Knowledge that Transforms

The categories listed below are used to classify books, book reviews, journal articles, and dissertations indexed in JEL and EconLit. New changes to the classification system appear as soon as possible on www.econlit.org . The JEL classification system may be used freely for scholarly purposes. We suggest the following format: “JEL: A10, B10, etc.”

Ruixue Jia of University of California, San Diego reviews “Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia” by Meg Rithmire. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Examines trust and financial control at work in creating patterns of state-business relations in Malaysia, Indonesia, and China, exploring the strategies that authoritarian political elites adopt to manage the business class.”

Jason Furman of Harvard University reviews “The Resilient Society” by Markus K. Brunnermeier. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Promotes the view that rather than attempting to avoid risks, societies that are resilient to adverse shocks should be proactively developed, addressing how a resilient social contract can be implemented either by governments or via social norms.”

Editor's Note Our policy is to annotate all English-language books on economics and related subjects that are sent to us. A very small number of foreign-language books are called to our attention and annotated by our consulting editors or others. Our staff does not monitor and order books published; therefore, if an annotation of a book does not appear six months after the publication date, please write to us or the publisher concerning the book.

Gary D. Libecap of University of California, Santa Barbara reviews “Liquid Asset: How Business and Government Can Partner to Solve the Freshwater Crisis” by Barton H. Thompson Jr. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Examines the growing freshwater challenges facing the United States and the world, focusing on the growing role of private organizations in the US water sector.”

Editor's Note Our policy is to annotate all English-language books on economics and related subjects that are sent to us. A very small number of foreign-language books are called to our attention and annotated by our consulting editors or others. Our staff does not monitor and order books published; therefore, if an annotation of a book does not appear six months after the publication date, please write to us or the publisher concerning the book.

Andrew T. Levin of Dartmouth College and NBER reviews “Monetary Policy and Its Unintended Consequences” by Raghuram Rajan. The EconLit abstract of this book begins: “Details how monetary adventurism can have unintended effects and promotes policy that is moderate and focused on combating high inflation and financial instability.”

The categories listed below are used to classify books, book reviews, journal articles, and dissertations indexed in JEL and EconLit. New changes to the classification system appear as soon as possible on www.econlit.org . The JEL classification system may be used freely for scholarly purposes. We suggest the following format: “JEL: A10, B10, etc.”

Paul W. Rhode of University of Michigan and NBER reviews “Plagues upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History” by Kyle Harper. The EconLit abstract of this book begins: “Explores the ways that human history has shaped disease ecology and pathogen evolution and how disease ecology and pathogen evolution have shaped human history in turn, detailing how the emergence, incidence, and consequences of disease in both individuals and populations are inseparable from a wider array of social and environmental factors.”