The new and classic books featured on this page offer expert
histories on previous economic collapses, critical analyses of the policies
leading to the current economic downturn, and insightful perspectives
on the potential impact of this tumultuous period.
To order examination copies of any of
these titles, please follow the instructions on our
Examination Copy page.
CATEGORIES:
Click on the links below to view books in that category.Business History & Case Studies
Economics
Business
History & Case Studies
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Age
of Betrayal “An
engaging, responsible and compelling book. It offers an excellent
introduction to the epic saga of late 19th-century America and an
important message for our own time.” |
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Traitor
to His Class From FDR’s championship of the poor to his political genius and visionary leadership, H.W. Brands delivers a sweeping, magisterial biography of this towering figure of the twentieth century. |
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New House of Cards |
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The
Last Tycoons |
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How
Capitalism Saved America Thomas DiLorenzo, Professor of economics at Loyola College, gives a capitalistic argument about how America became the most prosperous nation on earth—and how the sort of government regulation that politicians and pundits endorse has hindered economic growth. DiLorenzo explodes numerous myths that have become conventional wisdom, including the lie that the corporatist regime we live under has any relation to the free market. |
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Conspiracy
of Fools In late 2001, the Enron Corporation imploded virtually overnight, leaving vast wreckage in its wake and sparking a criminal investigation that would last for years. Conspiracy of Fools provides a full account of the company's downfall from an award-winning New York Times reporter. |
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The
Accidental Investment Banker “A
rare, ringside seat inside the madcap and often egomaniacal world
of Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe. . . . For would-be
bankers, the book is an excellent primer on what it’s really
like; for current bankers it will be a guilty pleasure.” |
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When
Genius Failed When Genius Failed is the cautionary financial tale of our time, the gripping saga of what happened when an elite group of investors believed they could actually deconstruct risk and use virtually limitless leverage to create limitless wealth. In Roger Lowensteins hands, it is a brilliant tale peppered with fast money, vivid characters, and high drama. “Story-telling
journalism at its best.” |
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The
Great Depression “Fair-minded,
incisive, thoroughly informed, and eminently readable, The Great
Depression is a fine account of the ordeal of the 1930s—one
that does justice to the social and cultural dimensions of economic
crisis as well as to its political and economic impact.” |
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The Company “Rich
in notes, concise yet complete, thoroughly objective, and written
to inform and engage a wide range of readers, The Company
is a wonderful addition to the business history of literature.”
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FDR's
Folly A book
that sheds new light on what prolonged the Great Depression and
how is timed perfectly, especially in today’s current climate,
which resembles that of the late 1920s and 1930s both economically
and politically. |
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At
Any Cost “O'Boyle
has made Welch the poster boy for modern capitalism and all the
ills that accompany it: downsizing, deal-making, ethical violations,
pollution.” |
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New This is the first history of one of the most controversial, humane, and enduring programs to come out of the terrible Depression years of the 1930s. |
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Ubiquity
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Sway
A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making, Sway will change the way you think about the way you think. “Sway
helped me recognize an aspect of irrational behavior in my experimental
work in physics. Sometimes I have jumped into some research that
didn't feel quite right . . . but some irrational lure, such as
the hope of quick success, pulled me in. ” |
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Stumbling
on Happiness “This
is a psychological detective story about one of the great mysteries
of our lives. If you have even the slightest curiosity about the
human condition, you ought to read it. Trust me.” |
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New “The
Drunkard's Walk is a magnificent exploration of the role that
chance plays in our lives. Often historical, occasionally hysterical,
and consistently smart and funny, this book challenges everything
we think we know about how the world works. The probability is high
that you will be entertained and enlightened by this intelligent
charmer.” |
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The
Wisdom of Crowds “It
has become increasingly recognized that the average opinions of
groups is frequently more accurate than most individuals in the
group. The author has written a most interesting survey of the many
studies in this area and discussed the limits as well as the achievements
of self-organization.” |
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The
Black Swan |
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Fooled
by Randomness “Fooled
By Randomness . . . is to conventional Wall Street wisdom approximately
what Martin Luther’s ninety-five theses were to the Catholic
Church.” |
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New “A
must read. . . . The problem, says Mr. Cooper, is that central banks
have subscribed to one economic philosophy in an expanding economy
and quite another when the economy is contracting. . . . Cooper's
book is by far the most cogent and reasoned of the modern-day 'credit
excess' school.” |
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Economic
Literacy With
humor, clarity, and a deft touch for simplifying complex ideas,
Jacob De Rooy explains the basic concepts of economics in language
anyone can understand. Written in accessible question-and-answer
format, and divided into 26 concise articles, the book can be used
in two ways: read straight through as a short course in economics,
or dipped into as a reference work. Throughout the text, anecdotal
examples illustrate economic ideas in real-life terms. |
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Forthcoming A comprehensive guide to understanding today's global economy from the author of the bestselling A Beginner's Guide to the World Economy. Complete
with 101 easy-to-master tools for surviving and thriving in the
new global marketplace and an extensive glossary, The 21st Century
Economy—A Beginner's Guide is essential reading for anyone
interested in understanding the complex economy of the world in
which we live and the current crisis that is plaguing it. |
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A
Beginner's Guide to the World Economy “A
Beginner’s Guide to the World Economy is essential reading
from everyone . . . interested in understanding the basics of the
global economy that is affecting us all.” |
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The
Moral Consequences of Economic Growth “A
major work. . . . An important antidote to the populist antigrowth
movement and also to those who say that the free market is all we
need. It joins a growing chorus calling for a change in the direction
of U.S. economic policy— toward achieving growth that is stronger
and more sustainable. Whether or not you agree with Friedman’s
particular policy prescriptions, this much is clear: this kind of
reasoned analysis is precisely what is necessary to put the United
States back on the right track.” |
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The
Logic of Life “Like
his 2006 book, The Undercover Economist—if you haven't
got it, get it—this book uses the basic theory of rational
choice to make transparent the logic behind common but important
puzzling phenomena. Even a trained economist can enjoy discovering
what he already knew but didn't realize he knew it. I did.”
