Authors: Max Weber.
Paperback, 608 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication Date: 2008-09-04
Edition: 4

Reviews :

    For more than 100 years, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has set the parameters for the debate over the origins of modern capitalism. Now more timely and thought-provoking than ever, this esteemed classic of twentieth-century social science examines the deep cultural "frame of mind" that influences work life to this day in northern America and Western Europe. Stephen Kalberg's internationally acclaimed translation captures the essence of Weber's style as well as the subtlety of his descriptions and causal arguments.
Now, for the first time in one volume, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West integrates Weber's exploration of the spirit of capitalism's origins with his larger project: a multi-causal analysis of the West's distinctiveness and its sources. Weber's texts present wide-ranging discussions on the Western city, state, forms of rulership and law, and modes of economic innovation. Moreover, in many selections Weber offers in-depth and insightful comparisons to China and India. Readings on the "economic ethics" of Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Catholicism further illuminate the distinct qualities of the West's trajectory and its diverse causes. A separate section examines the long-range influence of the ascetic Protestant sects and churches on American society.
To draw readers into the material, this engaging volume includes extended introductions by the editor, many new translations, a chronology of Weber's life, an expanded glossary and bibliography, and numerous clarifying endnotes. In addition, Kalberg addresses a variety of debates concerning the central elements of contemporary life. Ideal for courses in sociology, anthropology, political science, history, international relations, and economics, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the origins and endurance of the modern West....

Authors: George Reisman.
Hardcover, 1096 pages
Publisher: Jameson Books
Publication Date: 1996-11-01


Reviews :

    Literally encyclopedic -- almost the length of a volume of the Britannica in terms both of number of pages and content per page--Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics is the philosophically and intellectually strongest and most comprehensive book in the defense of laissez-faire capitalism that can be found anywhere in the world at the present time. It is state of the art in economic theory and political philosophy.

The intelligent, open-minded reader who seeks to understand the economics and politics of the modern world (along with much of its closely related history and social and cultural phenomena), and what is required to improve mankind's lot in these two vital areas, need look no further than to this book....

Authors: Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Eric C. Henson. Jonathan B. Taylor. Catherine E. A. Curtis. Stephen Cornell. Kenneth W. Grant. Miriam R. Jorgensen. Joseph P. Kalt. Andrew J. Lee.
Paperback, 448 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication Date: 2007-04-15


Reviews :

    Media filters and personal preconceptions can make it hard to get a clear view of present-day Indian America. The reality is that the 500 Native nations in the United States confront many of the same day-to-day challenges that are faced by other nations and communities--raising children with strong identities, practicing religion, providing economic sustenance, strengthening culture, managing business and governmental affairs, and protecting public health and safety--but they are doing so from foundations built on their distinct histories, cultures, and circumstances. The State of the Native Nations: Conditions under U.S. Policies of Self-Determination chronicles the efforts, obstacles, and accomplishments that are shaping Indian Country under contemporary federal policies and responsive tribal strategies of self-determination.
In The State of the Native Nations, the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development brings together scholars and Native leaders to produce the most comprehensive, cohesive interdisciplinary study available on current conditions and trends in Indian Country. Broad in scope and thematically organized, the volume features twenty-three chapters covering issues ranging from tribal governance, land and natural resources, and economic and social development, to arts and culture, the large off-reservation Native population, and federal Indian policy. Fourteen accompanying essays bring to life the personal perspectives of noted national leaders in Native affairs. The result is invaluable insight into the universal challenges of creating resilient, sustained, and self-determined communities.
FEATURES:
* Balances first-person accounts and field findings with extensive and up-to-date data and facts
* Emphasizes the critical issues of Native self-determination and nation-building
* Puts contemporary issues in their historical and policy contexts
* Integrates case studies that highlight successful examples of the practice of Native nation self-determination...

Authors: Howard Wiarda. Harvey F Kline.
Paperback, 624 pages
Publisher: Westview Press
Publication Date: 2006-07-25
Edition: Sixth Edition

Reviews :

    "This excellent time-tested text continues to be a lucid--and the best--single volume introduction to the complexities of Latin American politics." (G. Pope Atkins, United States Naval Academy)

The only text organized on a country-by-country basis that represents all Latin American countries, Latin American Politics and Development offers instructors maximum flexibility in organizing courses....

