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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 330.973 EAN: 9780393326055 ISBN: 0393326055 Label: W. W. Norton & Company Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 480 Publication Date: 2004-08 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Studio: W. W. Norton & Company Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The Great Unraveling is a chronicle of how "the heady optimism of the late 1990s gave way to renewed gloom as a result of "incredibly bad leadership, in the private sector and in the corridors of power." Offering his own take on the trickle-down theory, economist and columnist Paul Krugman lays much of the blame for a slew of problems on the Bush administration, which he views as a "revolutionary power...a movement whose leaders do not accept the legitimacy of our current political system." Declaring them radicals masquerading as moderates, he questions their motives on a range of issues, particularly their tax and Social Security plans, which he argues are "obviously, blatantly based on bogus arithmetic." Though a fine writer, Krugman relies more heavily on numbers than words to examine the current rash of corporate malfeasance, the rise and fall of the stock market bubble, the federal budget and the future of Social Security, and how a huge surplus quickly became a record deficit. He also rails against the news media for displaying a disturbing lack of skepticism and for failing to do even the most basic homework when reporting on business and economic issues. The book is mainly a collection of op-ed pieces Krugman wrote for The New York Times between 2000 and 2003. Overall, this format works well. Krugman writes clearly about complicated issues and offers plenty of evidence and hard facts to support his theories regarding the intersection of business, economics, and politics, making this a detailed, informative, and thought-provoking book. --Shawn Carkonen Product Description: A galvanizing new work from America's leading economic critic—a book that will set the terms of the political debate for years to come. No one has more authority to call the shots the way they really are than Paul Krugman, whose provocative New York Times columns are keenly followed by millions. One of the world's most respected economists, Krugman has been named America's most important columnist by the Washington Monthly and columnist of the year by Editor and Publisher magazine. In this long-awaited work containing Krugman's most influential columns along with new commentary, he chronicles how the boom economy unraveled: how exuberance gave way to pessimism, how the age of corporate heroes gave way to corporate scandals, how fiscal responsibility collapsed. From his account of the secret history of the California energy crisis to his devastating dissections of dishonesty in the Bush administration, Krugman tells the uncomfortable truth about how the United States lost its way. And he gives us the road map we will need to follow if we are to get the country back on track. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - A Liberal Economist on Bush's Policies.This book is a compilation of columns written by Paul Krugman mostly addressing the economy, warning of impending crises. Another words, a warning from 2004(and earlier) about what we are currently experiencing. The author is highly critical of the current administration's use of tax cuts for the wealthy as a cure for all economic ills. He also looks at companies "moving offshore" and using "fancy footwork" to evade paying taxes. Another subject is the amount ... Read More Rating:  - This should have been required reading before October 2008It is frightening how Krugman's words are so applicable to the economic crisis that is happening right now. I had to keep checking the publication date to make sure that it was not written just in the last month. The policies of the current administration; the shrub who's name we dare not say out loud, even in our heads;make you want to scream, and very much out loud. My wish is that economics teachers were not so dry and predictable when I was in high school. Economics is such an ... Read More Rating:  - Blowhard ElitistUnfortunately, a newly awarded noble peace prize winner, further adding to his armor to attack without criticism, the opposing party politics. Nothing but a rambling Bush hit piece, only three years into his presidency, and a big government proponent. Problem is he has apparently has no offspring contributing to the "cradle to grave" society he espouses. A career without raising children? Maybe I could have as many publications in my spare time. Collection of op-eds from the NTY's that have no ... Read More Rating: - A Strong Flashlight In A World Of Foggy NumbersThe early years of the Bush Administration are a blurry memory for me. Partly because nothing that was going on, from tax cuts to 9/11 to the shifting recession, made any sense to the common observer. The hall of illusions structuring the public conversations of the time were all a part of the great unraveling. Paul Krugman was one man with a strong flashlight in a world of foggy numbers. He cut through the confusing lies cast forth by the Bush team in order to show us what was really going on and where ... Read More Rating: - A timeless work.This book is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Most books of this type tend to have a relatively short shelf life, but this one endures. It proves the axiom about news being the first draft of history. |
