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My personal picks as I continue to try to understand global economic trends since the 1980's through the prism of the 2008-crash: The Global Minotaur: America,

by siavosh 10y ago

My personal picks as I continue to try to understand global economic trends since the 1980's through the prism of the 2008-crash: The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy by Yanis Varoufakis [1] The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future By Stiglitz, Joseph E. [2] The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War by Robert J. Gordon [3] 1. https://www.amazon.com/Global-Minotaur-America-Economic-Controversies/dp/178360610X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481577856&sr=8-1&keywords=yanis+minotaur https://www.amazon.com/Global-Minotaur-America-Economic-Cont... 2. https://www.amazon.com/Price-Inequality-Divided-Society-Endangers/dp/0393345068/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481578034&sr=8-1&keywords=price+of+inequality https://www.amazon.com/Price-Inequality-Divided-Society-Enda... 3. https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-American-Growth-Princeton/dp/0691147728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481577993&sr=8-1&keywords=rise+and+fall+growth https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-American-Growth-Princeton/d...

grub5000 10y ago
> The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy by Yanis Varoufakis [1] Have you read "And the Weak Suffer What They Must?"? It's fantastic. Really helped shape my view before the EU Referendum here in the UK.
- siavosh 10y ago
  Not yet, but it's on my list. I've been watching a lot of Yanis' talks on youtube, very compelling perspectives.
  - grub5000 10y ago
    Agreed. He's a pretty compelling presenter/speaker. He participated in a discussion on Channel 4 news [1] along with a former Kremlin Advisor that I find highly entertaining. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjqicN8Zug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjqicN8Zug
    - siavosh 10y ago
      Have you found any notable economist that critiques his work?
      - grub5000 10y ago
        Haven't tried really, but no. I was too worn down by the referendum to willingly take any more...
      - conanbatt 10y ago
        He is more like a political figure than an economist theorist. I have yet to read the books but have seen many of his lectures and its so opinion-based that its hard to be critical. I think he is more of a communicator than a novel intellectual.
VodkaHaze 10y ago
I think you would enjoy "How Nations Fail" by Acemoglu and Robinson, and the EconTalk podcast with Russ Roberts.
- 551199 10y ago
  I've been meaning to read it but Gates review but me off[0]. Would you agree or disagree with it after reading the book? [0] https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Why-Nations-Fail https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Why-Nations-Fail
  - VodkaHaze 10y ago
    Disagree. Gate's main point is that the book is not rigorous, but it's based on a peer review literature (just making it accessible to laymen). So while some more technical people might get annoyed at the lack of rigor, it doesn't mean that it's not there, they just don't harass you with p values and endogeneity tests in the book.
clumsysmurf 10y ago
Yanis gave a good endorsement of "How Will Capitalism End?: Essays on a Failing System" https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Capitalism-End-Failing/dp/178478401X https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Capitalism-End-Failing/dp/17... Also you might like Dean Baker's latest book. You can get it free from his website in all formats, or via Amazon "Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer" http://deanbaker.net/books/rigged.htm http://deanbaker.net/books/rigged.htm
- siavosh 10y ago
  Thanks, yeah, already in the middle of Streeck's essay collection. Jarring.
matt4077 10y ago
You'd probably enjoy The Unwinding by George Packer[0]. I consider it "The Great American Non-fiction Novel". [0] https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Inner-History-New-America/dp/0374534608/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481596864&sr=1-1&keywords=the+unwinding&tag=telomere01-20 https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Inner-History-New-America/d...

by siavosh 10y ago

grub5000 10y ago

> The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy by Yanis Varoufakis [1] Have you read "And the Weak Suffer What They Must?"? It's fantastic. Really helped shape my view before the EU Referendum here in the UK.

siavosh 10y ago
Not yet, but it's on my list. I've been watching a lot of Yanis' talks on youtube, very compelling perspectives.
- grub5000 10y ago
  Agreed. He's a pretty compelling presenter/speaker. He participated in a discussion on Channel 4 news [1] along with a former Kremlin Advisor that I find highly entertaining. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjqicN8Zug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjqicN8Zug
  - siavosh 10y ago
    Have you found any notable economist that critiques his work?
    - grub5000 10y ago
      Haven't tried really, but no. I was too worn down by the referendum to willingly take any more...
    - conanbatt 10y ago
      He is more like a political figure than an economist theorist. I have yet to read the books but have seen many of his lectures and its so opinion-based that its hard to be critical. I think he is more of a communicator than a novel intellectual.

VodkaHaze 10y ago

I think you would enjoy "How Nations Fail" by Acemoglu and Robinson, and the EconTalk podcast with Russ Roberts.

551199 10y ago
I've been meaning to read it but Gates review but me off[0]. Would you agree or disagree with it after reading the book? [0] https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Why-Nations-Fail https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Why-Nations-Fail
- VodkaHaze 10y ago
  Disagree. Gate's main point is that the book is not rigorous, but it's based on a peer review literature (just making it accessible to laymen). So while some more technical people might get annoyed at the lack of rigor, it doesn't mean that it's not there, they just don't harass you with p values and endogeneity tests in the book.

clumsysmurf 10y ago

Yanis gave a good endorsement of "How Will Capitalism End?: Essays on a Failing System" https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Capitalism-End-Failing/dp/178478401X https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Capitalism-End-Failing/dp/17... Also you might like Dean Baker's latest book. You can get it free from his website in all formats, or via Amazon "Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer" http://deanbaker.net/books/rigged.htm http://deanbaker.net/books/rigged.htm

siavosh 10y ago
Thanks, yeah, already in the middle of Streeck's essay collection. Jarring.

matt4077 10y ago

You'd probably enjoy The Unwinding by George Packer[0]. I consider it "The Great American Non-fiction Novel". [0] https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Inner-History-New-America/dp/0374534608/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481596864&sr=1-1&keywords=the+unwinding&tag=telomere01-20 https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Inner-History-New-America/d...