New Titles in Business & Economics — FY2024: Economics Book Funds

Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality by Angus Deaton From the Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times bestselling coauthor of Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, candid reflections on the economist's craft When economist Angus Deaton immigrated to the United States from Britain in the early 1980s, he was awed by America's strengths and shocked by the extraordinary gaps he witnessed between people. Economics in America explains in clear terms how the field of economics addresses the most pressing issues of our time--from poverty, retirement, and the minimum wage to the ravages of the nation's uniquely disastrous health care system--and narrates Deaton's account of his experiences as a naturalized US citizen and academic economist. Deaton is witty and pulls no punches. In this incisive, candid, and funny book, he describes the everyday lives of working economists, recounting the triumphs as well as the disasters, and tells the inside story of the Nobel Prize in economics and the journey that led him to Stockholm to receive one. He discusses the ongoing tensions between economics and politics--and the extent to which economics has any content beyond the political prejudices of economists--and reflects on whether economists bear at least some responsibility for the growing despair and rising populism in America. Blending rare personal insights with illuminating perspectives on the social challenges that confront us today, Deaton offers a disarmingly frank critique of his own profession while shining a light on his adopted country's policy accomplishments and failures.

India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today by Ashoka Mody A provocative new account of how India moved relentlessly from its hope-filled founding in 1947 to the dramatic economic and democratic breakdowns of today. When Indian leaders first took control of their government in 1947, they proclaimed the ideals of national unity and secular democracy. Through the first half century of nation-building, leaders could point to uneven but measurable progress on key goals, and after the mid-1980s, dire poverty declined for a few decades, inspiring declarations of victory. But today, a vast majority of Indians live in a state of underemployment and are one crisis away from despair. Public goods--health, education, cities, air and water, and the judiciary--are in woeful condition. And good jobs will remain scarce as long as that is the case. The lack of jobs will further undermine democracy, which will further undermine job creation. India is Broken provides the most persuasive account available of this economic catch-22. Challenging prevailing narratives, Mody contends that successive post-independence leaders, starting with its first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, failed to confront India's true economic problems, seeking easy solutions instead. As a popular frustration grew, and corruption in politics became pervasive, India's economic growth relied increasingly on unregulated finance and environmentally destructive construction. The rise of a violent Hindutva has buried all prior norms in civic life and public accountability. Combining statistical data with creative media, such as literature and cinema, to create strong, accessible, people-driven narratives, this book is a meditation on the interplay between democracy and economic progress, with lessons extending far beyond India. Mody proposes a path forward that is fraught with its own peril, but which nevertheless offers something resembling hope.

My Journeys in Economic Theory by Edmund Phelps Edmund Phelps is among the most important economists of his generation. He developed a new understanding of unemployment and inflation and went on to rethink the roots of innovation. His work represents a lifelong project to put "people as we know them" into economic theory. In this book, Phelps tells the story of his role in reshaping economic theory, offering a powerful personal account of a creative and rewarding career. My Journeys in Economic Theory charts two major phases of Phelps's work, illuminating the breadth of his contributions to the field. First, introducing the expectations of wage setters and cofounding the "equilibrium" rate of unemployment, he built the microeconomic foundations for the employment theory pioneered by Keynes and Hicks. More recently, he conceived a theory of "mass flourishing" superseding Schumpeter and Solow's conception of the process of innovating--a theory in which individuals' creativity and society's dynamism fuel grassroots innovation and generate job satisfaction in the process. Phelps recounts his vivid experiences in the world of economics--fierce arguments, competition and collaboration, and the good fortune of time spent among some great figures--as well as his relationships with luminaries such as John Rawls, Thomas Nagel, Paul Samuelson, and Paul Volcker. At its core, this book shares the joy of intellectual achievement: the excitement of coming up with a new idea that radically departs from prevailing views and the satisfaction of exercising one's own ingenuity instead of applying or developing others' models. Telling the story of a life packed with intellectual adventure, My Journeys in Economic Theory provides a profound vision of a dynamic, modern economy that offers lives rich with creativity and meaning.

Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence. by Ajay Agrawal; Joshua Gans; Avi Goldfarb Disruption resulting from the proliferation of AI is coming. The authors of the bestselling Prediction Machines can help you prepare. Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted many industries around the world--banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, medical technology, manufacturing, and retail. But it has only just begun its odyssey toward cheaper, better, and faster predictions that drive strategic business decisions. When prediction is taken to the max, industries transform, and with such transformation comes disruption. What is at the root of this? In their bestselling first book, Prediction Machines, eminent economists Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb explained the simple yet game-changing economics of AI. Now, in Power and Prediction, they go deeper, examining the most basic unit of analysis: the decision. The authors explain that the two key decision-making ingredients are prediction and judgment, and we perform both together in our minds, often without realizing it. The rise of AI is shifting prediction from humans to machines, relieving people from this cognitive load while increasing the speed and accuracy of decisions. This sets the stage for a flourishing of new decisions and has profound implications for system-level innovation. Redesigning systems of interdependent decisions takes time--many industries are in the quiet before the storm--but when these new systems emerge, they can be disruptive on a global scale. Decision-making confers power. In industry, power confers profits; in society, power confers control. This process will have winners and losers, and the authors show how businesses can leverage opportunities, as well as protect their positions. Filled with illuminating insights, rich examples, and practical advice, Power and Prediction is the must-read guide for any business leader or policymaker on how to make the coming AI disruptions work for you rather than against you.

Power and progress : our thousand-year struggle over technology and prosperity by Daron Acemoglu; Simon Johnson The bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail and the bestselling co-author of 13 Bankers deliver a bold reinterpretation of economics and history that will fundamentally change how you see the world   A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing clear: progress depends on the choices we make about technology. New ways of organizing production and communication can either serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity. The wealth generated by technological improvements in agriculture during the European Middle Ages was captured by the nobility and used to build grand cathedrals, while peasants remained on the edge of starvation. The first hundred years of industrialization in England delivered stagnant incomes for working people. And throughout the world today, digital technologies and artificial intelligence undermine jobs and democracy through excessive automation, massive data collection, and intrusive surveillance. It doesn't have to be this way. Power and Progress demonstrates the path of technology was once--and may again--be brought under control. Cutting-edge technological advances can become empowering and democratizing tools, but not if all major decisions remain in the hands of a few hubristic tech leaders. With their bold reinterpretation of economics and history, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson fundamentally change how we see the world, providing the vision needed to redirect innovation so it again benefits most people.

The Power of Money: How Governments and Banks Create Money and Help Us All Prosper by Paul Sheard WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Money permeates our everyday lives-it literally makes the economic world go round-and yet confusion and controversy about money abound. In The Power of Money, economist Paul Sheard distills what money is, how it comes into existence, and how it interacts with the real economy. Money issues dominate the news, but economic jargon and the complexity of it all can be bamboozling. Leading economist Paul Sheard is known for his ability to see the forest and the trees and demystify complex economic phenomena. With The Power of Money, Sheard empowers readers to become better-informed economic citizens by providing context for some of the biggest questions surrounding money, such as- How does money come into existence?How is the process of money printing governed?Does government debt ever have to be repaid?Are financial crises bound to happen sometimes?Can the euro, a currency without a government, survive in its current form?Are proposed cures for economic inequality worse than the disease?What is the future of money-are cryptocurrencies going to change everything? Financial enthusiasts and non-specialists alike will be surprised by the answers to these questions. The Power of Money provides a comprehensive foundation of knowledge to help you feel better informed and more confident as you follow and engage in economic and financial affairs and policy debates.

