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Economics Books

Dive into the dynamic world of economics with our wide array of books in the Economics collection. From global financial systems to local economic policies, our selection offers insights by leading economists and scholars.
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Mullahs, Merchants, and Militants : The Economic Collapse of the Arab World - Thryft
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Stephen Glain | St. Martin's Griffin

Mullahs, Merchants, and Militants : The Economic Collapse of the Arab World

RM41.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.73

RM41.00 MYR

A thousand years ago, a vast Arab empire stretched from the Asian steppe across the Mediterranean to Spain, pioneering new technologies, sciences, art and culture. Arab traders and Arab currencies dominated the global economy in ways Western multinationals and the dollar do today.A thousand years later, Arab states are in decay. Official corruption and ineptitude have eroded state authority and created a vacuum that militant Islam has rushed to fill. Glain takes us on a journey through the heart of what were once the great Islamic caliphates, the countries now known as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel/Palestine, Iraq and Egypt, to illustrate how a once prosperous and enlightened civilization finds itself at a crossroads between a Dark Age and a New Dawn.As late as a century ago, what we call the Levant was a prosperous trading bloc. By carving the region into proxy states and emirates after the First World War, the Western powers Balkanized and undermined the Levantine economy. That in turn prepared the ground for a regional autocracy that rejected economic openness and religious tolerance, qualities that had made the old Islamic caliphates great. Today the Arab world has opted out of the global economy, with tragic consequences. It is up to the new generation of leaders -- and the Western governments that created the modern Middle East -- to reverse the sclerosis and revive the region.
The Quest : Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World - Thryft
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Daniel Yergin | Penguin Press

The Quest : Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World

RM38.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.13

RM38.00 MYR

Selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year In this gripping account of the quest for the energy that our world needs, Daniel Yergin continues the riveting story begun in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Prize. A master storyteller as well as a leading energy expert, Yergin shows us how energy is an engine of global political and economic change. It is a story that spans the energies on which our civilization has been built and the new energies that are competing to replace them. From the jammed streets of Beijing to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the conflicts in the Mideast to Capitol Hill and Silicon Valley, Yergin takes us into the decisions that are shaping our future.The drama of oil-the struggle for access, the battle for control, the insecurity of supply, the consequences of use, its impact on the global economy, and the geopolitics that dominate it-continues to profoundly affect our world.. Yergin tells the inside stories of the oil market and the surge in oil prices, the race to control the resources of the former Soviet empire, and the massive mergers that transformed the landscape of world oil. He tackles the toughest questions: Will we run out of oil? Are China and the United States destined to come into conflict over oil? How will a turbulent Middle East affect the future of oil supply?Yergin also reveals the surprising and sometimes tumultuous history of nuclear and coal, electricity, and the "shale gale" of natural gas, and how each fits into the larger marketplace. He brings climate change into unique perspective by offering an unprecedented history of how the field of climate study went from the concern of a handful of nineteenth- century scientists preoccupied with a new Ice Age into one of the most significant issues of our times.He leads us through the rebirth of renewable energies and explores the distinctive stories of wind, solar, and biofuels. He offers a perspective on the return of the electric car, which some are betting will be necessary for a growing global economy.The Quest presents an extraordinary range of characters and dramatic stories that illustrate the principles that will shape a robust and flexible energy security system for the decades to come. Energy is humbling in its scope, but our future requires that we deeply understand this global quest that is truly reshaping our world.
Plutocrats : The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich - Thryft
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Chrystia Freeland | Allen Lane

Plutocrats : The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich

RM43.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.63

RM43.00 MYR

74% off est. retail
Plutocrats is a highly-researched examination of the world's wealthiest, detailing their lives, mindsets, and economic policies. It's a great read for those looking to understand the current state of capitalism, and how it influences society. Readers will appreciate the author's objectivity and deep empathy for her subjects.
The Oil and the Glory : The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea - Thryft
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Steve Levine | Random House

The Oil and the Glory : The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea

RM29.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.98

RM29.00 MYR

Remote, forbidding, and volatile, the Caspian Sea long tantalized the world with its vast oil reserves. But outsiders, blocked by the closed Soviet system, couldn’t get to it. Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and a wholesale rush into the region erupted. Along with oilmen, representatives of the world’s leading nations flocked to the Caspian for a share of the thirty billion barrels of proven oil reserves at stake, and a tense geopolitical struggle began. The main players were Moscow and Washington–the former seeking to retain control of its satellite states, and the latter intent on dislodging Russia to the benefit of the West.The Oil and the Glory is the gripping account of this latest phase in the epochal struggle for control of the earth’s “black gold.” Steve LeVine, who was based in the region for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times , and Newsweek , weaves an astonishing tale of high-stakes political gamesmanship, greed, and scandal, set in one of the most opaque corners of the world. In LeVine’s telling, the world’s energy giants jockey for position in the rich Kazakh and Azeri oilfields, while superpowers seek to gain a strategic foothold in the region and to keep each other in check. At the heart of the story is the contest to build and operate energy pipelines out of the landlocked region, the key to controlling the Caspian and its oil. The oil pipeline that resulted, the longest in the world, is among Washington’s greatest foreign policy triumphs in at least a decade and a half.Along the way, LeVine introduces such players as James Giffen, an American moneyman who was also the political “fixer” for oil companies eager to do business on the Caspian and the broker for Kazakhstan’s president and ministers; John Deuss, the flamboyant Dutch oil trader who won big but lost even bigger; Heydar Aliyev, the oft-misunderstood Azeri president who transcended his past as a Soviet Politburo member and masterminded a scheme to loosen Russian control over its former colonies in the Caspian region; and all manner of rogues, adventurers, and others drawn by the irresistible pull of untold riches and the possible “final frontier” of the fossil-fuel era. The broader story is of the geopolitical questions of the Caspian oil bonanza, such as whether Russia can be a trusted ally and trading partner with the West, and what Washington’s entry into this important but chaotic region will mean for its long-term stability.In an intense and suspenseful narrative, The Oil and the Glory is the definitive chronicle of events that are understood by few, but whose political and economic impact will be both profound and lasting."The collapse of the Soviet Union was a big opportunity for Big Oil, whose exploits are detailed in this fast-paced work of political and economic reportage by Wall Street Journal energy correspondent LeVine.Westerners had been sniffing for black gold in Russia and its satellites long before the empire disintegrated, notes the author. Averell Harriman, “the Harvard-trained scion of nineteenth-century robber baron Edward Harriman,” tried his hand at the business before turning to manganese mining, while Armand Hammer “became a money launderer for the Bolsheviks, sneaked cash to secret Bolshevik agents in the United States, and profited handsomely as the representative in Russia of some thirty American companies.” Hammer set the tone for the Americans who flocked to the Caspian in the first years of the Clinton presidency, which maneuvered for the construction of an east-west oil pipeline that, by reversing the old pattern of Central Asian materials going north to Russia and coming back as products for sale, “would favor the West and disfavor Russia.” Not a nice way to treat a fledgling democracy, but the oil scouts, of course, considered Russia a rival for Central-Asian resources second only to Iran, with its heartfelt and long-standing enmity toward the United States in the region and abroad. These scouts–the first among equals being LeVine’s heart-of-darkness antihero, Jim Giffen–kept their distance when Russia still had control over the area, spurning a Gorbachev-era program to allow foreign co-ownership. But they rushed to support separatist movements and encouraged ethnic and political divisions that opened the door to an even bigger share of the wealth. The tale of Giffen’s rise and fall (the latter for perhaps surprising reasons) occupies much of the later pages, but he never loses sight of the bigger picture: namely, Central Asia as oil lamp and potential powder keg in the realpolitik of the next few years.A complex story rendered comprehensible, with much drama and intrigue."--KIRKUS
Thicker Than Oil : America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia - Thryft
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Rachel Bronson | Oxford University Press

