Written during a period of acute economic stagnation in 1980, The Zero-Sum Society discusses the human implications of economic problem solving. Interpreting macroeconomics as a zero-sum game, Thurow proposes that the American economy will not solve its most trenchant problems-inflation, slow economic growth, the environment-until the political economy can support, in theory and in practice, the idea that certain members of society will have to bear the brunt of taxation and other government-sponsored economic actions. As relevant today as it was twenty years ago, The Zero-Sum Society offers a classic set of recommendations about the best way to balance government stewardship of the economy and the free-market aspirations of upwardly mobile Americans.
Bestselling author and renowned economist Lester Thurow argues forcefully that globalization is not a done deal and we must seize the moment now if we are to create a new global economy in which all can prosper. In this new book, Thurow examines the newly–forming global economy, with a special focus on the role of the US and the dangers to our own national well–being. He examines such questions as: What's at stake for us in the global economy? Why is it important that the system be equitable and that other countries prosper along with us? What should our goals as a nation be – long term and short term? What are the tough choices that need to be made in our relationship with other countries and world regulatory bodies? What role should we be playing globally? What are the political, economic, social choices / tradeoffs we will have to confront? Thurow contends that the huge and growing US trade deficit poses grave dangers to the value of the dollar and is putting our own economy in jeopardy. As the world economy leaps national boundaries, its hallmark seems to be a rising instability and a growing inequality between the first and third worlds. Financial crises in the third world come ever more frequently and seem to be ever more severe. The first world economies seem to be in ever more frantic boom and bust cycles. Globalization causes riots throughout the world and is one factor in the rise of terrorism against the West. Thurow shows how some nations, including Ireland and China, have embraced the concept of globalization and placed themselves into a position to prosper with growing and productive national economies. He contrasts their positive actions with Japan, whose leaders have allowed the nation to drift into stagnation and have destroyed its prosperity. He argues that this is the time to choose globalization or be left behind, the time to "build a global economy that eliminates the defects," and he provides plenty of ideas for corporations, governments, economists, and citizens to act upon.
The classic text on the post-Cold War economic battle. Starting with the fall of communism, influential economist and former dean of MIT's Sloan School of Management Lester Thurow deftly explores how head-to-head competition -- not military might -- among Japan, the United States, and the newly united European countries would produce the next world leader. As Thurow explains, in the 1990s the race for economic supremacy was only just beginning. In a world no longer governed by two military superpowers, the stage was set for a dramatic shoot-out among the world's most powerful national economies. Using analytical data, key insights, and common sense, Thurow presents a solid economic game plan for the United States to follow in order to win this battle and attain dominance in the global economy.
There is no doubt that we are in the middle of a transition to a knowledge-based economy. Breakthrough technologies in microelectronics, biotechnology, new materials, telecommunications, robotics, and computers are fundamentally changing the game of creating wealth. While these new industries are growing explosively, existing industries such as banking and retail are being transformed beyond recognition. As a result, a new global economy is emerging to replace existing national economies. What will it take for individuals, companies, and entire countries to succeed in the new economics of the twenty-first century? Rather than focusing on spending, Lester C. Thurow argues that we must emphasize investment in basic knowledge, education, and infrastructure. Only by committing ourselves to building communal wealth can we maximize opportunities for building personal wealth as well. Building Wealth is an indispensable guide to surviving -- and thriving -- in the economies of the twenty-first century.
This revised edition contains a new introduction for 1994, discusses the implications of the recent GATT and NAFTA agreements and the many developments made since the book was first published in 1991. Who will own the 21st century is the question Lester Thurow asks in this book.
Lester Thurow's new book is an original and highly readable analysis of the future of capitalism which charts a course for surviving and winning in the years ahead.
Lester Thurow addresses the critical issue of wealth creation.The result is an essential road map for navigating the new routes to success in a knowledge-based global economy.
This document contains two essays: "Toward a High-Wage, High-Productivity Service Sector" by Lester Thurow; and "Service Sector Wages, Productivity and Job Creation in the U.S. and Other Countries" by Louise Waldstein. The first essay analyzes the recent and currrent U.S. economy under headings called Growth Nodes, Falling Productivity, and Lower Wages. Under the heading Looking Forward, likely future economic conditions are outlined. Endnotes and a 15-item bibliography complete this section. After an introduction, the second essay examines the nature of U.S. service sector growth by analyzing its most important components and by comparing U.S. performance to that of several sectors in other comparable industrialized countries (France, Germany, and Japan). Drawing on those analyses, the various examinations of service sector growth are assessed. References, the sources for the 27 tables used, and a 70-item bibliography conclude the document. (CML)
A former dean of economics at MIT, Thurow describes the world economy as being in a state of 'punctuated equilibrium' in which capitalism must change radically. Social injustice increases with worldwide downsizing and the social volcanoes of fundamentalism and ethnic separatism that arise from poverty. Discusses these issues and the influences of the electronic media in maximising consumerism in the Western world with its long-term deleterious effcts. Includes an index. Australian issue of an American text.
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