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hifiguy

(33,688 posts)
Wed Aug 19, 2015, 07:25 PM Aug 2015

Required Reading: Economics (and it's even a fun read)

Everyone here knows about Joe Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, Jamie Galbraith and other luminaries like Richard Wolff.

Here's a book to add to your reading list - 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism." It's written by a brilliant Korean-British economist, Ha-joon Chang, who is a professor of economics at Cambridge University. He debunks, with wit and real flair, the 23 biggest lies the free-market pirates have been jamming down everyone's throats for the last 40 years.

He seems to be coming from a Social Democratic (Scandinavian style) perspective.

I guaran-damn-tee you will learn a lot reading this book. Mainly that common sense is all that's needed to explain why everything about neoliberalism is wrong; Professor Chang is abundantly armed with common sense and a wonderful knack for explaining things.

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Required Reading: Economics (and it's even a fun read) (Original Post) hifiguy Aug 2015 OP
Thanks I'll put it on my list. eom Cleita Aug 2015 #1
It's good. PETRUS Aug 2015 #2
Thanks. I'll check it out. nt hay rick Aug 2015 #3
Thank you - I will look this up - LiberalElite Aug 2015 #4
Chang you can believe in. Scuba Aug 2015 #5
LOL hay rick Aug 2015 #6
It is. No math, no complex theories, just straightforward hifiguy Aug 2015 #7

PETRUS

(3,678 posts)
2. It's good.
Wed Aug 19, 2015, 09:20 PM
Aug 2015

I've read that, and his newest "Economics: The User's Guide." I'm not 100% aligned with his views, but he does offer a good, reasonable and plainly stated critique of neoliberalism, and I've learned some things from his writing.

LiberalElite

(14,691 posts)
4. Thank you - I will look this up -
Wed Aug 19, 2015, 10:07 PM
Aug 2015

I took one economics class 40 years ago. I recall it was a bit subversive vis a vis capitalism. But that's all I recall.

hay rick

(7,643 posts)
6. LOL
Thu Aug 20, 2015, 06:17 PM
Aug 2015

Ordered the book on my Kindle. Just started reading but already it appears to be engaging and well-written.

 

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)
7. It is. No math, no complex theories, just straightforward
Thu Aug 20, 2015, 06:37 PM
Aug 2015

and often witty explanations of why the neoliberals are so completely wrong. One very smart person taking a close look at neoliberal nonsense. Spoiler, the neoliberals' incredibly fucked-up vision of what human nature is underlies a large share of the problems we see today.

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