Editorial Review

Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Read more

Reviews (1164)

Fluff and Nonsense
The underlying theme of this book seems to be that if one can come up with enough provocative theses and find some support, however tenuous, for them, perhaps one can write a thin, light weight book which will attract attention and thereby gain one's 15 minutes of fame.
Compelling, but superficial arguments
The storytelling and economic science are the backbone of this compelling book and the scattered topics aren't enough to minimize Levitt's or Dubner's effort.The superficiality of the ideas is, however, and the wild concepts that the self-proclaimed freakonomist advances are easily put to question by simple thought experiments.For instance, the most controversial proposition that Levitt makes is that the legalization of abortion in the '70s was the single most important factor in the steep decline of crime in the US in the '90s, and that can be scrutinized easily.Levitt says that the people who would have been born to those mothers in the '70s would have gone on to live lives of the unwanted and been more likely to commit crimes in their late teens and early twenties (the '90s).Since millions were aborted, they weren't there to commit those crimes later.This eerie idea may be hard to stomach, but that's not the reason it should be doubted.If the aborted children would have a higher chance of becoming criminals, they would, no doubt, also have a higher chance of becoming poor, but the poverty rates for people above 18 remained relatively stable through the '80s and since.
It's about time Statistician speak out
I originaly bought this for my son (in college on the mainland) based on an article I read in the sunday paper. When I saw it in the library I decided to pick it up and see if the book was any good. Well I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was a very worthy book. After all how many people would ever consider a Statistician's opinion, well this is one time where you should. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics    5. Economics (General)    6. Economics - General    7. Economics - Theory    8. Psychological aspects    9. Social aspects    10. Sociological aspects    11. Business & Economics / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Capital asset pricing model    5. Finance    6. Investments & Securities - General    7. Portfolio management    8. Prices    9. Securities    10. Business & Economics / Finance    11. Corporate finance    12. Economic theory & philosophy    13. Economics    14. Investment & securities   

Editorial Review

What do the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? They are all examples of disruptive technologies that helped to redefine the competitive landscape of their respective markets. These products did not come about as the result of successful companies carrying out sound business practices in established markets. In Read more

Reviews (140)

Mind-Expanding
This is one of the best -- and scariest -- business books I've ever read. Christensen clearly illustrates why many of the 'tried and true' formulas really don't work. His research is compelling and is presented clearly enough for non-technical readers. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

Counterintuitive, well-supported, and powerful
This text excels on several levels:It is very readable, and tells a story which is understandable and compelling even at a cursory pace.For the motivated reader, digging deeper, especially spending time on the introduction and each chapter's endnotes, there is a huge amount of data and insight into that data that is well-structured for assimilation.Finally, the theories presented, once understood, become both a lens for interpreting past and current market dynamics, and set the stage for deployable actions in a number of industries.

It must have been mistaken identitiy...
During fourth of july vacation, I had a chsance to see an old college friend, who is a vice president for a large computer hard drive firm... he was showing offf his new Toyota hybrid when we began talking about the market forces, which interfered with large companies responding to the emerging needs and changes in the marketplace.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Creative ability in business    5. Customer services    6. Development - Economic Development    7. Economics - General    8. Economics - Theory    9. Entrepreneurship    10. Industrial management    11. Management - General    12. Success in business    13. Business & Economics / Economics / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (26)

Excellent
There is so much information in this book a review need only be brief."The Secrets of Economic Indicators" has the most accurate and concise definitions for terms, indicators, indexes, and general information about them than most other books on this topic.All of the contact information on these agencies and groups are provided.The brilliance in this book is its a) organization b) succinctness c) writing style.Written to point, and for the layperson.Easy reading.
Good Book
I used this book for a course at school and i coupled it to econoday.com and found the compbination of the two resources an excellent way to understand the real world of business.

Highly Recommended Reading
This is the book I suggest getting if you are trading reports in my group. Very well written and excellent research! I have been trading and teaching Fundmanetal Trading in foreign exchange for several years. This is a must have item for my students. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business forecasting    4. Business/Economics    5. Economic forecasting    6. Economic indicators    7. Economics - General    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    10. Economic theory & philosophy    11. Investment & securities   

Reviews (14)

A lot of nothing
This book has very little to teach you and it's virtually unreadable. Make sure you read one or two pages before you buy in case you are like me and you can't stand his style.

