Reviews (2)

Is this already happening???
This is a good book. It was recommended to me by a friend who took the professor's philisophy class. The professor provides an excellent lesson on capitalism. The economic democracy that the professor proposes is fascinating because it eliminates capitalism. First, the professor explains why capitalists are inherently bad for democracy, then he explains how we can do without capitalists, then he explains how we being to phase capitalists and their effects out of society. This is not a book that comes from far out in left field. In fact, I am the son of a father who is a member of a worker-collective right here in Chicago. Economic democracy is happening, but will it go as far as proposed in this book? If economic democracy is superior to capitalism, is there any other alternative for our future?

A vision of "Economic Democracy"
The evils of centrally planned socialism on the Soviet model are widely proclaimed, but capitalism has equally negative side effects: gross maldistribution of the fruits of the economy, the breeding of a mass consumer culture, and destruction of the environment among them. Capitalism may well collapse under its own excesses, but what would one propose to replace it? Margaret Thatcher's mantra was TINA...There Is No Alternative. David Schweickart's vision of "Economic Democracy" proposes a serious alternative. Even more fundamentally, it opens the door to thinking about alternatives. His may or may not turn out to be the definitive "successor system," but he is a leader in breaking out of the box. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Poverty reduction on a large scale depends on empowering those who are most motivated to move out of poverty—poor people themselves. But if empowerment cannot be measured, it will not be taken seriously in development policy making and programming.

Building on the award-winning Empowerment and Poverty Reduction sourcebook, this volume outlines a conceptual framework that can be used to monitor and evaluate programs centered on empowerment approaches. It presents the perspectives of 27 distinguished researchers and practitioners in economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and demography, all of whom are grappling in different ways with the challenge of measuring empowerment. The authors draw from their research and experiences at different levels, from households to communities to nations, in various regions of the world.

Measuring Empowerment is an invaluable resource for planners, practitioners, evaluators, and students—indeed for all who are interested in approaches to poverty reduction that address issues of inequitable power relations. ... Read more

Book Description

American society today is shaped not nearly as much by vast open spaces as it is by vast, bureaucratic organizations. Over half the working population toils away at enterprises with 500 or more employees--up from zero percent in 1800. Is this institutional immensity the logical outcome of technological forces in an all-efficient market, as some have argued? In this book, the first organizational history of nineteenth-century America, Yale sociologist Charles Perrow says no. He shows that there was nothing inevitable about the surge in corporate size and power by century's end. Critics railed against the nationalizing of the economy, against corporations' monopoly powers, political subversion, environmental destruction, and "wage slavery." How did a nation committed to individual freedom, family firms, public goods, and decentralized power become transformed in one century?

Bountiful resources, a mass market, and the industrial revolution gave entrepreneurs broad scope. In Europe, the state and the church kept private organizations small and required consideration of the public good. In America, the courts and business-steeped legislators removed regulatory constraints over the century, centralizing industry and privatizing the railroads. Despite resistance, the corporate form became the model for the next century. Bureaucratic structure spread to government and the nonprofits. Writing in the tradition of Max Weber, Perrow concludes that the driving force of our history is not technology, politics, or culture, but large, bureaucratic organizations.

Perrow, the author of award-winning books on organizations, employs his witty, trenchant, and graceful style here to maximum effect. Colorful vignettes abound: today's headlines echo past battles for unchecked organizational freedom; socially responsible alternatives that were tried are explored along with the historical contingencies that sent us down one road rather than another. No other book takes the role of organizations in America's development as seriously. The resultant insights presage a new historical genre.

Book Description

A wide-ranging, but thoroughly accessible, critiqueof the dominant political ideology and cultural sensibilities of the capitalist West.Its analysis centres on an unpicking of two foundational principles of capitalism: the need for economic growth and, secondarily, the importance of progress. Successive chapters explore and criticise key aspects of western society: consumerism, attitudes to work, government (especially ‘third way’ social democracy) and our treatment of the environment. In the final chapter, the author gives a sketch of an alternative post-growth society.