Thicker Than Oil : America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia

RM25.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.97

RM25.00 MYR

For fifty-five years, the United States and Saudi Arabia were solid partners. Then came the 9/11 attacks, which sorely tested that relationship. In Thicker than Oil , Rachel Bronson reveals why the partnership became so intimate and how the countries' shared interests sowed the seeds oftoday's most pressing problem--Islamic radicalism.Drawing on a wide range of archival material, declassified documents, and interviews with leading Saudi and American officials, Bronson chronicles a history of close, and always controversial, contacts. She argues that contrary to popular belief the relationship was never simply about "oilfor security." Saudi Arabia's geographic location and religiously motivated foreign policy figured prominently in American efforts to defeat "godless communism." From Africa to Afghanistan, Egypt to Nicaragua, the two worked to beat back Soviet expansion. But decisions made for hardheaded ColdWar purposes left behind a legacy that today enflames the Middle East.In this landmark work, Bronson exposes the political calculations that drove this secretive relationship. Her lively narrative is interwoven with colorful stories of diplomatic adventures and misadventures--including details of high-level backchannel conversations, awkward cross-culturalencounters, and a bizarre American request for the Saudi government to subsidize Polish pork exports, a demand the U.S. Ambassador refused to deliver. Looking forward, she outlines the challenges confronting the relationship. The Saudi government faces a zealous internal opposition bent onAmerica's and Saudi Arabia's destruction. Yet from the perspective of both countries, the status quo is clearly unsustainable. This book shows how this crucial relationship evolved, and suggests ways to chart its future course.
Treasure Islands : Tax Havens and the Men who Stole the World - Thryft
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Nicholas Shaxson | Vintage

Treasure Islands : Tax Havens and the Men who Stole the World

RM19.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.19

RM19.00 MYR

WITH NEW AND UPDATED MATERIALBillionaire Warren Buffet, currently the third wealthiest man in the world, paid the lowest rate of tax among his office staff, including his receptionist.In 2006 the world's three biggest banana companies did nearly £400 million worth of business in Britain but paid just £128,000 in tax between them.In January 2009, US law enforcement fined Lloyds TSB $350 million after it admitted secretly channelling Iranian and Sudanese money into the US banking system.Tax havens are the most important single reason why poor people and poor countries stay poor. They lie at the very heart of the global economy, with over half the world trade processed through them. They have been instrumental in nearly every major economic event, in every big financial scandal, and in every financial crisis since the 1970s, including the latest global economic downturn. In Treasure Islands, Nicholas Shaxson shows how this happened, and what this means for you.
Economic Gangsters : Corruption, Violence, and the Poverty of Nations - Thryft
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Edward Miguel, Ray Fisman  | Princeton University Press

Economic Gangsters : Corruption, Violence, and the Poverty of Nations

RM22.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.77

RM22.00 MYR

85% off est. retail
Getting inside the heads of the developing world’s dictators, warlords, and corrupt politiciansMeet the economic gangster. He's the United Nations diplomat who double-parks his Mercedes on New York City streets at rush hour because the cops can't touch him―he has diplomatic immunity. He's the Chinese smuggler who dodges tariffs by magically transforming frozen chickens into frozen turkeys. The dictator, the warlord, the unscrupulous bureaucrat who bilks the developing world of billions in aid. The calculating crook who views stealing and murder as just another part of his business strategy. And, in the wrong set of circumstances, he might just be you.In Economic Gangsters , Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel take readers into the secretive, chaotic, and brutal worlds inhabited by these lawless and violent thugs. Join these two sleuthing economists as they follow the foreign aid money trail into the grasping hands of corrupt governments and shady underworld characters. Spend time with ingenious black marketeers as they game the international system. Follow the steep rise and fall of stock prices of companies with unseemly connections to Indonesia's former dictator. See for yourself what rainfall has to do with witch killings in Tanzania―and more.Fisman and Miguel use economics to get inside the heads of these "gangsters," and propose solutions that can make a difference to the world's poor―including cash infusions to defuse violence in times of drought, and steering the World Bank away from aid programs most susceptible to corruption.In a new postscript, the authors look at how economists might use new tools to better understand, and fight back against, corruption and violence in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Take an entertaining walk on the dark side of global economic development with Economic Gangsters .
Bordering on Chaos : Guerrillas, Stockbrokers, Politicians, and Mexico - Thryft
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Andrés Oppenheimer | Little Brown & Co

Bordering on Chaos : Guerrillas, Stockbrokers, Politicians, and Mexico

RM24.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.21

RM24.00 MYR

Mexico's growing pains in the era of NAFTA and globalization have been singularly acute and dramatic: a guerrilla uprising, the assassination of political leaders, revelations of high-level corruption, economic collapse, and a $50 billion bailout. Bordering on Chaos is an unrivaled account of the headline-making events that have threatened Mexico's social, political, and economic stability. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand Mexico today - when, more than ever before, what happens in Mexico directly affects the U.S. national interest.
Everybody Loves a Good Drought - Thryft
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Palagummi Sainath | Penguin

Everybody Loves a Good Drought

RM14.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.33

RM14.00 MYR

In this thoroughly researched study of the poorest of the poor in India, we get to see how they manage, what sustains them, and the efforts, often ludicrous, to do something for them. The people who figure in this book tipify the lives and aspirations of a large section of the Indian society, and their stories present us with the true face of development.
Blowback - Thryft
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Chalmers Johnson | Little Brown P/b

Blowback

RM14.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.06

RM14.00 MYR

This provocative & important book, with a new preface by the author written after the momentous events of 11 September, is a powerful account of the consequences of American global policies. The 21st century, Chalmers Johnson tells us, will be a payback world in which the US will reap the global resentments it is now sowing. 'Blowback', a term that officials of the CIA first invented for their internal use, refers to the unintended consequences of American policies and the dangers faced by an overextended empire that insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From America's role in Asia's financial crisis, to its early support for Saddam Hussein and its actions in the Balkans, Johnson reveals the misguided actions of a hugely powerful nation. In the wake of the Cold War, the US has imprudently expanded the commitments it made over the previous forty years. In 'Blowback' Chalmers Johnson issues a it is time for the American empire to demobilize before its bills become due.
The Corpse Walker : Real-Life Stories, China from the Bottom Up - Thryft
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Liao Yiwu, Wenguang Huang, Philip Gourevitch  | Pantheon