Pricing the Priceless: The Financial Transformation to Value the Planet, Solve the Climate Crisis, and Protect Our Most Precious Assets by Paula DiPerna An exciting exploration of the new frontier of finance, to value the planet and protect what has too long been treated as free and taken for granted--the natural assets we need and love most In Pricing the Priceless: The Financial Transformation to Value the Planet, Solve the Climate Crisis, and Protect Our Most Precious Assets, renowned environmental strategist, speaker, world traveler and author Paula DiPerna brings a unique voice and optic to de-mystify and unveil today's most fascinating financial disruption--pricing the priceless to flip conventional ideas of how we value natural assets and why. She asks the provocative question long ignored: Why do we value the indispensable atmosphere at zero, but dispensable production in the trillions? She digs into alternatives, with real-life examples from around the globe of fascinating and pioneering financial innovations--controversial and paradoxical, but essential. In the book, you'll travel from rainforests to Wall Street, Board Rooms to the Vatican, coral reefs to mangroves to China's carbon markets. Timely, adventurous, eclectic, and accessible, Pricing the Priceless brings alive the critical financial transformation that will determine future planetary health and social stability. With power, clarity and real-world experience, the author also examines: Fascinating new financial inventions and experiments--insurance, bonds, markets, investment funds--all aimed at pricing what is precious and vital to human well-being How the great current intergenerational shift in wealth and attitudes is redefining investment trends and the idea of what constitutes wealth and return How climate change and other urgent environmental problems now require entirely new financial thinking to trigger solutions How once-radical ideas about measuring economic progress are now re-imagining the very purpose of capitalism Why finance needs critical re-invention to remain credible in the face of increasing public skepticism of business-as-usual economic practice A can't-miss read for thought leaders, business executives, investors, activists, and entrepreneurs, Pricing the Priceless is a landmark that will shape the world and future, bridging the tangible and intangible to answer a critical question of rising economic and social inspiration: What is money for?

The Problem of Twelve When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything. by John Coates The forces behind an economic and political crisis in the making A "problem of twelve" arises when a small number of institutions acquire the means to exert outsized influence over the politics and economy of a nation. The Big Four index funds of Vanguard, State Street, Fidelity, and BlackRock control more than twenty percent of the votes of S&P 500 companies--a concentration of power that's unprecedented in America. Then there's the rise of private equity funds such as the Big Four of Apollo, Blackstone, Carlyle and KKR, which has amassed $2.7 trillion of assets, and are eroding the legitimacy and accountability of American capitalism, not by controlling public companies, but by taking them over entirely, and removing them from public discourse and public scrutiny. This quiet accumulation in the last few decades represents a dramatic transformation in how the American economy operates--a sea change that few of us have noticed and all of us need to consider. Harvard law professor John Coates forcefully calls our attention to what is sure to be one of the major political and economic issues of our time.

Why Empires Fall: Rome, America and the Future of the West by Peter Heather; John Rapley A new perspective on parallels between ancient Rome and the modern world, and what comes next   "[A] provocative short book . . . with a novel twist."--The Economist   Over the last three centuries, the West rose to dominate the planet. Then, around the start of the new millennium, history took a dramatic turn. Faced with economic stagnation and internal political division, the West has found itself in rapid decline compared to the global periphery it had previously colonized. This is not the first time we have seen such a rise and fall: the Roman Empire followed a similar arc, from dizzying power to disintegration.   Historian Peter Heather and political economist John Rapley explore the uncanny parallels, and productive differences between ancient Rome and the modern West, moving beyond the tropes of invading barbarians and civilizational decay to unearth new lessons. From 399 to 1999, they argue, through the unfolding of parallel, underlying imperial life cycles, both empires sowed the seeds of their own destruction. Has the era of Western global domination indeed reached its end? Heather and Rapley contemplate what comes next.

The Blue Commons: rescuing the economy of the sea by Guy Standing The sea provides more than half the oxygen we breathe, food for billions of people and livelihoods for hundreds of millions. But giant corporations are plundering the world's oceans, aided by global finance and complicit states, following the neoliberal maxim of Blue Growth. The situation is dire- rampant exploitation and corruption now drive all aspects of the ocean economy, destroying communities, intensifying inequalities, and driving fish populations and other ocean life towards extinction. The Blue Commons is an urgent call for change, from a campaigning economist responsible for some of the most innovative solutions to inequality of recent times. From large nations bullying smaller nations into giving up eco-friendly fishing policies to the profiteering by the Crown Estate in commandeering much of the British seabed, the scale of the global problem is synthesized here for the first time, as well as a toolkit for all of us to rise up and tackle it. The oceans have been left out of calls for a Green New Deal but must be at the centre of the fight against climate change. How do we do it? By building a Blue Commons alternative- a transformative worldview and new set of proposals that prioritize the historic rights of local communities, the wellbeing of all people and, with it, the health of our oceans.

