No comments about Macroeconomics (6th Edition).

5 comments about The Hungry Spirit.

1. Mr Handy has some very thought provoking ideas about capitalism, work and meaning of life. It was his 'Personal Preface' that attracted me to buy the book. As he said in the conclusion, "Life without hope is dismal."; I wanted to find out what he meant. In Part A of the book he talks about the impact of capitalism on the capitalist society . He explores the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the marketplace and competition. It is in Part B where the main substance of the book is. It is about the self and how individuals should respond. He profiles the changing world of work over the years and its impact on individuals. In reading the section on self-knowledge and self-awareness, I found the 'obituary exercise' took a new meaning in the context of what I had read; although I had done this exercise several times previously. Learning to live with others and discovering connectivity with society is an important aspect of living. This is very vividly brought out by Mr Handy. It is here I found hope that we could live more meaningful lifes. In Part C, there are some possible solutions to the dilemmas we face. It is in this part, Mr Handy elaborates on the 7 cardinal principles of trust. In the context of career management, the idea of of a school for life and work is a valuable concept. His chapter on the role of government mentions about the I's - information, involvement, individuality and infrastructure. He concludes in the epilogue with seven trends and indicators for the future. I would consider the book as required reading for anyone who wants to add value or meaning to their life, actively contribute to society or is interested in people. Unknown to us, I think all us have a 'Hungry Spirit' within us. Mr Handy's book may meet some of this hunger!



2. Handy is an incredible author. Reading this book was like sitting at the feet of one of the elders at the gate. He's incredible insightful and thought provoking. I highly recommend this book.



3. The Hungry Spirit is often confusing. The author freely acknowledges that modern capitalism operates according to the unrelenting market demands of efficiency and competitiveness, which maximizes the self-interests of an upper layer of market players but is detrimental to the financial and psychological well-being of the less well-placed who have either remained under corporate umbrellas or who have been discarded as redundant. Yet, on the other hand, he suggests that �anyone with any intelligence and a bit of get-up-and-go can make money.� And for those who don�t succeed, it must be because they have failed to develop �an eye for a customer, the market, and a useful skill.� This is the understanding of an individual who early in life received both an elite education and a lucrative job posting for which he was admittedly mostly unqualified who has now decided in later years to both mildly point out the flaws of capitalistic society and chide those who haven�t single-handedly overcome those economic forces.

   The author attempts to fuse an emphasis on personal sovereignty, or what he sometimes calls �proper selfishness,� and the need for community especially within business enterprises. Recognizing that it is increasingly likely that he or she will be left to fend for themselves in the harsh environment of free markets, the individual should not seek employment, per se, but should develop �employability.� Of course, backpedaling, the author recognizes that the educational system as well as other institutions does little to develop and sustain a society of entrepreneurs. The �one-shot� chance at an education of forgettable facts is largely useless to those who desire/must operate service businesses. But this harsh reality is not all bad; the author insists that there is a widespread �hunger� for personal growth that will be a part of developing employability. Work that has a greater purpose will increasingly be sought. Does walking the dogs or trimming the grass of elites qualify?

   This line of thinking also has ramifications within corporations. These newly �inner-directed� employees will reject being regarded as �human resources� or managed as some kind of business cost. They will settle for nothing less than being viewed as citizens of their companies with �rights of residence, justice, free speech, a share of the wealth �, and a say in the governance of their [companies].� The author correctly acknowledges that the democratic reorganization of companies seems like a �trade union manifesto,� which does not comport well with his expressed anti-union convictions. Other than through the insistence of these newly redirected employees, the author is unclear as to how the major redistribution of power that will be required to establish �companies of citizens� will occur. Of course, the compelling question is why the author is concerned about businesses as communities. Properly selfish, self-employed, citizens no longer need to work for corporations, right?

   Despite the fact that the author generally regards laissez-faire economics as troublesome for the greater society, he seems unwilling to advocate for political processes to exert much control over its excesses. In fact, he suggests that major issues are best decided outside the political process beyond the level of the nation-state by pressures from global markets or by international economic (WTO) and military alliances. Citizens/voters should confine themselves to local issues of roads and schools and police and hospitals. This minimalist view of politics and government is hardly adequate to address the effects of the �bottom line� thinking of modern capitalism for which the author expresses concern. The revamping of educational systems to include life-long learning with replacement income during schooling and the restructuring of corporations will require greater, not lesser, political intervention.

