Tyler Cowen

" ... the eSpecial heard round the world that ignited a firestorm of debate and redefined the nature of our economic malaise is now--at last--a book. America has been through the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, unemployment numbers are frightening, median wages have been flat since the 1970s, and it is common to expect that things will get worse before they get better. Certainly, the multidecade stagnation is not yet over. How will we get out of this mess? One political party tries to increase government spending even when we have no good plan for paying for ballooning programs like Medicare and Social Security. The other party seems to think tax cuts will raise revenue and has a record of creating bigger fiscal disasters than the first. Where does this madness come from? As Cowen argues, our economy has enjoyed low-hanging fruit since the seventeenth century: free land, immigrant labor, and powerful new technologies. But during the last forty years, that low-hanging fruit started disappearing, and we started pretending it was still there. We have failed to recognize that we are at a technological plateau. The fruit trees are barer than we want to believe. That is what has gone wrong and that is why our politics is crazy. Cowen reveals the underlying causes of our past prosperity and how we will generate it again. This is a passionate call for a new respect for scientific enterprise and the pursuit of innovations that benefit not only powerful elites, but humanity as a whole."--Dust jacket flaps.

There are more rich people and more poor people in our country than ever before. That widening gap means dealing with one big, uncomfortable truth: the middle is growing thinner and thinner. Globally renowned economist Tyler Cowen explains how this happened: high earners are taking ever more advantage of computers and achieving ever-better results. Meanwhile, low earners who haven't committed to learning the new technologies have poor prospects. Nearly every business sector relies less and less on manual labor for high-value jobs, and this fact is forever changing the world of work and wages. About 3/4 of the jobs created in the United States since the great recession pay $13.52 an hour or less--there is no longer a steady, secure life somewhere in the middle. Here, Cowen reveals what the new features of this economy mean for taxes, government spending, employee benefits, debt and education. Most importantly, Cowen identifies the best path forward for workers and entrepreneurs and provides readers with a road map to a new economic landscape.--From publisher description.

Freakonomics revealed much about our society. Now,one of America's most respected economists reveals howindividuals can turn economic reasoning to their advantagein their daily life—at home, at work, even on vacation.Tyler Cowen explains how understanding the incentivesthat work best with each individual is the key to successfuland satisfactory daily interactions—from getting the kidsto do the dishes to having a productive business meeting,attracting a mate to fi nding a good guide in a foreigncountry. Discovering your inner economist, Cowensuggests, can lead to a happier, more satisfying life. Whatbetter carrot could you ask for?

Cowen's philosophy of cultural optimism stands in opposition to the many varieties of cultural pessimism found among conservatives, neo-conservatives, the Frankfurt School, and some versions of the political correctness and multiculturalist movements, as well as historical figures, including Rousseau and Plato. He shows that even when contemporary culture is thriving, it appears degenerate, as evidenced by the widespread acceptance of pessimism. He ends by considering the reasons why cultural pessimism has such a powerful hold on intellectuals and opinion-makers.

1 volume (various pagings) : 28 cm

For the first time ever renowned economist and coauthor of one of the world's most influential economic blogs, Tyler Cowen, sits down with best-selling author and autism advocate Temple Grandin for a lively in-depth exploration of the value of autism in the modern world. Just as he does in his book Create Your Own Economy, Cowen argues that individuals on the autism spectrum are integral to the world's many faceted economy; they create all kinds of value in financial, intellectual, cultural and even political markets. Their talents regarding the organization of information are of critical value now, and they are talents we all share to some extent. Cowen and Grandin discuss the nature of autistic thinking, the historical, future and global contributions it can make, as well as the damage done by the stigma currently associated with the autistic label. Valuing the unique and specialized autistic cognitive abilities of each member of society--understanding how we think...

Tyler Cowen discusses everything from slow food to fast food, from agriculture to gourmet culture, from modernist cuisine to how to pick the best street vendor, and shows how to get good, cheap eats just about anywhere.