Book Description

Reviews (2)

A resource for movement Activists
This book extracts meaning from the chaos of tens of thousands of activists networking, planning, and uniting in Porto Alegre. Anyone who attended the World Social Forum or wishes she had attended will learn from this book why the Forum is so significant and why the Forum keeps growing and regenerating itself. The clearly presented themes help make sense of the Forum'what was said in Porto Alegre, why it matters to the world, and where we (social movements) may be heading.

I particularly liked the paper written by the World March of Women, in the subsection on Violence. The authors challenge the reader to see the culture of violence enforcing corporate globalization as a systemic extension of the 'original form of violence': violence against women. Violence is experienced by women in all parts of the world: 'Paradoxically, whatever the circumstances or forms of violence we women have suffered, we feel ashamed and guilty' this is true in every part of the world ' South and North, East and West' (p. 225). The authors remind the reader that the alternative, anti-capitalist globalization movement is nothing if it does not include women's needs. The same, of course, could be said about the needs and visions of peasants, people of color, lesbian/gay/transgender, or any other marginalized peoples; if our collective movement does not include these needs, the movement means nothing. The challenge presented in this book is how do we create an effective, collective movement with these diverse strands of experiences?

This book is unique because it draws on documents from not just prominent activist individuals, but also from movements, networks, coalitions, and organizations. People and groups such as National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, India, the World March of Women, Oxfam UK, and the Economic Solidarity Group of Quebec present their collective documents alongside movement intellectuals like Vandana Shiva and
Walden Bello. The book is clearly post-capitalist, pro-movement and valuable reading for activists and academics alike.

A Great Reference Guide for the World Social Forum
With the current war on terrorism underway here is a book that gives a venue to voices that are often silenced and ignored. Each year in Porto Alegre, Brazil, thousands of activists meet at the World Social Forum to exchange information, discuss challenges and plan social action to combat the neoliberal excrescences of globalisation (globo-colonisation). The book is essentially a compilation of the documents that emerged from the Forum in 2002 and as Fisher and Ponniah contend, it offers both a 'snapshot' of the left's perception of world affairs in 2002 and a deeper dialogue that lends a practical face to the desired alternatives to globalisation.

A key theme throughout is the collective call for 'the reinvention of democracy,' something that Fisher and Ponniah see as,
The reinvention of society such that the mode of economic production, the structures of political governance, the dissemination of scientific innovation, the organization of the media, social relations and the relationships between society and nature, are subjected to a radical, participatory and living democratic process (p 13).
This reinvention manifests itself in grassroots, bottom-up participation on an international scale both North and South and across lines of gender, sexual orientation, culture, and so on.

There is an impressive number of contributors and while they possess a shared general rejection of neoliberal economic policies they are also diverse in their responses towards combating the aggressive nature of globalisation. From radicalists to reformers, there are those who would abolish the multilateral lending institutions and there are those who would instead push for strong reforms within the existing international system. The diverse backgrounds of the contributors result in some documents offering vague or general ideas while others offer detailed assessments and specific proposals. The central thesis is that neoliberal globalisation only serves to perpetuate and strengthen inequalities.

The book's four parts demonstrate the panorama of interests as held by the tens of thousands of World Social Forum participants. The general thrust of the book is apparent from the beginning with the declaration that "the market needs to be regulated and guided by the democratic control of the public" (p. 28). And this control is to be achieved by pursuing 'new forms of participatory democracy,' 'a new internationalism,' 'a reconstitution the left,' and 'the struggle against war.' From there, the book concentrates on ways and means of pursuing this desire, and in an interesting way it exposes the diversity in opinion within the left.

Such diversity is especially obvious when discussing issues of debt, trade, financial capital, transnational corporations, labour and solidarity economy. Some contributors call for a coordinated economic policy, functioning at the global level and with a central bank. Moreover, it is suggested that the US, Europe and Japan could perform this function as their responsibility to undertake this task results from their having "pressured the world into a system of brutal competition" (p. 89). Others support the idea of anti or deglobalisation, replacing imports with local production.

The second part disputes the capitalist held position that globalisation, with its 'free' and 'open' markets, is the natural alternative to communist regimes. Presented here are compelling arguments concerning the incompatibility between neoliberal policies and nature's renewability and non-sustainability and bankruptcy of the ruling world order. Not surprisingly, there is harsh criticism of the World Trade Organisation's Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), with Oxfam UK drawing attention to the irony that, "all these rules will affect the lives of billions of people, yet until recently they have been introduced with minimal public debate" (p. 137). The documents in this part not only stress the impact and problems of TRIPs but also give detailed campaign strategies for combating negative affects.

Later parts expose issues such as the challenge of ensuring 'the right to information' when confronted by the reality of international media monopolies, this in addition to covering a range of fascinating topics from the 'hidden apartheid' of discrimination, migratory issues, expanding international sex industry, absence of global legal infrastructure for human rights, and the idea of a World Parliament. Near the end of the book James Petras gives a military definition of the current situation, underlining the thinking of many of the book's contributors. "In reality we are facing a situation of permanent warfare...We on the left have the capacity to intervene in the economic crisis if we make clear proposals" (pp. 299-300).

In summary, the book demonstrates the overarching shared ideologies of the contributors. This does not diminish the book's richness or utility, rather it brings together an invaluable collection of the left's perceptions and thinking with respect to offering alternatives to neoliberal globalisation. There is important reading for all those concerned with constructing economic models that serve society rather than vice versa. An editorial conclusion would make a welcome addition to future editions of this book. This edited volume provides a useful reference for those interested in the movement for global justice and solidarity.

Alexander I Gray, PhD
Marie Curie Researcher
Universidad de Deusto, Spain ... Read more

Book Description

Can Russia ever become a normal, free-market, democratic society? Why have so many reforms failed since the Soviet Union’s collapse? In this highly-original work, Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy argue that Russia’s geography, history, and monumental mistakes perpetrated by Soviet planners have locked it into a dead-end path to economic ruin.