   As a critique of capitalistic society, this book is marginal at best. The author�s focus on the drive for money and the workings of market forces doesn�t begin to explain the structure of capitalistic societies. Absent are virtually any descriptions of the power structures in society and, most importantly, the domination of contemporary culture and the control of information by media empires. It is clear that the author has little appreciation for the profound role of citizen empowerment whether that is through the political process or such bodies as unions that will be necessary to counter the forces of modern capitalism. The idea that half of society becoming entrepreneurs trying to sell services to each other or to a layer of elites without significantly countering present economic forces will represent a general advancement for society is dubious at best. If anything, it seems a certain path for a First-World country to become a Second- or Third-World country.




4. Capitalism improves the lives of people more effectively than any other economic system. But the underlying principles of capitalism, efficiency and the bottom line, are too widely applied says the author. We are exhorted nowadays to run everything, even our personal lives, like a business. The problem is that the mandates of your life, and even many industries, like healthcare and social services, fall outside the basic structure of capitalist economics. Capitalism can provide wealth and comfort for people and institutions, but it cannot provide a meaning to their existence. People want more than money, says the author, they also hunger to make the best of themselves. The answer is to become "properly selfish." To be properly selfish means to reach beyond economics and find a true purpose to your life, to satisfy yourself by helping others, and building a legacy you can be proud of.
   
   Charles Handy has the following advice for those seeking to add true meaning and richness to their lives:
   · Know when to say "enough." Eventually, more wealth doesn't add value to your life, it just accumulates.
   · Create the sublime. Make room in your life for things that lift your spirit like music and art.
   · Reach for immortality. Find a way to leave something positive behind for the generations that will come after you.
   · Help employees achieve their dreams. Give them a vision, a reason to feel passionate about their work.
   · Treat your employees as citizens. Today, companies are more often a collection of people, not things.



5. What struck me about this book was the search the author himself had made (and was continuing to make) in finding meaning for himself. The theories behind his views on capitalism (while interesting) wasn't the point to me. Handy reveals that (in the end) he had paid a terrible price in his family relationships while aggressively pursuing a demanding career as an oil executive and, to a lesser degree, later as an educator. This is something that most people can relate to--as it's a particularly delicate balance to maintain early in one's career.
   
   It's insightful and painful at the same time to watch Handy go through his contortions. It was something I could certainly relate to...experiencing the guilt associated with investing so much of one's self in career at the expense of (ultimately) bigger priorities.
   
   Towards the sunset years of one's life, one's life priorities become very clear. There's not a lot of preaching here...simply great wisdom from someone who attempts to inspire others to evaluate these important questions for themselves.
   
   Bill Wiersma
   Author: The Big AHA!

3 comments about Macroeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction (with InfoTrac®).

1. This book is just wonderful because while you read it, the author gives you illustrative examples whereby you understand general policies and ideologies within the economy. It is just a five and odd star winner!!



2. This book is terrible. The author is for one thing extremely dull. Worst though is the questions he expects you to answer at the end of most chapters. The examples he gives while reading the chapter are totally different from the questions he asks at the end of the chapters. As a result of this you are left asking yourself, when the hell did we do this?????? To make matters worse their is no answer key to any of this, so even if you attempt to answer the questions, you will never even know if you did them right or not! Stay away from this book if possible, take a teacher who uses another book, because this book is very poor. In my class, probably half dropped because of this!



3. I liked this text and might adopt it for my classes. Economics is not an easy subject but Prof. McEachern's text is clearly written. The end of chapter summary of key ideas help to clarify what the chapter was about. The problems and exercises are rigorous, but within reach of anyone who has had algebra.
   
   The case studies bring a real world aspect to the material.

5 comments about The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America.

1. For me, the main point of this book is to support a meritocracy of creative people in America at a crucial point in history when it should be a national imperative. Brook clearly outlines the systemic economic, and political barriers to creativity that impede America's single strategic and global advantage - good ole' Yankee ingenuity. While freedom vs. equality is an important debate- and essential to a real meritocracy - the larger debate now is about promoting American innovation and international relationships in a global context. American leadership needs a full strategic audit that requires a good look at our national social contract to promote creative merit. Rich kids getting richer on inheritence and conventional thinking (like our current commander-in-chief) is not the answer. I don't mind at all that Brook seems to have a chip on his shoulder. We all should. Look around! It's a new world. We need a new strategic America. Achieve that, and it just may become a more humane America too.