Authors:
Paperback, 383 pages
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Publication Date: 2008-11-03


Reviews :

    Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development. The transformations along these three dimensions - density, distance, and division - are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe are changing in ways similar in scope and speed. World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged.The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues.Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's 'bottom billion', while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced.The WDR has a different message: economic growth is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress. The Report: documents how production becomes more concentrated spatially as economies grow; proposes economic integration as the principle for promoting successful spatial transformations; and, revisists the debates on urbanization, territorial development, and regional integration and shows how today's developers can reshape economic geography....

Authors: Russell D. Roberts.
Paperback, 116 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Publication Date: 2000-05-01
Edition: Rev Update

Reviews :

    A whimsical fable starring the ghost of a nineteenth century economist, whose journey takes him, and the reader, on a trip through the international economic issues facing America and American business today. Topics covered include trade deficits, environmental issues, free trade agreements, and labor standards. Previous edition: c1994. Softcover. DLC: Free trade. ...

Authors: John Rapley.
Paperback, 265 pages
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Publication Date: 2007-07-30
Edition: 3

Reviews :

    This lucidly written book, thoroughly updated, provides both an assessment of the current state of development theory and an extensive survey of the impact of evolving policies and practices throughout the developing world. Rapley critically traces the evolution of development theory from its strong statist orientation in the early postwar period, through the neoclassical phase, to the present emerging consensus on people-centered development. New to the third edition is a chapter on "postdevelopment" thought, as well as increased attention to the challenges posed by weak states and by critical environmental issues. Using a wide range of examples, Rapley shows where and how various approaches to development have worked or failed continuing to confront the question of why development remains so far out of reach for so many poor countries....

Authors: Johan Norberg.
Paperback, 330 pages
Publisher: Cato Institute
Publication Date: 2003-09-25


Reviews :

    Marshalling facts and the latest research findings, the author systematically refutes the adversaries of globalization, markets, and progress. This book will change the debate on globalization in this country and make believers of skeptics....

Authors: Timothy Mitchell.
Paperback, 423 pages
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication Date: 2002-11
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    Can one explain the power of global capitalism without attributing to capital a logic and coherence it does not have? Can one account for the powers of techno-science in terms that do not merely reproduce its own understanding of the world?
Rule of Experts examines these questions through a series of interrelated essays focused on Egypt in the twentieth century. These explore the way malaria, sugar cane, war, and nationalism interacted to produce the techno-politics of the modern Egyptian state; the forms of debt, discipline, and violence that founded the institution of private property; the methods of measurement, circulation, and exchange that produced the novel idea of a national "economy," yet made its accurate representation impossible; the stereotypes and plagiarisms that created the scholarly image of the Egyptian peasant; and the interaction of social logics, horticultural imperatives, powers of desire, and political forces that turned programs of economic reform in unanticipated directions.
Mitchell is a widely known political theorist and one of the most innovative writers on the Middle East. He provides a rich examination of the forms of reason, power, and expertise that characterize contemporary politics. Together, these intellectually provocative essays will challenge a broad spectrum of readers to think harder, more critically, and more politically about history, power, and theory....

Authors: Richard Peet. Elaine Hartwick.
Paperback, 234 pages
Publisher: The Guilford Press
Publication Date: 1999-07-09
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    The stakes involved in development debates are enormous. While development can use the productive resources of society to improve the living conditions
of the world's most vulnerable people, it can also form the basis of intense manipulative power on behalf of elites. This important new text surveys the
leading theories and models of economic and social development. Chapters examine sociological,economic, neo-Marxist, poststructuralist, feminist, and
radical democratic approaches, as well as an array of development models including modernization, dependency, and neoliberalism. Reaching conclusions
at odds with much of the recent literature, this volume is critical of neoliberal, market-driven economic growth, arguing instead that an alternative,democratic form of development remains a viable possibility.
...