Shattering a number of myths that have long persisted in the West and in Russia, The Siberian Curse explains why Russia’s greatest assets—its gigantic size and Siberia’s natural resources—are now the source of one of its greatest weaknesses. For seventy years, driven by ideological zeal and the imperative to colonize and industrialize its vast frontiers, communist planners forced people to live in Siberia. They did this in true totalitarian fashion by using the GULAG prison system and slave labor to build huge factories and million-person cities to support them.

Today, tens of millions of people and thousands of large-scale industrial enterprises languish in the cold and distant places communist planners put them—not where market forces or free choice would have placed them. Russian leaders still believe that an industrialized Siberia is the key to Russia’s prosperity. As a result, the country is burdened by the ever-increasing costs of subsidizing economic activity in some of the most forbidding places on the planet. Russia pays a steep price for continuing this folly—it wastes the very resources it needs to recover from the ravages of communism.

Hill and Gaddy contend that Russia’s future prosperity requires that it finally throw off the shackles of its Soviet past by shrinking Siberia’s cities. Only by facilitating the relocation of population to western Russia, closer to Europe and its markets, can Russia achieve sustainable economic growth.

Unfortunately for Russia, there is no historical precedent for shrinking cities on the scale that will be required. Downsizing Siberia will be a costly and wrenching process. But there is no alternative. Russia cannot afford to keep the cities left by communist planners out in the cold. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It's as though the US tried to re-create Cleveland in Alaska
The authors' main theme is that the Soviets' determination to create cities in Siberia has created an albatross that will hold back Russian economic development forever. Most of the cities of Siberia have no economic justification for existence, and by any standard, should not have been created in the first place. Even where there are large mineral or oil deposits, the cost of maintaining huge cities in the Arctic outweighs any possible profit. Getting these people to move to warmer parts of Russia would be beneficial all round, but is difficult due to housing shortages in the more desirable parts of Russia. The authors argue that Russians need to abandon their notion that settlement of Siberia is the destiny of the Russian people and will make Russia an economic powerhouse.

If there is a flaw here, it is that the authors keep hammering away at their main point, creating a repetitive tone toward the end of the book. Throughout the book there are short articles from various periodicals in gray boxes, which serve to illustrate the authors' theoretical arguments.

Never Trust A Real-Estate Agent
by John Dolan:

Every year or so, another silly theory comes into vogue among Western "Russia hands," that estimable body of scientific prognosticators not one of whom managed to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union until three or four years after it had occurred.
...
Think of all those nineteenth-century editorial cartoons sneering at Seward for buying Alaska from the Russians. That too was worthless, frozen land, fit only for bears. Anybody want to sell it back at, say, 100 times the price? Didn't think so.
...
Their arguments are often the most naive sort of social-science bluff, as when they use something called "Zipf's Law" to demonstrate that Russia's cities are of the wrong sizes and in the wrong place. I'm not familiar with the work of the unluckily-named Zipf, but if anyone out there knows him, please tell him for me that if Hill and Gaddy's paraphrase is an accurate summary of his theory, he's an ass.
...
It's somewhat surprising to see an argument so totally illogical praised as "highly original" and "a welcome and important contribution" to Russian studies--until you see who's praising it.
...
Sachs is, of course, the paradigm of the incompetent, sleazy Western consultant who did so much to destroy Russia in the 90s. Pipes is a mad reactionary who has been shrilly whitewashing serfdom and vilifying the Soviets for what seems like centuries. And Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's East Bloc specialist, is a Russophobe from way, way back, a man who makes Pavel Felgenhauer look like a Rodina deputy.
...
And it's very easy to see why The Siberian Curse serves their ends. By blaming bad Soviet planners for Russia's fall, this book helps get a sleazebag like Sachs get off the hook, confirms Pipes' one endlessly repeated argument that Soviet = evil, and endorses Brzezinski's conviction that the further east you go, the more Russian and evil everything becomes.
...
Another blurb-writer, Niall Ferguson of Oxford, states with naive clarity the real reason this book is doing well: "Those still wondering why market reforms have achieved only limited success in Russia since the collapse of Communism cannot afford to overlook this timely and original book."
...
In other words: Thank you for your book/ It lets us off the hook. The West cannot be blamed for the "limited success" of the "market reforms" carried out by Sachs and accomplices. Turns out the Soviets did it after all-from beyond the grave, as it were.

For more, exile.ru

The Cost of Cold
Everyone knows that Siberia is a very cold place. This book explains how the coldness of Siberia presents one of the greatest impediments to future development of the Russian economy. Under the best of circumstances, developing strategies for dealing with a large, unbearably cold place like Siberia presents tremendous challenges. The Soviets made the situation much worse by ignoring the cost of the cold. With an ample supply of forced labor provided by the GULAG prison system and a total disregard for the profitability of industrial endeavors, the Soviets put people and resources in places that made no sense economically. It is tempting to think of Siberia as a treasure chest containing vast quantities of natural resources just waiting to be exploited. Certainly the effort required to access these resources now represents an investment that will yield great rewards in the future. Hill and Gaddy expose the fallacy of this point of view using quantitative economic methods to support their detailed arguments. The cost of supporting people and factories in extremely cold places currently outweighs any benefit to the Russian economy. This book is written in a style that is both scholarly and accessible to the average reader. Not only does the book provide insight into why the Soviet economy failed, it provides clear-cut policy recommendations for economically sound ways that Russia can deal with the Siberian challenge now and in the future. According to economic considerations, Siberia is now enormously over populated and the people currently living there should be encouraged to move to warmer places. The treasures of Siberia should be kept in cold storage until technologies are developed to extract these resources profitably, without damaging the Siberian ecology.