Great, but Swensen's New Book is Better
This book covers the HOW and WHY of diversification.While everyone claims to understand diversification, there have been few individuals or institutions that have actually applied the concepts as well as Swensen.
solid primer on institutional money management
Swenson's reputation was made by the investment results he has generated, which in turn are based on good insights and steely discipline in managing a portfolio.That said, he could have used an editor on this book.His prose style is almost a mockery of a business presentation - here's what he's going to say, he says it, and then a recap of what he said.Still, his style, with its absolute emphasis on clearly communicating to the reader, is a huge improvement over quasi-academic articles in the Journal of Finance.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - Theory    5. Finance    6. Investments    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Non-Profit Organizations Management    9. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    10. Portfolio Management    11. Business & Economics / Economics / Theory    12. Economic theory & philosophy    13. Investment & securities   

Reviews (10)

Good book to understand quantitative finance
Luenberger was a professor of optimization and his books on that subject are also very good. Clear and Precise. But sometimes he is extremely concise, so that you need to work a bit to completely understand a point.
Investment Science must have
Great book, covers lots of material and goes beyond by using the log utility to portfolio growth. Great buy!!!!

One of the few books I have purchased twice.
This is the best book by far on the theory of finance.The book covers all the important fundamental concepts and develops them into practical models without going overboard and introducing every possible variation on the model.the style is both conversational and mathematical.It is replete with discussions about the material, but it doesnt gloss over the math.I took professor Luenbergers course at Stanford, and it piqued my interest in finance enough to pursue it professionally.(At the time, I was a masters student in electrical engineering.)I purchased several other books in finance.I dont even know where they are now, every time I have a question or need to build a new model, I go straight to Luenberger.This book is so good, I bought a second copy just as a backup, in case I lose my copy and the book goes out of print. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Cash flow    5. Economics - General    6. Interest rates    7. Investment Analysis    8. Investments    9. Investments & Securities - General    10. Mathematical models    11. Operations Research    12. Applied mathematics    13. Business & Economics / Operations Research    14. Business | Management | Theory    15. Economic theory & philosophy    16. Investment & securities   

Reviews (69)

It was not hard cover!
I received the book, it was new, BUT IT WAS NOT HARDCOVER as "CAIMAN" said.
SOFT cover
I got ripped off. I thought it was a good price for the hardcover edition, but I got the soft cover. It didn't return it becuase I'm lazy but I should have.

Scary at first, but you'll learn a lot
I must confess the first time I opened the book I was surprised by how mathematical this book is. But as you read on you find that you learn more from this book than from others because microeconomic principles are well stated and proved rather than defined with vague statements. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Economics - Microeconomics    4. Microeconomics    5. Business & Economics / Microeconomics    6. Economics | Microeconomic Theory   

Editorial Review

On September 23, 1998, the boardroom of the New York Fed was a tense place. Around the table sat the heads of every major Wall Street bank, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and representatives from numerous European banks, each of whom had been summoned to discuss a highly unusual prospect: rescuing what had, until then, been the envy of them all, the extraordinarily successful bond-trading firm of Long-Term Capital Management. Roger Lowenstein's Read more

Reviews (160)

Is Hollywood sleeping?
Disclaimer: this was the first-ever, and so far the only, "business novel" (as I call them), I have read. Hence my benchmark is not other books of the same genre, but literature in its broadest sense.
Very Good Book and a look at "the Experts"
As an academic & a "Wall-Streeter" & a professional trader (of my own money) I must surely qualify as an "expert."
This book is suspect.
I am by no means an economist, and much less an expert on finance, but this book strikes me as a thinly veiled, unsubtle hatchet job on the efficient markets hypothesis.I've seen much subtler discussions of the Efficient Market Hypothesis written for general audiences, enough of them so I can recognize that Lowenstein doesn't get it; he equates efficient markets with "the price that the market offers is always the intrinsic value," and not with "you can't reliably predict intrinsic value any better than market prices themselves do."This is a crucial difference, because it is only by assuming that market efficiency is the first that his attack holds water.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - General    5. Economics - Theory    6. Finance    7. Free Enterprise    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (21)

