Daron Acemoglu

Simon Johnson

Two bestselling authors overturn conventional wisdom about how economies work--revealing the untold story of who wins and who loses the rewards of prosperity--in a work that fundamentally transforms how we look at and understand the world. Throughout history, technological change — whether it takes the form of agricultural improvements in the Middle Ages, the Industrial Revolution, or today’s artificial intelligence — has been viewed as a main driver of prosperity, working in the public interest. The reality, though, is that technology is shaped by what powerful people want and believe, generating riches, social respect, cultural prominence, and further political voice for those already powerful. For most of the rest of us, there is the illusion of progress. Daron Acemoglu (Why Nations Fail) and Simon Johnson (13 Bankers) debunk modern techno-optimism through a dazzling, original account of how technological choices have changed the course of history. From vivid stories of how the economic surplus of the Middle Ages was appropriated by an ecclesiastical elite to build cathedrals while the peasants starved, to the making of vast fortunes from digital technologies today as millions are pushed towards poverty, we see how the path of technology is determined and who influences its trajectory. To achieve the true potential of innovation, we need to ensure technology is creating new jobs and opportunities rather than marginalizing most people, through automated work and political passivity. We need to use the tremendous digital advances of the last half century to create useful and empowering tools, and seize back control from a small elite of hubristic, messianic tech leaders pursuing their own interests. With their breakthrough economic theory and manifesto for building a better society, Acemoglu and Johnson provide the understanding and vision to reimagine and reshape the path of technology and create true shared prosperity.

Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

Power and Progress

Jonathan Gruber

How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream

Jump-Starting America

'The blueprint we need for the challenges ahead' Shoshana Zuboff 'If you are not already an addict of Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson's previous books, Power and Progress is guaranteed to make you one' Jared Diamond 'A breathtaking tour of the history and future of technology' Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo A bold new interpretation of why technology has all too often benefited elites - and how we must reshape the path of innovation to create true shared prosperity. A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing clear. Progress is not automatic but depends on the choices we make about technology. New ways of organizing production and communication can either serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity. Much of the wealth generated by agricultural advances during the European Middle Ages was captured by the Church and used to build grand cathedrals while the peasants starved. The first hundred years of industrialization in England delivered stagnant incomes for workers, while making a few people very rich. And throughout the world today, digital technologies and artificial intelligence increase inequality and undermine democracy through excessive automation, massive data collection, and intrusive surveillance. It doesn't have to be this way. Power and Progress demonstrates that the path of technology was once - and can again be - brought under control. The tremendous computing advances of the last half century can become empowering and democratizing tools, but not if all major decisions remain in the hands of a few hubristic tech leaders striving to build a society that elevates their own power and prestige. With their breakthrough economic theory and manifesto for a better society, Acemoglu and Johnson provide the understanding and the vision to reshape how we innovate and who really gains from technological advances so we can create real prosperity for all.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 'The blueprint we need for the challenges ahead' Shoshana Zuboff 'If you are not already an addict of Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson's previous books, Power and Progress is guaranteed to make you one' Jared Diamond 'A breathtaking tour of the history and future of technology' Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo A bold new interpretation of why technology has all too often benefited elites - and how we must reshape the path of innovation to create true shared prosperity. A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing clear. Progress is not automatic but depends on the choices we make about technology. New ways of organizing production and communication can either serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity. Much of the wealth generated by agricultural advances during the European Middle Ages was captured by the Church and used to build grand cathedrals while the peasants starved. The first hundred years of industrialization in England delivered stagnant incomes for workers, while making a few people very rich. And throughout the world today, digital technologies and artificial intelligence increase inequality and undermine democracy through excessive automation, massive data collection, and intrusive surveillance. It doesn't have to be this way. Power and Progress demonstrates that the path of technology was once - and can again be - brought under control. The tremendous computing advances of the last half century can become empowering and democratizing tools, but not if all major decisions remain in the hands of a few hubristic tech leaders striving to build a society that elevates their own power and prestige. With their breakthrough economic theory and manifesto for a better society, Acemoglu and Johnson provide the understanding and the vision to reshape how we innovate and who really gains from technological advances so we can create real prosperity for all.