A Challenge For Russia
This thought provoking book proposes a challenge to the Russian people. The curse of Siberia is its severe cold and the vast distances between towns and cities. Although there are large valuable resources, the cost of developing these resources make them almost unavailable. The book is well documented and rings of truth.
While reading I could not help, but hope that somr Russian officials read it and try to sell the Russian government on its thesis. It is a readable book and a must read for those interested in Russian history and how much geography has played a major role in its development. I highly recommend it and commend the authors for their contribution to world understanding. Taylor Neely, Carson City, Nevada ... Read more

Book Description

Through a critique of the economic, technological, political, and ethical theories that are the basis for current policy, this book shows that sustainable development proposals are at least incomplete or impractical and at worst dangerously misleading.

The concept of sustainable development presents a problem for theorists and policy makers because it cannot be objectively defined and subjective understandings vary widely. For the capitalist, sustainable development is a problem of production efficiency and technological innovation; for the environmentalist, a more appropriate ethic is a necessity; and for the developing country policy maker, a more equitable distribution of power over resources is imperative.

Harrison shows how sustainable development can be constructed from policy principles derived from ongoing adaptations to changes in values, beliefs, and scientific knowledge, and applied in both developed and developing nations and communities large and small. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Great passion and conviction -- terribly written
I completely agree with the political agenda of this book. I am glad it was written. Kovel is RIGHT ON TARGET.
But the book was dreadful to plow/bore through. Talk about OBTUSE VERBIAGE. There is still this awful tradition out there that if you wor dsomething so that it "sounds" brilliant -- it must be. I hate that tradition. We need plain language and simple articulation. This book is just the opposite. Here are but a couple of random examples to give you some idea: "Capital's invasion takes place across an ecosystemic manifold encompassing both culture and nature, with points of commodity formation arising everywhere" (p.55) -- got that? or "If 'entropy' is a logarithmic measure of the probabilistic disorder of a given physical system, the Second Law states that for such a system, whether it be the air in a room, a living body, or the earth as a whole, so long as neither energy nor matter is added to said system -- that is, so long as the system is 'closed' -- then its entropy will rise with time" (p.93) -- got that?
Look, there were many times in this book where I wrote "right on!" in the margins. There were also many times whene I wrote "blah blah blah"...I was going to assign this to my students of social theory -- I teach at a small liberal arts college. No way. Very few people can plow through this dense stuff.

Makes a powerful case
Anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist should read this book. Kovel makes the case the environmental destruction is inherent to the capitalist system and for the most part, reforms are little more than band-aids for a system that is, by its very nature, out of control.

Kovel focuses less on the environmental problems we face today (which you can find in any other book); and focuses more of the book lies in describing how the nuts and bolts of the capitalist economy works (which is what sets this book apart from all others).

He makes the case that actions like voluntarism, isolated cooperatives, bioregionalism, and so forth will eventually get rolled over by the immense power that capital has and are not long-term solutions.

My only problem with the book is that, while Kovel accurately describes the underlying environmental problem as having its root in capitalism itself, he doesn't present a coherent solution except an extremely vague "eco-socialism" (that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5). You can tell by this last chapter that he is groping for some sort of answer - going off in many directions.

If you want a cutting analysis of the problem human beings face today, get this book! If you want a revolutionary solution, this book is only a start.

Some background to a flawed but brilliant book
For Joel Kovel the revolution is only a matter of time. Marx was right: Capitalism cannot help but prepare the stew in which it will roast. But Old Whiskers got one thing wrong. The crucial antagonist of capital is not labor but nature. If Marx made a fetish of capital's propensity to generate too much wealth to be profitably re-invested, Kovel does the same in regard to planetary ecosystem crackup. Instead of periodic economic downturn catapulting the proletariat into History, it's the shattering of life-essential natural processes that's destined to set off socialist (make that ecosocialist) revolution.

Professor Kovel, who ran to the left of Ralph Nader for the Green Party nod in 2000, wastes no time making the case that capitalism, by its very nature, cannot help but destroy the integrity and well-being of what we call "nature." No need for yet another inventory of disturbances in the environment, our bodies, and our psychic balance (though Kovel does provide a lot of data in this regard). The enemy of nature is not oil or pesticides or factories or bulldozers but capital, "that ubiquitous, all-powerful and greatly misunderstood dynamo that drives our society."

While traditionally the marketplace is a means of exchanging goods for money so as to purchase other goods, under capitalism it becomes a way for those who already have money to accumulate more. Reversing the natural order, the merchant starts off with money and buys the product of someone else's labor, then turns around and sells it at a markup. As long as the laborer is poor and the buyer rich, the trader makes a profit.

What gives a commodity its value is not what we do with it, like using bricks to build houses or shoes to walk home in, but the price it commands in trade. In contrast to "use value"-- a quality that belongs to any given item intrinsically-- "exchange value" is an abstraction that must be expressed quantitatively. When you buy a pair of shoes (or better yet a thousand pairs) only to sell them for profit, their entire value is a number.

As the basis of economics becomes the trade itself and not the tangible thing exchanged, money is transformed into an all-consuming monster. No longer bound up with the limitations of actual land, people, and resources, it springs to life, an abstraction with a will of its own. "Pure quantity," says Kovel, "can swell infinitely without reference to the external world."

There lies the source of our ecological crisis.

Despite its reputation as the very acme of rational economic exchange, capitalism follows its own imperatives, quite apart from the needs of humans and ecosystems. In its compulsion to grow and multiply, capital "constantly tries to violate" whatever limit is set before it. Success means only one thing: surpassing yesterday's mark. No matter how big the beast gets, to cease growing further is to die. Yet the one thing we know for sure is that it can't grow forever. Sooner or later abstraction runs up against reality.

Does that mean capitalism is setting the stage for ecosocialist uprising? "If the argument that capital is incorrigibly ecodestructive and expansive proves to be true, then it is only a question of time before the issues raised here achieve explosive urgency." True enough, but that doesn't mean the Revolution is just over the horizon. What Kovel overlooks is the likelihood that worsening environmental conditions will exacerbate the scarcity that already pits us against each other. While the rich compete to survive as rich people, the poor compete to survive, period. If it's the money-driven struggle of all-against-all that's pushing us, inexorably, to the edge of the cliff, shouldn't we expect rising insecurity and the resulting intensification of this struggle to push us right over the edge? Precisely when, between now and doomsday, do the masses finally revolt?

