From Subsistence To Exchange And Other Essays

Peter Bauer, a pioneer of development economics, is an incisive thinker whose work continues to influence fields from political science to history to anthropology. As Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen writes in the introduction to this book, "the originality, force, and extensive bearing of his writings have been quite astonishing." This collection of Bauer's essays reveals the full power and range of his thought as well as the central concern that underlies so much of his diverse work: the impact of people's conduct, their cultural institutions, and the policies of their governments on economic progress. The papers here cover pressing and controversial issues, including the process that transforms a subsistence economy into an exchange economy, the reputed correlation between poverty and population density, the alleged responsibility of the West for Third World poverty, the often counterproductive results of foreign aid, and the effects of egalitarian policies on individual freedoms. Bauer addresses these and other matters with clarity, verve, and wit, combining his deep understanding of economic theory and methodology with keen insights into human nature. The book is a penetrating account of how to develop a prosperous economy alongside a free and fair society and a stimulating introduction to the work of a man who has done so much to shape our modern understanding of developing economies and of the relationship of economics to the other social sciences. "This selection of essays will give readers a wonderful opportunity to learn about the rich world of cognizance and analysis erected by one of the great architects of political economy. I feel privileged to be able to offer this letter of invitation."--From the introduction by Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate in economics

Peter Bauer, a pioneer of development economics, is an incisive thinker whose work continues to influence fields from political science to history to anthropology. As Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen writes in the introduction to this book, "the originality, fo.

The Church and the Market is a vigorous and lively defense of the market economy and a withering attack on all forms of state intervention. It covers labor unions, monopoly, money and banking, business cycles, interest, usury, and much more. Although it makes a particular point of noting the moral arguments of the market economy and that Catholics are of course perfectly at liberty to support it, its audience is much broader than Catholics alone. Readers of all religious traditions and none at all have praised The Church and the Market, first-place winner in the 2006 Templeton Enterprise Awards, as one of the most compelling and persuasive defenses of capitalism against its critics ever written.

. . . few if any other recent volumes offer a historical perspective on evolving trade policy in several countries, this well-written, well-edited volume. . . is suitable for graduate and research libraries. M. Larudee, Choice This book is a refreshing reminder of the benefits of unilateral trade liberalisation in countries whose leaders dare. An important story told with clarity and authority. Ross Garnaut, The Australian National University, Australia That trade liberalization is good for emerging market economies, and not just for the rich ones, is now widely accepted by both economists and policy-makers. But the question remains: how can these reforms be implemented in practice? The answer to that important question lies in understanding the political economy of each reforming country. This book makes a splendid contribution to our understanding of this issue by examining the experience of several countries. It is therefore an important book to be read by, not just students and researchers, but also policy-makers worldwide. Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University, US This timely book brings fresh analysis to the important issue of trade policy reform in emerging markets. The subject matter and its significance are comprehensively introduced with a review of developing country liberalization since the 1980s providing an analytical framework for the seven country case studies that follow. The case studies (Australia, Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, and South Africa) cover a wide variety of political, historical and economic issues, but all make clear the important role that crisis, or the threat of it, plays in meaningful trade policy reform. This is of particular relevance in the current global financial crisis. These studies, together with the conclusions which are drawn from them, show how important the trade liberalization agenda remains in the 21st century. Written by a combination of both experts and practitioners, this highly topical book will make productive reading for policy makers concerned with trade policy in developed and developing countries, as well as scholars working in trade policy. Postgraduate students studying international business, international relations, economics, politics, and international law should not be without this book.

The award-winning The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition is now available as a dynamic online resource. Consisting of over 1,900 articles written by leading figures in the field including Nobel prize winners, this is the definitive scholarly reference work for a new generation of economists. Regularly updated! This product is a subscription based product.

Under what conditions of supply and demand are experts likely to give us good advice? When is expert failure more likely? Do entrepreneurs challenge existing expertise? Are they experts themselves? This title brings a heterogeneous collection of thinkers, some "Austrian" and to engage the problem of experts.

Five years after Ronald Ross discovered the link between malaria and mosquitos, American entomologist Leland Howard wrote of the "mosquito evil" that occurs when "everybody's business is nobody's business." Howard’s insight was largely ignored, but it captures what social scientists now refer to as the problem of collective action. When this problem persists in the context of malaria, individuals under-provide prevention and suffer from a higher prevalence of malaria. Imagine a group of people trying to drain a pond where mosquitoes breed. Everyone in the group faces an incentive to free ride, which can hinder their drainage efforts. Thus, when people fail to resolve issues related to collective action, they submit to the "mosquito evil" and, potentially, to malaria. This book explores Howard’s logic, the economics of collective action, and the history, epidemiology, and public health of malaria to analyze the conditions under which people privately resolve collective action problems associated with mosquito abatement and malaria prevention. Generally, people are more likely to resolve these problems when the benefits of abatement and prevention outweigh the costs. This logic is developed into a framework and applied to historical and modern-day issues related to malaria, including the lack or abundance of private prevention in the United States and in developing areas; malaria’s resurgence in countries like China, Venezuela, and Bangladesh; and the difficulties of large-scale insecticide-treated bed net campaigns. Given this framework, we should develop a greater appreciation for entrepreneurial responses, civil society, market processes, and private forms of collective action.