Are human beings motivated exclusively by self-interest? The orthodox theory of rational choice in economics thinks that they are. Amartya Sen disagrees, and his concept commitment is central to his vision of an alternative to mainstream rational choice theory. This book examines commitment as it has evolved in Sen's critique of orthodox rational choice theory.The in-depth focus on commitment reveals subtleties in the concept itself as well as in its relationships with oth...

Do you wonder how you could ever stand in front of a group of children or adults and teach them about financial literacy when you dont feel like a very financially literate person? Do you wonder how to teach others about entrepreneurship when you arent an entrepreneur? Do you wonder how to encourage more teachers to teach financial literacy to students? Do you wish you had a resource that could help you learn these topics faster, better, and in a way that reduces your emotional and persona...

This book provides a theoretical and historical examination of the evolution of money. It is distinct from the majority of ‘economic’ approaches, for it does not see money as an outgrowth of market exchange via barter. Instead, the social, political, legal and religious origins of money are examined.The methodological and theoretical underpinning of the work is that the study of money be historically informed, and that there exists a ‘state theory of money’ that provides an alterna...

Corporations dominate our societies. They employ us, sell to us and influence how we think and who we vote for, while their economic interests dictate local, national and global agendas.Written in clear and accessible terms, this much-needed textbook provides critical perspectives on all aspects of the relationship between business and society: from an historical analysis of the spread of capitalism as the foundation of the 'corporate' revolution in the late nineteenth century to t...

The art of parody is skillfully exemplified in the collection 'The Art of Parody – 3 Classic Meta-Fiction Masterpieces,' which presents a rich tapestry of wit and satire from three renowned authors. This anthology traverses the landscape of meta-fiction, featuring sharp humor and incisive social commentary embedded within narratives that challenge and entertain. From absurdist scenarios to clever narratives that break the fourth wall, the works demonstrate the authors' mastery in bending l...

Absurdist Parodies of Literary Genre Tropes – 4 Classic Satire Stories encapsulates a vivid tableau of satire and wit, expertly navigating the eccentricities of literary conventions. This anthology gathers an eclectic mix of absurdist narratives that not only entertain but question the established norms of storytelling. From delving into the surreal realms fashioned by the imaginations of some of literature's most esteemed satirists, these stories collectively challenge, mock, and reinvent...

Now in paperback, the updated and expanded edition: David Graeber’s “fresh . . . fascinating . . . thought-provoking . . . and exceedingly timely” (Financial Times) history of debtHere anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: he shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods—that ...

What is money, and how does it work?The conventional answer is that people once used sugar in the West Indies, tobacco in Virginia, and dried cod in Newfoundland, and that today’s financial universe evolved from barter.Unfortunately, there is a problem with this story. It’s wrong. And not just wrong, but dangerous.Money: the Unauthorised Biography unfolds a panoramic secret history and explains the truth about money: what it is, where it com...

In this provocative but balanced essay, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He prompts us to consider why political systems evolve, how politics offers both power and order in our society, whether democracy is always a good thing, and what future politics may have in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subjec...

This bookis an introduction to Max Weber’s ambitious comparative study of the sociological and institutional foundations of the modern economic and social order.In this work originally published in German in 1920, Weber discusses the analytical methods of sociology and, at the same time, presents a devastating critique of prevailing sociological theory and of its universalist, determinist underpinnings. None of Weber’s other writings offers the reader such a grasp ...

The definitive guide to the history of economic thought, fully revised twenty years after first publicationRoger Backhouse's definitive guide takes the story of economic thinking from the ancient world to the present day, with a brand-new chapter on the twenty-first century and updates throughout to reflect the latest scholarship.Covering topics including globalisation, inequality, financial crises and the environment, Backhouse brings his breadth of expert...

Written during the winter of 1857-8, the Grundrisse was considered by Marx to be the first scientific elaboration of communist theory. A collection of seven notebooks on capital and money, it both develops the arguments outlined in the Communist Manifesto (1848) and explores the themes and theses that were to dominate his great later work Capital. Here, for the first time, Marx set out his own version of Hegel's dialectics and developed his mature views on labour, surplus value and profit,...