The Corpse Walker : Real-Life Stories, China from the Bottom Up

RM41.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.21

RM41.00 MYR

The Corpse Walker is a compilation of twenty-seven extraordinary oral histories that opens a window, unlike any other, onto the lives of ordinary, often outcast, Chinese men and women. Liao Yiwu (one of the best-known writers in China because he is also one of the most censored) chose his subjects from the bottom of Chinese people for whom the “new” China--the China of economic growth and globalization-—is no more beneficial than the old. By asking challenging questions with respect and empathy, he manages to get his subjects to talk openly about their lives.Here are a professional mourner, a trafficker in humans, a leper, an abbot, a retired government official, a former landowner, a mortician, a feng shui master, a former Red Guard, a political prisoner, a village teacher, a blind street musician, a Falun Gong practitioner, and many others–people who have been battered by life but who have managed to retain their dignity, their humor, and their essential, complex humanity.Liao crafted the interviews (conducted between 1990 and 2003) with sensitivity and patience, working both from notes and from his own memory of these remarkable conversations. The result is an idiosyncratic, powerful, and richly revealing portrait of a people, a time, and a place we might otherwise have never known.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded : Why The World Needs A Green Revolution - and How We Can Renew Our Global Future - Thryft
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Thomas L. Friedman | Penguin Books

Hot, Flat, and Crowded : Why The World Needs A Green Revolution - and How We Can Renew Our Global Future

RM16.00 MYR RM10.00 MYR 38% off

Goodreads rating: 3.71

RM16.00 MYR RM10.00 MYR 38% off

Thomas Friedman's phenomenal "The World is Flat" helped millions of people see globalization in a new way. Now he takes a fresh, provocative look at the biggest challenge facing us today - our hot, flat and crowded world. Climate change and rapid population growth mean that it's no longer possible for businesses, or the rest of us, to keep doing things the same old way. Things are going to have to change - and fast. Here Friedman provides a bold strategy for clean fuel, energy efficiency and conservation that he calls 'Code Green'. It will change everything, from what we put into our cars and see on our electricity bills to how we live our lives. "Hot, Flat and Crowded" is fearless, forward-looking and rich in common sense about the challenge - and the promise - of the future.
On Liberty and Other Essays - Thryft
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John Gray, John Stuart Mill  | Oxford University Press

On Liberty and Other Essays

RM21.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.07

RM21.00 MYR

Collected here in a single volume for the first time are John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, Utilitarianism, Considerations on Representative Governmen t, and The Subjection of Women . These essays show Mill applying his liberal utilitarian philosophy to a range of issues that remain vitaltoday--the nature of ethics, the scope and limits of individual liberty, the merits of and costs of democratic government, and the place of women in society. In his Introduction John Gray describes these essays as applications of Mill's doctrine of the Art of Life , as set out in A System ofLogic . Using the resources of recent scholarship, he shows Mill's work to be far richer and subtler than traditional interpretations allow.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expertintroductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Hegemony or Survival : America's Quest for Global Dominance - Thryft
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Noam Chomsky | Penguin Books

Hegemony or Survival : America's Quest for Global Dominance

RM13.00 MYR RM8.00 MYR 38% off

Goodreads rating: 3.97

RM13.00 MYR RM8.00 MYR 38% off

Hegemony or Survival is Noam Chomsky's essential polemic on American foreign policy.Noam Chomsky, the world's foremost intellectual activist, presents an irrefutable analysis of America's pursuit of total domination and the catastrophic consequences that are sure to follow.From the funding of repressive regimes to the current 'war on terror', from the toppling of governments opposing its beliefs to the invasion of Iraq, America pursues its global strategy no matter what the cost. With the rigour and insight that have made him our most important unraveller of accredited lies, Noam Chomsky reveals the truth and the true motives behind America's quest for dominance - and seeks also to show how the world may yet step back from the brink.'A devastating history of American foreign policy since 1945 as well as a dissection of the current "war on terror"' Tim Adams, Observer'Anybody who thinks about American foreign policy has to read and contemplate Hegemony or Survival' Independent'One of the radical heroes of our age. A towering intellect' GuardianNoam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Interventions, What We Say Goes, Hopes and Prospects, How the World Works and Occupy, all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin.
The End of History and the Last Man - Thryft
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Francis Fukuyama | Penguin

The End of History and the Last Man

RM38.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.59

RM38.00 MYR

66% off est. retail
The End of History and the Last Man is an insightful read for those interested in understanding the fundamental changes that have taken place since the Cold War. Fukuyama's argument that liberal democracy has emerged as the ultimate global ideology still holds weight, making it a must-read for those seeking a deep understanding of contemporary global politics.
Why Nations Fail : The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty - Thryft
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James A. Robinson, Daron Acemoğlu  | Profile Books

Why Nations Fail : The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty

RM54.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.08

RM54.00 MYR

Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions—with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including:    - China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West?    - Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority?    - What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions? Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at—and understand—the world.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit - Thryft
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Max Weber, R.H. Tawney, Talcott Parsons  | Dover Publications

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit

RM25.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.91

RM25.00 MYR

The Protestant ethic — a moral code stressing hard work, rigorous self-discipline, and the organization of one's life in the service of God — was made famous by sociologist and political economist Max Weber. In this brilliant study (his best-known and most controversial), he opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and its view that change takes place through "the struggle of opposites." Instead, he relates the rise of a capitalist economy to the Puritan determination to work out anxiety over salvation or damnation by performing good deeds — an effort that ultimately discouraged belief in predestination and encouraged capitalism. Weber's classic study has long been required reading in college and advanced high school social studies classrooms.
Plutocrats : The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else - Thryft
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Chrystia Freeland | Penguin Press

Plutocrats : The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else

RM22.00 MYR RM14.00 MYR 36% off

Goodreads rating: 3.63

RM22.00 MYR RM14.00 MYR 36% off

A Financial Times Best Book of the YearWinner of the 2013 Lionel Gelber Prize There has always been some gap between rich and poor in this country, but in the last few decades what it means to be rich has changed dramatically. Alarmingly, the greatest income gap is not between the 1 percent and the 99 percent, but within the wealthiest 1 percent of our nation--as the merely wealthy are left behind by the rapidly expanding fortunes of the new global super-rich. Forget the 1 percent; Plutocrats proves that it is the wealthiest 0.1 percent who are outpacing the rest of us at break-neck speed. What’s changed is more than numbers. Today, most colossal fortunes are new, not inherited--amassed by perceptive businessmen who see themselves as deserving victors in a cut-throat international competition. As a transglobal class of successful professionals, today’s self-made oligarchs often feel they have more in common with one another than with their countrymen back home. Bringing together the economics and psychology of these new super-rich, Plutocrats puts us inside a league very much of its own, with its own rules. The closest mirror to our own time is the late nineteenth century Gilded Age--the era of powerful ‘robber barons’ like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Then as now, emerging markets and innovative technologies collided to produce unprecedented wealth for more people than ever in human history. Yet those at the very top benefited far more than others--and from this pinnacle they exercised immense and unchecked power in their countries. Today’s closest analogue to these robber barons can be found in the turbulent economies of India, Brazil, and China, all home to ferocious market competition and political turmoil. But wealth, corruption, and populism are no longer constrained by national borders, so this new Gilded Age is already transforming the economics of the West as well. Plutocrats demonstrates how  social upheavals generated by the first Gilded Age may pale in comparison to what is in store for us, as the wealth of the entire globalized world is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Cracking open the tight-knit world of the new global super-rich is Chrystia Freeland, an acclaimed business journalist who has spent nearly two decades reporting on the new transglobal elite. She parses an internal Citigroup memo that urges clients to design portfolios around the international “Plutonomy” and not the national “rest”; follows Russian, Mexican, and Indian oligarchs during the privatization boom as they manipulate the levers of power to commandeer their local economies; breaks down the gender divide between the vast female-managed ‘middle class’ and the world’s one thousand billionaires; shows how, by controlling both the economic and political institutions of their nation, the richest members of China’s National People’s Congress have amassed more wealth than every branch of American government combined--the president, his cabinet, the justices of the Supreme Court, and both houses of Congress. Though the results can be shocking, Freeland dissects the lives of the world’s wealthiest individuals with empathy, intelligence, and deep insight. Brightly written, powerfully researched, and propelled by fascinating original interviews with the plutocrats themselves, Plutocrats is a tour-de-force of social and economic history, and the definitive examination of inequality in our time.
Pound Foolish : Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry - Thryft
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Helaine Olen | Portfolio