Growth Fetish is a powerful and highly readable synthesis of critiques of Western society under capitalism from a variety of angles - economic, cultural, environmental, philosophical - and its range is impressive. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Must read - must act
Extraordinarily insightful - significant and urgent.As a 'civilised' society we must dampen the motivation of self interest and greed at the expense of all else (relationships, environment and happiness).This book describes in detail the roots of our unhappiness 'the prisoners of plenty' and seeks to describe a way forward.It will capture your imagination and stir you to reassess your definition of success.

Easily the most signifcant book I have read and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Enjoy and hopefully our 'advanced' human race can evolve to a society that promotes and supports the full realisation of human potential for all.

Growth Fetish
Trained in economics and politics, Dr Clive Hamilton is Executive Director of The Australia Institute, an independent Australian public interest think tank. For the first time his book clearly analyses the current world-wide fetish for mistakenly equating economic growth with improvement in wellbeing and outlines his illuminating view of the "post-growth society". For instance, he states:- "The transition to a post-growth society will be just as far-reaching as the transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism or from industrial capitalism to consumer capitalism. It will fundamentally transform power relationships, social institutions, our relationships with others, our ethical rules, our attitudes to the natural environment and, ultimately, our consciousness."

This book demonstrates integrative thinking of a high order and is a welcome change from the plethora of writing that is full of critical thinking about world affairs but does little to suggest a way forward for the growing number of people who feel there is more to life than increased consumption.

I believe it is a "must read" for thinkers in all fields everywhere. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is about the analysis of regional economic performance and change, and how analysis integrates with strategies for local and regional economic development policy and planning. The book is not about the theory of regional economic development, although it provides the reader with an overview of key theoretical and conceptual contexts within which the economic development process takes place. Rather, the deliberate emphasis is to provide the reader - students and practitioners - with an account of quantitative and qualitative approaches to regional economic analysis and of old and new strategic frameworks for formulating regional economic development planning. This is done within the context of the evolution of society from the industrial to the post-industrial era in which contemporary forces of globalization and economic restructuring are creating increasing interdependence, rapid change, and high levels of uncertainty and risk for regions at all levels of scale. ... Read more

Book Description

A study of the transformation from the violent kinship of clan society to the prosperous politics of the modern state. In his experiences around the globe—among the miners of Kitwe, Zambia, the guerrilla fighters in Sudan, and the diplomats in Bogota—Robert Bates has studied firsthand the processes of modern political and economic development. In this concise volume, he shows us how, as a culture moves from dispersed agrarian clans to the dense modern metropolis, the nature of its capital evolves, from resources of kinship and family to more material investments. But this tenuous transition can only thrive within the favorable conditions ensured by the institutions of a peaceful modern state. Inspired by his work among diverse cultures, Bates looks back over the history of human civilization and illuminates how the often-violent clash within agrarian clans has developed into the coercive systems of institutions that compose Western statehood. Ultimately, Bates hopes to apply this understanding to building states that use power effectively, and that harness ethnic diversity not for violence and political power but for greater prosperity. 3 maps. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

what I've been looking foreward
Being a double major in political science and economics, it seems that I'm always looking at ways to connect the two subjects. Prosperity and violence does this so brillitanly that i read the book in a matter of a few hours. The book talks about how trade has brought people toghether to create cities to trade creating goverments in order to control and facilitate the process. Through time, goverment and the economy became mutually dependent and modern countires became to develop which the books compares to newly independent countries in the 20th century. The books goes into the present dealing with the cold war and how former allies of America and the USSR are comping with the transition into the 21rst century. ... Read more

Book Description

This book addresses the intricate relationship between the public and the private sector, covering why and how government intervenes in the economy and how business can respond. It provides analysis from both perspectives, presenting the ways that government policy affects the activities of the modern corporation and the key responses on the part of business.The volume provides an outline of government regulation of business, the global marketplace, government promotion of business and the future of the corporation.For Government Relations Officers, Public Relations Officers and Business Planners. ... Read more

