MBR: The Economics Shelf
Midwest Book Review
Fasten Your Financial Seatbelt
Thomas C. Scott
Platform Press
47 West Oakland Avenue, Doylestown, PA 18901
9780982411711, $14.95, www.financialseatbelt.com
Disaster breeds wisdom. "Fasten Your Financial Seatbelt: What
Surviving an Airline Crash Taught Me About Retirement Planning" is
Thomas C. Scott's analysis of how many people misuse their financial
resources and plan poorly for their retirement - and the resulting
disaster that looms ahead. Suggesting that poor financial planning is
analogous to the bad judgment that caused his plane crash, he provides
a strong case to support his allegory. "Fasten Your Financial
Seatbelt" is a strong pick for those who are unsure of the stability
of their retirement plan.
We're All Screwed!
Stephen A. Boyko
W&A Publishing
PO Box 849, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
9781934354124, $28.95, www.w-apublishing.com
Too many rules can ruin anything. "We're All Screwed!: How Toxic
Regulation Will Crush the Free Market System" discusses a more
creative approach to managing America's current financial woes. Saying
that the key to wise government intervention in the economy is not
more regulation, but making it so that the governmental impact on the
economy treads lightly but still has a profound impact where it
counts. "We're All Screwed!" is wise and intriguing thoughts on modern
economics, making for a fine and highly recommended read, well worth
the investment.
No Rising Tide
Joerg Rieger
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459-0304
9780800664596, $20.00, www.fortresspress.com
How does religion twist into modern economics? "No Rising Tide:
Theology, Economics, and the Future" discusses modern faith and how it
impacts economics and vice versa. Author Joerg Rieger shows readers
that there is a much stronger relationship between the two than one
would think. Packed with intriguing and fascinating ideas, "No Rising
Tide" is worth the consideration for anyone intrigued about today's
economics and its influences.
The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008
Paul Krugman
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Ave, New York NY 10110-0017
9780393337808, $16.95 www.wwnorton.com
The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 is a top
pick from a New York Time columnist who has argued for an overhaul of
America's financial system that would include massive regulation and a
large stimulus package. His ongoing comments on the changing political
and financial world includes commentary on the work the Obama
administration has done thus far and recommendations for continuing to
improve the economy, and makes for an invaluable guide no business or
general lending library should be without.
The ABCs of the Economic Crisis
Fred Magdoff & Michael D. Yates
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W, NY, NY 10001
9781583671955, $11.95, www.monthlyreview.org
The economic crisis won't hit the rich the hardest, but rather the
people who live paycheck to paycheck. "The ABCs of the Economic
Crisis: What Working People Need to Know" is a guide to the basics of
the current crisis, and how America has gotten where it is today.
Presenting underlying economic concepts in layman's terms, "The ABCs
of the Economic Crisis" is invaluable. A strong pick for those seeking
understanding.
America, Welcome to the Poorhouse
Jane White
FT Press
1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
9780137020171, $22.99, www.ftpress.com
Why is America in a seemingly unstoppable financial downward spiral?
"America, Welcome to the Poorhouse: What You Must Do to Protect Your
Financial Future and the Reform We Need" discusses the current
economic crisis and how Americans can do their part to fight back and
prepare for their futures more wisely. Drawing on international
examples, wise spending, and more, "America, Welcome to the Poorhouse"
will both inform and advise, making for a very vital read.
Climate Change And Agriculture
Robert Mendelsohn & Ariel Dinar
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781847206701, $125.00, www.amazon.com
While it is now finally accepted by the general populace as well as
the scientific community, global warming is continuing to have a
dramatic impact on the environment world-wide with potentially
devastating results for human civilization. The latest addition to the
outstanding 'New Horizons in Environmental Economics' series published
by Edward Elgar Publishing, "Climate Change and Agriculture: An
Economic Analysis of Global Impacts, Adaptation and Distributional
Effects" is the collaborative work of Robert Mendelsohn (Edwin
Weyerhaeuser Davis Professor, School of Forestry and Environmental
Studies, Yale University) and Ariel Dinar (Professor of Environmental
Economics and Policy and Director, Water Science and Policy Center,
University of California, Riverside). It should be noted that "Climate
Change And Agriculture" was written while Professor Dinar was also
serving as the Lead Economist of the Development Research Group at the
World Bank). The specific focus of this seminal work is on the
economic impact of climate change on agriculture world wide, and how
faced with the resultant environmental alterations, agriculture might
adapt under varied and varying conditions. The work surveys twenty-two
countries around the globe and includes both first world and third
world nations. Of special note is the suggested research agenda for
future and continuing studies of climate change impacts upon
agriculture throughout the coming decades. Enhanced with a detailed
and comprehensive index, "Climate Change And Agriculture" is highly
recommended for academic library Environmental Studies and Economic
Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
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