As Kovel himself points out, capitalists are perfectly willing to perpetuate eco-destabilization as long as they can insulate themselves and perhaps even profit from the meltdown all around them. He cites an article in London's Guardian Weekly purporting to show a shift in elite opinion since the early 70s, when the Club of Rome called for "limits to growth." These days, digging our own grave is simply the ultimate business opportunity.

Taking Kovel to task in the September, 2002 issue of Monthly Review, John Bellamy Foster noted, "We should not underestimate capitalism's capacity to accumulate in the midst of the most blatant ecological destruction, to profit from environmental degradation... and to continue to destroy the earth to the point of no return-- both for human society and for most of the world's living species."

Times are tough? How about a liquidation sale? Like Marx before him, Kovel finds a silver lining where none exists. There's just no pulling the socialist rabbit out of the capitalist hat.

An Ecosocialist Manifesto
Joel Kovel's "The Enemy of Nature" offers a powerful and unflinching eco-Marxist critique of the capitalist system. Concluding that the path of accumulation must inevitably lead to a world wide ecological crisis, the author theorizes about the type of "ecosocialist" system that must supplant capitalism in order to ensure humanity's survival.

Kovel is part of a growing "Red/Green" movement that also includes the outstanding Marxist scholar James O'Connor. Kovel's arguments seem to build upon and indeed are closely aligned with many of the ideas in O'Connor's excellent book "Natural Causes," but I personally find Kovel's writing to be a bit more accessible than O'Connor's. Perhaps this pragmatism can be attributed to Kovel's political sensibilities, as he was a candidate for the Green Party Presidential nomination in 2000.

Kovel believes that various forms of so-called "Green economics" are doomed to failure because they do not address what he sees as the root problem driving the ecological crisis: namely, capital's need to continuously expand. He points out that whatever gains might be realized from the introduction of environmentally-friendly technology will be quickly outweighed by the expansion of the economy. For example, fuel cells might be less harmful than internal combustion engines, but if the technology merely enables the manufacture of hundreds of millions of new automobiles, the planet will ultimately be much worse off.

But Kovel acknowledges that the current Green movement is in fact helping to lay the groundwork for what is yet to come. The Green's emphasis on local democratic control of the means of production will help free labor from its bondage with capital, which is essential for socialism to succeed.

Of course, Kovel devotes a section to readers who may need to be reminded that really existing socialism as practiced in the Soviet Union and elsewhere was NOT what Marx intended. Kovel shows that these countries actually substituted the state for the market, in the end merely proving that markets were superior to centralized planning. The ruined environments left behind by the Communist states were testaments to a failed attempt at accumulation, in much the same way that the West is currently degrading the air, land and sea in its ongoing frenzy of accumulation.

Kovel speculates on how collapse might occur in the capitalist nations. He understands that a breakdown of the financial system could easily lead to fascism, or possibly "ecofascism", as capital seeks to hold on to power. But Kovel thinks it may be plausible that the pockets of production growing outside the bounds of capital may be strong enough to resist the counter-revolution. Indeed, Kovel points out that up to 20 percent of the world economy already exists in the "informal" sector, although most of this is comprised of criminal activity and much less of the positive kind (such as the Bruderhof communities of the U.S.).

This latter part of Kovel's analysis bears similarity to Nick Dyer-Witheford's "Cyber-Marx", although Kovel does not appear to be aware of this book nor is it referenced in his bibliography. In short, Dyer-Witheford theorizes that technophiles will appropriate the means of production in order to empower a society that eventually achieves autonomy by existing outside the bounds of capitalist control. Like Kovel, Dyer-Witheford envisions that the post-capitalist society will choose to apply its surplus value to the cause of freeing labor and restoring its ravaged social, physical and natural environments. In my view, the convergence of these two authors' thoughts -- albeit arrived at from different angles, but perhaps more compelling because of this -- bolsters both of their arguments and suggests that the possibility of radical change may not be as elusive as one might suppose.

I strongly recommend Kovel's book for anyone who may be concerned about the future of our society or for those who may be contemplating how a more humane world might come about.

A penetrating indictment of capitalism
After having read and greatly appreciated Professor Kovel's previous book, "Red Hunting in the Promised Land", I was somewhat surprised to see his entry into the ecological debate with "Enemy of Nature." But scepticism soon gave way to great insight about the fundamentals of our current ecological situation, an impending catastrophe threatening survival itself as Kovel makes clear.
Whereas other writers have examined ecological crises and misdeeds as isolated and independent manifestations of similarly discrete abuses by global and regional players, Kovel shows that the root cause of ecological ills is the capitalistic system itself, in effect the very nature of capital or "money-in-motion." What follows from this accusation is the even more unsettling demonstration that no amount of "corrections" of given abuses nor mere simple changes and "controls" applied to the basic rules of the game will suffice to reverse the dangerous nature- and life-threatening trends now evident world-wide. The Enemy of Nature is the capitalistic system itself, and if readers of such a statement should be tempted to dismiss the claim as mere Marxian doomsday-saying and thus forego a reading of it on the basis of our current celebrations that capitalism is the sole surviving economic system and therefore MUST be the best, such potential readers will be ignoring not only essential information, but be contributing to the continuation of processes which must surely end in chaos and anarchy.
For anyone who even pretends to have a passing interest in the future of Western civilisation and the questions concerning its health and survival now discussed with every passing ecological abuse and catastrophe, this book is a must. Ignoring it may well constitute a breach of morality. However, there is a great probability that the book may well be ignored because its arguments and conclusions are fairly well unanswerable and would require outright revolution in all spheres of human activity were it to be taken seriously. As such, it is hard to conclude anything else but that we are indeed approaching global meltdown and the end of history, not for the reasons that Francis Fukuyama laid out in his famous tome, but because the Panglossian continuation of our current ecological mania must soon end not only history but the means even to write it, and possibly even the species which writes. ... Read more

Book Description

Around the world, a revolution is occurring in finance for low-income people. The microfinance revolution is delivering financial services to the economically active poor on a large scale through competing, financially self-sufficient institutions. In a few countries this has already happened; in others it is under way. The emerging microfinance industry has profound implications for social and economic development. For the first time in history, capital is well on its way to being democratized.

