100 Essential Reads for the Lifelong Learner. There are literally thousands of "suggested reading" lists.
This one is no different from the rest in that it reflects the taste, experience and ego of the writer. This one is not original to me, but accurately reflected my tastes enough to post it with a shout-out to the folks over at Online Schools. Christmas thoughts on consumerism. I didn’t know what to make of Against Thrift: Why Consumer Culture is Good for the Economy, the Environment and Your Soul by James Livingston.
Reading it was like being on the receiving end of an argument you don’t understand – there’s no mistaking the author’s passion and eloquence but not enough common terrain for a debate. The subtitle and blurb make it clear that the book aims to be contrarian, and made me think I was getting a counter-blast against government austerity measures to cut the deficit. The economist as hero. By chance, two new novels featuring economist heroes arrived recently.
This is a rare occurrence, so to get two together was striking, and perhaps says something about the zeitgeist – that there is enough interest in the economy, for obvious reasons, to make fiction worth a go. One of the newcomers is Something for Nothing by Michael W Klein, a professor at the prestigious Fletcher School at Tufts University. Its hero is a recently-minted Columbia PhD, whose only job offer is a temporary contract at a minor liberal arts college. His efforts to publish enough to secure a permanent job – ah, the allure of the tenure-track – bring him into contact with an evangelical Christian think tank. Misunderstandings and mishaps ensue but all ends well. 21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read.