2. for a young writer who grew up in new york, daniel brook provides some good insights into modern day corporate america and it's unintended impact on the social fabric of the country.
   there was a time when a college education was a way to bettering your life. nowadays it feels like the only way to stay out of poverty. with companies like google employing college grads as temps with no health benefits or job security, the social order resulting from the rise of the big corporation over the last 60 years is at risk of collapsing. the gap between the haves and the have-nots is forcing even the most idealistic individuals to sell their souls in every aspect of life. as the author points out, thomas jefferson, one of the founding fathers born into nobility, could have led a life of sloth - but as an american he was far too ambitious to settle for that. he envisioned a broad-based middle class, in their pursuit of happiness, as the strongest cohesive force in his dream for the new republic. aristotle, in ancient greece, had already realized that the rich and the poor are both prone to criminality. it is the middle-class that tends to obey the law and provide the backbone. it is time we reminded ourselves of that.



3. This book is an engaging and all-too-accurate portrait of the *real* job and life prospects for young members of the former middle class.
   
   Mr. Brook can save you a ton of heartbreak by showing you how the post-college world really works. You'll have a more clear-eyed view of some of the harsh trade-offs you'll probably face and can better understand what you might want to discard--or hang onto no matter what.
   
   Ignore the right-wingers here and their "sell out and grow up" message. As a country we've been steadily declining for 30 years under the aegis of these same discredited ideas.
   
   After all, if you do what they say, give up everything you love, and work hard at a huge corporation, you too can be outsourced. Think how "rich" you'll feel then.
   
   This book helps you know that experience without having to live it quite yet. Or maybe ever.



4. The Trap is another in an emerging line of texts discussing the ground-level impacts of gross inequalities in the distribution of American wealth in the post-Reagen era. Brook improves upon his predecessors with colorful language and probably the most coherent hypothesis: that as prices for basic housing, education, and health care have risen dramatically (largely through purposeful government policies or indirect effects of government policies), modern workers are forced, more-and-more often, to accept employment based on salary alone, which often means "selling out" by serving a master repugnant to one's morals. Though perhaps intuitively undeniable, Brooks articulates and supports this claim through the usual melange of political analysis, well-placed statistics, representative anecdotes, and cynical quotes from corporate demigods. Thoroughly enjoyable, despite the inherently depressing theme and the kid gloves (with which Brook handles those sellout friends of his).
   
   Brook does leave quite a few stones unturned (e.g., the realistic job prospects for those lacking Yale degrees, the effects of globalization and of "race-to-the-bottom" local development politics, anything not happening the San Francisco, etc.), but this just means he might do better next time. The Trap's brevity is the soul of its wit.



5. This is a sobering view about how the choice is no longer between doing something good or being rich, but between doing something good or being able to afford the minimum.

1 comments about Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy.

1. The book explicitly says "instructor's version--not for resale," so unlike the person who sold me this book, I will not re-sell the book because it is ILLEGAL. That said, this seller should be removed from Amazon.com.

No comments about Methods for Applied Macroeconomic Research.

5 comments about Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities (Midland Book).

1. "Man is a rebel against nature. He is prone to accept few things as they come. In all matters it is his irrepressible belief that by his tinkering he can improve upon them. His instrument is culture." Mary Ellen Roach, Dress, Adornment, and The Social Order

   Recall the last time you presented a gift to someone. Was it really a gift for them, or did you only give the gift so that the recipient would assume the symbolic properties of the item, and therefore become more like the person you would like them to be? How about your last major purchase-was it a replacement for something that no longer fits your standards, now that your standards no longer fit your past purchases? An individual would be hard pressed to come up with, let alone answer questions like these without serious thought and reflection, yet these and many others come to mind while reading "Culture and Consumption" by Grant McCracken.