Pound Foolish : Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry

RM23.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.68

RM23.00 MYR

If you’ve ever bought a personal finance book, watched a TV show about stock picking, listened to a radio show about getting out of debt, or attended a seminar to help you plan for your retirement, you’ve probably heard some version of these quotes: “What’s keeping you from being rich? In most cases, it is simply a lack of belief.” —SUZE ORMAN, The Courage to Be Rich“Are you latte-ing away your financial future?” —DAVID BACH, Smart Women Finish Rich“I know you’re capable of picking winning stocks and holding on to them.” —JIM CRAMER, Mad MoneyThey’re common refrains among personal finance gurus. There’s just one problem: those and many simi­lar statements are false. For the past few decades, Americans have spent billions of dollars on personal finance products. As salaries have stagnated and companies have cut back on benefits, we’ve taken matters into our own hands, embracing the can-do attitude that if we’re smart enough, we can overcome even daunting financial obstacles. But that’s not true. In this meticulously reported and shocking book, journalist and former financial columnist Helaine Olen goes behind the curtain of the personal finance industry to expose the myths, contradictions, and outright lies it has perpetuated. She shows how an industry that started as a response to the Great Depression morphed into a behemoth that thrives by selling us products and services that offer little if any help. Olen calls out some of the biggest names in the business, revealing how even the most respected gurus have engaged in dubious, even deceitful, prac­tices—from accepting payments from banks and corporations in exchange for promoting certain prod­ucts to blaming the victims of economic catastrophe for their own financial misfortune. Pound Foolish also disproves many myths about spending and saving, including:Small pleasures can bankrupt you: Gurus popular­ized the idea that cutting out lattes and other small expenditures could make us millionaires. But reduc­ing our caffeine consumption will not offset our biggest expenses: housing, education, health care, and retirement.Disciplined investing will make you rich: Gurus also love to show how steady investing can turn modest savings into a huge nest egg at retirement. But these calculations assume a healthy market and a lifetime without any setbacks—two conditions that have no connection to the real world.Women need extra help managing money: Product pushers often target women, whose alleged financial ignorance supposedly leaves them especially at risk. In reality, women and men are both terrible at handling finances.Financial literacy classes will prevent future eco­nomic crises: Experts like to claim mandatory sessions on personal finance in school will cure many of our money ills. Not only is there little evidence this is true, the entire movement is largely funded and promoted by the financial services sector.  Weaving together original reporting, interviews with experts, and studies from disciplines ranging from behavioral economics to retirement planning, Pound Foolish is a compassionate and compelling book that will change the way we think and talk about our money.
The Meltdown Years: The Unfolding of the Global Economic Crisis - Thryft
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Wolfgang Munchau | Mcgraw Hill

The Meltdown Years: The Unfolding of the Global Economic Crisis

RM22.00 MYR RM13.00 MYR 41% off

Goodreads rating: 3.83

RM22.00 MYR RM13.00 MYR 41% off

The Meltdown Years offers the most lucid and useful explanation to date about why home values, life savings, job security, and investments around the world are in peril. Rather than focus on who is to blame, though, author Wolfgang Münchau takes the more practical approach of focusing on what is to blame. The fact that individuals were stupid, greedy, and corrupt should come as no surprise. What’s remarkable is that our world’s financial systems―put in place to help stave off such a crisis―failed so miserably. What is inherently wrong with the global monetary system? What happened to the regulatory process? What role did the credit market, hedge funds, and investment banks play? These are the types of questions one must answer in order to truly comprehend what caused the meltdown and, more importantly, to understand what must be done to repair it. Münchau dissects the global financial system, exposing its flaws and weaknesses in the context of the crisis. A decidedly global perspective of the greatest financial crisis of our time, The Meltdown Years examines
China : The Balance Sheet - What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower - Thryft
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C. Fred Bergsten, Nicholas R. Lardy, Bates Gill  | Publicaffairs

China : The Balance Sheet - What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower

RM12.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.3

RM12.00 MYR

China's emergence as a major international power is perhaps the most important development in world affairs of the 21st century. Now, this book provides an indispensable survey of that country, the world's largest-- a vast land with 1.4 billion people and the world's most dynamic economy. Over the past year, Dr. Bates Gill, C. Fred Bergsten, Nicholas R. Lardy, and Derek Mitchell have led four task forces through a rigorous exercise of investigation and intelligence, compiling and analyzing the authoritative data on China's economy, foreign and domestic policy, and national security. Now that material has been shaped into an accessible narrative filled with facts, but written for the general reader. The expert judgements presented in The Balance Sheet will inform policymakers in Washintgon, scholars and the business community for years to come.
Singapore: The Encyclopaedia - Thryft
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Tommy Koh, Timothy Auger  | Didier Millet

Singapore: The Encyclopaedia

RM27.00 MYR RM16.00 MYR 41% off

Goodreads rating: 4.33

RM27.00 MYR RM16.00 MYR 41% off

Singapore: The Encyclopedia contains over 2,500 alphabetically arranged entries on a vast range of topics – practically everything the general reader might want to know about Singapore, four decades after the achievement of full independence. Readers will discover a depth and diversity that may surprise many who thought they know Singapore well, as well as a rich history that goes back many centuries.Here is a vast array of information on the Singapore’s history, geography, economy, law, politics, arts, culture, entertainment, architecture, food and natural history. Singapore’s political system is described, as well as its legal, educational and healthcare systems. Companies, clubs and associations, housing estates, festivals and customs – they all have a place in the book.The encyclopedia captures the shared memories and shared stories that have shaped the national identity. They include political events such as such as Separation and Confrontation, as well as emotionally charged disasters such as the Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Nicoll Highway collapse.Individuals profiled include artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, members of the armed forces, priests, pastors, ulema, civil servants, entertainers, ambassadors, judges, sportsmen, and even murders.Overseen by a distinguished editorial advisory board under the Chairmanship of Professor Tommy Koh, this encyclopedia is the most wide-ranging and informative general reference book ever published.
A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold (Peter L. Bernstein's Finance Classics) - Thryft
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Paul A. Volcker, Peter L. Bernstein  | Wiley

A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold (Peter L. Bernstein's Finance Classics)