Some Really Good Points.
According to the author economics is in the midst of a revolution. But economics is always in the midst of a revolution. There's the old saying that if you take a thousand economists and lay them in a line that they will all point in a different direction. Yes, there are new economists challenging the field's traditional assumptions. But that's how you get your Ph.D. in economics.
A lot of intrinsic value but...
I bought the book initially because the economist issued an article commenting it which draw my interest. Quite honestly, I was surprised to see that it is basically a compilation of works, essays and academic papers defying orthodox finance and economics viewpoints rather than groundbreaking material. Throughout the book, the author cites many heavyweights in different sciences to augment his thesis of a new paradigm in economics along with the typical historical retrospective on economics, from Adam Smith to Samuelson and beyond which serves the purpose of claiming economics is locked in its own on intellectual embargo.
Ambitious survey; flawed logic
Scattered throughout The Origin of Wealth is a five star survey of new ideas in economics, incorporating discoveries from science and psychology.Unfortunately, in the end, the book is undone by Beinhocker's unfortunate habit of stating hypotheses and non sequiturs as facts, and his continuous harping on "Traditional" economics (and "Traditional" finance) as obsolete and irrelevant.Also, the book is quite uneven in the amount of detail presented; there's too much sometimes (which is tedious), and too little other times (which is frustrating).I really wanted to be able to give the book three stars because of its broad scope and entertaining analyses, but just cannot do so after a few days of mulling over the entirety of its content.If you can separate the wheat from the chaff, it's a decent read; but if you are not already familiar with the subject matter discussed, caveat emptor (buyer beware)!
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Economic Development    5. Distribution Of Income    6. Economic Theory    7. Economic development    8. Economic history    9. Economics    10. Economics - Theory   

Editorial Review

One day in 1992, Thomas Friedman toured a Lexus factory in Japan and marveled at the robots that put the luxury cars together. That evening, as he ate sushi on a Japanese bullet train, he read a story about yet another Middle East squabble between Palestinians and Israelis. And it hit him: Half the world was lusting after those Lexuses, or at least the brilliant technology that made them possible, and the other half was fighting over who owned which olive tree.Read more

Reviews (393)

Not just terms....
A treatise on globalization.Published in 1999 it seems apropos to review this in the context of history.In the midst of his conclusions / suggestions, as another reviewer cites, "Friedman on terrorism, two years prior to the 9/11 attacks: `When you combine the angry men that Americanization-globalization creates with the way in which globalization can super-empower people, you have what I believe is the real, immediate national security threat to the United States in the twenty-first century: the Super-Empowered Angry Man ...'."
The Best Explanation of Globalization That You Are Likely to Find
If you want to know exactly what globalization is, this is the book that contains perhaps the best explanation of globalization.Between the protests and the periodic G7 and G8 meeting of industrialized countries when the media is full of globalization stories, one finds there is a dearth of good explanationsof exactly what globalization is.Historically countries have always completed economically, developed countries used captured markets (colonies), during the mercantilistic era,the cold war was an aberration where the world competed on an idealogical level.Presently with the cold war at an end, there is an allure of attracting investment from multi-national companies. Vica-versa every country is also being evaluated in accordance to its business climate.A corrupt government, spendthrifts regime, or a fragile banking sytem loses votes (investment dollars) , countries with a good business climate receive investment dollars.The author's point is that no one company or country is actually controlling this system.The countries protesting the loudest are the same countries providing a weak business climate, and but they want to participate in the rewards. It is a natural outcome that as every country joins the international communityis judged by multitudes of investors on a worldwide basis.
Intriquing and Positive Look at Globalization
Written in the late 1990s (and later updated), Tom Friedman's lengthy assessment of globalization and the post-Cold War ear has etchd its place as one of the more prominent optimistic takes on the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Capitalism    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economics - Theory    6. Free trade    7. General    8. International - Economics    9. International Relations - General    10. International economic relatio    11. International economic relations    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Social aspects    14. Technological innovations    15. Political Science / International Relations   

Reviews (17)