The Microfinance Revolution is aimed at a diverse readership--economists, bankers, policymakers, donors, and social scientists; microfinance practitioners and specialists in local finance and rural and urban development; and members of the general public interested in development. The first volume of what will be a three-volume series, this book focuses on the shift from government- and donor-subsidized credit systems to self-sufficient microfinance institutions providing voluntary savings and credit services.

Forthcoming volumes in this series include:
The Microfinance Revolution: Lessons from Indonesia, ISBN 0-8213-4953-8
The Microfinance Revolution: The Emerging Industry, ISBN 0-8213-4954-6 ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Technology, Growth and Development
This is an encyclopedic volume on the role of technology in economic growth in both advanced and poorer countries. The extraordinary scope of the volume includes new insights on the role of the microprocessor and molecular biology in economic growth. This book will be the starting point for all readers interested in the role of technology in the growth process.

Everything you ever wanted to know about technology
This great book contains everything you ever wanted to know about the interplay between technology, economic growth, development, and the environment.

The book stands strong, treating both theory as well as empirical case studies comprehensively. It's full treatment of theory and exhaustive bibliography make the book THE introductory text book for any university curriculum. Extremely valuable cases studies - that will appeal also to the practitioner - are provided for agricultural innovations, biotechnologies, semiconductors, heat and power, and the chemical industry. Finally, the book blends in nicely also chapters on technology, differences in national systems of innovations and in the international diffusion of technology, as well as sustainable development issues.

In short: a reference book, well written and here to last. Thanks Vernon! ... Read more

Book Description

In this wonderfully cohesive set of sharp and witty essays, Paul Krugman tackles bad economic ideas from across the political spectrum. In plain English, he enlightens us on the Asian crisis, corporate downsizing, and the globalization of the American economy, among other topics. The writing here brilliantly combines the acerbic style and clever analysis that has made Krugman famous. Imagine declaring New York its own country and you get a better picture of our trade balance with China and Hong Kong. Try reducing the economy to the production of hot dogs and buns and you'll understand why common beliefs about the impact of production efficiency on labor demand are wrong. This is a collection that will amuse, provoke, and enlighten, in classic Paul Krugman style. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

An accessible book on a wide range of economic topics.
The Accidental Theorist was written by Paul Krugman, an economics professor at Princeton and a contributing author to Slate and Fortune magazine. (For more bio information, check out Dr. Krugman's personal site .

The Accidental Theorist is a collection of essays written for various journals and are categorized into six sections. Krugman showcases his belief in the markets and his contempt for supply-side economics all in one very accessible book.

Part 1: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Part 2: Right-Wing Wrongs
Part 3: Globalization and Globaloney
Part 4: Delusions of Growth
Part 5: The Speculator's Ball
Part 6: Beyond the Market

Part 1: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs This section discusses the misconceptions that the average Joe has about there only being a set amount of work to be done and that if this work is done by machine or sent overseas the economy will suffer.

Part 2: Right-Wing Wrongs Krugman appears to reserve certain contempt for supply-side economics and has reserved a whole section to for the topic.
Part 3: Globalization and Globaloney In Part 3 Krugman harps back to Part 1 and discusses the advantages of Globalization.

Part 4: Delusions of Growth
Part 4 is a grab bag of topics and covers topics such as: Inflation, Fed targeting employment rate, Japan's slump, Technology so-called productivity gains and others. This is the best section in the book and is worth the price of the book by itself.
Part 5: The Speculator's Ball
Part 5 discusses the currency markets. There was a lot of activity in this area in the 90's and is a good read.
Part 6: Beyond the Market Part 6 discusses where markets fail. Here Krugman discusses the environment, taxes, the economics of democracy and traffic jams.

All in all a very good read. The language is easily accessible and very informative. Though he does tend to repeat himself (expected in a collection of essays) each essay reveals more of Krugman's world view. There are places where Krugman seems to counter himself. At one point he says that the 1950-2000 technology change is not very impressive compared to 1900-1950, however when discussing inflation he claims there has been a huge increase in the quality of life over the same time period.

In summary The Accidental Theorist is a concise but valuable read.

Krugman is always fun to read
Paul Krugman knows how to make economics interesting and he does it without dumbing down the material. He is deservedly well known for his ability to illustrate economic phenomena using creative and easily understood models. Of course you won't be worthy of a BA in economics after reading this, but you will be able to experience some of the complexities with which the field concerns itself. Some of his essays in this book tackle more complicated issues than others, but all of them are insightful and are a great opportunity for laypeople to find out how economists think about economic scenarios. And, as a bonus, Krugman's writing is rarely boring.

Politics based economics based on faulty conclusions
"Paul Krugman has been proclaimed the most celebrated economist of his generation..." proclaims the back cover add. Celebrated by who? Maybe the former economic minister of the Soviet Union. Kruger's attacks on supply-side economics, and general good-for-business economic policies reveal a guy who might be an accomplished academic but has absolutely no common sense. Despite the 80 years of failure data that communist/socialist economic models provide a wealth of information on, we still have people that cling to these ideals. Like blind rats who cannot desert the sinking hulk of failure that centralization and management stupidity that is socialism, they cast about wildly, squeeking to the other blind rats. It is a small book, which was a relief

Pop Economics
In the introduction to 'The Accidental Theorist', Paul Krugman states his ambition to do for Economics what Carl Sagan has done to Astronomy - to serve it to the intelligent public without the specialized vocabulary and the math - to popularize economics. In so far as this book is intelligent, enlightening, and most of all - fun, Krugman has hit home run.

