The Economic Studies Shelf

What the Hell is An Economy?
Eric Johnson
Independently Published
B08HTSQNWR, $2.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/What-Hell-Economy-Eric-Johnson/dp/1735631906

The title of Eric Johnson's book might lead some to think this is another b= asic primer on economic terminology, history, and structure; but What the H= ell is An Economy? offers much more than a cursory overview of government a=
nd banking processes. It makes the case for a decentralized economy, pointi=
ng out the pitfalls of the historical direction of banking and business.

In the course of this exploration, Johnson (an engineer self-educated in fi= nance and business) reveals not just answers to questions about economic di= rection and processes, but insights into the steps that consumers can make =
to protect their money through better understanding and decision-making. Th=
at his fifteen-year self-education resulted not just in personal empowermen=
t and enlightenment, but this book lends to its accessibility by a far broa= der audience than the usual business reader or economics student.

Johnson assumes no prior reader familiarity with (or even an interest in) e= conomic subjects. He goes beyond translating economic terms, creating livel=
y discussions that clarify and survey such potentially confusing subjects a=
s bitcoin: "Think of bitcoin as a ledger, a digital record of transactions,=
with this ledger copied on thousands of independent computers. The ledger = stores a perfect record of an ever-growing list of all bitcoin transactions=
, keeping track of the transfer of ownership of bitcoin from one owner to t=
he next. It helps to imagine that all bitcoins are stored in virtual lockbo= xes, where a "digital key" (a long unique number) is used to mathematically=
transfer the bitcoin from one lockbox to another. Whoever possesses the di= gital key to open the lockbox owns the bitcoin inside."

And for the definition of money itself: Money is anything that many believe=
can be used to store and transfer wealth." Whether it's bank transfers, go= vernment spending and borrowing, or investment funds under discussion, John= son applies this same attention to detail, clarifying the processes and ter=
ms that allow newcomers to economic concepts complete access to all manner =
of business and government relationships and economic interactions.

The result is much more than a primer of terms. It's a wide-ranging, access= ible discussion of the perils, pitfalls, and promises of management and eco= nomics that involves all levels of reader in better understanding money man= agement on individual, corporate, and government-wide levels.

Containing a powerful message promoting decentralization, ("The same unwind= ing that normalizes interest rates will also push our economy back towards = more decentralization. The decisions on the allocation of wealth will be ma=
de by the empowered many and not the few. It is the decentralized portions =
of the economy that will create the wealth that the centralized portions re= quire for redistribution, and that will allow us to recharge the dollar wea= lth battery."), this second edition of What the Hell is An Economy? ideally=
should reach discussion groups interested in understanding the notion of e= conomic centralization and decentralization and its influences on wealth, c= ompassion, and social programs alike.

Adam Smith's America
Glory M. Liu
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
http://press.princeton.edu
9780691203812, $35.00, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Smiths-America-Philosopher-Capitalism/dp/069120= 3814

Synopsis: Originally published in 1776, Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations=
" was lauded by America's founders as a landmark work of Enlightenment thin= king about national wealth, statecraft, and moral virtue. Today, Smith is o=
ne of the most influential icons of economic thought in America.

With the publication of "Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher B= ecame an Icon of American Capitalism", academician Glory Liu traces how gen= erations of Americans have read, reinterpreted, and weaponized Smith's idea=
s, revealing how his popular image as a champion of American-style capitali=
sm and free markets is an historical invention.

Drawing on a trove of illuminating archival materials, Liu tells the story =
of how an unassuming Scottish philosopher captured the American imagination=
and played a leading role in shaping American economic and political ideas=
.. She shows how Smith became known as the father of political economy in th=
e nineteenth century and was firmly associated with free trade, and how, in=
the aftermath of the Great Depression, the Chicago School of Economics tra= nsformed him into the preeminent theorist of self-interest and the miracle =
of free markets. Liu also explores how a new generation of political theori= sts and public intellectuals has sought to recover Smith's original intenti= ons and restore his reputation as a moral philosopher.

Charting the enduring fascination that this humble philosopher from Scotlan=
d has held for American readers over more than two centuries, "Adam Smith's=
America" shows how Smith continues to be a vehicle for articulating perenn= ial moral and political anxieties about modern capitalism.

Critique: An exceptional work of seminal and meticulous scholarship, "Adam = Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher Became an Icon of American Capi= talism" is an inherently fascinating and iconoclastic study that is unreser= vedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and unive= rsity library Economic Theory & History collections. Informatively enhanced=
for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, a sixtee=
n page Epilogue, a twenty-six page listing of References, and a nine page I= ndex, "Adam Smith's America" is also readily available in a digital book fo= rmat (Kindle, $19.25) for students, academia, economists, and non-specialis=
t general readers with an interest in the subject.

Editorial Note: Glory M. Liu (https://www.gloryliu.com/about) is a college = fellow in social studies at Harvard University. Her work has appeared in pu= blications such as Modern Intellectual History, the Washington Post, and Ae= on.

