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The Price of Prosperity: A Realistic Appraisal of the Future of Our National Economy
One of the foremost financial writers of his generation, Peter Bernstein has the unique ability to synthesize intellectual history and economics with the theory and practice of investment management. Now, with classic titles such as Economist on Wall Street, A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold, and The Price of Prosperity ?which have forewords by financial luminaries and new introductions by the author?you can enjoy some of the best of Bernstein in his earlier Wall Street days.
First published in 1962, The Price of Prosperity speaks to today's uncertainties as clearly as to those of the past. With chapters like "The Burden of Government" and "The Economics of Democracy," Bernstein probes the future of an economy during rapidly changing times and the appropriate role of government in determining the ultimate outcome.
The questions have not changed over time, but Bernstein's answers help us understand these issues from today's perspective. How much government control is too much control? How much can government spend? How can government influence the level of unemployment?
As Bernstein shows how to navigate an ever-changing economic landscape, his timeless insights throughout these pages make The Price of Prosperity as vital and important today as when it appeared in an environment fundamentally different from our own.
First published in 1962, The Price of Prosperity speaks to today's uncertainties as clearly as to those of the past. With chapters like "The Burden of Government" and "The Economics of Democracy," Bernstein probes the future of an economy during rapidly changing times and the appropriate role of government in determining the ultimate outcome.
The questions have not changed over time, but Bernstein's answers help us understand these issues from today's perspective. How much government control is too much control? How much can government spend? How can government influence the level of unemployment?
As Bernstein shows how to navigate an ever-changing economic landscape, his timeless insights throughout these pages make The Price of Prosperity as vital and important today as when it appeared in an environment fundamentally different from our own.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1961
About the author
Peter L. Bernstein
49 books279 followersFounder and President of Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., which he established in 1973 as economic consultants to institutional investors and corporations around the world.
In 1951, after teaching economics at Williams College and a five-year stint in commercial banking, Peter became Chief Executive of a nationally–known investment counsel firm, where he personally managed billions of dollars of individual and institutional portfolios. The assets under management at the firm had grown more than tenfold by the time he resigned in 1973 to launch Peter L. Bernstein, Inc.
Peter was the first Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management in 1974, a widely-read scholarly journal for investment managers and academics in the field of finance and investments. He is now Consulting Editor of the Journal.
He served for many years on the Visiting Committee to the Economics Department at Harvard University, as a Trustee and member of the Finance Committee of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), and as a Trustee of the Investment Management Workshop sponsored by the Association for Investment Management & Research’(AIMR).
He is the author of nine books in economics and finance plus countless articles in professional journals such as The Harvard Business Review and the Financial Analysts Journal, and in the popular press, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Worth Magazine, and Bloomberg publications. He has contributed to collections of articles published by Perseus and FT Mastering, among others
He lectures widely throughout the United States and abroad on risk management, asset allocation, portfolio strategy, and market history.
Peter graduated from Harvard College with a degree in economics, magna cum laude. He was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
After serving as a member of the research staff at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and in a civilian capacity at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, he joined the armed services and rose to the rank of captain in the Air Force in World War II, assigned to the Office of Strategic Services in the European theater.
He taught economics for many years as an adjunct professor on the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York.
Peter has received three major awards from the Association for Investment Management & Research (AIMR), the key organization for investment managers and analysts:
The Award for Professional Excellence, AIMR's highest award,
The Graham & Dodd Award, given annually for the outstanding article in the Financial Analysts Journal for the previous year, and
The James R. Vertin Award, recognizing individuals who have produced a body of research notable for its relevance and enduring value to investment professionals.
In 1951, after teaching economics at Williams College and a five-year stint in commercial banking, Peter became Chief Executive of a nationally–known investment counsel firm, where he personally managed billions of dollars of individual and institutional portfolios. The assets under management at the firm had grown more than tenfold by the time he resigned in 1973 to launch Peter L. Bernstein, Inc.
Peter was the first Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management in 1974, a widely-read scholarly journal for investment managers and academics in the field of finance and investments. He is now Consulting Editor of the Journal.
He served for many years on the Visiting Committee to the Economics Department at Harvard University, as a Trustee and member of the Finance Committee of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), and as a Trustee of the Investment Management Workshop sponsored by the Association for Investment Management & Research’(AIMR).
He is the author of nine books in economics and finance plus countless articles in professional journals such as The Harvard Business Review and the Financial Analysts Journal, and in the popular press, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Worth Magazine, and Bloomberg publications. He has contributed to collections of articles published by Perseus and FT Mastering, among others
He lectures widely throughout the United States and abroad on risk management, asset allocation, portfolio strategy, and market history.
Peter graduated from Harvard College with a degree in economics, magna cum laude. He was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
After serving as a member of the research staff at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and in a civilian capacity at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, he joined the armed services and rose to the rank of captain in the Air Force in World War II, assigned to the Office of Strategic Services in the European theater.
He taught economics for many years as an adjunct professor on the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York.
Peter has received three major awards from the Association for Investment Management & Research (AIMR), the key organization for investment managers and analysts:
The Award for Professional Excellence, AIMR's highest award,
The Graham & Dodd Award, given annually for the outstanding article in the Financial Analysts Journal for the previous year, and
The James R. Vertin Award, recognizing individuals who have produced a body of research notable for its relevance and enduring value to investment professionals.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 5, 2009
I like a couple of Bernstein's other books but was pretty disappointed with this one. He appears to be quite naive about benefits of government spending dynamics -- theory may be one thing, but practice is something else completely. He also seems do ignore cost-benefit analysis and that government tends to be slow to invest capital to raise levels of productivity.
January 9, 2025
I went into the book already agreeing with most of what he was proposing and left disagreeing with him.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews



