Rethinking the Great Depression or Thinking Points

Rethinking the Great Depression: A New View of Its Causes and Consequences

Author: Gene Smiley

Smiley draws upon recent advances in economic analysis to present a clear and nontechnical portrait of the Great Depression.

Journal of Southern History

...Cogent discussion of the knotty topics of monetary policy and international exchange.... Forceful presentation.

Business History Review

...A slender but engaging volume, one approachable by the nonspecialist.

CLAREMONT REVIEW OF BOOKS

...An engaging, balanced, and perceptive short book.... Smiley brilliantly describes this tragedy and its long-term consequences

Public Choice

...A book of equal value both to laypersons and to professional economists.... Well written.

Booknews

Smiley (economics, Marquette U.) argues that the Great Depression was caused by too much government intervention in the economy, rather than too little regulation. He contends that tariffs and the reliance on the gold standard caused what should have been a minor recession into a depression and suggests that the New Deal policies of the Roosevelt administration caused the problem to linger for much longer than it should have. The New Deal legislation that has been left in place in the wake of the Great Depression continues to cause problems for the economy and should be scrapped, he concludes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

What People Are Saying

CHOICE
Economist Smiley...has produced a...slim and readable volume...in language that should be clear and understandable to students.

LIBERTY
...Economic historian Gene Smiley has performed a valuable service for all readers, academic and general.... A concise description of the economic influences and course of the Great Depression...

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE
Incorporates the findings of recent scholarship into an accessible survey of the economic events of the 1930s...

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
This is a careful, systematic review of literature on the Great Depression, not a once over treatment.... The book is well written, strives for comprehensiveness and balance....

THE HISTORIAN
...A clear, engaging, jargon-free style.... A good job of outlining the key events of the period for nonspecialists.

Table of Contents:

	Preface
1	Prosperity Gives Way to the Great Depression	3
2	What Caused the Great Depression?	31
3	The First New Deal, 1933-1935	71
4	The Recovery Aborted, 1935-1939	105
5	The Legacy of the Great Depression	133
	A Note on Sources	164
	Index	170

Interesting book: Essentiel de Comportement D'organisation

Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision

Author: George Lakoff

Two years ago George Lakoff published the bestselling Don’t Think of an Elephant! Its account of the conservative monopoly on effective framing touched off a national discussion about political language. It also gave rise to a chorus of pleas for more:
 
* What is the progressive vision of America;

* Why progressive values are America’s values;

* How frames are necessary to serve the truth;

* Why sloganeering alone doesn’t work;

* How progressives trap themselves and how they can escape those traps; and

* How political arguments and narratives can be put together to counter the Right.

Thinking Points satisfies that call with a bold, concise, and systematic explanation of how conservatives think and use language—and how progressives can fight back . Lakoff and the Rockridge Institute offer a new understanding of the so-called political center and explain why the most effective way to appeal to those who identify themselves as moderates or conservatives is to remain true to progressive values.
 
This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to participate in shaping an America that serves the common good.

Library Journal

Lakoff (cognitivie science & linguistics, Univ. of California, Berkeley; Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate) argues that progressives do not know how to communicate with ordinary Americans, while conservatives use evocative language and stories that attract voters. Here he teaches progressives how to reconnect with their fellow citizens. He insists that progressives must enunciate what they believe, explain how their values underlie their politics, and thus re-engage Americans in a shared vision. In short, to regain power, progressives must reframe the political discourse and, by accepting the conservative terms of debate, respond by attacking "tax cuts" or the "war on terror" rather than by talking about the need for healthcare or ending the war in Iraq. Part of this reframing consists in substituting progressive politics of empathy and responsibility for the conservative worldview built on authority and control. A philosophical look at American political dialog, this book also shows activists how to discuss progressive issues in positive terms rather than using the negative vocabulary of conservatives. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.