"America is mired in debt--more than $30,000 for every man, woman, and child. Bitter fighting over deficits, taxes, and spending bedevils Washington, D.C., even as partisan gridlock has brought the government to the brink of default. Yet the more politicians on both sides of the aisle rant and the citizenry fumes, the more things seem to remain the same.  In White House Burning, Simon Johnson and James Kwak--authors of the national best seller 13 Bankers and cofounders of The Baseline Scenario, a widely cited blog on economics and public policy--demystify the national debt, explaining whence it came and, even more important, what it means to you and to future generations. They tell the story of the Founding Fathers' divisive struggles over taxes and spending. They chart the rise of the almighty dollar, which makes it easy for the United States to borrow money. They account for the debasement of our political system in the 1980s and 1990s, which produced today's dysfunctional and impotent Congress. And they show how, if we persist on our current course, the national debt will harm ordinary Americans by reducing the number of jobs, lowering living standards, increasing inequality, and forcing a sudden and drastic reduction in the government services we now take for granted.  But Johnson and Kwak also provide a clear and compelling vision for how our debt crisis can be solved while strengthening our economy and preserving the essential functions of government. They debunk the myth that such crucial programs as Social Security and Medicare must be slashed to the bone. White House Burning looks squarely at the burgeoning national debt and proposes to defuse its threat to our wellbeing without forcing struggling middle-class families and the elderly into poverty.  Carefully researched and informed by the same compelling storytelling and lucid analysis as 13 Bankers, White House Burning is an invaluable guide to the central political and economic issue of our time. It is certain to provoke vigorous debate"--

"By the authors of the national bestseller 13 Bankers, a chilling account of America's unprecedented debt crisis: how it came to pass, why it threatens to topple the nation as a superpower if it is not addressed soon, why this might be impossible given the hypocrisy about government deficits prevalent in Washington today--and what is to be done"--

the founding Fathers, our national debt, and why it matters to you

White House burning

The untold story of how America once created the most successful economy the world has ever seen and how we can do it again. The American economy glitters on the outside, but the reality is quite different. Job opportunities and economic growth are increasingly concentrated in a few crowded coastal enclaves. Corporations and investors are disproportionately developing technologies that benefit the wealthiest Americans in the most prosperous areas--and destroying middle class jobs elsewhere. To turn this tide, we must look to a brilliant and all-but-forgotten American success story and embark on a plan that will create the industries of the future--and the jobs that go with them. Beginning in 1940, massive public investment generated breakthroughs in science and technology that first helped win WWII and then created the most successful economy the world has ever seen. Private enterprise then built on these breakthroughs to create new industries--such as radar, jet engines, digital computers, mobile telecommunications, life-saving medicines, and the internet-- that became the catalyst for broader economic growth that generated millions of good jobs. We lifted almost all boats, not just the yachts. Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson tell the story of this first American growth engine and provide the blueprint for a second. It's a visionary, pragmatic, sure-to-be controversial plan that will lead to job growth and a new American economy in places now left behind.

"What is the effect of increasing life expectancy on economic growth? To answer this question, we exploit the international epidemiological transition, the wave of international health innovations and improvements that began in the 1940s. We obtain estimates of mortality by disease before the 1940s from the League of Nations and national public health sources. Using these data, we construct an instrument for changes in life expectancy, referred to as predicted mortality, which is based on the pre-intervention distribution of mortality from various diseases around the world and dates of global interventions. We document that predicted mortality has a large and robust effect on changes in life expectancy starting in 1940, but no effect on changes in life expectancy before the interventions. The instrumented changes in life expectancy have a large effect on population; a 1% increase in life expectancy leads to an increase in population of about 1.5%. Life expectancy has a much smaller effect on total GDP both initially and over a 40-year horizon, however. Consequently, there is no evidence that the large exogenous increase in life expectancy led to a significant increase in per capita economic growth. These results confirm that global efforts to combat poor health conditions in less developed countries can be highly effective, but also shed doubt on claims that unfavorable health conditions are the root cause of the poverty of some nations"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.

The Effect of Life Expectancy on Economic Growth

Disease and Development

James A. Robinson

"Develops the empirical and theoretical case that differences in economic institutions are the fundamental cause of differences in economic development." - abstract.

Institutions as the Fundamental Cause of Long-run Growth

An Empirical Investigation

The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development

An essential collection of 100 practical, tried-and-tested ideas for teaching computing in secondary schools. This is the perfect resource for computing teachers at all levels, whether specialist or non-specialist, newly qualified or experienced. From rubber duck debugging to teaching algorithm design through magic tricks and even setting up an escape room to raise awareness about cyber security, this is the ultimate toolkit for any teacher looking to diversify their lesson plans or revamp their teaching of computing. The activities are research-informed and ready to use in Key Stages 3 and 4 classrooms of all abilities, requiring minimum preparation and resources. 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Outstanding Computing Lessons will ignite students' passion for coding, programming and computational thinking. Additional online resources for the book can be found at www.bloomsbury.com/100-ideas-secondary-computing. Written by experts in their field, 100 Ideas books offer practical ideas for busy teachers. They include step-by-step instructions, teaching tips and taking it further ideas. Follow the conversation on Twitter using #100Ideas.