   Mr. McCracken beckons us to question ourselves, our motives, and the whole rationale behind what we are doing when we make a purchase in the marketplace, whether it is for ourselves or someone else. While popular opinion and social scientific study purport that materialism is one of the things that is most wrong with our society, the author shows that the goods that are so often identified as the unhappy, destructive preoccupation of a materialistic society are in fact one of the chief instruments of its survival-one of the ways in which its order is created and maintained.

   While Mary Ellen Roach and others like her declared that yes, man likes to control things, Mr. McCracken goes many steps forward. He disregards and even insults former theorists on consumption in an attempt to reverse the gears of thinking on modern consumption practices. Accordingly, clothing is not language. In fact, clothing is "quite unlike language and best communicates cultural meaning when it departs from the syntagmatic principle on which language operates." Also, the popular trickle down theory of diffusion is actually "an upward "chase and flight" pattern created by a subordinate group that "hunts" upper class status makers and a superordinate social group that moves on in a hasty flight to new ones." Quite modestly, the author admits that his work "begins the rapprochement. It does not pretend to accomplish it."

   Mr. McCracken demonstrates that all the other theories about consumption are wrong or at least flawed. He questions them, and then points the way to a new understanding of how and why we are consumers. By his decree, our culture follows very distinct consumption patterns. With his review of the history of consumption to the present day, the author shows a consistent and lineal progression to the mass misunderstanding of today's marketplace. According to him, culture and consumption are inextricably intertwined, and he has attempted to unweave the elements of this intimate rapport for our perusal.

   He casts doubt upon our forefathers with startling clarity. What is reality to us-something we sometimes feel developed in complicated, pretentious ways-is in fact only the direct result of our revolutionary, rebellious founding. Mr. McCracken demands that we reevaluate and reconstruct the history of Western Civilization. All that we were, all that we are, and all that we strive to be is dictated to us by our consumption patterns. While one would hope for free will and liberty under democracy, in reality we are slaves to consumption.

   While our consumption once freed us from our past, it now entraps us and dictates our futures. What the author terms the Diderot effect sums this up nicely. Basically it states that when one takes the cultural meaning of a new good as the carrier of privileged meaning, they are forced to make all the rest of their possessions consistent with it. To fail in this capacity would make our semblance inaccurate and inconsistent. With that Rolex you had better buy a BMW. To house that BMW you had better buy a condo on the beach. To fill that condo you had better buy Ethan Allen furniture. To sit on that furniture you had better get a Shar-Pei. To pet that Shar-Pei you had better get a gorgeous and wealthy spouse. When you're through with these "common" luxuries, you better collect Rembrandts, Van Goghs, and Picassos until your lust for the obscure is satiated. By that time you'll be dead and you can leave your compulsive obsessions to your children so that they can continue the warped tradition of bridging their ways to the ever elusive displaced meaning-that gap between the real and ideal in social life-like moths to a flame.

   These points deserve to be more than noted. Throughout history, anthropologists have chosen to study the supply side of the Industrial Revolution. Mr. McCracken offers a most refreshing viewpoint of the demand side of the equation. With unique insight, Mr. McCracken uses clothing as a prototypical item of contemporary culture and shows us how it has shaped and dominated our lives. Throughout this collection of essays, he tears down the old order of consumption theory and constructs a new one-one that has never seen the light of day.

   For anyone ready to face the marketplace through marketing or advertising, and begin the long overdue look at how and why we consume, there could not be a more congenial conversationalist than Mr. McCracken.




2. In "Culture & Consumption", McCracken takes the view that we are all beholden to our culture and that it is nearly impossible to break out of it. Unlike the reviewer who gave this volume 5 stars, I feel as though it is overly determinstic in its' approach. There is almost no room for any type of individual behavior, as this does not really exist for McCracken. The book is also heavy on a kind of behavioral pop psych dogma and he does not take any other modern consumption ideas into account. In the end, check this book out from the library if you really want to read it, otherwise you're just throwing your money away on overused dogmatic tripe.



3. This is the source to anthropological understanding on how consumption creates a brand meaning. Likewise how consumption creates consumer meaning.



4. This is one of the many books written by professors at universities in order to get tenure. It is not written for the average reader but for other professors who already have an understanding of the subject matter. For that matter, I wonder why the author would make his book available to the general public and not make his material accessable to them. The book is dense, the author focuses more on referencing other authors rather than providing a clear, concise or original thesis to the subject. I dont not recommend this book if you are one of the billions of people out there who is not a professor at whichever universities this author was trying to impress.



