Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing by Jacob Goldstein

$33.00 NZD

Category: Economics

A lively and accessible history of humanity's greatest - and strangest - creation: money.

Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems by Abhijit V. Banerjee; Esther Duflo

$26.00 NZD

Category: Economics

FROM THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS 'Wonderfully refreshing . . . A must read' Thomas Piketty In this revolutionary book, prize-winning economists Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo show how economics, when done right, can help us solve the thorniest social and political problems o f our day. From immigration to inequality, slowing growth to accelerating climate change, we have the resources to address the challenges we face but we are so often blinded by ideology. Original, provocative and urgent, Good Economics for Hard Times offers the new thinking that we need. It builds on cutting-edge research in economics - and years of exploring the most effective solutions to alleviate extreme poverty - to make a persuasive case for an intelligent interventionism and a society built on compassion and respect. A much-needed antidote to polarized discourse, this book shines a light to help us appreciate and understand our precariously balanced world. ...Show more

Another Now: Dispatches from an Alternative Present by Yanis Varoufakis

$37.00 NZD

Category: Economics

What would a fair and equal society look like? Imagine it is now 2025 and that years earlier, in the wake of the world financial crisis of 2008, a new post-Capitalist society had been born. In this ingenious book, world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis draws on the greatest thinkers in European cultur e from Plato to Marx to offer us a dramatic and tantalising glimpse of this brave new world, where the principles of democracy, equality and justice are truly served. But in setting out what would be needed to forge such a society, he identifies a painful but important truth- that the greatest obstacles to making such a vision a reality lie within each of us. This book offers answers to some of the most pressing questions of today. It also challenges us to consider how we might answer them in our lives. It is a book to return to, time and again, for ideas and provocation, for solace and inspiration.     ...Show more

The Little Book of Economics by DK

$21.00 NZD

Category: Economics

This book is the perfect introduction to the subject of economics and economic ideas through history. From the earliest forms of currency to the Industrial Revolution, and from the birth of the stock market to free-market capitalism and globalized trade, The Little Book of Economics brings economic the ory and the work of key economists to life. Journeying through centuries of economic thought, it is the perfect pocket-sized guide to the subject. Packed with infographics and flowcharts that explain complex concepts clearly and simply,, The Little Book of Economics offers you the same combination of clear text and hard-working infographics in a portable format that is perfect for reading on the go. ...Show more

The Trick: Why Some People Can Make Money and Other People Can't by William Leith

$33.00 NZD

Category: Economics

Some people can make money. Other people can't. It's a thought that makes William Leith wake up in cold sweats. He doesn't know why it makes him feel anxious. After all, money isn't real. We created it. Humans did. It's our masterpiece. But the desire for it is killing us. It is this dilemma that sets W illiam Leith off on an adventure into the bizarre, morally dubious yet highly desirable world of the mega-rich. He spends a day with the real-life Wolf of Wall Street who, not content with his hundreds of millions, devised a fraud so he could make hundreds of millions more. He visits a Baroque mansion where a Russian half-billionaire lives alone with his butler. He tours the estate of Felix Dennis, the maverick tycoon who commissioned an avenue of statues to tell the story of his life. He flies to private islands on private jets, meets private men in private clubs, experiencing the dizzy highs of a life without limits o but all it does is give him crippling anxiety. Throughout it all he asks himself- what makes these people wealthy? And how come I'm not? ...Show more

Ingenious - The Unintended Cost of Human Innovation by Peter Gluckman; Mark Hanson

$60.00 NZD

$75.00 (20% off)

Category: Economics

As humans evolved, we developed technologies to modify our environment, yet these innovations are increasingly affecting our behavior, biology, and society. Now we must figure out how to function in the world we've created. Over thousands of years, humans have invented ingenious ways to gain mastery ov er our environment. The ability to communicate, accumulate knowledge collectively, and build on previous innovations has enabled us to change nature. Innovation has allowed us to thrive. The trouble with innovation is that we can seldom go back and undo it. We invent, embrace, and exploit new technologies to modify our environment. Then we modify those technologies to cope with the resulting impacts. Gluckman and Hanson explore what happens when we innovate in a way that leads nature to bite back. To provide nourishment for a growing population, humans developed methods to process and preserve food; but easy access to these energy-dense foods results in obesity. To protect ourselves from dangerous pathogens we embraced cleanliness and invented antibiotics, which has led to rising rates of autoimmune diseases and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. More recently, our growing dependence on the internet and social media has been linked to mental health concerns and declining social cohesion. And we are only at the beginning of the digital transformation that will influence every part of our existence. Our ingenuity has not only changed our world--it has changed us. Focusing on immediate benefits, we rarely pause to consider the longer-term costs of innovation. Yet we are now starting to see how our choices affect the way our brains develop and our bodies function. The implications are profound. Ingenious opens our eyes to the dangers we face and offers solutions we cannot ignore. ...Show more

Rockonomics How Music Explains Everything (about the Economy) by Alan Krueger

$38.00 NZD

Category: Economics

Alan Krueger, the former chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, uses the music industry, from rock artists to music executives, from managers to promoters, as a way in to explain the principles of economics, and the forces shaping our economic lives. As economists recognize, the music industry is often a leading indicator of today's economy; it is among the first to be disrupted by the latest wave of technology, and examining the ins and outs of how musicians create and sell new songs and plan concert tours offers valuable lessons for what is in store for businesses and employees in other industries that are struggling to adapt. Drawing on interviews with leading band members, music executives, managers, promoters, and using the latest data on revenues, royalties, tour dates, and merchandise, ROCKONOMICS takes readers backstage to show how the music industry really works--who makes money and how much, and how the economics of the music industry has undergone a radical transformation during the last twenty years. Before digitalization and the ability to stream music over the Internet, rock musicians made the bulk of their income from record sales. Today, income from selling songs has plummeted, even for superstars like Taylor Swift; the real money nowadays is derived from concert sales. In 2016, for example, Billy Joel earned $212.4 million from his live performances, and less than $1 million from record sales and streaming. Even Paul McCartney, who has written and recorded more number one songs than anyone in music history, today, earns 93 percent of his income from live concerts. Krueger tackles common questions: How does a song become popular? And how does a new artist break out in today's winner-take-all economy? ...Show more