Economics and Finance

Rethinking the Work Ethic: On Elizabeth Anderson’s “Hijacked”
Helen Hester reviews Elizabeth Anderson’s “Hijacked: How Neoliberalism Turned the Work Ethic Against Workers and How Workers Can Take It Back.”
Helen HesterJan 29, 2024
- Economics and Finance
- Philosophy & Religion
Empire and Liberalism—a Saidian Reading: On Jeanne Morefield’s “Unsettling the World”
Conor McCarthy reviews Jeanne Morefield’s “Unsettling the World: Edward Said and Political Theory.”
Conor McCarthyJan 17, 2024
- Economics and Finance
- Politics
Race, Money, and the Pursuit of Poetry in the US Today: A Conversation with Megan Fernandes and Edgar Kunz
Natasha Hakimi Zapata interviews Megan Fernandes and Edgar Kunz about their new poetry collections.
Natasha Hakimi ZapataJan 15, 2024
Nothing for Something: Cryptos, Cons, and Zombies
Peter Lunenfeld traces the persistence of classic con games in the current explosion of cryptocurrency markets.
Peter LunenfeldDec 19, 2023
Capitalists Inside a Communist State: On Two Books and the Puzzle of Chinese Billionaires
Carey Mott reviews two books about the blurred lines between communism and capitalism in China: Christopher Marquis and Kunyuan Qiao’s “Mao and Markets: The Communist Roots of Chinese Enterprise” and Scott Moore’s “China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology Are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future.”
Carey MottDec 18, 2023
For Luck or Merit: On Jessi Streib’s “The Accidental Equalizer”
Johann Neem reviews Jessi Streib’s new book, “The Accidental Equalizer: How Luck Determines Pay After College.”
Johann N. NeemNov 18, 2023
- Economics and Finance
- Education
The Hollywood Strikes: How Storytelling Won the Day for Writers
Alessandro Camon discusses the role storytelling played in the success of the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood.
Alessandro CamonOct 15, 2023
Crony Capitalism, 16th-Century Style: On Philip J. Stern’s “Empire, Incorporated”
Dinyar Patel reviews Philip J. Stern’s “Empire, Incorporated: The Corporations That Built British Colonialism.”
Dinyar PatelOct 7, 2023
- Economics and Finance
- History
The New Scarcity Studies: On Two New Socioeconomic Histories
Scott R. MacKenzie reviews two new books on the theory of socioeconomic scarcity.
Scott R. MacKenzieSep 25, 2023
- Economics and Finance
- Politics
The Chinese Restaurant on Main Street, USA: On Zai Liang’s “From Chinatown to Every Town”
Weiling Deng considers Zai Liang’s “From Chinatown to Every Town: How Chinese Immigrants Have Expanded the Restaurant Business in the United States.”
Weiling DengSep 23, 2023
Weaponized Plumbing: On Henry Farrell and Abraham L. Newman’s “Underground Empire”
Krzysztof Pelc mostly agrees with Henry Farrell and Abraham L. Newman’s “Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy” but quibbles that it’s hard to draw the line between the peculiarly 21st-century type of influence they describe—which flows from fiber-optic cables, data centers, and dollar clearinghouses—and more conventional types of power.
Krzysztof PelcSep 13, 2023
You Can Always Get What You Want: On “The Big Chill” and American Politics
Henry M. J. Tonks explains how Lawrence Kasdan’s “The Big Chill” gets generational politics all wrong—and why we still need to watch it.
Henry M. J. TonksSep 7, 2023