Synopses & Reviews
Economics is too important to be left to the economists, argues Jim Stanford, and this concise and readable book provides nonspecialists with all the information they need to understand how capitalism works (and how it doesnand#8217;t).
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Now in its second edition, Economics for Everyone is an antidote to the abstract and ideological way that economics is normally taught and reported. Key concepts such as finance, competition, and wages are explored, and their importance to everyday life is revealed. Stanford answers such questions as and#147;Do workers need capitalists,and#8221; and#147;Why does capitalism harm the environment,and#8221; and and#147;What really happens on the stock market.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Illustrated with humorous and educational cartoons by Tony Biddle, and supported with a comprehensive set of web-based course materials for popular economics courses, this book will appeal to students of social sciences who need to engage with economics as well as anyone seeking to better understand todayand#8217;s economy.
Review
and#8220;Stanford is that rare breed: the teacher who changed your life. He has written a bookand#8212;both pragmatic and idealisticand#8212;with the power to change the world.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Most economists worship the market, describing it as a fair, impersonal arbiter of efficiency. Hahnel brilliantly debunks this religion, providing powerful explanations of market failures on both micro- and macroeconomic levels. He combines clear exposition and mathematical illustration with a compelling passion for progressive social change.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A contribution of great value.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Must our economic lives be dominated by greed and competition? Free market economists have long answered yes. The ABCs of Political Economy shows, however, that what they and#8216;knowand#8217; is not so. Hahnel writes with clarity, originality, verve, and a relentless moral passion.and#8221;
Review
andquot;Is economics the and#39;dismal scienceand#39;? Not in Jim Stanfordand#39;s capable hands. If we are to have better economic policies in the future, and#39;everyoneand#39; needs a guide, and this one is short but sweet.andquot;
Review
andquot;Jim Stanford has provided a highly readable yet rigorous guide to the economics of capitalism. It is to be commended for its comprehensive yet critical coverage--from work to globalization, from the environment to high finance.andquot;
Review
andquot;Jim Stanford has written a wonderfully accessible and useful book for union activists or anyone else who wants to learn about how the economy works in order to change it.andquot;
Review
andquot;Hahnel has developed an especially powerful perspective by combining an education in conventional economic philosophy with an even more unusual capacity to apply his training to exploring ways that the economy and society could be reorganized in ways to increase human welfare rather than individual profits andandnbsp;increased personal consumption. The ABCs in the title should not be taken to imply a dumbed-down version of an important subject but rather a clear, coherent, and jargon-free explanatory sketch of how the rational society Hahnel envisions could work. . . . Highly recommended.andquot;
Synopsis
What is economics?What can - and can't - it explain about the world? Why does it matter?Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University, and writes a column for the Guardian. The Observer called his book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which was a no.1 bestseller, 'a witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy.' He won the Wassily Leontief Prize for advancing the frontiers of economic thought, and is a vocal critic of the failures of our current economic system.
Synopsis
In the wake of the economic disasters of the past decade, perhaps we could all use a refresher course in economics to help us understand.
The ABCs of Political Economy provides a lively and accessible introduction to modern political economy. In this compelling book, informed by the work of such eminent economic philosophers as Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, Michal Kalecki, Joan Robinson, and Hyman Minksy, Robin Hahnel provides the essential tools to comprehend todayandrsquo;s economic crises.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Hahnel explains the origins of the financial crisis of 2008, the ensuing andldquo;Great Recession,andrdquo; and why government policies in Europe and North America over the past six years have failed to improve matters for the majority of their citizens. It also helps explain the economic causes of climate change and what will be required if it is to be resolved effectively and fairly. The ABCs of Political Economy is perfect for anyone who wants to equip themselves with the ability to grasp as well as challenge existing preconceptions of political economy.
About the Author
Robin Hahnel is professor emeritus of economics at American University in Washington DC. He is author of Economic Justice and Democracy; Green Economics; and Of the People, By the People: The Case for a Participatory Economy.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Why Study Economics?
Part One: Preliminaries
1 The Economy and Economics
2 Capitalism
3 Economic History
4 The Politics of Economics
Part Two: The Basics of Capitalism: Work, Tools, and Profit
5 Work, Production, and Value
6 Working with Tools
7 Companies, Owners, and Profit
8 Working for a Living
9 Reproduction (for Economists!)
10 Closing the Little Circle
Part Three: Capitalism as a System
11 Competition
12 Business Investment
13 Employment and Unemployment
14 Inequality and its Consequences
15 Divide and Conquer
16 Capitalism and the Environment
Part Four: The Complexity of Capitalism
17 Money and Banking
18 Inflation, Central Banks, and Monetary Policy
19 Paper Chase: Stock Markets, Financialization,
and Pensions
20 The Conflicting Personalities of Government
21 Spending and Taxing
22 Globalization
23 Development (and Otherwise)
24 Closing the Big Circle
25 The Ups and Downs of Capitalism
26 Meltdown and Aftermath
Part Five: Challenging Capitalism
27 Evaluating Capitalism
28 Improving Capitalism
29 Replacing Capitalism?
Conclusion: A Dozen Big Things to Remember
Index