This is a book of essays, most published in Slate, but also including various speeches and pieces for other markets, such as the New York Times Magazine. In most of them, Krugman discusses the fallacies of prominent 'Accidental Theorists' - people who get economics wrong, either through ignorance of and contempt to economics - like the 'hero' of the title essay, Rolling Stone reporter William Greider who apparently thinks that economics is "not really a science so much as a value laden form of prophecy" even though he doesn't know the first thing about it (p.23) - or, for those who should know better, because they are blinded by their political agenda - like Conservative house leader and professor of economics Richard Armery, whose manipulation of data Krugman exposes (pp. 58-59).

Krugman is celebrated as an independent scholar, deconstructing fallacies both from the left and from the right. Even though Krugman attacks leftists wrongs (as in the aforementioned 'accidental theorist' and in a series of attacks on the dismal economic policies of socialist France), it is clear where his heart is. Krugman is a free market Liberal, who supports active governments, both for the definition of property rights ('Taxes and Traffic Jams' pp.173-178), and for helping the poor, including funding Medicare by increasing taxation (pp. 189-190). Krugman also attacks Supply Side Economics (in a whole section of the book titles 'Right Wing Wrongs'), and argues that inequality in American is not, for the most part, the fault of the poor (p. 54).

I basically share almost all of Krugman's views, and Krugman takes care to separate his ideology from his analysis, but he is not the unbiased source he sometimes appears to be (but then again, who is?).

The greatest in the arsenal of weapons in Krugman's war against economic fallacies is his command of prose. Krugman tackles difficult subject with the immense clarity and wit, and the pure joy of reading it would make this book interesting even for those who are well acquainted with economics.

The weakest aspects lie not in these essays themselves, but in the editing. Krugman essentially collected the essays, arranged them according to themes, and wrote introductions to each theme. The book suffers from several weaknesses which could have been avoided with a little more care.

First, there is a complete lack of scholarly apparatus that will let the reader track Krugman's facts and statements. The book has neither footnotes nor a bibliography, and there's not even an index.

Second, these essays were written in the middle 1990s, during the height of the Clinton years. They constantly refer to then current affairs. But what was the here and now in 1997 is now then and there, and the memory of events will not become fresher as the first Bush administration comes to an end. More background information about the situation when Krugman has written would have made this much easier to get into.

Finally, Krugman misses the opportunity to update us on what has happened since he has written these essays. Several people criticized here, such as historian David Hackett Fischer, must have reacted to Krugman's and similar criticisms, but if they did, their voice here is silent. Nor does Krugman bother to tell us how he feels the realities (such as the European Monetary Union or the troubles in Latin America) measure up to his predictions about them. It feels like a lost opportunity - Krugman could have reconsidered these essays, instead of merely republishing them.

Faults aside, Paul Krugman's book may just be the best written book about economics I've ever read. His prose and insights are well worth your time and money.

Excellent book, super fast delivery
Excellent book, super fast delivery ... Read more

Book Description

The World Development Report 2004 investigates how countries can accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by making services work for poor people. Success in reaching the MDGs will depend not just on faster economic growth and the flow of sources, but on our ability to translate those resources into basic services, especially in health, education, water, and sanitation. Too often, the delivery of services falls far short of what could be achieved, due to issues such as weak incentives for performance, corruption, imperfect monitoring, and administrative logjams. Some countries have addressed the problem by involving poor people in service delivery; the results have been impressive. Giving parents input into their children's education, patients a say over hospital management, and making agency budgets transparent all contribute to improving outcomes in human development.Celebrating the successful innovations--while taking a hard look at some of the failures--this Report offers guidance to policymakers, donors, and citizens on improving the delivery of basic services. It serves to deepen understanding and highlight the importance of empowering and investing in poor people. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Focus on the problem.
Regardless of your political views, opinions about globalization, or general predisposition to the World Bank, the WDR 2004 is an essential publication addressing the issues of poverty and equity in health, education, and socioeconomic terms. Not only are the issues of equity being raised on an international level but intranationally as well. The WDR 2004 takes on the issues and problems that are increasing the disparity between the haves and have-nots within a given country. Without prejudice or preference, this report discusses the failures of institutions, national and multinational, in making the necessary strides to address poverty and the plight of the poor. This report is one of the most comprehensive resources available right now for understanding and responding to the issues of provision and access for the poor to proper healthcare, education, sanitation, clean water and electricity.

Classic Doublespeak
MAKING POOR PEOPLE WORK FOR (LOUSY) SERVICES: How the World Bank Impoverishes Third World Countries would be a more accurate title. For balance, see 50 Years Is Enough: The Case Against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, by Kevin Danaher, and Masters of Illusion the World Bank and the Poverty of Nations, by Catherine Caufield. Let's not forget, some 40,000 children die every day from hunger or hunger-related diseases - all in countries that have been under the thumb of the World Bank for years. Enough is enough. This neocolonial institution must go. Only then will coffee plantations and aquaculture farms again grow food for the people who actually need it. ... Read more

Book Description

World Development Indicators, the World Bank's respected statistical publication presents the most current and accurate information on global development on both a national level and aggregated globally. This information allows readers to monitor the progress made toward meeting the goals endorsed by the United Nations and its member countries, the World Bank, and a host of partner organizations in September 2001 in their Millennium Development Goals. The print edition of World Development Indicators 2005 allows you to consult over 80 tables and over 800 indicators for 152 economies and 14 country groups, as well as basic indicators for a further 55 economies. There are key indicators for the latest year available, important regional data, and income group analysis. The report contains six thematic presentations of analytical commentary covering: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links.

