Book Reviews
CEME reviews books focused on issues ranging from economic history and management practices to theology and pragmatic business concerns related to our core interests. These comprise a mix of recently published books and books published over the course of the last thirty years or so which we think should not be forgotten.
We generally do not review books that may be regarded as “classics” (on the basis that they are already well known) or books that are aimed solely at an academic or other specialist audience (since our aim is to assist the non-specialist who want seriously to think through current issues).
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Billy Christmas: ‘For Profit: A History of Corporations’ by William Magnuson
In For Profit, William Magnuson offers a detailed and entertaining narrative of the key episodes in corporate history that document the ways in which the corporation has been deployed by society’s problem-solvers.
Victor V. Claar: ‘Mere Economics: Lessons For and From the Ordinary Business of Life’ by Art Carden and Caleb S. Fuller
Mere Economics introduces caring Christians to economic thinking, connecting essential facts of faith to central ideas of economics and illuminating issues like poverty, environmental stewardship and other concerns that Christians take seriously.
Erik W. Matson: ‘Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher Became an Icon of American Capitalism’ by Glory Liu
Examining the variety of causes that the name ‘Adam Smith’ has been invoked to support and the competing ‘Smiths’ that have emerged, Adam Smith’s America is a remarkable scholarly achievement that frames the question of why it is that we read Smith.
Andrew Lilico: ‘The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate’ by Phil Gramm, Robert Ekelund and John Early
The Myth of American Inequality contains complex statistics and involved reasoning but it will encourage readers to think about the inequality (or otherwise) of the American economy differently.
Bryan Cutsinger: ‘False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery, 1933–1947’ by George Selgin
False Dawn offers an even-handed assessment of President Roosevelt’s New Deal and its legacy, examining the extent to which it helped to end the Great Depression.
Gordon Bannerman: ‘Creditworthy: A History of Consumer Surveillance and Financial Identity in America’ by Josh Lauer
Recounting the historical evolution of systematic credit surveillance in the United States, this informative, immaculately researched, well-written book highlights the enduring presence of trust and integrity, despite the revolutionary effects of advanced technological capability.
Andrew Fincham: ‘Profit: An Environmental History’ by Mark Stoll
The aim of Profit: An Environmental History is to trace the environmental aspects of capitalism’s growth through human history, but the book lacks clear data points or any clear definition of profit, while leaving the reader with a somewhat rushed feel.
Anne R. Bradley: ‘Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World’ by Alison Taylor
In Higher Ground, Alison Taylor offers sound practical advice on how to navigate the choppy waters of business leadership in the 21st century, reminding us that one firm cannot do everything and that political battles are divisive, yet perhaps returning to the basics is the best course to steer.
Andrew Baughen: ‘Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America’ by Erik Baker
In Make Your Own Job, Erik Baker examines the ways in which an entrepreneurial work ethic became so embedded in America that it was adopted as assumed wisdom for all, rather than the choice of a few.
Noreen Herzfeld: ‘In AI We Trust: Power, Illusion and Control of Predictive Algorithms’ by Helga Nowotny
Calling for new ethos in emerging AI research and development, 'In AI We Trust' argues that as we become increasingly dependent on predictive algorithms and their illusion of control, we will slide into a future that is largely determined by our past.