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Reviews (5)

The Christian community should read this book
"Most people think that Americans are generous because we are rich.The truth is that we are rich...because we are generous..." So writes Claire Gaudiani.Why should Christians read this book?We don't want to save "Capitalism," do we?Perhaps not, but we know we'd miss it, if it was destroyed.Yes, the Christian community ought to find time to read this wonderful book on the history of American Philanthropy and how it has, in the past, played a vital role in helping to maintain the uniqueness of the American experiment.More importantly, Gaudiani explains the perils of our current "giving habits," the cultural reasons for the trend, and solutions to restore the spirit of philanthropy.She writes, "As more of us are better able every year to satisfy our wants and needs, we are not sharing a larger percentage of our income and wealth.We are retaining it in savings or spending it on ourselves and our families.Yet some segments of the population...are experiencing reductions in their well-being, notably children."Christians for the most part should appreciate America's history of philanthropy, for much of it stems from either the Judeo-Christian worldview or simply from a genuine Christian faith that seeks to "give away what God has given to make other people's lives better."The Christian community should also find a welcome friend in her words: "Philanthropy has, in the past, been quicker than government to imagine, test, and implement innovative methods for solving social problems."Of all people and social groups, the Christian community should read this book, if for anything to learn to appreciate the history of Philanthropy.Giving and developing strategies for philanthropic adventures are more than mere altruism.After reading Gaudiani's book, I find that philanthropy of any kind (American or Christian charity) is the human experience where self-interest and compassion are not in conflict.It is in the best interest of Americans (dare I say Christians) to ensure that everyone has access to the American Dream--the dream of upward mobility.In the humble opinion of this reviewer, more Christian communities and churches should design their own philanthropic adventures and meet the social needs that are knocking on their church doors.

Not so Ancient Wisdom
The Philanthropic Revolution started thousands of years ago in the fields of Eygpt when people then new that we need to "care" for each other. Give water to the thirsty passer by.

Claire, with a lot of compassion and breadth, reminds us the the "greater good" needs to be reenvigorated, as did Jane Addams' project to care for the larger community.

Chapter 6 go directly to the undrlyting feeling of the American Spirit.

The past 100 years shows us how to really appreciate and gain from that original intent. This book put's it into perspective and rekindles the spirit of giving.

Happy New Year.

What have you done for mankind lately?
I felt compelled to write this review because of the poor content by some of the other contributors -- one who didnt event read the book and the other ranting a personal attack with no focus on the book itself.
As a teacher, Colleen Kyle should know better than anyone else to actually read books before judging them. She might find herself actually learning something from the research of others. This is not a history book, and it doesnt claim to be one. Its encouraging people to re-think philanthropy and the long term impact generosity can have by showing how we have all benefitted from private giving already.
Mr. Chuck Jones needs to spend more time actually giving something back to society and little less time complaining about those who choose to take the personal and professional risks required to be a leader.
I would encourage people to read Gaudiani's book, to learn about how generosity affects society, and then think about what they can do in their local community to improve the lives of the less fortunate.

Bravo to an exceptional leader, scholar, and human being!
Any leader, executive, or member of our world society can learn and immediately benefit from this book. Dr. Gaudiani is one of the most exceptional and worthy leaders of our time. Her words of wisdom in this book exemplify the essence of her daily leadership practices. Just as the best leaders of our time have displayed, she is optimistic about human behavior and motivation. Critics' opinions expressed only underscore her importance and our need for her as a leader. Ironically, these opinions bring to light the necessity for a civil society and the "Greater Good." Where there is resistance, there is dissatisfaction with the current state in a social system, and Gaudiani is the ideal leader to provide the vision and first steps to bring us to a more democratic, unified, and satisfied state. Read this book with an understanding that you are learning from an exceptional, understanding, compassionate, highly emotionally intelligent, extremely knowledgable, cultured, worldly leader.