Building Tomorrow: Averting Environmental Crisis With a New Economic System by Paddy Le Flufy *A Financial Times best summer book of 2023* 'This book will shift the Overton Window to the regenerative space' Brave New Europe review We desperately need a new economic system to help us avert the environmental crisis. This book describes the new system we need, and it shows us how to build it. In Building Tomorrow, Paddy Le Flufy brings together six organisational technologies being developed and implemented by pioneering experts. Each of them fundamentally redesigns a key element of our economic system. Together, they can transform it into a new system - one that can help us avoid the catastrophe looming on the horizon. The book aims directly at creating systemic change by providing people with both a holistic vision of a new economic system and the tools with which to build it. The majority of the writing is about positive real-world examples and potential future developments, which show how people throughout society (such as the readers) can themselves help build the new system. Those that do will be creating a better world. 'It's such a relief - and a wonder - to engage with real, deep, granular thinking on exactly how we create systemic change... Essential reading' Manda Scott, author and host of the Accidental Gods podcast

The capitalist manifesto : why the global free market will save the world by Johan Norberg A vital exploration of capitalism and the benefits it brings to global society as a whole.

The Corporation and the Twentieth Century: The History of American Business Enterprise by Richard N. Langlois A definitive reframing of the economic, institutional, and intellectual history of the managerial era The twentieth century was the managerial century in the United States. An organizational transformation, from entrepreneurial to managerial capitalism, brought forth what became a dominant narrative: that administrative coordination by trained professional managers is essential to the efficient running of organizations both public and private. And yet if managerialism was the apotheosis of administrative efficiency, why did both its practice and the accompanying narrative lie in ruins by the end of the century? In The Corporation and the Twentieth Century, Richard Langlois offers an alternative version: a comprehensive and nuanced reframing and reassessment of the economic, institutional, and intellectual history of the managerial era. Langlois argues that managerialism rose to prominence not because of its inherent superiority but because of its contingent value in a young and rapidly developing American economy. The structures of managerialism solidified their dominance only because the century's great catastrophes of war, depression, and war again superseded markets, scrambled relative prices, and weakened market-supporting institutions. By the end of the twentieth century, Langlois writes, these market-supporting institutions had reemerged to shift advantage toward entrepreneurial and market-driven modes of organization. This magisterial new account of the rise and fall of managerialism holds significant implications for contemporary debates about industrial and antitrust policies and the role of the corporation in the twenty-first century.

Probability and Statistics for Economists by Bruce Hansen A comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the mathematics that all economics students need to know Probability theory is the quantitative language used to handle uncertainty and is the foundation of modern statistics. Probability and Statistics for Economists provides graduate and PhD students with an essential introduction to mathematical probability and statistical theory, which are the basis of the methods used in econometrics. This incisive textbook teaches fundamental concepts, emphasizes modern, real-world applications, and gives students an intuitive understanding of the mathematics that every economist needs to know. Covers probability and statistics with mathematical rigor while emphasizing intuitive explanations that are accessible to economics students of all backgrounds Discusses random variables, parametric and multivariate distributions, sampling, the law of large numbers, central limit theory, maximum likelihood estimation, numerical optimization, hypothesis testing, and more Features hundreds of exercises that enable students to learn by doing Includes an in-depth appendix summarizing important mathematical results as well as a wealth of real-world examples Can serve as a core textbook for a first-semester PhD course in econometrics and as a companion book to Bruce E. Hansen's Econometrics Also an invaluable reference for researchers and practitioners

Waste to Energy Incineration Plants in China by Dapeng Wang; Guangjie Zhao Striving for national ecological civilisation, many waste incineration power plants in China have been built with the core concept of deindustrialisation, highlighting the themes of green design, environmental protection, zero-emission treatment, and the spirit of craftsmanship. These projects represent Chinese people's yearning for a better life. From the rough life of savages in ancient times to the shocking garden-like factories, the Chinese are proud to show the world their new standards.

Applied Econometric Time Series by Walter Enders Applied Econometric Time Series, 4th Edition demonstrates modern techniques for developing models capable of forecasting, interpreting, and testing hypotheses concerning economic data. In this text, Dr. Walter Enders commits to using a "learn-by-doing" approach to help readers master time-series analysis efficiently and effectively.