RM34.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.86

RM34.00 MYR

One of the foremost financial writers of his generation, Peter Bernstein has the unique ability to synthesize intellectual history and economics with the theory and practice of investment management. Now, with classic titles such as Economist on Wall Street, A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold, and The Price of Prosperity ―which have forewords by financial luminaries and new introductions by the author―you can enjoy some of the best of Bernstein in his earlier Wall Street days. With the proliferation of financial instruments, new areas of instability, and innovative capital market strategies, many economists and investors have lost sight of the fundamentals of the financial system―its strengths as well as its weaknesses. A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold takes you back to the beginning and sorts out all the pieces. Peter Bernstein skillfully addresses how and why commercial banks lend and invest, where money comes from, how it moves from hand to hand, and the critical role of interest rates. He explores the Federal Reserve System and the consequences of the Fed's actions on the overall economy. But this book is not just about the past. Bernstein's novel perspective on gold and the dollar is critical for today's decision makers, as he provides extensive views on the future of money, banking, and gold in the world economy. This illuminating story about the heart of our economic system is essential reading at a time when developments in finance are more important than ever.
Thank You, Anarchy - Notes From The Occupy Apocalypse - Thryft
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Nathan Schneider, Rebecca Solnit  | University Of California Press

Thank You, Anarchy - Notes From The Occupy Apocalypse

RM38.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.86

RM38.00 MYR

Thank You, Anarchy is an up-close, inside account of Occupy Wall Street’s first year in New York City, written by one of the first reporters to cover the phenomenon. Nathan Schneider chronicles the origins and explosive development of the Occupy movement through the eyes of the organizers who tried to give shape to an uprising always just beyond their control. Capturing the voices, encounters, and beliefs that powered the movement, Schneider brings to life the General Assembly meetings, the chaotic marches, the split-second decisions, and the moments of doubt as Occupy swelled from a hashtag online into a global phenomenon.A compelling study of the spirit that drove this watershed movement, Thank You, Anarchy vividly documents how the Occupy experience opened new social and political possibilities and registered a chilling indictment of the status quo. It was the movement’s most radical impulses, this account shows, that shook millions out of a failed tedium and into imagining, and fighting for, a better kind of future.
Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed - Thryft
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James C. Scott | Yale University Press

Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed

RM50.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.2

RM50.00 MYR

Compulsory ujamaa villages in Tanzania, collectivization in Russia, Le Corbusier’s urban planning theory realized in Brasilia, the Great Leap Forward in China, agricultural "modernization" in the Tropics—the twentieth century has been racked by grand utopian schemes that have inadvertently brought death and disruption to millions. Why do well-intentioned plans for improving the human condition go tragically awry?In this wide-ranging and original book, James C. Scott analyzes failed cases of large-scale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields. Centrally managed social plans misfire, Scott argues, when they impose schematic visions that do violence to complex interdependencies that are not—and cannot—be fully understood. Further, the success of designs for social organization depends upon the recognition that local, practical knowledge is as important as formal, epistemic knowledge. The author builds a persuasive case against "development theory" and imperialistic state planning that disregards the values, desires, and objections of its subjects. He identifies and discusses four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society by the state; a "high-modernist ideology" that places confidence in the ability of science to improve every aspect of human life; a willingness to use authoritarian state power to effect large- scale interventions; and a prostrate civil society that cannot effectively resist such plans.
The Second Machine Age : Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies - Thryft
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Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee  | W. W. Norton & Company

The Second Machine Age : Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

RM32.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.91

RM32.00 MYR

In recent years, Google’s autonomous cars have logged thousands of miles on American highways and IBM’s Watson trounced the best human Jeopardy! players. Digital technologies—with hardware, software, and networks at their core—will in the near future diagnose diseases more accurately than doctors can, apply enormous data sets to transform retailing, and accomplish many tasks once considered uniquely human.In The Second Machine Age MIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee—two thinkers at the forefront of their field—reveal the forces driving the reinvention of our lives and our economy. As the full impact of digital technologies is felt, we will realize immense bounty in the form of dazzling personal technology, advanced infrastructure, and near-boundless access to the cultural items that enrich our lives.Amid this bounty will also be wrenching change. Professions of all kinds—from lawyers to truck drivers—will be forever upended. Companies will be forced to transform or die. Recent economic indicators reflect this shift: fewer people are working, and wages are falling even as productivity and profits soar.Drawing on years of research and up-to-the-minute trends, Brynjolfsson and McAfee identify the best strategies for survival and offer a new path to prosperity. These include revamping education so that it prepares people for the next economy instead of the last one, designing new collaborations that pair brute processing power with human ingenuity, and embracing policies that make sense in a radically transformed landscape.A fundamentally optimistic book, The Second Machine Age alters how we think about issues of technological, societal, and economic progress.
The Firm - The Story Of McKinsey And Its Secret Influence On American Business - Thryft
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Duff Mcdonald ( DA FU MAI KE TANG NA ) | Simon Schuster

The Firm - The Story Of McKinsey And Its Secret Influence On American Business

RM22.00 MYR RM16.00 MYR 27% off

Goodreads rating: 3.75

RM22.00 MYR RM16.00 MYR 27% off

It ranks among the unquestioned laws of American big business over the last half century: If you want to be taken seriously, you hire McKinsey & Company. FOUNDED IN 1926, McKINSEY CAN LAY CLAIM to the following partial list of accomplishments: its consultants have ushered in waves of structural, financial, and technological change to the nation s best organizations; they remapped the power structure within the White House; they even revo-lutionized business schools. In this book, star financial journalist Duff McDonald shows just how, in becoming an indispensable part of decision making at the highest levels, McKinsey has done nothing less than set the course of American capitalism. But he also answers the question that s on the mind of anyone who has ever heard the word McKinsey: Are they worth it? After all, just as McKinsey can be shown to have helped invent most of the tools of modern management, the company was also involved with a number of striking failures. Its consultants were on the scene when General Motors drove itself into the ground, and they were Kmart s advisers when the retailer tumbled into disarray. They played a critical role in building the bomb known as Enron. McDonald is one of the few journalists to have not only parsed the record but also penetrated the culture of McKinsey itself a corporate mandarin elite whose methods have been compared (by oth-ers and by themselves) to those of the Jesuits or the U.S. Marines. They feel so strongly about themselves that they have insisted on a proper noun where one need not exist. To an outsider, they are a consulting firm. To themselves, simply, The Firm. This revealing book uncovers the inner workings of what just might be the most influential private organization in America.
The Economic Naturalist - In Search Of Explanations For Everyday Enigmas - Thryft
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Robert H. Frank | Basic Books

The Economic Naturalist - In Search Of Explanations For Everyday Enigmas

RM20.00 MYR RM12.00 MYR 40% off

Goodreads rating: 3.46

RM20.00 MYR RM12.00 MYR 40% off

Why do the keypads on drive-up cash machines have Braille dots? Why are round-trip fares from Orlando to Kansas City higher than those from Kansas City to Orlando? For decades, Robert Frank has been asking his economics students to pose and answer questions like these as a way of learning how economic principles operate in the real world--which they do everywhere, all the time.Once you learn to think like an economist, all kinds of puzzling observations start to make sense. Drive-up ATM keypads have Braille dots because it's cheaper to make the same machine for both drive-up and walk-up locations. Travelers from Kansas City to Orlando pay less because they are usually price-sensitive tourists with many choices of destination, whereas travelers originating from Orlando typically choose Kansas City for specific family or business reasons. The Economic Naturalist employs basic economic principles to answer scores of intriguing questions from everyday life, and, along the way, introduces key ideas such as the cost benefit principle, the "no cash left on the table" principle, and the law of one price. There is no more delightful and painless way of learning these fundamental principles.
Japan: The Toothless Tiger - Thryft
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Declan Hayes | Tuttle Publishing