Initial reviews do not bode well
While I have not yet read this book and am opposed to purchasing it, as a history teacher I must object to at least one egregious error in the Booklist review: the GI bill as an example of American philanthropy?Excuse me?It was a federal law using federal monies for the greater good of the nation. Everyone paid for it.

As a former fundraiser, I know (as does Ms. Gaudiani) that motivations for philanthropy are rarely entirely altruistic: ego and self interest are huge motivators, as is the current tax system which provokes wealthy individuals to make donations to institutions of their choosing.Politicians going back to Alexander Hamilton have understood this.I applaud the largesse of the American people, but an argument that, among other flaws, compares our rate of giving with Breat Britain's, a country whose inhabitants pay higher taxes for the greater good of all citizens, seems specious.

I advise those considering purchasing this book to get their American history from more reliable sources. ... Read more

Book Description

The revised edition of this classic text contains discussions of the latest theoretical developments in regional economics and reviews recent changes in regional policy and institutions in the European Union. New case study material based on extensive academic research in Europe and the USA has been added throughout the book.This book is organized in two free-standing parts examining firstly the economic analysis of regions and then regional policy issues. Topics covered include multiplier and impact analysis, input-output models, growth theory, migration, regional labor markets, regional policy in the EU, regional devolution, small firms policy, foreign direct investment and a detailed explanation of the methods used to evaluate regional policy. Chapters can be read independently in cases where focused information is required, and the organization of the book makes this a very flexible and effective resource for course use. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Intoxicating and simply one of the best
I absolutely agree with the surprise of the previous reviewer.
I bought this from amazon.com in the mid-nineties and there were rave reviews even then. Maybe they were removed, somehow.

George Gilder, for all his wrong predictions and over enthusiastic boom time prophesies, really shines with this one.
He is such a good analyst and narrator of past events and their lessons - maybe he should keep there and not try to predict the future.

On the dullest of days, this book can uplift your spirits and infuse a feeling of positivity and optimism that I can hardly describe. The last chapter (Dynamics of Entrepreneurship) alone is worth ten times the weight of the book in gold. If you have ever attempted to create any type of change in the society around you (including starting a business), this book will bless you with a self-awareness and sense of destiny that you will cherish for a long, long time.

It is 12 years since the book has been out, I think it is time for George Gilder to write another update. This time with the heroic entrepreneurial stories from emerging markets like Taiwan, Korea, China and India.

Possibly Gilder's best
If you're a George Gilder enthusiast and have not yet read the Spirit of Enterprise, then you'll want to do so. If you've never read Gilder and would like an introduction, likewise, this is the book to try. I've read several though not all of Gilder's books, and "Spirit of Enterprise" entralled and educated me, even more than Gilder's other great books. While I enjoyed "Wealth and Poverty" and Gilder's writings on technology, this book, which is about entrepreneuers and their inestimable value in our society, is simultaneously less demanding on the reader, and more engrossing. Read about an Idaho lad who went contrarian, took risk, worked his tail off, revolutionized commercial agriculture, and then, incredibly, seeded one of America's best technology companies. Gilder's enjoyment of such tales is palpable. His explanation of their relevance is erudite. The book is a pleasure, one of the best I've ever read.

