- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Pluto Press (UK) (November 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0745318576
- ISBN-13: 978-0745318578
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 16.4 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 422 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #381,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"There can be few things more important for activists, or for anyone concerned about the fate of the world, than to gain a solid understanding of how the economy works and what might be done to move it in more humane directions. And I can think of no better advice than to read this book -- lucidly written, comprehensive in coverage, based on expert understanding and insight -- and genuinely liberatory in its implications. It is a contribution of very great value." -- Noam Chomsky"Most economists worship the market, describing it as a fair, impersonal arbiter of efficiency. Robin Hahnel brilliantly debunks this religion, providing explanations of market failures on both micro- and macroeconomic levels. He combines clear exposition and mathematical illustration with a compelling passion for progressive social change." -- Nancy Folbre, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts"Must our economic lives be dominated by greed and competition? Free market economists have long answered yes . The ABCs of Political Economy shows that what they know is not so. Robin Hahnel writes with clarity, originality, verve and a relentless moral passion." -- Robert Pollin, Professor of Economics and Co-Director, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts"If faculty taught economics without the "invisible hand" of self-interest to align private motives and social outcomes, they would have to think about what society's agenda should be and where market forces fit into it. Equity and equality might become primary objectives, and they would critically question any policy proposed for the sake of efficiency alone asking what the social trade offs are, not the other way around. Sucha course could be taught using this book by Hahnel (political economy, American Univ., Washington DC). The author tackles the traditional topics of contemporary economics--supply and demand, international trade, Keynesian macroeconomics, money and banking--and subjects them to a social critique based on his conception of an economics of equitable cooperation. Unlike many books of this type, there is a serious attempt to present economic tools and concepts while also arguing that the conclusions that are usually drawn from them are flawed. Some sympathetic readers may be put off by the technical treatment of some topics, but this may be the price of taking radical ideas seriously. Summing Up: Recommended. Academic collections, lower-division undergraduate through faculty."--M. Veseth, University of Puget Sound in CHOICE
Product Description
The ABCs of Political Economy is an accessible introduction to modern political economy. While informed by the work of Marx, Keynes, Veblen, Kalecki and other great political economists, Robin Hahnel teaches the reader the essential tools necessary to understand economic issues today from a modern perspective, searching for ways to replace the economics of competition and greed with the economics of equitable co-operation. The ABCs of Political Economy empowers people who are dissatisfied with today's economies but are often intimidated by conventional economic analysis. No previous economics background is assumed, and everything is explained in verbal form in eight core chapters.Examining the nature of today's economic market, issues of economic justice, macroeconomics and globalization, Robin Hahnel provides an ideal introduction to key economic ideas, offering a critical perspective on our present system and outlining clear alternatives for the future.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Unlike mainstream economists, political economists have always tried to situate the study of economics within the broader project of understanding how society functions. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Unlike mainstream economists, political economists have always tried to situate the study of economics within the broader project of understanding how society functions. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
geared towards me?,
By A Customer
This review is from: The ABCs of Political Economy: A Modern Approach (Paperback)
This book is a good introduction to political economy for people like myself who have little previous knowledge of the subject. Its both very informative and very accessible. I would definitely recommend at least attempting to read through the chapters containing models for those who might be a little adverse to doing some math. On the other hand, Hahnel is right when he says you don't have to read them to understand the rest of the book. Although I have only taken a couple of econ courses in college, I've taken a great deal of math and I was still a little confused by how some of the computations were written out. I actually found it easier to sort of skip the written computations and work backwards from the solutions/conclusions to understand them. The only other issues I have with the book is that it can be redundant at times and Hahnel used enough double negatives for me to take notice. On the whole, a good introduction. I am however tempted to read Capitalism and Freedom or some other conservative econ book to determine how salient Hahnel's arguments really are.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Debunking Right-Wing Economics Myths,
By
This review is from: The ABCs of Political Economy: A Modern Approach (Paperback)
Especially recommended for those who have no previous background in economics.
5.0 out of 5 stars
clear alternative to mainstream economics,
By disidente "disidente" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The ABCs of Political Economy: A Modern Approach (Paperback)
Want to know why markets not only haveinequitable results but are also systematically inefficient? Providing a clear answer to questions like this is the strong point of the book. Several of the chapters use very simple
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