explaining fundamental conceptsin microeconomic theory, readers acquire a great deal ofsophisticated Excel skills and gain the practical mathematicsneeded to succeed in advanced courses. In addition to theinnovative pedagogical approach, the book features explicitlyrepeated use of a single central methodology, the economicapproach. Students learn how economists think and how to think likean economist. With concrete, numerical examples and novel, engagingapplications, interest for readers remains high as live graphs anddata respond to manipulation by the user. Finally, clear writingand active learning are features sure to appeal to modernpractitioners and their students. The website accompanying the textis found at www.depauw.edu/learn/microexcel .

In the last two decades, free markets have swept the globe. But traditional capitalism has been unable to solve problems like inequality and poverty. In Muhammad Yunus’ groundbreaking sequel to Banker to the Poor, he outlines the concept of social business—business where the creative vision of the entrepreneur is applied to today’s most serious problems: feeding the poor, housing the homeless, healing the sick, and protecting the planet. Creating a World Without Poverty reveals the next phase in a hopeful economic and social revolution that is already underway.

Free to succeed . . . Whether in troubled economic times or during years of prosperity,there is a proven way for companies to boost productivity, profits,and growth. Remarkably, it costs nothing––whether cost is measuredin terms of monetary resources or time– –and is simply based on thebelief that, if only people can be free to act in the bestinterests of their company, the results will be tremendous.Freedom, Inc. presents the evidence that this is not thePollyannaish wish of a few dreamers, but a reality built bybottom-line-focused leaders. . . . The culture of freedom works–and Freedom, Inc. reveals thesecrets of a successful business paradigm based on a trusting,nonhierarchical, liberated environment. The visionary leaders profiled here performed near-miracles indriving their companies to unheard-of levels of success, often fromunlikely or disheartening beginnings. Businesses as diverse asinsurance company USAA, winemaker Sea Smoke Cellars, Gore Associates,

Out of the red... Do this month's bills pile up before you'repaid last month's? Do you regularly receive past-due notices? Doyou get letters threatening legal action if immediate payment isnot made? Do the total amounts on your revolving charge accountskeep steadily rising? Into the black... Whether you are currentlyin debt or fear you're falling into debt, you are not alone. Fortymillion Americans--from doctors to secretaries, from executives tothe unemployed--face the same problem and live under the same dailystress. Based on the proven techniques of the national DebtorsAnonymous program, here is the first complete, step-by-step guideto getting out of debt once and for all. You'll learn: How torecognize the warning signs of serious debt. How to negotiate withangry creditors, collection agencies, and the IRS. How to design arealistic and painless pay-back schedule. How to identify yourspending " blind spots." How to cope with the anxiety and dailypressures of owing money. Plus the three cardinal rules for s

Created in 1959, Amway has had an integralpart in shaping and improving the lives and lifestyles of millions of people around the world. Not just a business, but an opportunity for personal success and achievement, it has spread the old-fashioned American dream across the globe--from South America to the Pacific Rim. This definitive history of Amway delves deep into the heart and soul of the organization.It is an inspirational,motivational chronicle of the company as a whole—its ideology,goals,beliefs,ethics,and sense of values.With provo cative insights, into the first four decades of Amway,this valuable book shows where the company satnds at the dawn of the nes millennium——and how it will continue to move forward in the twenty-first century. In addition to the actual history of Amway,you'll read the uplifting stories of people around the world whose lives have been totally transformed by its philosophy-astonishing accounts of personal success that will motuvate you to improve your own life by

In The Great Shame, Thomas Keneally--the bestselling, BookerPrize-winning author of Schindler's List--combines the authority ofa brilliant historian and the narrative grace of a great novelistto present a gripping account of the Irish diaspora. The nineteenth century saw Ireland lose half of its population tofamine, emigration, or deportation to penal colonies inAustralia--often for infractions as common as stealing food. Amongthe victims of this tragedy were Thomas Keneally's own forebearers,and they were his inspiration to tell the story of the Irish whostruggled and ultimately triumphed in Australia and North America.Relying on rare primary sources--including personal letters, courttran*s, ship manifests, and military documents--Keneallyoffers new and important insights into the impact of the Irish inexile. The result is a vivid saga of heroes and villains, fromGreat Famine protesters to American Civil War generals to greatorators and politicians.