Jeffry A. Frieden

Given that economics is nicknamed "the dismal science", this was a remarkably readable, engaging and intellectually inspiring book. I really enjoyed the overview of global economic history; many of the details of the early years covered in the book (basically from 1870 to 1945) were new to me, and I learned a great deal. Dr. Frieden's writing style is clear and concise and it flows seamlessly from one topic to the next. Economic statistics permeate the text, but in such a say that they help carry the narrative along rather than weighing it down.

This may be the most informative and enjoyable book about economics that I have ever read. Well worth your time!… (mais)

In choosing to write about the rise and fall of global capitalism in the twentieth century i.e. covering a period of more than a hundred years, Frieden has chosen breadth over depth. This is a minor flaw of the book, as certain developments were not well explained enough, such as the causes of recessions. Nevertheless, if one expects Frieden to go in-depth as well, that will probably take a few hundred more pages. Hence, if your expectations are to have an overview of the development of capitalism, plus some analysis, this is a good book. In addition, Frieden did manage to come out with a central argument amidst the breadth of the book, that international economic integration is the way to go but governments have to take care of their national concerns.… (mais)

Great political-economic history of the twentieth century. There are two ways to read this. The blurbs on the back of the book would focus on the 'global' in the title, and try to convince you that this is a book about globalisation. In some ways it is. But Frieden is unbiased enough that you can equally read the book as about capitalism in general, and ignore the globalization/anti-globalization debate, which is generally fruitless anyway. A much better question is: do we have a stable and just political-economic system?
You could make the argument either way from the facts Frieden provides, but the answer eventually would be, no. But not 'no' the way a Chomsky or Zinn would argue, somewhat knee-jerkly. Instead, 'no' in an informed, reasonable manner: there are too many losers in capitalism, and they are x, y and z.
Sadly, this was published *just* before the GFC, although the causes of the crash are already lined up here- American debt driving the growth of the world's economy, and an increased focus on financial profit at great environmental and social cost.
Also, a great read as far as books like this go. It's not a novel, but it's also not a textbook, and it's generally jargon free. Highly recommended.… (mais)