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The
Undercover Economist “A
rare specimen: a book on economics that will enthrall its readers.
. . . It brings the power of economics to life.” |
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The
Nature of Economies Starting
from the premise that human beings "exist wholly within nature
as part of natural order in every respect," Jane Jacobs has
focused her singular eye on the natural world in order to discover
the fundamental models for a vibrant economy. Written in the form
of a Platonic dialogue among five fictional characters, The
Nature of Economies is as astonishingly accessible and clear
as it is irrepressibly brilliant and wise—a groundbreaking
yet humane study destined to become another world-altering classic.
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Biography
of the Dollar “Biography
of the Dollar is an indispensable guide to understanding the
way both the U.S. and the world economies work and the dollar's
role in keeping the economic skids greased. Karmin's great skill
is his ability to take what in lesser hands would seem like complex
and opaque ideas and make them transparent, understandable and relevant.
. .” |
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The
Mind and the Market Capitalism has never been a subject for economists alone. Philosophers, politicians, poets and social scientists have debated the cultural, moral, and political effects of capitalism for centuries, and their claims have been many and diverse. The Mind and the Market is a remarkable history of how the idea of capitalism has developed in Western thought. “A
wonderful new book . . . lively and accessible. . . . Muller's masterful
sketches of intellectuals from across the political spectrum help
put today's battles over globalization in proper historical persepctive.” |
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New “If
you want to understand the economic events of the last half century,
you should read . . . Robert Samuelson's The Great Inflation
and Its Aftermath.” —U.S News & World
Report |
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The
Good Life and Its Discontents A New York Times Business Book Bestseller “Last
semester I used The Good Life and Its Discontents in my
undergraduate course in intermediate macroeconomic theory. . . .
I chose it because it addresses fundamental and important economic
issues in a very accessible and appealing way, and, most importantly,
because the basic economic analysis is so careful and strong. .
. . I was very pleased with the contribution The Good Life
made to the course. The students also made a number of favorable
comments about the book on their course evaluations. It was a stimulating
complement to the rest of the material. . . . I'm using it again
in this spring.” |
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Irrational
Exuberance “A
modern classic of ‘serious’ economics that demands to
be read, and can be enjoyed, by the interested nonspecialist.”
—The Economist |
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The
Wealth of Nations Adam
Smith's masterpiece, first published in 1776, is the foundation
of modern economic thought and remains the single most important
account of the rise of, and the principles behind, modern capitalism. |
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Social
& Political Economics
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Deer
Hunting with Jesus Deer
Hunting with Jesus offers a raucous, truth-telling tour through
the bars, churches, and double-wide trailers of the working class
in the author's hometown, Winchester, Virginia—a microcosm
of towns across America that elected George Bush. |
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Nobodies
“Bowe’s deeply researched, well-written treatise on the very real problem of modern America slavery deserves the attention of anyone living, working and consuming in America.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
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A
Consumers' Republic “A
Consumers’ Republic is a magnificent, path-breaking achievement.