The CD-ROM editions contain 43 years of time series data for more than 200 countries from 1960-2003, single-year observations, and spreadsheets on many topics. It contains more than 1,000 country tables and the text from the World Development Indicators 2005 print edition and the World Bank Atlas (36th edition). The Windows® based format permits users to search for and retrieve data in spreadsheet form, create maps and charts, and fully download them into other popular software programs for study or presentation purposes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"In China, I feel the explosive combination of forces aligning to create the kind of change that alters the course of history," writes David Sheff in the introduction to China Dawn, his book on the entrepreneurs who are trying to spark a social transformation and make a mint as they bring the latest information technology to the planet's most populous country. The idealistic heroes of this story are Bo Feng and Edward Tian, both friends of the author. Feng is a Marin County busboy who becomes one of China's top venture capitalists; Tian is the cofounder of AsiaInfo, the first private Chinese firm to go public in the West. Like so many others, Feng and Tian were deeply affected by the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and they believe the Internet can set their country on an irreversible course toward freedom. At bottom, though, China Dawn is an engaging business book that chronicles the "unlikely group of revolutionaries" who hope to become the Bill Gates and Andy Groves of their country. It is difficult to know whether they will succeed, but hard not to wish them luck. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A riveting story, Life changing book
I ordered this book by reading some kind of review but never had time to read it in 4 months once I got it. On the back trip to China a month ago, I finished it non-stop in the flight. It is one of the best I have read about what's happening in the technology in China in a long time. I am a Chinese and working in the IT field, have the similar experiences with those people in the book. Enjoy reading.

One of the best
I ordered this book by reading some kind of review but never had time to read it in 4 months once I got it. On the back trip to China a month ago, I finished it non-stop in the flight. It is one of the best I have read about what's happening in the technology in China in a long time. I am a Chinese and working in the IT field, have the similar experiences with those people in the book. Enjoy reading.

This book is a purely a domcom story
The characters in this book are not what the book described since the author is the personal friend of the characters. This is purely free publicity for them. Search the web and you will find other comments about the auther. The latest story is the VCs have splited since they can't really get along, and the politics in the VC firm was unbearable with just a few people. Most of the portfolio companies are in bad shape. The VC's website has not been updated since 2001, wonder why. If you really want to know about IT in China, then you should learn from other sources. Most of the IT companies in China are not making money. This book only gives you a picture of the early dotcom years and we all know what happened. Don't judge the book by the cover or the content. It is only a perspective from one person.

Awesome
This book was awesome, I highly recommend it as a great introductory book into the business revolution in China, however it does not go too much in depth into the complexities of China's evolution in the past 20 years. But Sheff tells a great story and it is definitly a page turner!

Astounding
One of the best business books I have ever read. It is an inspiring story, written with insight and passion. I'm ready to pack up and head to China. ... Read more

Book Description

Extensively revised to reflect the new directions in development thought and policy, this new edition of a classic text examines what has been learned theoretically and empirically about agricultural and rural economic development since the 1950s.

With 24 of the 35 chapters completely new, the book takes into account recent developments in international agricultural development, especially as these affected the role of the state, markets, and other institutions in development. The authors address three basic questions about agricultural development in low- and middle-income countries: What are the strategic roles of agriculture in national development strategies? How can the agrarian transformation be accelerated? How can rural economic development be promoted to generate jobs and reduce poverty in rural areas? In addressing these questions, the authors deal with topics such as market failures, food insecurity, rural poverty, environmental degradation, income and asset inequality, fiscally sustainable organizations, the changing roles of the public and private sector in research, and input and output marketing systems. Four case studies (China, Indonesia, Colombia, and Sub-Saharan Africa) examine how different countries struggle with these issues as they restructure their basic economic institutions.

Praise for previous editions:

"A welcome addition to the literature on agricultural development... with a wide coverage of its major considerations." --Canadian Journal of Development Studies

"Presents the views of leading scholars on major theoretical and policy issues concerning agriculture's role in the Third World economies." --Abstracts of Development Studies

Book Description

The proliferation of regional trade agreements is fundamentally altering the world trade landscape. The number of agreements in force surpasses 200 and has risen eight-fold in two decades. Today as much as 40 percent of global trade takes place among countries that have some form of reciprocal regional trade agreement.

Global Economic Prospects 2005: Trade, Regionalism, and Development addresses two questions:

** What are the characteristics of agreements that most promote—or hinder—development for member countries?
** Does the proliferation of agreements pose risks to the multilateral trading system, and if so, how can these risks be managed?

The report argues that agreements leading to open regionalism—that is, deeper integration of trade as a result of low external tariffs, increased services competition, and efforts to reduce cross-border and customs delays costs—are effective as part of a larger trade strategy to promote growth. Such regional agreements can complement a strategy that, on the one hand, includes autonomous liberalization to promote productivity gains and, on the other hand, leverages domestic reforms to enhance market access.

Although regional agreements can prove beneficial to member countries, they can have adverse effects on excluded countries. Lowering of border barriers around the world is crucial to minimizing these effects. The completion of the Doha Development Agenda by all countries in the World Trade Organization will reduce the risk of trade diversion associated with regional agreements and will decrease trade losses of countries excluded from agreements. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years a startling policy innovation has emerged within global and domestic environmental governance: certification systems that promote socially responsible business practices by turning to the market, rather than the state, for rule-making authority. This book documents five cases in which the Forest Stewardship Council, a forest certification program backed by leading environmental groups, has competed with industry and landowner-sponsored certification systems for legitimacy.

The authors compare the politics behind forest certification in five countries. They reflect on why there are differences regionally, discuss the impact the Forest Stewardship Council has had on other certification programs, and assess the ability of private forest certification to address global forest deterioration.


... Read more

Book Description

(NOT FOR SALE IN CANADA) Brenner examines whether the 21st Century will be another American century; the financial and regulatory changes required to adjust to a more mobile world; religion and nationalism; the connection between democracy and financial markets; and the links between higher education and myths societies live by.And all this is in clear, compelling writing that is devoid of jargon. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best in the Business
I strongly feel that The Force of Finance must be on the desks of all current and aspiring leaders who want to bring prosperity to their people.

Dr. Brenner shows and proves that 'democratised capital markets' are the bringer of prosperity, and the bringer of the governments and institutions worthy of generating and sustaining the back-cloth of trust. Writing in the vein of Ronald Coase, Peter Bauer and Friedrich Hayek, he explains that 'political democracy' can only come about by capitalism at the grass-roots... because "mercantile interests are diverse, not dogmatic"...