The Future Economy
Brandon Zemp
Forbes Books
https://books.forbes.com
9781955884006, $24.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Economy-Insiders-Dismantling-Traditional/dp/1= 955884005

Synopsis: Even as it has planted a flag in the economic currency mainstream=
, blockchain technology remains minimally understood by the public, and its=
true potential to improve every aspect of our lives is only just emerging.

With the publication of "The Future Economy: A Crypto Insider's Guide To Th=
e Tech Dismantling Traditional Banking", crypto currency expert Brandon Zem=
p (who hosts the popular BlockHash podcast and is a professional crypto-bas=
ed entrepreneur), looks past the hype to examine the exhilarating real-worl=
d impact of this technology.

Zemp explains the major tokens and platforms in crypto and demystifies the = little-known yet potentially revolutionary use cases of a technology that p= romises to alter the very way we think about money, banking, and life itsel=
f -- both online and offline.

Critique: Given the volatile performance of crypto currencies over the past=
few years (especially with the collapse of one of the most popular of them=
in 2022), "The Future Economy: A Crypto Insider's Guide To The Tech Disman= tling Traditional Banking" must be considered essential reading for anyone = involved or considering involvement with a crypto currency. Informed and in= formative, "The Future Economy" is unreservedly recommended for personal, p= rofessional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Econom= ics & Crypto Currency collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists=
.. It should be noted that "The Future Economy" is also currently available = in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99) from Amazon.

Editorial Note: Brandon Zemp is an entrepreneur, investor, trader, and host=
of the popular BlockHash podcast. He graduated from Pitzer College in 2017=
with a BA in neuroscience before making a name for himself in the fast-gro= wing world of cryptocurrency as CEO and founder of BlockHash, LLC, a consul= ting, coaching, and education company, and as head of Blocolombia, a Colomb= ia-based crypto consultancy and one of the first of its kind in Latin Ameri= ca. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/people/brandonzemp/?sh= =3D24c6854e343e)

The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies
William N. Brown
Springer
https://www.springer.com/us
981197280X, $59.99, HC, 137pp

https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Chinas-Anti-Poverty-Strategies-Changing/dp= /981197280X

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty St= rategies: Cases of 20 Chinese Changing Lives", Professor William N. Brown p= resents the findings of his three decades of studying China's evolving anti= -poverty strategies.

Professor Brown argues that much of the billions that nations spend yearly =
on economic aid is used inefficiently or to treat the symptoms but not the = root causes of poverty. China, however, has evolved an effective sustainabl=
e alternative by providing the means for self-reliance to not only relieve = economic poverty but also poverty of spirit. As a result, the success of Ch= ina's historic war on poverty has been due not only to top-down visionary l= eadership but also to the bottom-up initiatives of an empowered populace un= swervingly united in ending poverty.

From 1993 to 2019, Professor Brown drove over 200,000 km around China and i= nterviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life as he explored the evo= lution of China's anti-poverty strategies from simplistic aid and redistrib= ution, which often engendered dependency and poverty of spirit.

Over time, the philosophy shifted to empowerment by fostering self-reliance=
-- or as the Chinese put it, "blood production rather than blood transfusi= on". The primary method of empowerment was to provide modern infrastructure=
, "Roads first, then riches," so rural dwellers in remote Inner Mongolia or=
the Himalayan heights of Tibet had the same access to markets, jobs and in= ternet for e-commerce as their urban counterparts. People who seized the op= portunities and prospered first then used their newfound wealth and experie= nce to help others.

The stories comprising "The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies: C= ases of 20 Chinese Changing Lives" includes a Tibetan entrepreneur whose fa= mily was impoverished in spite of 300 years of service to the Panchen Lama,=
and the farm girl with 4 years of education who now has several internatio= nal schools, as well as a biotechnology company, poverty alleviation projec=
ts across China, as well as the photographer who walked 40,000 km through d= eserts to chronicle the threat of desertification.

Their tales underscore how diverse people across China helped make possible=
China's success in alleviating absolute poverty and why Chinese are now co= nfident in achieving a "moderately prosperous society".

Critique: Of special value to readers with an interest in China's economic = policies, Professor William Brown's "The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty = Strategies: Cases of 20 Chinese Changing Lives" is critically important rea= ding and an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, = college, university, and governmental library International Economics and C= ontemporary China Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies l= ists.

Editorial Note: William N. Brown (https://www.cambridgerivers.com/who-is-wi= lliam-brown) has been on the faculty of Xiamen University since 1988. He is=
OneMBA Academic Director and Professor of Leadership and Strategy. Fujian'=
s first foreign PR, he has driven over 200,000 km around China exploring it=
s development, co-written and hosted over 400 TV episodes, and consulted wi=
th cities on urban and rural development. Honors have included China's "Fri= endship Award," "Honorary Citizen of Fujian" from then-governor Xi Jinping,=
"Top Ten Educator 1954-2014," and "CCTV's Moving China 2019" award. He pub= lished "Chasing the Chinese Dream" with Springer in 2021.

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