Japan: The Toothless Tiger

RM30.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.4

RM30.00 MYR

Japan: The Toothless Tiger is a thoughtful analysis of the current situation Japan is facing with growing Chinese military power on the one hand, and a weakening American presence in the Asia-Pacific on the other. How will Japan cope?Hemmed in by mounting tensions with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and facing nuclear threats from North Korea, what should Japan do? Should she rearm? Should she get the bomb? What are the consequences of rearming, or not rearming?These and other strategic questions are critically reviewed by Professor Hayes, who places them into the Japanese political context. He shows how and why Japan must develop a more sophisticated approach to China, Russia and the two Koreas to address growing threats to her security and national interests. Professor Hayes shows how this can be done, and all East Asia will benefit as a result.
The Military Balance 2020 - Thryft
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International Institute for Strategic Studies | Routledge

The Military Balance 2020

RM76.00 MYR RM33.00 MYR 57% off

Goodreads rating: 4.18

RM76.00 MYR RM33.00 MYR 57% off

99% off est. retail
The Military Balance is an authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 171 countries. Detailed A-Z entries list each country's military organisation, personnel numbers, equipment inventories, and relevant economic and demographic data. Regional and select country analyses cover the major developments affecting defence policy and procurement, and defence economics. The opening graphics section displays notable defence statistics, while additional data sets detail selected arms orders and military exercises, as well as comparative defence expenditure and personnel numbers. The Military Balance is an indispensable handbook for anyone conducting serious analysis of security policy and military affairs. The International Institute for Strategic Studies, founded in 1958, is an independent centre for research, analysis and debate on the problems of conflict, however caused, that have, or potentially have, an important military dimension.'Amid continuing conflict and broadening insecurity, The Military Balance provides essential facts and analysis for decision-makers and for better informed public debate.' - Dr Robert M. Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense'Because military affairs are inevitably clouded in fog, the IISS Military Balance is an essential companionfor those who seek to understand.' - Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former Secretary-General of NATO'The Military Balance is widely recognised as the best unclassified source of defense information on personnel, equipment and budgets for every country.' - Leon Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
The Strategic Survey 2019 - The Annual Assessment Of Geopolitics - Thryft
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International Institute for Strategic Studies | Routledge

The Strategic Survey 2019 - The Annual Assessment Of Geopolitics

RM76.00 MYR RM33.00 MYR 57% off

Goodreads rating: 3.0

RM76.00 MYR RM33.00 MYR 57% off

97% off est. retail
Strategic Survey analyses the events that shaped relations between major powers, region by region, in the last year, and identifies key themes for policymakers and analysts looking ahead to 2020. The 2019 edition features essays · 5G mobile network technology and geopolitics · The fate of the New START agreement · Afghanistan and regional politics after a US withdrawal · The Gulf States’ competition in the Horn of Africa · Putin’s consolidation and manoeuvre · Iran after Khamenei · Germany, 30 years after the fall of the Wall · Venezuela’s crisis and the challenge of reconstruction
Governing Global-City Singapore - Plausible Futures After Lee Kuan Yew - Thryft
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Kenneth Paul Tan | Routledge

Governing Global-City Singapore - Plausible Futures After Lee Kuan Yew

RM61.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.2

RM61.00 MYR

This book provides a detailed analysis of how governance in Singapore has evolved since independence to become what it is today, and what its prospects might be in a post-Lee Kuan Yew future. Firstly, it discusses the question of political leadership, electoral dominance and legislative monopoly in Singapore’s one-party dominant system and the system’s durability. Secondly, it tracks developments in Singapore’s public administration, critically analysing the formation and transformation of meritocracy and pragmatism, two key components of the state ideology. Thirdly, it discusses developments within civil society, focusing in particular on issues related to patriarchy and feminism, hetero-normativity and gay activism, immigration and migrant worker exploitation, and the contest over history and national narratives in academia, the media and the arts. Fourthly, it discusses the PAP government’s efforts to connect with the public, including its national public engagement exercises that can be interpreted as a subtler approach to social and political control. In increasingly complex conditions, the state struggles to maintain its hegemony while securing a pre-eminent position in the global economic order. Tan demonstrates how trends in these four areas converge in ways that signal plausible futures for a post-LKY Singapore.
The Fix - How Nations Survive And Thrive In A World In Decline - Thryft
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Jonathan Tepperman | Tim Duggan Books

The Fix - How Nations Survive And Thrive In A World In Decline

RM22.00 MYR RM10.00 MYR 55% off

Goodreads rating: 3.89

RM22.00 MYR RM10.00 MYR 55% off

We all know the bad news. Our economies are stagnant. Wages are flat and income inequality keeps rising. The Middle East is burning and extremism is spreading. Frightened voters are embracing populist outsiders and angry nationalists. And no we are living in an age of unprecedented, irreversible decline—or so we’re constantly being told.        Jonathan Tepperman’s  The Fix  presents a very different picture. It identifies ten pervasive and seemingly impossible challenges—including immigration reform, economic stagnation, political gridlock, corruption, and Islamist extremism—and shows that, contrary to the general consensus, each has a solution, and not merely a hypothetical one. By taking a close look at overlooked success stories—from countries as diverse as Canada, Botswana, and Indonesia—Tepperman discovers practical advice for problem-solvers of all stripes, making a data-driven case for optimism in a time of crushing pessimism.
The World In 2020 - Power, Culture And Prosperity - Thryft
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Hamish McRae | Harvard Business Review Press

The World In 2020 - Power, Culture And Prosperity

RM33.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.67

RM33.00 MYR

In The World in 2020 , acclaimed commentator and best-selling author Hamish McRae paints a vivid competitive landscape in which culture and values will be the new sources of advantage for the industrialized nations. In the year 2020, all having embraced market capitalism, the North American, European and East Asian countries will be engaged in fierce economic competition. With each nation increasingly able to imitate the others, innovations will cross borders within more days and weeks, removing technological prowess as a source of sustained advantage. McRae sees the "old motors for growth"—land, capital and natural resources—being replaced by more qualitative assets—quality, organization, motivation and self-discipline of the people. Everywhere, governments will take a less active role in the social and economic life of the nation. In such a world, the best predictor of success will be how a nation strikes a proper balance between creativity and intellect on the one hand, and social responsibility on the other. Thus the leading world economic powers of the next generation are just as likely to include China and Australia as the United States and Japan.
Enough - Why The World's Poorest Starve In An Age Of Plenty - Thryft
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Roger Thurow, Scott Kilman  | Publicaffairs

