Business & Economics

Explore the ways that money makes the world go 'round in these Business and Economics selections. Ranging from wealth-building self-help advice to philosophical critiques of capitalism, the titles in this Collection explore the role of money and wealth in society and the systems that drive global economies.

$2.00 a Day

by Kathryn J. Edin, H. Luke Shaefer

Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community

Tags Sociology, Social Science, Business & Economics, World History, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics & Government

Published in 2015, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America is a nonfiction investigation into how a new form of virtually cashless poverty emerged in the United States. Authors Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer are both academics with extensive experience researching poverty, but it is only in recent years that they have come across households with almost no cash income at all. There are now 1.5 million families with children in... Read $2.00 a Day Summary

Affluenza

by John de Graaf, David Wann, Thomas Naylor

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Environment

Tags Business & Economics, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Arts & Culture, Politics & Government

Affluenza seeks to diagnose and treat the disease of overconsumption that its three authors, John de Graaf, David Wann and Thomas H. Naylor, believe to be a serious threat to both the human species and the rest of the planet. Accordingly, the book is divided into three main parts: a discussion of the symptoms of affluenza, an analysis of its causes, and suggestions for some possible cures.In Part 1, the authors offer a broad overview... Read Affluenza Summary

A Fierce Discontent

by Michael McGerr

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Politics & Government, Education, Education, US History, Business & Economics, World History

Michael McGerr’s 2003 nonfiction book, A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920, is titled after a phenomenon President Theodore Roosevelt observed in the early 20th century. The book’s epigraph quotes President Roosevelt in 1906:  So far as this movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce discontent with evil, of a firm determination to punish the authors of evil, whether in industry or politics... Read A Fierce Discontent Summary

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things

by Raj Patel

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Environment, Femininity, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Community

Tags Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Science & Nature

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet (2017) is a nonfiction book written by Raj Patel, a political economist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, also known for Stuffed and Starved (2007), and Jason W. Moore, an environmental historian and associate professor at Binghamton University. The authors’ expertise in political economy and environmental history provides a unique perspective on... Read A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things Summary

AI Superpowers

by Kai-Fu Lee

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Wins & Losses, Economics

Tags Science & Nature, Technology, Business & Economics, Technology, World History, Chinese Literature, Politics & Government

... Read AI Superpowers Summary

A Mathematician's Apology

by G. H. Hardy

Publication year 1940

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Beauty, Aging, Science & Technology

Tags Arts & Culture, Business & Economics, Philosophy, Military & War, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, Education, Science & Nature, Sports, Technology, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

... Read A Mathematician's Apology Summary

A Message to Garcia

by Elbert Hubbard

Publication year 1899

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Tags Military & War, Business & Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction

Elbert Hubbard’s essay “A Message to Garcia” tells of the heroic journey of an Army soldier who must deliver a letter to a freedom fighter, and of the need for a similar spirit of determination in the workplace. The work first appeared as a magazine article in 1899 and became a pamphlet and book that reached millions of readers. “Carry a message to Garcia” (3) was a commonly used phrase in America during the first... Read A Message to Garcia Summary

An American Sickness

by Elisabeth Rosenthal

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Health, Business & Economics, US History, Science & Nature, World History, Politics & Government

An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back is physician and journalist Elisabeth Rosenthal’s overview and critique of the American healthcare system. It was initially published in April 2017, arriving during a time in which healthcare reform became a prominent cornerstone of both Democratic and Republican political campaigns. The book offers a mixture of testimonials from a myriad of people impacted by the health industry, including medical professionals... Read An American Sickness Summary

Andrew Carnegie And The Rise Of Big Business

by Harold C. Livesay

Publication year 1975

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Economics

Tags Business & Economics, Education, Education, US History, World History, Biography

Harold Livesay’s 1975 biography, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business, follows the life of entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie as he builds one of the biggest manufacturing companies in 19th-century America. As Livesay narrates Carnegie’s life, he also describes the many societal shifts occurring throughout the 19th century, during which life in America and around the globe transitioned to a modern, industrial society.In the opening chapters, Livesay focuses on Carnegie’s humble beginnings. Carnegie is born... Read Andrew Carnegie And The Rise Of Big Business Summary

An Essay on the Principle of Population

by Thomas Malthus

Publication year 1798

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics

Tags Business & Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, Age of Enlightenment, Poverty, Food, Science & Nature, Social Class, European History, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus was first published anonymously in 1798. Its core argument, that human population will inevitably outgrow its capacity to produce food, widely influenced the field of early 19th century economics and social science. Immediately after its first printing, Malthus’s essay garnered significant attention from his contemporaries, and he soon felt the need to reveal his identity. Although it was highly controversial, An Essay on the Principle... Read An Essay on the Principle of Population Summary

Antifragile

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Science & Technology, Nation

Tags Philosophy, Business & Economics, Psychology, Science & Nature, Finance, Leadership, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement

... Read Antifragile Summary

A Path Appears

by Nicholas D. Kristof , Sheryl WuDunn

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Sociology, Social Justice, Gender & Feminism, Business & Economics, Inspirational, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Politics & Government

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the husband-and-wife team of Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book speaks to altruism and how people can do something to promote more opportunities for others around the world. The authors declare, “We wrote this book mostly to encourage others—rich and poor alike—to join in this push to improve the world” (16). They promote three ways of doing so:... Read A Path Appears Summary