100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Outstanding Computing Lessons

Colin Newsome

This new directory is the first to present a database of significant companies, throughout Europe, which provide equipment or services for the identification, assessment, and remediation of contaminated land. Such land is now recognised in Europe as suffering major planning and economic blight. Which are the companies that are able to offer effective technology for the remedidation of contaminated land? Which manufacturers have products suitable for the cleanup of cerain particularly hazardous contaminants? The directory presents detailed information on the contaminated land remediation industry in Europe, with typical data for companies including: Name of organisation; Address; Telephone, telex, fax; Senior management contact names; Number of employees; Number of branches; 7. Sales value; 8. Parent company; 9. Holding company. 10. Year of foundation; Subsidiaries; Membership of national and trade associations; Quality standards attained; Main business activities; Description of activities; Zones of contamination dealt with; Basic types of contaminant products; Forms of contaminant handled; Treatment: handling and disposal facilities provided; Contaminated site management: types of contaminant and treatment methods used; Products: equipment, plant and materials; Services; Client sector. Shorter entries covering some companies include less detailed information. It is extensively indexed.

European Directory of Contaminated Land Management 1993/94

Jame Kwak

Un volum remarcabil care atrage atentia asupra pericolului reprezentat de actuala „ideologie“ a finantelor si de controlul exercitat de Wall Street asupra politicilor financiare ale guvernului american ca si asupra riscurilor pe care le implica acestea pentru o economie globalizata. Sase megabanci „prea mari pentru a da faliment“ domina finantele si economia americana si influenteaza in buna masura deciziile autoritatilor. Aceste sase banci sint reprezentate simbolic de cei 13 mari bancheri care s-au intilnit cu presedintele Obama in martie 2009. Incercand sa explice situatia actuala si sa-i analizeze consecintele Simon Johnson si James Kwak refac drumul pe care l-a parcurs sistemul bancar incepand din anii ’80 cu profituri care se multiplica in anii buni si pierderi compensate pe bani publici in anii slabi. Viitorul se anunta sumbru: autorii subliniaza pericolul reprezentat de actuala „ideologie“ a finantelor si de controlul exercitat de Wall Street asupra politicilor financiare ale guvernului american precum si riscurile pe care le implica acestea pentru o economie globalizata. Din cuprins: Thomas Jefferson si aristocratia financiara • Oligarhii celorlalti • Anatomia crizelor de pe pietele emergente • Barci de salvare insuficiente • Ascensiunea Wall Street-ului • Schimbarea sistemului bancar • „Lacomia este buna“ • Finantarea electorala • Legatura dintre Wall Street si Washington • Ideologia finantelor • Cea mai buna afacere din toate timpurile • Oligarhia americana: sase banci • Demontarea modelului Wall Street-ului • „Tragerea pe sfoara“ a clientului • Prea mari pentru a exista

13 bancheri

Penelope Hobhouse

A collection of designs from Penelope Hobhouse for more than 20 gardens. Many of the designs are for urban sites - small town gardens in London and Surrey, a courtyard garden in Paris and a herb garden in New York. More ambitious schemes include an elegant formal garden for the Queen Mother.

Penelope Hobhouse's Garden Designs

James Kwak

America is mired in debt—more than $30,000 for every man, woman, and child. Bitter fighting over deficits, taxes, and spending bedevils Washington, D.C., even as partisan gridlock has brought the government to the brink of default. Yet the more politicians on both sides of the aisle rant and the citizenry fumes, the more things seem to remain the same. In White House Burning, Simon Johnson and James Kwak—authors of the national best seller 13 Bankers and cofounders of The Baseline Scenario, a widely cited blog on economics and public policy—demystify the national debt, explaining whence it came and, even more important, what it means to you and to future generations. They tell the story of the Founding Fathers’ divisive struggles over taxes and spending. They chart the rise of the almighty dollar, which makes it easy for the United States to borrow money. They account for the debasement of our political system in the 1980s and 1990s, which produced today’s dysfunctional and impotent Congress. And they show how, if we persist on our current course, the national debt will harm ordinary Americans by reducing the number of jobs, lowering living standards, increasing inequality, and forcing a sudden and drastic reduction in the government services we now take for granted. But Johnson and Kwak also provide a clear and compelling vision for how our debt crisis can be solved while strengthening our economy and preserving the essential functions of government. They debunk the myth that such crucial programs as Social Security and Medicare must be slashed to the bone. White House Burning looks squarely at the burgeoning national debt and proposes to defuse its threat to our well-being without forcing struggling middle-class families and the elderly into poverty. Carefully researched and informed by the same compelling storytelling and lucid analysis as 13 Bankers, White House Burning is an invaluable guide to the central political and economic issue of our time. It is certain to provoke vigorous debate.

The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You

White House Burning

In spite of its key role in creating the ruinous financial crisis of 2008, the American banking industry has grown bigger, more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever. Anchored by six megabanks whose assets amount to more than 60 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, this oligarchy proved it could first hold the global economy hostage and then use its political muscle to fight off meaningful reform. 13 Bankers brilliantly charts the rise to power of the financial sector and forcefully argues that we must break up the big banks if we want to avoid future financial catastrophes. Updated, with additional analysis of the government’s recent attempt to reform the banking industry, this is a timely and expert account of our troubled political economy.

Orley C. Ashenfelter

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