A brilliant reconsideration of the Gilded Age in America, whenan oligarchy of wealth triumphed over democracy, when dreams offreedom and equality died of their impossibility. Jay Gould, the“Mephisto of Wall Street,” never runs for office, but he rules.This was his time (and John D. Rockefeller’s and AndrewCarnegie’s), and this was his country. At the end of the Civil War, with the rebellion put down andslavery ended, America belonged to Lincoln’s “plain people.” But“government of the people” and economic democracy were betrayed bypolitical parties that fanned memories of the war to distractAmericans from government of the corporation. Synthesizing the research of a new generation of scholars, JackBeatty gives us a fresh look at the “revolution from above” ofindustrialization that forged modern America. In Age of Betrayal,Supreme Court justices turn the Fourteenth Amendment’s promise of“equal protection of the laws” to the freed slave into the shieldof the corpora
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.
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
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
From the bestselling, prize-winning author of THE LAST TYCOONSand HOUSE OF CARDS, a revelatory history of Goldman Sachs, the mostdominant, feared, and controversial investment bank in theworld For much of its storied 142-year history, Goldman Sachs hasprojected an image of being better than its competitors--smarter,more collegial, more ethical, and far more profitable. Thefirm--buttressed by the most aggressive and sophisticated p.r.machine in the financial industry--often boasts of "The GoldmanWay," a business model predicated on hiring the most talentedpeople, indoctrinating them in a corporate culture where partnersstifle their egos for the greater good, and honoring the "14Principles," the first of which is "Our clients' interests alwayscome first." But there is another way of viewing Goldman--a secretivemoney-making machine that has straddled the line betweenconflict-of-interest and legitimate deal-making for decades; a firmthat has exerted undue influence over government since the ear
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.
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.
The knowledge, resources, and computing power of billions ofpeople are self-organizing into a massive new collective force.Interconnected and orchestrated through blogs, wikis, chat rooms,peer-to-peer networks, and personal broadcasting, the Web is beingreinvented to provide the first global platform for collaborationin history. Encouraging consumers, employees, suppliers, partnersand competitors alike to share information and ideas, masscollaboration marks a profound change in the way business isconducted and radically alters the future of corporatearchitecture, strategy and management. WIKINOMICS is the definitiveinvestigation into how small businesses can achieve success byusing a dynamic ecosystem of partners to co-create and peer-producevalue in this newly-emerging, networked economy.
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.
For the Third Edition, 2001 Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz joins forces with new co-author Carl Walsh, who brings both economic expertise and teaching savvy to the project. Together, Stiglitz and Walsh thoroughly integrate contemporary economics into the traditional curriculum. Recognizing the limitations of the traditional AS/AD model, the authors offer an improved framework for the analysis of macroeconomic fluctuations. This approach emphasizes the role of the Fed and the federal funds market in the determination of short-term interest rates. The result is an analysis of fluctuations in inflation/output space and a model reflecting the real world of macroeconomics that students encounter in the business press and other media.
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.
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.
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
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
"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
Translated into more than twenty languages and named one ofthe best business books of the year by reviewers around the world, Wikinomics has become essential reading for business peopleeverywhere. It explains how mass collaboration is happening notjust at Web sites like Wikipedia and YouTube, but at traditionalcompanies that have embraced technology to breathe new life intotheir enterprises. This national bestseller reveals the nuances that drivewikinomics, and share fascinating stories of how masses of people(both paid and volunteer) are now creating TV news stories,sequencing the human gnome, remixing their favorite music,designing software, finding cures for diseases, editing schooltexts, inventing new cosmetics, and even buildingmotorcycles.