Talking to My Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism - Hardcover

4.13

17,602 ratings by Goodreads

9781847924445: Talking to My Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847924441 ISBN 13: 9781847924445

Publisher: Bodley Head

In this letter to his teenage daughter, one of the world's most famous economists uses vivid stories to explain what economics is and why it is so dangerous. What is money and why does debt exist? Where do wealth and inequality come from? How come economics has the power to shape and destroy our lives? Economics is not a technical science, it is an epic drama: a battleground of ideas, a war between the powerful for our allegiance. In this universally accessible book, Yanis Varoufakis describes how this drama first emerged and has since come to dominate the fate of human societies worldwide. In answering all of the big questions about money and debt, power and inequality, he shows how economics has sought to solve the problems of our world but ended up being a major cause of many of them. Drawing on history and literature, science fiction and personal memories, this intimate and inspiring book shines a light for readers of all ages on some of the most bewildering questions and important challenges that humanity faces.

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About the Author:

Born in Athens in 1961, Yanis Varoufakis was for many years a professor of economics in Britain, Australia and the USA before becoming finance minister of Greece in 2015. His memoir of his experiences in government, Adults In the Room: My Battle with Europe's Deep Establishment, was a number one bestseller in 2017. His previous book, And The Weak Suffer What They Must? Europe, Austerity and the Threat to Global Stability was a number one bestseller in 2016. He is currently Professor of Economics at the University of Athens and speaks to audiences of thousands worldwide as a co-founder of the Democracy in Europe Movement (DiEM25). His daughter Xenia is now fifteen years old and lives in Sydney, Australia. yanisvaroufakis.eu / @yanisvaroufakis

Review:

"If you're Left-wing, or even if you have doubts about market economies, you'll love his arguments because they're so easy to understand. If you're on the Right, you'll have a very clear idea of how your cleverest opponents think ... Varoufakis tells all this with exemplary verve ... It's great fun to read ... Varoufakis has started a debate here, and he's done it brilliantly" * Evening Standard * "Utterly accessible, deeply humane and startlingly original - a potent democratic tool at the perfect time" -- Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not Enough "A provocative, challenging, yet non-patronising analysis of the global economy: what it is, how it came to be and why it can never be apolitical. By using ancient myths, contemporary culture and family stories, Varoufakis makes the text intimate and accessible" -- Nigel Jones * Observer * "Experts have often found it easier to hide behind opaque language than to explain complex concepts in simple terms ... Varoufakis wants to smash this barrier: he argues from the outset that if we defer to experts on the economy then we hand over all our most important political decisions to them ... Varoufakis does equip his readers with the beginnings of a new language, and punctures myth after myth" -- Anna Minton * Guardian * "Varoufakis's brief history of capitalism unspools with characteristic fluency and verve ... those seeking to better understand the 'black magic' of bankers should look no further" * Financial Times * "A stimulating and elegant perspective on market economies. It is accessible but not simplistic ... A superb chapter on banking ... provocative and stylish" -- Paschal Donohoe * Irish Times * "One of the most accurate and detailed descriptions of modern power ever written" * Guardian on Adults In The Room * "Varoufakis has the greatest political virtues of all - courage and honesty" * The Times * "One of my few heroes. As long as people like Varoufakis are around, there still is hope" -- Slavoj Zizek "Superbly written ... he was - and is - right" -- Martin Wolf, Financial Times, on Adults in the Room "An outstanding economist and political analyst" -- Noam Chomsky "Astonishing ... a reflection on the nature and meaning of power in our times" * Open Democracy on Adults In The Room * "The Thucydides of our time" -- Jeffrey Sachs

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