Recently Mentioned Books

That is the new biography by William Taubmann , who won a Pulitzer for his Khruschev book .  At first I didn’t want to read it, feeling I was already too familiar with the topic, but it was a fascinating treatment throughout, with many revelations.  It is perhaps the best overall treatment of how the Soviet Union collapsed, and the parts on Gorbachev’s early career provide a superior look at how Soviet bureaucracy and the Communist Party actually functioned.

That is the new biography by William Taubmann , who won a Pulitzer for his Khruschev book .  At first I didn’t want to read it, feeling I was already too familiar with the topic, but it was a fascinating treatment throughout, with many revelations.  It is perhaps the best overall treatment of how the Soviet Union collapsed, and the parts on Gorbachev’s early career provide a superior look at how Soviet bureaucracy and the Communist Party actually functioned.

1. Forthcoming collection of Eugene Fama papers .

I have several other of his books in my pile to read; this latest one focuses much of its energy on Lacan and also the Slovenian theorist Alenka Zupančič .  It turns out Žižek also is a big fan of Liu Cixin and The Three-Body Problem .

That is the new, forthcoming Žižek book , here is one brief excerpt:

That is from the new and excellent Jean M. Twenge, iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood .

Barry Riley, The Political History of American Food Aid: An Uneasy Benevolence , I have only perused bits, but it seems to be the book to read or own on this topic.

John L. Campbell and John A. Hall, The Paradox of Vulnerability: States, Nationalism & the Financial Crisis , considers the state capacities of Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland in responding to the financial crisis.  I liked what was there, though wanted more.

Thomas S. Mullaney, The Chinese Typewriter: A History , is a thorough and informative treatment of what its title suggests.  Here is a WSJ review .

Brian Fagan, Fishing: How the Sea Fed Civilization .

Lizzie Collingham, The Hungry Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World , with a slightly different title for the U.S. edition, and

3. Richard White, The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896 .  This will make the year’s “best of” list for sure.  I’m not usually a fan of reading a 900 pp. plus survey book to cover a period of more than three decades.  Usually too much stays superficial, and the author does not apply consistent quality standards to the whole work, if any of it.  But this book is interesting and informative on virtually every page, and it is unfortu...

2. Dennis C. Rasmussen, The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought .  A beautifully written book, with wonderful balance, about a beautiful friendship.  Recommended.

1. George W. Bush, Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors .  Not only are the paintings good, but this book is the perfect antidote to too much time spent on Twitter, especially if you read the text about all the injuries sustained.

That is all from the forthcoming Capitalism Without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy , by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake.  Their discussion of venture capital offers further points of interest, including a discussion of why it is so hard to replicate VC environments in other settings.  Here is my previous post on the book .

I’ve been reading the forthcoming Capitalism Without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy , by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake, which is one of this year’s most important and stimulating economic reads (I can’t say it is Freakonomics-style fun, but it is well-written relative to the nature of its subject matter.)

The author is Jeffrey Gettleman, the subtitle is A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival , and this travel romance of East Africa has taken a beating on Twitter and elsewhere, for its apparently “neo-colonial” approach.  I bought the book, wondering if I might find a contrarian take to offer.  I’ve only browsed it, but here was one random passage I ran across, noting the scene will culminate in the two making out (and perhaps intercourse?):

That is from the excellent The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains , by Thomas Laqueur.  Here is a truly splendid Marina Warner review of the book .

Jean Tirole, Economics for the Common Good , with nary an equation in sight.

Robert Wuthnow, American Misfits and the Making of Middle Class Respectability .

6. Orhan Pamuk, The Red-Haired Woman .  Eh. Contrived.

5. Beowulf, translated by Stephen Mitchell .  I cannot judge veracity, but to read this is in the top tier of Beowulf renderings to date.  The Old English is presented on the opposing page, this book I will keep.

4. Cynthia Estlund, A New Deal for China’s Workers? The best book I know on labor unions and labor policy in China: “It surprises many Westerners to learn that the labor standards established by Chinese law on the books, apart from actual wage levels, track modern Western (especially European) labor standards rather closely in many respects…Professor Gallagher has described China’s labor standards regime as one of “high standards-low enforcement.””

3. Robert B. Ekelund, Jr., John D. Jackson, and Robert D. Tollison, The Economics of American Art: Issues, Artists, and Market Institutions .  A useful overview and survey of the role of economics in the development of art markets in American history.

2. Alex Millmow, A History of Australasian Economic Thought .  A very good introduction, New Zealand too.  There is no problem filling a book with substance on this topic, in fact it left me wanting more.