Lizabeth Cohen lays bare the deeply transformative impact of mass
prosperity on the texture of American social, political, and cultural
life in the post-World War II era—its triumphs and costs,
as well as its limitations. An unflaggingly provocative, indispensable
book.” |
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Elsewhere,
U.S.A. “Put
down your i-Phones and Blackberries, dear friends, long enough to
read this important book about America’s new 'Elsewhere Society,'
where round-the-clock connectivity and multi-tasking are reshaping
the most basic patterns of work, family, and values. Your guide
to this brave new world is Dalton Conley, one’s of America’s
most brilliant and perceptive social commentators and scholars,
and an excellent and entertaining writer as well. No other book
compares in describing and explaining the 'texture' of modern lives
in a hyper-networked and hyper-marketized world.” |
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Richistan
Richistan
is a colloquial term the author Robert Frank, a Wall Street wealth
reporter, uses to describe the booming numbers of wealthy. Starting
in the late 1980s, there has been a doubling or tripling of the
number of wealthy households in the US, currently at over 9 million
with $1 million or more in net assets. Here is his entertaining
and fresh analysis of today’s new rich. |
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One
Market Under God “A
sweeping, savage and witty indictment of American business.” “This
book will infuriate businesspeople—which is precisely why
they should read it.” |
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New “Steve
Greenhouse has written the essential economic book for 2008. Long
before most analysts noticed the downturn, Greenhouse was reporting
how troubled our economy looked from the bottom-up. A hugely talented
reporter with a passion for justice, a shrewd student of the new
economy and a brilliant guide to the contemporary labor movement,
Greehouse writes with clarity, energy and grace.” |
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New “Robert
Kuttner is a prophet whose time has come. This lucid, passionate,
razor-sharp book carries a message as urgent as it is clarifying.” “A
passionate broadside for restoring widespread prosperity to the
middle class and reviving a dispirited democracy.” |
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Wealth
and Democracy “With
a grand historical sweep that covers more than three centuries,
Phillips's astute analysis of the effects of wealth and capital
upon democracy is both eye-opening and disturbing.” |
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New “Prof. Reich provides a thought-provoking analysis of how intense market competition is providing Americans with more choices as consumers and investors, but fewer choices as citizens. He reveals how the flood of corporate money is undermining our faith in democracy and argues that corporate social responsibility cannot be a substitute for true democracy. A must-read for anyone interested in the health of American democracy." —Laura Tyson, former chairman, National Economic Council |
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The
Future of Success Reich
demonstrates that the faster the economy changes—with new
innovations and opportunities engendering faster switches by customers
and investors in response—the harder it is for people to be
confident of what they will be earning next year or even next month,
what they will be doing, where they will be doing it. In short,
those fabulous new deals of the fabulous new economy carry a steep
price: more frenzied lives, less security, more economic and social
stratification, the loss of time and energy for family, friendship,
community, and self. |
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The
Working Poor “This
is one of those seminal books that every American should read and
read now.” “The
Working Poor is a powerful exposé that builds from page
to page, from one grim revelation to another, until you have no
choice but to leap out of your armchair and strike a blow for economic
justice.” |
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The
Disposable American “Uchitelle
effectively wrecks the claim that all this downsizing makes the
country more productive, more competitive, more flexible. . . .
A strong case that the whole middle class is at risk.” |
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The
Way We'll Be According to super pollster John Zogby, the conventional wisdom about the United States—that we’re isolated from the world, politically fragmented, and inclined toward material pleasure—isn’t just flawed; it may be 180 degrees from the truth. |
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Dangerous
Business “[An]
articulate assessment of America’s position in the global
economy. |
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Hot
Property Pat Choate, the author of the best-selling Agents of Influence, examines the roots of conflicts over intellectual property and how the establishment of patent and copyright protections helped propel the American economy. |
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The
Lexus and the Olive Tree “A
spirited and imaginative exploration of our new order of economic
globalization. . . . Not only clear but interesting, not only interesting
but necessary to us—first-rate.” “[D]eftly
accomplishes the impressive task of encapsulating the complex economic,
cultural, and environmental challenges of globalization with the
sort of hindsight that future historians will bring to bear upon
the subject.” |
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Illicit
“Moisés
Naím has identified a key issue, the fact that political
order is rapidly decaying in many parts of the world, and that this
decay is brought on at least in part by the same factors that promote
globalization: fast communications, inexpensive travel, and porous
borders. Illicit is provocative reading that makes you
see the world differently once you're done with it.” |
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The
World Is Your Oyster The
World Is Your Oyster pinpoints five of the best reasons to
go global, detailing various ways for investors of every temperament—from
timid to adventurous—to cross financial borders, focusing
on how to invest directly in hot spots from China to Turkey to Eastern
Europe, and revealing how the Internet and other twenty-first-century
technology has opened a world of direct overseas investment opportunities. |
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Managing
the Dragon “Managing
the Dragon is more than a great story about Jack Perkowski
and his courage to move to the new frontier; it is a graduate degree
in the trials, tribulations, and successes of starting from scratch
in China. Jack captures the essence of doing business in China and
turns it into a very compelling ‘how-to’ guide.” |
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The
Work of Nations “An
elegant and penetrating analysis of the forces that are leading
to the globalization of the international system and to the growing
anachronism of thinking solely in 'national' terms. More importantly,
[Reich] compels us to think about the disturbing potential consequences
of these trends, as well as ways to be better prepared to meet them.” |
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A
Bull in China In
this indispensable new book, one of the world’s most successful
investors, Jim Rogers, brings his unerring investment acumen to
bear on the economic boom in China. |
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Autobiography
and Biography
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Mellon A
Washington Post Best Book of the Year “Indisputably
the best written, most reliable and insightful biography of one
of America’s greatest capitalists and empire-builders.”
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Titan “One
of the great American biographies. . . . [Chernow] writes with rich
impartiality. He turns the machinations of Standard Oil . . . into
fascinating social history.” |
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The First Billion Is the Hardest A gripping narrative of how the foremost corporate raider of the 1980s stumbled into clinical depression and faced financial ruin, only to mount a comeback in his seventh decade that netted him yearly earnings of $1 billion plus and reconfirmed his clairvoyance about the future of energy. |
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The
Snowball |
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The
People's Tycoon |
Examination Copies are available