An important and useful text for understanding trade theory
Krugman and Obstfeld, two world renowned international economists, provide a full detailed analysis and examples for the basis of trade among nations. It is relatively straightforward to comprehend for both economists and noneconomists. International trade is an important component of economic policy for the growth and development of countries. This book examines various theoretical trade models and provides real world examples of policy formulation and their impact. The authors do not take any political positions, thus making their analysis a purely objective, or positive study.
Krugman
Some complicated theories explained in a way that can be understood.
Not What I've Come to Expect from Krugman
First off, even if you totally discount the rest of my review, buy the low price international version of this book.On the March 10, 2005 episode of the daily show Krugman elucidated his feelings quite clearly."The real money is in textbooks. With other books, people need to decide whether to buy them or not. Students have to buy textbooks."Thanks Paul.I think I'm being charitable when I say that at $125 this book is a ripoff.It isn't even full color.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Globalization    3. International - Economics    4. International economic relatio    5. International economic relations    6. International finance    7. Political Science    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Economic theory & philosophy    10. Political Science / Globalization   

Reviews (93)

A book that gives a good feel of the period.
Written in the context of the Cold War, the author emphasizes the need for free markets and an open society for a society to property function.It stresses the importance of the individual and the needs of the individual against the backdrop of an "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" era and the basic economic honesty of selfishness in general.There are several ideas in the book that probably need to be revisited (which is why you should read it) since they are becoming issues again in today's world.

Classic Liberalism at its best
An all-time favorite of mine, Capitalism & Freedom creates a framework of classic liberalism and argues forcefully in favor of free-markets and decentralization over the expansion of government involvement in economic and social affairs.Friedman builds his argument from the ground up by identifying coercion as the State's distinguishing feature over all other societal organizations.From the (classic) liberal's perspective, this aspect shapes the relationship between citizen and government, and strictly limits the appropriateness of State involvement in society, particularly with regard to well-intentioned programs and policy.
Outdated. Can better be understood as polemics with Galbraith
This book probably should not be treated as "capitalist manifesto" a la Marx but more like an attempt to present a position opposite to famous Galbraith "The Affluent Society" (1958). Reading the book without reading Galbraith first creates an impression of cheap advocacy of capitalism and unrestricted market almost in best libertarian (anarcho-capitalist) style. But as a polemic with Galbraith vision of post-capitalism (post-industrial society) the book looks like an interesting historical document.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Capitalism    5. Economic policy    6. Economics - General    7. Economics - Theory    8. Free Enterprise    9. Liberty    10. Political Ideologies - Democracy    11. State, The    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / Economics / Theory    14. Capitalist or free market economies    15. Economic theory & philosophy    16. Political economy   

Editorial Review

In Read more

Reviews (67)

A very detailed analysis of sustainability
Just a couple comments and caveats to add not covered in the in-depth Spotlight Reviews.First, this book is absolutely loaded with stats and data and provides a more rigerous, academic treatment of working towards more sustainable way to grow businesses and communities.The fact that the references at the end go on for 55 pages attest to this level of detail!).Given that the authors are from one of the most prominent "think tanks" of eco-capitalism - The Rocky Mountain Institute - explains this level of detail and expertise.But, it really can come across as a "brain dump" where every fact the authors knew of are piled into the chapters (whose origins are earlier position papers). So, if you really need hard data and lots of factoids, this book is a top, well-researched and dependable reference.
Delivers its promise.
Full with advanced thinking and practical examples, this book really is a window (rather, a super-window) to the near future. It explains what is wrong with many systems: optimization of a component pessimizes the whole and gives advice for better available solutions. A must for everyone interested in economics and ecology. along with "Cradle to cradle", the best I have read so far.

Natural Capitalism - China's Future | America's ???
Just this morning I was watching Cashin' In on Fox News. One hot topic was how Oil / Energy prices not only affect gas prices, but ripple across the entire economy - creating potentially deadly inflation. The fact is, our oil addiction is 1) consuming non-renewable resources, and 2) polluting the air, water, and land all around us. This cannot continue for long without irreversible effects on the world.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - Theory    5. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    6. International - Economics    7. Public Policy - Economic Policy    8. Business & Economics / Economics / International   

Reviews (11)

A must read if you are in economics
The works of Adam Smith are an essential part of universal culture, especially for economics. The introduction to the book places you at the time it was written, which makes it even more valuable.

Interesting read
This book is a modeling exercise about the components of a nation's wealth, whereby: Wealth of Nations = Land + Labour + Stock (ie Capital accumulated).This model serves as the foundation of the arguments in the entire book; and an excellent guide to analyze our modern market economies.Smith touches on various topics, ranging from market economics, history of colony establishments, state of opulence (briefly describing China in the 18th century), and of human nature and behavior in general.