Book-It 'o13! Book #17
The Fifty Books Challenge, year four! (Years one, two, three, and four just in case you're curious.) This was a library request.
Title: Economix: How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures written by Michael Goodwin and illustrated by Dan E. Burr
Details: Copyright 2012, Abrams ComicArts
Synopsis (By Way of Front Flap): "Show us the money-- and how it works!
Everybody's talking about the economy, but how can you evaluate what they're saying? How can we, the people, understand what Wall Street or Washington know-- or say they know?
Author Michael Goodwin asked himself the same questions and came up with a good answer: explore the development of economic thought, examine the reality of economic practices, and tell the story through the graphic medium in order to make it accessible.
In a word: Economix.
The narrator of this important graphic work is an Everyman of economics seeking sensible answers to the questions many people wonder about:
* What's the difference between capitalism, socialism, and communism?
* Does trickle-down economics work?
* Is deficit spending necessary?
* And are corporations people?
Economix explains it all, from the beginnings of Western economic thought to economic failures, successes, anomalies, and future possibilities. Goodwin looks at how our modern economy has gone global and how it is affected by war, climate change, and resource limitations. It's the essential, comprehensive guide to understanding the economy, regardless of your political affliation.
Economix is a must-read for every citizen-- whether you work on, wonder about, or occupy Wall Street!"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Admittedly, my reason for reading this was more for the graphic novel angle than the economics. I'm intrigued at people taking this medium from the familiar memoir format to new places, like The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media.
How I Liked It: I have a rudimentary understanding of economics but politically it's not my point of focus, save for how it intersects with the topics about which I'm genuinely passionate.
The author is writing for not just people like me, but for most people whose eyes glaze over whenever someone starts talking about economics in detail. The book is simple, sometimes even over-simplified, but it's certainly never dull.
The author does his best to take us from general fifedom (what's called "The Distant Past") up until 2011 in less than three hundred pages. He does a damn good job, too.
His illustrator, Dan E. Burr, is a scribe far more in the vein of The Influencing Machine's Josh Neufeld, rather than the obnoxiousness of Comic Book History of Comics's Ryan Dunlavey, even if stylistically they are close (Burr's work, as to be expected, is cleaner). His art actually follows Goodwin's words in a concise, interesting (but not distracting) way.
This is a book that should be assigned in high schools (although given the current political climate, it never will be) as it's not only a strong primer, it offers plenty of jumping off points (there's a glossary in the back of the book along with a recommended reading section).
Goodwin has been accused of overt politicism in this book, but in truth, he's honest about his perceived biases (he warns at the more current history section of the book that he's going to get political and why). He fairly levels charges at both Democrats and Republicans (particularly taking aim at presidents swathed in myth of financial astuteness when not all out hagiography, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton). The Obama administration doesn't quite get the criticism it deserves, but one gets the impression it's more due to the book going to print (before the more flamboyant of election year posturing) rather than a bias. The author knocks the idea that Obama struck a compromise with Republicans, the flaws of the healthcare reform, and the lack of correction behind the continuation of the bank bailouts.
This is not the end-all book of economics, nor does it attempt to be. But it's a damn good start to the subject for the novice and the seasoned (going by the reviews, and not just those quoted on the cover) alike, including those of us in between. A fine addition and testament to the graphic novel medium.
Notable: The author concludes the book with a call to action to greater education on the subject. In addition to the aforementioned glossary and reading list (with the author's notes on each suggestion), the author has also set up a blog that goes beyond the mere promotion of the book (although there's plenty of that). It can be found at economixcomics.com.
Title: Economix: How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures written by Michael Goodwin and illustrated by Dan E. Burr
Details: Copyright 2012, Abrams ComicArts
Synopsis (By Way of Front Flap): "Show us the money-- and how it works!
Everybody's talking about the economy, but how can you evaluate what they're saying? How can we, the people, understand what Wall Street or Washington know-- or say they know?
Author Michael Goodwin asked himself the same questions and came up with a good answer: explore the development of economic thought, examine the reality of economic practices, and tell the story through the graphic medium in order to make it accessible.
In a word: Economix.
The narrator of this important graphic work is an Everyman of economics seeking sensible answers to the questions many people wonder about:
* What's the difference between capitalism, socialism, and communism?
* Does trickle-down economics work?
* Is deficit spending necessary?
* And are corporations people?
Economix explains it all, from the beginnings of Western economic thought to economic failures, successes, anomalies, and future possibilities. Goodwin looks at how our modern economy has gone global and how it is affected by war, climate change, and resource limitations. It's the essential, comprehensive guide to understanding the economy, regardless of your political affliation.
Economix is a must-read for every citizen-- whether you work on, wonder about, or occupy Wall Street!"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Admittedly, my reason for reading this was more for the graphic novel angle than the economics. I'm intrigued at people taking this medium from the familiar memoir format to new places, like The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media.
How I Liked It: I have a rudimentary understanding of economics but politically it's not my point of focus, save for how it intersects with the topics about which I'm genuinely passionate.
The author is writing for not just people like me, but for most people whose eyes glaze over whenever someone starts talking about economics in detail. The book is simple, sometimes even over-simplified, but it's certainly never dull.
The author does his best to take us from general fifedom (what's called "The Distant Past") up until 2011 in less than three hundred pages. He does a damn good job, too.
His illustrator, Dan E. Burr, is a scribe far more in the vein of The Influencing Machine's Josh Neufeld, rather than the obnoxiousness of Comic Book History of Comics's Ryan Dunlavey, even if stylistically they are close (Burr's work, as to be expected, is cleaner). His art actually follows Goodwin's words in a concise, interesting (but not distracting) way.
This is a book that should be assigned in high schools (although given the current political climate, it never will be) as it's not only a strong primer, it offers plenty of jumping off points (there's a glossary in the back of the book along with a recommended reading section).
Goodwin has been accused of overt politicism in this book, but in truth, he's honest about his perceived biases (he warns at the more current history section of the book that he's going to get political and why). He fairly levels charges at both Democrats and Republicans (particularly taking aim at presidents swathed in myth of financial astuteness when not all out hagiography, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton). The Obama administration doesn't quite get the criticism it deserves, but one gets the impression it's more due to the book going to print (before the more flamboyant of election year posturing) rather than a bias. The author knocks the idea that Obama struck a compromise with Republicans, the flaws of the healthcare reform, and the lack of correction behind the continuation of the bank bailouts.
This is not the end-all book of economics, nor does it attempt to be. But it's a damn good start to the subject for the novice and the seasoned (going by the reviews, and not just those quoted on the cover) alike, including those of us in between. A fine addition and testament to the graphic novel medium.
Notable: The author concludes the book with a call to action to greater education on the subject. In addition to the aforementioned glossary and reading list (with the author's notes on each suggestion), the author has also set up a blog that goes beyond the mere promotion of the book (although there's plenty of that). It can be found at economixcomics.com.