The Elgar Companion to Ronald H. Coase by Claude Ménard (Editor); Elodie Bertrand (Editor) Ronald H. Coase, one of the most innovative and provocative economists of the twentieth century, has had a lasting influence in economics, law and economics, organization theory, management and political science. In this comprehensive Companion, 31 leading economists, social scientists and legal scholars, including two Nobel Laureates, offer the first global assessment of the initial impact of Coase's work and the continuing inspiration that researchers and policy makers find in his contributions. The book presents a review of the continuing power of Coase's work, including the reshaping of public policies with particular respect to public utilities and network industries. Further chapters explore research programmes that he initiated including the concept of transaction costs and the analysis of property rights, especially in terms of the regulation of the communications industry and the creation of markets for the right to pollute. The book clearly demonstrates the originality of Coase's work and the challenge that it posed to conventional perspectives which has been a hallmark of his research throughout his life, from his initial view on the nature of the firm to his recent analysis of the development of capitalism in China. Less well-known features of Coase's research going beyond his famous papers on 'The Nature of the Firm' and 'The Problem of Social Cost' are also explored in detail. From economics to public policy, this complete and thorough assessment of Coase's vast contribution will be an invaluable reference to all those interested in the many areas influenced by this great economist. Contributors: D.W. Allen, K.J. Arrow, B. Arruñada, Y. Barzel, E. Bertrand, R.R.W. Brooks, J.N. Drobak, G.W. Evans, W. Farnsworth, J. Farrell, K. Foss, N.J. Foss, R.F. Freeland, J. Groenewegen,R. Guesnerie, F. Gul, T.W. Hazlett, P.G. Klein, G.D. Libecap, S.G. Medema, C. Ménard, M.W. Moszoro, J.H. Mulherin, J.V.C. Nye, S. Pratten, M.M. Shirley, P.T. Spiller, J. Thomas, P. de Vries, N. Wang, O.E. Williamson

Large-dimensional panel data econometrics : testing, estimation and structural changes by Feng, Qu; Kao, Chihwa. This book aims to fill the gap between panel data econometrics textbooks, and the latest development on "big data", especially large-dimensional panel data econometrics. It introduces important research questions in large panels, including testing for cross-sectional dependence, estimation of factor-augmented panel data models, structural breaks in panels and group patterns in panels. To tackle these high dimensional issues, some techniques used in Machine Learning approaches are also illustrated. Moreover, the Monte Carlo experiments, and empirical examples are also utilised to show how to implement these new inference methods. Large-Dimensional Panel Data Econometrics: Testing, Estimation and Structural Changes also introduces new research questions and results in recent literature in this field.

The Price of Time: The Real Story of Interest by Edward Chancellor Winner of the 2023 Hayek Book Prize Longlisted for the 2022 Financial Times BusinessBook of the Year Award A comprehensive and profoundly relevant history of interest from one of the world's leading financial writers, The Price of Time explains our current global financial position and how we got here  In the beginning was the loan, and the loan carried interest. For at least five millennia people have been borrowing and lending at interest. The practice wasn't always popular--in the ancient world, usury was generally viewed as exploitative, a potential path to debt bondage and slavery. Yet as capitalism became established from the late Middle Ages onwards, denunciations of interest were tempered because interest was a necessary reward for lenders to part with their capital. And interest performs many other vital functions: it encourages people to save; enables them to place a value on precious assets, such as houses and all manner of financial securities; and allows us to price risk. All economic and financial activities take place across time. Interest is often described as the "price of money," but it is better called the "price of time:" time is scarce, time has value, interest is the time value of money. Over the first two decades of the twenty-first century, interest rates have sunk lower than ever before. Easy money after the global financial crisis in 2007/2008 has produced several ill effects, including the appearance of multiple asset price bubbles, a reduction in productivity growth, discouraging savings and exacerbating inequality, and forcing yield starved investors to take on excessive risk. The financial world now finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place, and Edward Chancellor is here to tell us why. In this enriching volume, Chancellor explores the history of interest and its essential function in determining how capital is allocated and priced.