Moreover, Dr. Brenner explains the emergence of Pax American w.r.t. 'democratised capital markets' (i.e. highly competitive banks, underwriters, venture capitalists, etc.); for US capital markets create an exceptional 'trial-by-error' meritocracy:

(i) alluring the creme de la creme from around the world, and (ii) reshaping - bottom up - regulatory bodies and political parties.

Dr. Brenner is covetous for solid research, and understands the wisdom in the dictum: "Persuade with facts, not speech!" Also, he has a remarkably vivid writing style, free of jargon, free of gerrymandering...

After careful reading - and re-reading - The Force of Finance, I find credit and collateral to be vital in creating a mobile people, bubbling new riches, ideas and experiments.

Dr. Brenner is a bearer of light! I can say no more, I will say no less.

An Inside Look Into A Positive Global Economy
Reuven Brenner, an intense, dynamic, and iconoclast economist, has entered a very weighty two cents into the current thought on the world economy with this new book.

With multiple clear examples of politics and history, he shows the difference between America's open capital markets and most of the world's nations closed capital markets, and why America has been at the forefront of econonomic and capitalist development for more than 50 years.

His main argument: Citizens of any nation should have access to capital in order to embark on ventures that will produce profit.The most valuable resource any nation has are its talented citizens, by denying them access to the ability to be entrepreneurs, the nation is hurting itself and its growth.The answer: Let them access the resources they need, but hold both sides accountable.It won't keep an Enron from happening, but it will keep it from happening again, as is obvious with new accounting reforms.

Using examples from pre/post Communist Russia, Latin America, Islamic Fundamentalist states, and budding open capital markets, Brenner proves that any system that restricts access to capital is doomed to fail.Sure to open your mind and expose you to the true story of the global economy, The Force Of Finance is the penultimate book on how to turn a third world nation into a modern state that is living up to its potential. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The new edition of this text has been fully updated throughout and features expanded sections on issues such as global warming, biotechnology, and energy. Global Issuesis an introduction to the nature and background of some of the central issues - economic, social, political, environmental - of modern times. It will provide the basis for a stimulating course for beginning students in departments of geography, politics, sociology and environmental science. The book opens with an overview of the complex political, cultural and natural origins of world problems and of why some nations are rich and some are poor. The author then discusses in depth such issues as population growth, hunger, the extinction of species, global warming and climatic change, ozone depletion, energy conservation, deforestation, and the misuse of technology.The book covers a range of perspectives on a diversity of societies, developed and developing. The author writes clearly, stressing the need, by argument and by exemplification, for informed, critical thinking. Students are shown both the decisions that have been made - and the resulting failures and successes - and the choices that must now be faced if crucial problems are to be solved.The book is extensively illustrated with diagrams and photographs, contains guides to further reading, media, and internetresources, and includes suggestions for discussion and studying the material. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent one volume intro to how all the issues connect.
I used this book as text for high school "Global Studies" courses, and thought it was terrific in its understandable but not watered down treatment of the big issues -- war, hunger, women's rights,population, environment, etc.Shows how these issues relate to each other.It was a stretch for 9th graders, but would be perfect for high schoolseniors or college intro. ... Read more

Book Description

The culmination of a five-year project by the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), this book presents an inspiring plan for moving toward more sustainable, humanistic models of economic prosperity with an emphasis on citizen democracies, local self-sufficiency, and ecological health. Areas of discussion include the ten core requirements for democratic societies as well as alternative systems of energy, agriculture, and manufacturing. Written by a premier group of 18 thinkers from around the world and edited by best-selling authors John Cavanagh and Jerry Mander, this revised and expanded edition represents the official consensus of the living democracy movement. Delving into the most compelling alternatives to globalization thus far, it features a chart on the effects of globalization and three entirely new chapters on the global balance of power, the media, and what ordinary people can do about globalization. ... Read more

Book Description

Can one explain the power of global capitalism without attributing to capital a logic and coherence it does not have? Can one account for the powers of techno-science in terms that do not merely reproduce its own understanding of the world? Rule of Experts examines these questions through a series of interrelated essays focused on Egypt in the twentieth century. These explore the way malaria, sugar cane, war, and nationalism interacted to produce the techno-politics of the modern Egyptian state; the forms of debt, discipline, and violence that founded the institution of private property; the methods of measurement, circulation, and exchange that produced the novel idea of a national "economy," yet made its accurate representation impossible; the stereotypes and plagiarisms that created the scholarly image of the Egyptian peasant; and the interaction of social logics, horticultural imperatives, powers of desire, and political forces that turned programs of economic reform in unanticipated directions. Mitchell is a widely known political theorist and one of the most innovative writers on the Middle East. He provides a rich examination of the forms of reason, power, and expertise that characterize contemporary politics. Together, these intellectually provocative essays will challenge a broad spectrum of readers to think harder, more critically, and more politically about history, power, and theory. 1 b/w photograph, 5 line illustrations ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mitchell continues to innovate
Timothy Mitchell writes consistently on the Middle East in ways that challenge the presupposition of field. This book is a collection and revision of many studies previously published, but they are integrated into a whole to provide insights into new ways to consider. The conclusions thereof are wide-ranging, highlighting the falsification and fallacies of behind the reasoned application of universalized logics capital and techno-politics to Egyptian particularities.

Mitchell's most powerful and provocative insights occur in his essays on the history of peasant politics in instances of malaria epidemics, colonial agricultural policies, and violence and the establishment of private property and land 'reforms'. This work likely can bring its insights to bear are on any research currently being done on the Middle East.

Thoughtful and envigorating
Mitchell's "Colonising Egypt" transformed my experience as a student in Egypt, so I was looking forward to this work from one of the best minds in in Middle East Studies. "Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity" does not disappoint. Mitchell's work is self-reflective, de-orientalized, thought-provoking scholarship. Mitche