Licence to be Bad by Jonathan Aldred
'It is going to change the way in which we understand many modern debates about economics, politics, and society' Ha Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism Over the past fifty years, the way we value what is 'good' and 'right' has changed dramatically. Behaviour that to our grandparents' generation might have seemed stupid, harmful or simply wicked now seems rational, natural, woven into the very logic of things. And, asserts Jonathan Aldred in this revelatory new book, it's economics that's to blame. Licence to be Bad tells the story of how a group of economics theorists changed our world, and how a handful of key ideas, from free-riding to Nudge, seeped into our decision-making and, indeed, almost all aspects of our lives. Aldred reveals the extraordinary hold of economics on our morals and values. Economics has corrupted us. But if this hidden transformation is so recent, it can be reversed. Licence to be Bad shows us where to begin. Over the past fifty years, the way we value what is 'good' and 'right' has changed dramatically. Behaviour that to our grandparents' generation might have seemed stupid, harmful or simply wicked now seems rational, natural, woven into the very logic of things. And, asserts Jonathan Aldred in this revelatory new book, it's economics that's to blame. Licence to be Bad tells the story of how a group of economics theorists changed our world, and how a handful of key ideas, from free-riding to Nudge, seeped into our decision-making and, indeed, almost all aspects of our lives. Aldred reveals the extraordinary hold of economics on our morals and values. Economics has corrupted us. But if this hidden transformation is so recent, it can be reversed. Licence to be Bad shows us where to begin.
[A] fascinating assault on modern economic orthodoxy.. It is a call for us all to put aside our prejudices - some of which have been invented for us, decades ago - and ask, is this what we need? Is it even what we really want? -- Tim Stanley * Daily Telegraph *
Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of modern economics, where behaving badly is not just normal but definitely smart and even virtuous. In this highly enlightening and hugely entertaining book, Jonathan Aldred guides us through these badlands, revealing its pitfalls, quicksand, and quagmires. It is going to change the way in which we understand many modern debates about economics, politics, and society. -- Ha-Joon Chang, University of Cambridge, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism and Economics: The User's Guide
This an important and timely book, the best I have recently read on the subject of 'whither economics'? -- Lord Robert Skidelsky, author of Keynes: The Return of the Master and, with Edward Skidelsky, How Much Is Enough? Money and the Good Life
Illuminating ... an unusual approach to critiquing the modern economic canon. -- Paul Collier * Times Literary Supplement *
An entertaining, wide-ranging and often challenging argument. Aldred writes exceptionally well and there is much here to agree with ... It's impossible to do justice to the sheer range of issues tackled. -- Paul Johnson * Literary Review *
Every generation of economists has a thoughtful critic who is too good to be dismissed. Aldred has the understanding and acumen to play that role for the current generation ... Essential. -- Choice Magazine, on THE SKEPTICAL ECONOMIST
Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of modern economics, where behaving badly is not just normal but definitely smart and even virtuous. In this highly enlightening and hugely entertaining book, Jonathan Aldred guides us through these badlands, revealing its pitfalls, quicksand, and quagmires. It is going to change the way in which we understand many modern debates about economics, politics, and society. -- Ha-Joon Chang, University of Cambridge, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism and Economics: The User's Guide
This an important and timely book, the best I have recently read on the subject of 'whither economics'? -- Lord Robert Skidelsky, author of Keynes: The Return of the Master and, with Edward Skidelsky, How Much Is Enough? Money and the Good Life
Illuminating ... an unusual approach to critiquing the modern economic canon. -- Paul Collier * Times Literary Supplement *
An entertaining, wide-ranging and often challenging argument. Aldred writes exceptionally well and there is much here to agree with ... It's impossible to do justice to the sheer range of issues tackled. -- Paul Johnson * Literary Review *
Every generation of economists has a thoughtful critic who is too good to be dismissed. Aldred has the understanding and acumen to play that role for the current generation ... Essential. -- Choice Magazine, on THE SKEPTICAL ECONOMIST
Jonathan Aldred is a Fellow and Director of Studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780241325438 |
| ISBN 10 | 0241325439 |
| Title | Licence to be Bad |
| Author | Jonathan Aldred |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2019-06-06 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |