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

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

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

The lively and enthralling tale of three notoriouscounterfeiters offers insights into the makings of the Americanfinancial mind. In Moneymakers , BenTarnoff chronicles the lives of three colorful counterfeiters whoflourished in early America, shedding fresh light on the country'sfinancial coming of age. The speculative ethos that pervades WallStreet today, Tarnoff suggests, has its origins in the craft ofcounterfeiters who first took advantage of a turbulent Americaneconomy. Few nations have as rich a counterfeiting history as the UnitedStates. Since the colonies suffered from a chronic shortage ofprecious metals, they were the first place in the Western world touse easily forged paper bills. And until the national currency wasstandardized in the last half of the nineteenth century, the UnitedStates had a dizzying variety of banknotes, making early America acounterfeiter's paradise. In Moneymakers , Tarnoff recounts how three of America'smost successful counterfeiters-Owen

In early 2009, many economists, financiers, and media pundits were confidently predicting the end of the American-led capitalism that has shaped history and economics for the past 100 years. Yet the U.S. economic model, far from being discredited, may be strengthened by the financial crisis. In this provocative book, Anatole Kaletsky re-interprets the financial crisis as part of an evolutionary process inherent to the nature of democratic capitalism. Capitalism, he argues, is resilient. Its first form, Capitalism 1.0, was the classical laissez-faire capitalism that lasted from 1776 until 1930. Next was Capitalism 2.0, New Deal Keynesian social capitalism created in the 1930s and extinguished in the 1970s. Its last mutation, Reagan-Thatcher market fundamentalism, culminated in the financially-dominated globalization of the past decade and triggered the recession of 2009-10. The self-destruction of Capitalism 3.0 leaves the field open for the next phase of capitalism’s evolution. Capitalism is likely to

Writing in the June 1965 issue of theEconomic Journal, Harry G. Johnson begins with a sentence seemingly calibrated to the scale of the book he set himself to review: "The long-awaited monetary history of the United States by Friedman and Schwartz is in every sense of the term a monumental scholarly achievement--monumental in its sheer bulk, monumental in the definitiveness of its treatment of innumerable issues, large and small . . . monumental, above all, in the theoretical and statistical effort and ingenuity that have been brought to bear on the solution of complex and subtle economic issues." Friedman and Schwartz marshaled massive historical data and sharp analytics to support the claim that monetary policy--steady control of the money supply--matters profoundly in the management of the nation's economy, especially in navigating serious economic fluctuations. In their influential chapter 7, The Great Contraction--which Princeton published in 1965 as a separate paperback--they address the central e

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is David S. Landes's acclaimed, best-selling exploration of one of the most contentious and hotly debated questions of our time: Why do some nations achieve economic success while others remain mired in poverty? The answer, as Landes definitively illustrates, is a complex interplay of cultural mores and historical circumstance. Rich with anecdotal evidence, piercing analysis, and a truly astonishing range of erudition, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is a "picture of enormous sweep and brilliant insight" (Kenneth Arrow) as well as one of the most audaciously ambitious works of history in decades.

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

Capital, one of Marx's major and most influential works, wasthe product of thirty years close study of the capitalist mode ofproduction in England, the most advanced industrial society of hisday. This new translation of Volume One, the only volume to becompleted and edited by Marx himself, avoids some of the mistakesthat have marred earlier versions and seeks to do justice to theliterary qualities of the work. The introduction is by ErnestMandel, author of Late Capitalism, one of the only comprehensiveattempts to develop the theoretical legacy of Capital. --This textrefers to the Paperback edition.

Published in 1778, The Wealth of Nations was the first book oneconomics to catch the public's attention. It provides a recipe fornational prosperity that has not been bettered since, based onsmall government and the freedom of citizens to act in their bestinterests. It reassuringly assumes no knowledge of its subject, andover 200 years on still provides valuable lessons on thefundamentals of economics. This deluxe, selected edition is astylish keepsake from the Capstone Classics series. This edition includes: An abridged selection of all 5 books for the contemporaryreader An original commentary offering new research and analysis byclassic literature guru Tom Butler-Bowdon A biography and chronology of Adam Smith's life and the eventssurrounding the original publication of the work Today, The Wealth of Nations is still essential reading for anybusiness or self-development library, reminding us that it is theingenuity and drive of people, not governments, that remains thesou

The New York Times bestseller-an investment book for thecoming age of high inflation. On the heels of the most recent economic crisis, America isheaded toward another: high inflation and dollar devaluation. Thesigns are clear: Federal debt is compounding while growth hasstalled, and America's foreign creditors are questioning thedollar's reserve currency status. Meanwhile, the "hidden" federaldebt, much larger than the official debt, makes things evenworse. But the good news, according to Charles Goyette, is that thosewho are prepared can protect themselves-and even profit-in this newera. Drawing on historical examples and a clear, down-to-earthanalysis, he explains the importance of gold, silver, and otheralternative investments when inflation takes off. He also givesreaders the investing tools to protect their savings and capitalizeon the opportunities ahead. Savvy readers don't have to be leftholding the bag after decades of government irresponsibility.

Written during the winter of 1857-8, the "Grundrisse" wasconsidered by Marx to be the first scientific elaboration ofcommunist theory. A collection of seven notebooks on capital andmoney, it both develops the arguments outlined in the CommunistManifesto (1848) and explores the themes and theses that were todominate his great later work "Capital". Here, for the first time,Marx set out his own version of Hegel's dialectics and developedhis mature views on labour, surplus value and profit, offering manyfresh insights into alienation, automation and the dangers ofcapitalist society. Yet while the theories in "Grundrisse" make ita vital precursor to "Capital", it also provides invaluablede*ions of Marx's wider-ranging philosophy, making it a uniqueinsight into his beliefs and hopes for the foundation of acommunist state.

Unfinished at the time of Marx'sdeath in 1883 and first published with a preface by FrederickEngels in 1894, the third volume of "Das Kapital" strove to combinethe theories and concepts of the two previous volumes in order toprove conclusively that capitalism is inherently unworkable as apermanent system for society. Here, Marx asserts controversiallythat - regardless of the efforts of individual capitalists, publicauthorities or even generous philanthropists - any market economyis inevitably doomed to endure a series of worsening, explosivecrises leading finally to complete collapse. But he also offers aninspirational and compelling prediction: that the end of capitalismwill culminate, ultimately, in the birth of a far greater form ofsociety.

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.

"Two experts from Yale tackle the business wake–up–call dujour–environmental responsibility–from every angle in thisthorough, earnest guidebook: pragmatically, passionately,financially and historically. Though "no company the authors knowof is on a truly long–term sustainable course," Esty and Winstonlabel the forward–thinking, green–friendly (or at leastgreen–acquainted) companies WaveMakers and set out to assesshonestly their path toward environmental responsibility, and itsimpact on a company′s bottom line, customers, suppliers andreputation. Following the evolution of business attitudes towardenvironmental concerns, Esty and Winston offer a series offascinating plays by corporations such as Wal–Mart, GE and Chiquita(Banana), the bad guys who made good, and the good guys–watchdogsand industry associations, mostly–working behind the scenes. A vastnumber of topics huddle beneath the umbrella of threats to theearth, and many get a thorough analysis here: from global warmingto el

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.

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.

Financial reports provide vital information to investors,lenders, and managers. Yet, the financial statements in a financialreport seem to be written in a foreign language that onlyaccountants can understand. This Seventh Edition of How to Read aFinancial Report breaks through the language barrier, clears awaythe fog, and offers a plain-English user's guide to financialreports. The book helps you get a sure-handed grip on the profit,cash flow, and financial condition of any business.

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.

The 2007–08 subprime financial crisis is the jumping-off pointfor Smick's (Johnson Smick International) examination of currentthreats to global prosperity. He explains that although thesubprime losses are small in the context of world financialmarkets, a lack of transparency has diminished investor confidence,dried up financial liquidity, and threatened the very foundationsof our world financial system. He says that the growth of globalfinancial markets has made it more difficult for central banks likethe U.S. Federal Reserve to intercede effectively in times ofcrisis. Smick compares the subprime crisis to past events like theUK's forced devaluation of the pound in 1992 and Japan's economicstagnation in the 1990s. He warns of pending dangers like anoverheating of the Chinese development juggernaut and the presentcalls for protectionism by U.S. politicians. He favors a globalfinancial system built on transparency and trust. Smick's role forsome 30 years as an economic adviser to central bankers andleg

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