Recapturing the Human Element in Economics
First off, I'm shocked that no one has yet reviewed this book here. For those Gilder fans out there you know George's inimitable style of erudite and hip prose. He doesn't disappoint in this volume. So what's it about? It's about the determination of individuals to succeed. It's about people who fail, and fail and fail again but don't give up. Some of the stories he tells are almost beyond belief. The story of the Canadian geologist (I don't remember the name--it's been 21/2 yrs since I read it) frankly inspired me. The chapter on Cuban immigrants to Miami should, if there was any justice, be anthologized widely. The story of the founding of the Honda Corporation stunned me. Gilder's book made me take a hard look at my assumptions about what causes success in the business world. ... Read more

Book Description

This excellent book, newly available in paperback, addresses the growing dissatisfaction with the neo-liberal post Washington consensus. The concern of the contributors in writing this collection was that this consensus has established itself as a new orthodoxy, more powerful and widespread than its predecessor. This broad-ranging critique explains that without a much broader political economy the consensus is unlikely to provide a coherent framework for successful development policies. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. The Handbook of Social Choice and Welfare presents, in two volumes, essays on past and on-going work in social choice theory and welfare economics.The first volume consists of four parts.In Part 1 (Arrovian Impossibility Theorems), various aspects of Arrovian general impossibility theorems, illustrated by the simple majority cycle first identified by Condorcet, are expounded and evaluated.It also provides a critical survey of the work on different escape routes from impossibility results of this kind.In Part 2 (Voting Schemes and Mechanisms), the operation and performance of voting schemes and cost-sharing mechanisms are examined axiomatically, and some aspects of the modern theory of incentives and mechanism design are expounded and surveyed. In Part 3 (structure of social choice rules), the positional rules of collective decision-making (the origin of which can be traced back to a seminal proposal by Borda), the game-theoretic aspec ... Read more

Book Description

Environmental Economics distinguishes itself from other books by presupposing that readers already have an understanding of intermediate microeconomics. Thus, this book concentrates only on environmental economics--problems of pollution of earth, air, and water--with an emphasis on regulation and private-sector anti-pollution incentives. Coverage also includes international examples. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great introduction to Environmental Economics .
Actual rating - 4.5 stars .

I read this book as a must-read for the Environmental Economics course I had taken in the beginning of the last semester . I think this book is a great choice for students that are interested in this topic . Myself , I didn't know what to expect in the beginning of the course , but it turned up to be a surprisingly interesting and important issue - with the good help of this book .

I have to say that I've learned a lot from reading this book , and it has been a pleasant experience too . Professor Kolstad has really accomplished a commendable achievement in writing a fluent , methodical , thorough and interesting book about Environmental Economics , nearly everyone who wishes to , can read and understand .

I say it as a student who hasn't read other works on the subject , but nevertheless , feels this book has many pluses as an introduction to this subject :

- The author , in spite of announcing it is a book for persons that have taken an Intermediate Microeconomics courses , makes far-reaching efforts to explain nearly every statement he proclaimed . This is a good feature students can use for reviewing forgotten material , deleting the need to use more fundamental books for understanding .

- Significant number of chapters includes a small use of mathematic tools . This fact is of considerable help for the layman , who is interested in expending horizons and lacks the necessary mathematical skills .

I believe the following points characterize many tutorials , but it's important to note them anyway;

- Every figure the author uses is accompanied with detailed explanations that enhance the reader's ability to understand the sketch and the whole subject while at it .

- Every chapter includes an introduction and a summery . The first connects the chapter to the previous one , and assists in grasping the place it takes in the big picture of things , while the second one summarize the major issues dealt with . This functions organize the material and construct an understandable structure of knowledge .

- One last thing , that consists an advantage constructed with disadvantage is the appearance of questions and problems in the end of each chapter , in the obvious order to help you check out your understanding , but with the irritating absence of answers and solutions (!) . What's the point in composing personal examinations without any achievable , certified solutions ? How can I know I am right ? I recommend authors to annex a booklet/extra pages with the correct answers , along with a full description of the way to the solution plus explanations - if you include such a tutorial tool in your book - do it right .