Enough - Why The World's Poorest Starve In An Age Of Plenty

RM31.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.09

RM31.00 MYR

For more than thirty years, humankind has known how to grow enough food to end chronic hunger worldwide. Yet in Africa, more than 9 million people every year die of hunger, malnutrition, and related diseases every year -- most of them children. In this powerful investigative narrative, Wall Street Journal reporters Kilman & Thurow show exactly how, in the past few decades, Western policies conspired to keep Africa hungry and unable to feed itself. Enough is essential reading on a humanitarian issue of utmost urgency.
Utopia For Realists - Thryft
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Rutger Bregman | Bloomsbury Publishing

Utopia For Realists

RM31.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.22

RM31.00 MYR

From a universal basic income to a 15-hour workweek, from a world without borders to a world without poverty - it's time to return to utopian thinking. Rutger Bregman takes us on a journey through history, beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he introduces ideas whose time has come. Utopia for Realists is one of those rare books that takes you by surprise and challenges what you think you know. In the words of leading social theorist Zygmunt Bauman, it is "brilliant, truly enlightening, and eminently readable." This original Dutch bestseller sparked a national movement for basic income experiments that soon made international headlines.
The Powerful And The Damned - Private Diaries In Turbulent Times - Thryft
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Lionel Barber | Wh Allen

The Powerful And The Damned - Private Diaries In Turbulent Times

RM46.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.85

RM46.00 MYR

'As FT editor, I was a privileged interlocutor to people in power around the world, each offering unique insights into high-level decision-making and political calculation, often in moments of crisis. These diaries offer snapshots of leadership in an age of upheaval...'Lionel Barber was Editor of the Financial Times for the tech boom, the global financial crisis, the rise of China, Brexit, and mainstream media's fight for survival in the age of fake news.In this unparalleled, no-holds-barred diary of life behind the headlines, he reveals the private meetings and exchanges with political leaders on the eve of referendums, the conversations with billionaire bankers facing economic meltdown, exchanges with Silicon Valley tech gurus and pleas from foreign emissaries desperate for inside knowledge, all against the backdrop of a wildly shifting media landscape.The result is a fascinating - and at times scathing - portrait of power in our modern age; who has it, what it takes and what drives the men and women with the world at their feet. Featuring close encounters with Trump, Cameron, Blair, Putin, Merkel and Mohammed Bin Salman and many more, this is a rare portrait of the people who continue to shape our world and who quite literally, make the news.
Henry Purcell's Dido And Aeneas - Thryft
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Ellen T. Harris | Clarendon Press

Henry Purcell's Dido And Aeneas

RM33.00 MYR RM15.00 MYR 55% off

Goodreads rating: 3.92

RM33.00 MYR RM15.00 MYR 55% off

96% off est. retail
This book is a comprehensive study of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas within its cultural and historical context. It covers contemporary performance practice and its reception throughout history, while examining the various sources that postdate the first performance. The book also offers a useful reference section with critical discography and appendices on national premieres and editions. Recommended for opera enthusiasts, scholars and students interested in English opera history.
FUTURE SHOCK - Thryft
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Alvin Toffler | Pan Books

FUTURE SHOCK

RM17.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.81

RM17.00 MYR

66% off est. retail
Future Shock is the disease of change. Its symptoms are already here. Future Shock tells what happens to people overwhelmed by too rapid change. Future Shock looks at the human side of tomorrow. Brilliantly disturbing, it analyses the new and dangerous society now emerging and shows how to come to terms with the future.
Governing Japan - Divided Politics in a Resurgent Economy - Thryft
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J.A.A. Stockwin | Wiley-blackwell

Governing Japan - Divided Politics in a Resurgent Economy

RM31.00 MYR RM14.00 MYR 55% off

Goodreads rating: 3.65

RM31.00 MYR RM14.00 MYR 55% off

This fourth edition provides an in-depth, up-to-date, chronologicalanalysis of Japan's current political system and thecontributions of its leaders. It emphasizes why Japan and itspolitics matters in a global society.Ideal for college courses on Japanese or comparative politicsas well as for those interested in Japanese war memory, constitutional revision, and Japan's relationship with theUS, China, and North and South KoreaInvestigates the divided aspects existing below the veneer ofconsensus in Japanese politicsExplores conflicts between power-hungry political groups aswell as fundamental differences regarding Japan'sconstitution, the interpretation of Japanese actions in theAsia-Pacific War, and Japan's place in today'sworldAdvocates a system that readily permits changes of party inpower for the present system dominated by the Liberal DemocraticPartyExamines the extreme statements of high profile politicians todetermine whether a "nationalist resurgence" in Japan is realor notSheds light on the official incompetence and the spectacularrise of civil society following the Kobe earthquakeFeatures numerous Japanese sources
Common Sense - And Rights of Man : Bold-faced Thoughts on Revolution, Reason, and Personal Freedom - Thryft
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Laura Ross, Thomas Paine  | Union Square & Co.

Common Sense - And Rights of Man : Bold-faced Thoughts on Revolution, Reason, and Personal Freedom

RM24.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.11

RM24.00 MYR

The newest entry in our popular “Bold-faced” series offers an innovative reading of Thomas Paine's two most influential essays. Readers will find inspiration in this unique edition, which features the authoritative text of Paine's works, highlighted important passages, an introduction that examines his concepts from today's perspective, and writing exercises with lined pages.
P. J. O'rourke on the Wealth of Nations - Thryft
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P.J. O'Rourke | Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

P. J. O'rourke on the Wealth of Nations

RM33.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.53

RM33.00 MYR

More than two hundred and thirty years after the publication of Adam Smith's practical truths that shook the world in "The Wealth of Nations", it has only begun to be absorbed fully. In his hilarious and brilliant style P.J. O'Rourke shows how Adam Smith is relevant. He tells us in the most amusing ways how things that now seem obvious were once revolutionary and how division of labor, freedom of trade and pursuit of self interest espoused by Smith are not only vital to the welfare of mankind. He goes on to establish that far from being an avatar of capitalism, Smith was actually a moralist of liberty.
Socialism - Thryft
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Michael Newman | Union Square & Co.

Socialism

RM26.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.61

RM26.00 MYR

From Cuban communism and Swedish social democracy to the New Left, Michael Newman explains socialism-the social, economic, and philosophical juggernaut of the past century. Taking an international perspective, Newman examines standard socialist conventions and evolution from 19th-century industrial towns, while also defining modern socialism. He includes recent conceptualizations such as the feminist and Green movements, and uses this plethora of information to forecast socialism's trajectory into the future.
How the World Works - Thryft
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Arthur Naiman, Noam Chomsky, David Barsamian  | Hamish Hamilton

How the World Works

RM22.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.14

RM22.00 MYR

According to The New York Times, Noam Chomsky is “arguably the most important intellectual alive.” But he isn’t easy to read . . . or at least he wasn’t until these books came along. Made up of intensively edited speeches and interviews, they offer something not found anywhere else: pure Chomsky, with every dazzling idea and penetrating insight intact, delivered in clear, accessible, reader-friendly prose.Published as four short books in the famous Real Story series—What Uncle Sam Really Wants; The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many; Secrets, Lies and Democracy; and The Common Good—they’ve collectively sold almost 600,000 copies.And they continue to sell year after year after year because Chomsky’s ideas become, if anything, more relevant as time goes by. For example, twenty years ago he pointed out that “in 1970, about 90% of international capital was used for trade and long-term investment—more or less productive things—and 10% for speculation. By 1990, those figures had reversed.” As we know, speculation continued to increase exponentially. We’re paying the price now for not heeding him them.
Misbehaving : The Making of Behavioral Economics - Thryft
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Richard H. Thaler | W. W. Norton & Company