5. it's a great and enlightening book but it's for a graduate studies student, not for an undergrad.

4 comments about Chaos or Community?: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics.

1. Important, a compendium of shocking statistics and stories about the sorry state of the state. Most depressing, but most enlightening. Occasionally bogs down in statistics, and perhaps too many tables,though it's always nice to have these for reference. Much to be learned here. I plan to reread this one again soon. Alan Nicoll



2. I heard the author speak on PBS radio and then read the book. Sklar explains how and why we Americans are working harder than ever today, but seem to get "nowhere." I think every business owner, politician, teacher, and parent should read this book to better understand how we can help one another in this country and the world!



3. Holly Sklar always does such a complete job with her subjects. She is incredibly clear and focused. I tend to read quite a bit of this type of literature and many times it can a bit like. . . Rant over here . . . Then Rant over there, without reaching a logical conclusion. Holly Sklar has never suffered from that. This book is very very very well researched. It should be read with the idea that the title has in mind. We really do have a choice to make in this country. Let's make the decision from a point of knowledge. Bravo Holly.



4. A "progressive" view of of the overall economic system of the world. Why are the poor poor and the rich rich? What systems are in place to keep things in place? Graphic description of the dismantling of the American Dream: harder work, lower wages, greater insecurity and inequality. Good reviews from solid economists (from Wharton School, Harvard, Columbia University, and others) so this isn't baseless propaganda. Helps you understand the big picture of what's happening in our world. Published more than 10 years ago, but still very current. For example, how has NAFTA helped create the current immigration problem? Read and learn. Title of the book is stolen from Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 comments about The Monetary Policy of the Federal Reserve: A History (Studies in Macroeconomic History).

1. This book is a 21st century version of Friedman and Schwartz's classic Monetary History of the United States. The monetarist-leaning author shows how the Fed won the battle over inflation in some decades but lost the battle in others. Citing hundreds of FOMC transcipts and interviews with key decisionmakers, the author provides an almost anthropological account of what it means to be "soft on inflation" or "tough on inflation."
   
   I didn't agree with everything in the book, and that's a sign of just how good it is: Hetzel takes strong positions and argues them with statistical and archival evidence. I wrote an enormous amount in the margins--the hints of future lecture notes from when I (surely) teach with this book in the near future.
   
   One of the great services Hetzel performs is dragging into the light quotes from old-line Keynesians (including some Nobel Laureates) who said it was impossible or impractical to bring inflation down from 6% to 1% (sic), as well as quotes from famous Keynesians who argued that inflation-fighting wasn't even the Fed's business.
   
   Those guys had it wrong, wrong, wrong. Nowadays, almost all macroeconomists seem to agree that long-lasting "inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon," as Milton Friedman used to say, but elite economists in the 50's, 60's, and 70's mocked such views. Hetzel has the goods on those who mocked the monetarists, one of the many little treasures in this fascinating volume.

5 comments about Macroeconomics.

1. If you cannot sleep at night, here is the sleeping pill you were looking for. Besides its dreary nature - one who struggles with concepts as they relate to graphing will certainly be frustrated.



2. For a textbook, I found this book to be entertaining. Not only was the reading easier than most texts, the real world examples were great and really helped to solidify the concepts.



3. First of all, this is really a poor text for students who are taking Intro Macro course. That guy doesnt explain and clarify those concepts well, and his examples are ambigious and annoying as well! To a college student, a concise text is more appreciated than a massive one, which contains many unnecessary sentences. Plus, his writing is so poor! He just wants to make it interesting, instead is really dry!
   I am so mad about my Econ prof who chose to use this text, Mankiw's Econ books are more preferable!



4. This is one of the most interesting books on macroeconomics at the undergraduate level. It differs from many other books in its emphasis on institutions and history. It is balanced on the role and impact of policy. It is also quite readable.



5. I find Colander's coverage of Macroeconimcs clear and far more relevant and contextualized than many other text books on the market. He presents theory but also explains where the theory poorly represents the real world. I agree with another reviewer that the author is a bit wordy. He could be more concise, but I don't find his writing unclear or dull.