Excluding the last disadvantage , I'm most pleased with this book , and would recommend it for anyone who is interested in environment and its protection problems

complete and comprenhensive
This book is more than a simple overview of the wide environmental economics world, since it embraces the subject in a clear, comprenhensive but in-depth enough to get a very good picture of it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Compelling Account of Global Poverty
Can Anyone Hear Us?, goes beyond typical methods of poverty assessment to get the inside track on global poverty through the use of Participatory Poverty Assessments (PPA's). PPA's seek to understand poverty from the perspective of the poor and directly involve the poor in follow-up action. This publication encompasses the uninhibited voices of 40,000 impoverished people around the globe. The result is a definition of poverty much richer than the traditional one, as well as, a behind the scenes evaluation of the current methods attempting to alleviate poverty in the world today. This new means of evaluating poverty is truly interesting because it puts a fresh spin on the issue.

Specifically, Deepa Narayan, the book's primary author, reveals that poverty is much more complex than generally perceived. She goes to great lengths to discuss that while poverty is material in nature, it has tremendous psychological repercussions. She weighs the voices of men and woman equally and uses the results of the studies to evaluate current programs, government, community-based and non-government, on the experiences of the people whom they aim to help. Finally, the book recommends various changes be made to status quo international poverty reduction programs.

Narayan succeeds in weaving the accounts of the poor into a convincing call to action without being overdramatic or whiney. Through her use of stories and quotations, her book has an unmistakable human cry; a cry that cannot be blocked from the ears of the reader. These unheard perspectives make the book a quick, yet thought provoking read. At times it seems that the personal accounts will never cease, and the reader is left feeling overwhelmed and depressed. This type of appeal is probably necessary, however, to awaken us to the reality that millions of people on the planet struggle daily for survival. Ultimately, the reader is left thinking, why didn't we consult with the poor earlier?

The most incredible issue highlighted in this book is the general lack of power and control the poor have over their lives. They are most often victims of circumstances beyond their control. Hard work does not make a difference. Many go to bed each night with their hunger unfulfilled, despite long hours of grueling labor. Their governments, our global markets, and even NGO's are not adequately responding to their desire to have a voice in the matters concerning their own fate.

Can Anyone Hear Us? is compelling. It gives a voice to those who have been unheard and forgotten and reveals that our current efforts to help alleviate poverty are falling short. It is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to understand the nature of global poverty.

Voices of the poor - Can anyone hear us ?
Several studies from Europe have over time shown that children growing up in poverty have long lasting effects on their physical and mental health, medical service utilization and criminal behavior. Poverty is even today in developed countries like United States and Israel (about 25% of children living in poverty) a major public health problem of a magnitude that is markedly different than Scandinavian countries (3%). The official poverty rate for children (the proportion of those poor) in the United States declined sharply between 1960-69, had an upward trend between 1969-93 with a steady figure around 20%, since 1981. In 1996, the federal government counted 20.5% of the children poor, 18.3% of those 6-17 years of age and 22.7% of all those under six years of age. In 1996, 16.3% of all White children were living in poverty, 39.9% of all Black children and 40.3% of all Hispanic children. This book is the first in a series of three books on “Voices of the Poor” with information gathered from the views, experiences and aspirations of over 60,000 poor women and men from 60 countries. This first bring the cry from 40,000 poor persons in 50 countries. It is devided in seven chapters: Listening, definitions, state institutions, civil society institutions, gender relations in the household, social fragmentation and the conclusion with ways forward. The work has been undertaken under the auspices of the World Bank. In the pages of this book you will find testimony to the poor people of this world, their hunger and pain, but also strength and resilience, which will point the way forward. We can see the need for further research into the effects of poverty on child development, investigate resiliency, adaptive behaviors and find ways to make policy relevant research...

true-to-life
very interesting, full of true-to-life experiences. It throbs. I could feel it right away. tells us how the poor see their poverty. hope the rich can hear the poor... ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides prespectives on various aspects of the international financial system that contribute to financial crises and growth failures, and discusses the remedies that economists have proposed for addressing the underlying problems.It also sheds light on a central feature of the international financial system that remains mysterious to many economists and most non-economists: The International Monetary Fund and the factors that influence its effectiveness. ... Read more