First Meeting: Thursday, February 2, 5:15, Conference Room B, 726 Broadway, 6th Floor
Here are the titles I am considering for the upcoming installment of Political Economy Reading Group in the spring term 2017. I’ll speak a little bit about each book at the first group meeting on Thursday, February 2. Until then, the information below may be useful for students to identify possible preferences.
- Four Futures by Peter Frase (2016)
Peter Frase develops four scenarios of possible post-capitalist societies. This book is short, accessible, and provides numerous arguments for discussion. Frase draws from a rich pool of recent literature on technological change and social relations as well as from canonical works in science fiction. A perfect blend between fun and information. See here for a short outline of the structure and the argument the book. - The Poverty of Clio by Francesco Boldizzoni (2011)
A critique of cliometrics, the currently predominant approach to economic history. Boldizzoni provides a sophisticated argument against New Institutional Economics and rational choice theory. Arguably, the most challenging book on the list, which would make a great follow-up to our reading of the Great Transformation by Polanyi last semester. - Marx’s Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital by William Clare Roberts (2016)
My most recent purchase. Haven’t had time to read it. Roberts presents a comprehensive account of Marx’s writing in terms of its political implications. I have read plenty of Marx’s original writing and secondary economic literature and I look forward to what promises to be a different perspective. This should be of particular interest to students in my second-year seminars. Princeton University Press info sheet. - How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities by John Cassidy (2010)
Another title I have not yet read. This one made the list because I very frequently enjoy Cassidy’s writing on economic issues in The New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. This should be a good introduction to the argument how mainstream economic analysis continues to be unable to explain recurring economic crises. I expect this title to be the most suitable title for students at all levels.