Misbehaving : The Making of Behavioral Economics

RM30.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.16

RM30.00 MYR

Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans—predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth—and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.Traditional economics assumes rational actors. Early in his research, Thaler realized these Spock-like automatons were nothing like real people. Whether buying a clock radio, selling basketball tickets, or applying for a mortgage, we all succumb to biases and make decisions that deviate from the standards of rationality assumed by economists. In other words, we misbehave. More importantly, our misbehavior has serious consequences. Dismissed at first by economists as an amusing sideshow, the study of human miscalculations and their effects on markets now drives efforts to make better decisions in our lives, our businesses, and our governments.Coupling recent discoveries in human psychology with a practical understanding of incentives and market behavior, Thaler enlightens readers about how to make smarter decisions in an increasingly mystifying world. He reveals how behavioral economic analysis opens up new ways to look at everything from household finance to assigning faculty offices in a new building, to TV game shows, the NFL draft, and businesses like Uber.Laced with antic stories of Thaler’s spirited battles with the bastions of traditional economic thinking, Misbehaving is a singular look into profound human foibles. When economics meets psychology, the implications for individuals, managers, and policy makers are both profound and entertaining.
Unintended Consequences In Singapore - Thryft
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David Chan | World Scientific

Unintended Consequences In Singapore

RM57.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.75

RM57.00 MYR

When policymakers, communities or advocates make decisions and take actions, they do so with the purpose of achieving some desired goal. But sometimes, unintended consequences occur. These are outcomes that are not the ones intended by the purposeful decision or action.Unintended consequences can be positive or negative, although the discussions often focus on the unexpected adverse impact that may result from well-intentioned policies or public actions.It is tempting to say that unintended consequences happen because we live in an uncertain and unpredictable world, and that there is not much we can do to prevent their occurrence or prepare for them. In fact, many unintended consequences are neither predetermined nor random. It is true that whether or not unintended consequences happen will be affected by many economic and social factors that Singapore is confronted with, but much will also depend on how we approach these factors and the potential consequences.This book, based on the proceedings at the Behavioural Sciences Institute Conference 2017, explores various issues about unintended consequences in Singapore. The book is organised into four parts. Part 1 provides an overview of issues involved in thinking about unintended consequences. Part 2 examines unintended consequences in the context of Singapore's goal to become a smart nation and compares the perspectives between public and private sector organisations on dealing with uncertainty. Part 3 analyses the relationships linking unintended consequences to healthcare outcomes and the management of race relations in Singapore. Part 4 addresses specific questions on unintended consequences in Singapore in terms of the nation's history, immigration, education, meritocracy, civil service culture and mindsets, and relationships between people and government.This book will provide the reader new perspectives and possibilities related to achieving intended societal goals and building a strong Singapore society.
Globalization : A Basic Text - Thryft
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RITZER, Paul Dean  | Wiley-blackwell

Globalization : A Basic Text

RM18.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 3.38

RM18.00 MYR

Updated to reflect recent global developments, the second edition of A Basic Text presents an up-to-date introduction to major trends and topics relating to globalization studies.
Case Studies in Public Governance : Building Institutions in Singapore - Thryft
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June Gwee | Routledge

Case Studies in Public Governance : Building Institutions in Singapore

RM19.00 MYR RM8.00 MYR 58% off

Goodreads rating: 0.0

RM19.00 MYR RM8.00 MYR 58% off

The case study, whether a simple scenario about choices in decision-making or a multi-dimensional narrative of conflicts and dilemmas, is a rich source of knowledge, ideas, and insights. Using case studies as a method to document and learn the experiences of nations and their institutions reveal the perspectives, rationale, trade-offs and actions of governments and people. This book is a collection of case studies on the development of Singapore institutions. Here, a total of five case studies encompassing the areas of urban governance, education, social security and industrial relations are presented, each carefully selected to profile a particular sector. These case studies describe the importance of culture, leadership, and systems in building institutions, and how interactions between people – leaders and employees – and the organizations they belong to can influence institutional culture. This publication seeks to deepen global understanding of the Singapore government and its form of governance, as well as to advance theories and concepts of sustainable development on a global stage.
Has China Won? : The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy - Thryft
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Kishore Mahbubani | Publicaffairs

Has China Won? : The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy

RM38.00 MYR

Goodreads rating: 4.1

RM38.00 MYR

The twenty-first century's great geopolitical contest has begun. A major trade war has broken out. American and Chinese naval vessels are having close encounters in the South China Sea. American congressmen and businessmen are cheering their government's public attacks on China. China is standing firm and resolute. Who will win this contest? What is at stake? And who will judge the winner?In this book, Kishore Mahbubani evaluates the two sides, and shows how China has been thinking on a global scale, launching ambitious initiatives under some of the world's most pragmatic and competent leaders. Most critically, the Chinese people have regained their cultural confidence. Chinese society is now infused with innovation and dynamism. Meanwhile, America has seen the power of its economic model badly damaged by the 2008 financial crisis. To many it is no longer the indispensable nation but an awkward interloper.The global rise of China and the relative strategic decline of the US presents a political challenge that the US has never faced before. American policymakers must shake off their complacency and launch a major strategic reboot of both domestic and foreign policies that have weakened the nation's social foundations and global standing. Otherwise, the start-up nation, barely two hundred and fifty years old, with only a quarter of China's population, cannot expect to defeat the world's oldest continuous civilization. With his trademark candor, Mahbubani delivers impartial and incisive insights on the strategic stakes and mistakes in this new great game.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded : Why The World Needs A Green Revolution - and How We Can Renew Our Global Future - Thryft
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Thomas L. Friedman | Penguin Books

Hot, Flat, and Crowded : Why The World Needs A Green Revolution - and How We Can Renew Our Global Future

RM22.00 MYR RM13.00 MYR 41% off

Goodreads rating: 3.71

RM22.00 MYR RM13.00 MYR 41% off

Thomas Friedman's phenomenal "The World is Flat" helped millions of people see globalization in a new way. Now he takes a fresh, provocative look at the biggest challenge facing us today - our hot, flat and crowded world. Climate change and rapid population growth mean that it's no longer possible for businesses, or the rest of us, to keep doing things the same old way. Things are going to have to change - and fast. Here Friedman provides a bold strategy for clean fuel, energy efficiency and conservation that he calls 'Code Green'. It will change everything, from what we put into our cars and see on our electricity bills to how we live our lives. "Hot, Flat and Crowded" is fearless, forward-looking and rich in common sense about the challenge - and the promise - of the future.

Unlock the World of Economics

At Thryft, our Economics collection opens up pathways to understanding complex economic theories and real-world applications. Whether you’re interested in microeconomics, macroeconomics, or behavioural economics, our carefully curated selection is designed to enrich your knowledge. Discover works from Nobel laureates and renowned economists that are essential for students, professionals, and enthusiasts who crave a deeper understanding of the economy.