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Are the Rich Necessary?: Great Economic Arguments and How They Reflect Our Personal Values
by
Hunter Lewis
This updated and expanded edition of Are the Rich Necessary? is an ideal introduction to economics at a time when economics is on everyone's mind. Lewis is always objective, fair, and fun to read. Rich is also an ideal adjunct to an economics textbook. The New York Times called this book both highly provocative and highly pleasurable.
Paperback, 413 pages
Published
October 16th 2009
by Axios Press
(first published September 25th 2007)
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An interesting book that covers some basic arguments around the value of wealth accumulation. One new perspective that I hadn't really considered before revolved around looking at the rich as essentially public "trustees" that are de facto agents of society since dollars are really a form of voting. Lewis makes an argument that companies and the wealthy that run the most profitable of them are actually more democratically elected (via dollars) than our public officials. It's not hard to say that...more
The author presents the major arguments for and against some of the biggest economic debates, like whether or not the rich are necessary. His writing is sharp and he makes himself clear to those with a cursory knowledge of economic principles. But, this is a difficult book to get into for that very reason. Just as I was beginning to understand an argument and develop my own ideas, we had moved on. You get lots of sauce but not much meat/tofu.
I'm a third of the way through and most of the arguments made by the author are facile and full of holes. If it's meant to be a depiction of the shallowness of modern economic thinking, it may have some merit, but I think it more suffers from intellectual anemia. I have a feeling that Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" will be more intellectually satisfying and useful.
I'm almost done with this one. I am finding it VERY confusing! It is presenting different sides of arguments, which are seemingly contradictory. Not sure I can even get through the last few chapters....
I did manage to finish this one up! Still didn't glean a lot of info from it as they kept showing both sides, instead of really just answering the question!
I did manage to finish this one up! Still didn't glean a lot of info from it as they kept showing both sides, instead of really just answering the question!
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Good sets of arguments and counter-arguments, but a bit insipid, and his "solution" of more non-profits - and taking people's money to fund them - is at best a transition (let people redirect money taken as taxes to qualified non-profits rather than have government waste it) between today's theft and future stateless freedom.
I was very disappointed in this book. The author claims that he will attempt to explain both sides to each topic. Well I guess he fulfills this promise if by explain, he means he will acknowledge and move on. The author tries to give himself an out on this by claiming that not all topics require much discussion to understand. This just illustrates the ignorance by the author on the opposing point of view to his own. Several times throughout the book the author simplifies an opposing viewpoint to...more
They are and they aren't. Writing is good and the topic and related ones are interesting.
Bit disappointed. Arguments were presented in most basic form possible. The appendices are longer than the content of the book itself. I wouldn't recommend it.
Book about the function of the wealthy in society. had to read for class, but it was alright.
May 07, 2012
Lucas Land
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
economics
Mar 08, 2012
Kenneth
marked it as to-read
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