Tag Archives: economics

The Wal-Mart Effect

Posted on May 18, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works, and How It’s Transforming the American Economy © 2006 Charles Fishman 352 pages In only a little over fifty years, Wal-Mart has grown from a small five-and-dime store in … Continue reading →

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Reefer Madness

Posted on May 16, 2012 by smellincoffee

Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market310 pages© 2003 Eric Schlosser What do pornography, marijuana, and migrant labor have in common? They’re all factors in an underground economy, a vast web of cash-heavy transactions barred … Continue reading →

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Salt

Posted on April 24, 2012 by smellincoffee

Salt: A World History© 2003 Mark Kurlansky498 pages Last Autumn, my doctor advised me to start watching the amount of salt in my diet, and so I did. That this was a concern surprised me: I was never one to … Continue reading →

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The Ascent of Money

Posted on March 14, 2012 by smellincoffee

432 pages; © 2008 Niall Ferguson Money makes the world go ’round. In today’s globalized economy, this is a statement that’s never been more true. Considering the importance of trade in human history, writing a financial history of the world … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (7 March)

Posted on March 7, 2012 by smellincoffee

I recently finished Superfreakonomics and A Brief History of Thought, neither of which generated enough mental chatter to merit a full review. Suffice it to say, Superfreakonomics is simply an addition in the same vein as Freakonomics: the authors use … Continue reading →

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Freakonomics

Posted on March 25, 2009 by smellincoffee

Freakonomics: Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Revised and Expanded Edition)© 2005 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner320 pages I gave little thought to choosing to read this book this particular week. I’d heard of the book … Continue reading →

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Collapse

Posted on December 17, 2008 by smellincoffee

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed © 2005 Jared Diamond 560 pages plus index A few years ago, I read Guns, Germs, and Steel by this same author, who put forth the idea that the success of world … Continue reading →

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