Cultural Economics

What makes the dream of self-employment so alluring, so pervasive in today's world? Benjamin C. Waterhouse offers a provocative argument: the modern cult of the hustle is a direct consequence of economic failures—bad jobs, stagnant wages, and inequality—since the 1970s. With original research, Waterhouse traces a new narrative history of business in America, populated with vivid characters—from the activists, academics, and work-from-home gurus who hailed business ownership as our economic salvation to the upstarts who took the plunge. Some flourish; some squeak by. Some fail.

In his groundbreaking follow-up to the bestselling The Road to Somewhere, David Goodhart divides society into people who work with their Heads (cognitive work), with their Hands (manual work), or with their Hearts (caring work), and considers each group’s changing status and influence. Today, the “best and the brightest” trump the “decent and hardworking.” Qualities like character, compassion, craft, and physical labor command far less respect in our workforce. This imbalance has led to the disaffection and alienation of millions of people.

Here is a fascinating compact history of Chinese political, economic, and cultural life, ranging from the origins of civilization in China to the beginning of the 21st century. Historian Paul Ropp combines vivid story-telling with astute analysis to shed light on some of the larger questions of Chinese history. Offering a global perspective, the book tells how China's nomadic neighbors to the north and west influenced much of the political, military, and even cultural history of China.

This in-depth look at the Great Depression will give you a full understanding of the economic, cultural and social effects of the Great Depression that continue to shape our society even today. Through this book, you will gain an understanding of the reasons why the Great Depression occurred, the various efforts taken to address the crisis, and the lasting effects of the crisis on the United States economy.

This vibrant portrait of 1930s culture masterfully explores the anxiety and hope, the despair and surprising optimism of distressed Americans during the Great Depression.

Morris Dickstein, whom Norman Mailer called “one of our best and most distinguished critics of American literature,” has brought together a staggering range of material, from epic Dust Bowl migrations to zany screwball comedies, elegant dance musicals, wildly popular swing bands, and streamlined art deco designs.

This Isn’t Fine is a surprisingly funny and accessible ride through a world on the brink of collapse—and what we can do to survive it. Diving headfirst into finance and energy, culture and ecology, Taylor Ahlstrom transforms the complex systems and histories that underpin our society into relatable narratives, all while mythbusting popular delusions on everything from free-market capitalism to electric cars.

Este pequeño país del oeste africano se caracteriza por la confluencia de elementos opuestos: su territorio no llega al millón de kilómetros cuadrados, pero alberga una de las naciones más pobladas del continente.

A Room of His Own sheds light on the mysterious ways of male associational culture as it examines such topics as fraternity, sophistication, nostalgia, social capital, celebrity, gossip, and male professionalism. The story of clubland (and the literature it generated) begins with Britain's military heroes home from the Napoleonic campaign and quickly turns to Dickens's and Thackeray's acrimonious Garrick Club Affair.

Nick McDonell grew up on New York City’s Upper East Side, a neighborhood defined by its wealth and influence. As a child, McDonell enjoyed everything that rarefied world entailed—sailing lessons in the Hamptons, school galas at the Met, and holiday trips on private jets. But as an adult, he left it behind to become a foreign correspondent in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Quiet Street, McDonell returns to the sidewalks of his youth, exhuming with bracing honesty his upbringing and those of his affluent peers.

Cultural infrastructure has been designed to maintain structures of inequality, and while it doesn’t seem to be explicitly about race, it often is. Blunt Instruments helps listeners identify, contextualize, and name elements of our everyday landscapes and cultural practices that are designed to seem benign or natural but which, in fact, work tirelessly to tell us vital stories about who we are, how we came to be, and who belongs.

Madam C. J. Walker was beloved within her community for her philanthropy and expanding the local black YMCA, but she couldn't have done that if she weren't the first female self-made millionaire and one of the most successful African American business owners ever. Born Sarah Breedlove, she was the first person born free in her family. She married Charles Joseph Walker and became known as Madam C. J. Walker, the name she would later use on her haircare products.

Reconocido también por ser uno de los 19 países con mayor diversidad biológica del mundo, por ser hábitat de cientos de reina de belleza, y exportadora de petróleo de nivel mundial, el país gobernado por Hugo Chávez pasa por uno de los períodos más polémicos de su existencia gracias al régimen que lo gobierna.

Todos los detalles de la famosa isla en un audiolibro que no puede perderse. Este bello país del Caribe, gobernado por el régimen castrista desde hace más de medio siglo con Fidel Castro a la cabeza, es conocido por ser el epicentro de una magnífica cultura musical, un pueblo que pese a sus problemas anhela por su libertad, y una alegría invencible.

País ubicado en el extremo meridional de África, esta nación es conocida por su extraordinaria diversidad de culturas, idiomas y creencias religiosas, con incluso once idiomas reconocidos como oficiales por la Constitución de Sudáfrica. Todos los detalles de este gran país, en un audiolibro de gran valor que usted no debe desestimar.

Considerada en algún momento la patria "más suiza de América", este bello país bañado por las aguas del Atlántico es el corolario de una fascinante historia de empuje, tesón y esfuerzo por sobresalir. Hoy, a casi 200 años de su fundación, la nación uruguaya inicia con esperanza un nuevo período económico que haga olvidar el caos y desastre al que de común incurrieron su sociedad y gobernantes sobre todo en la segunda mitad del siglo XX.

Este país centroamericano es dueño de una gran riqueza natural representada en su variada flora y fauna, una superficie cubierta por hermosos y verdes follajes, además de un cálido y fresco clima ha hecho que Costa Rica sea conocida como el país de la eterna primavera. Por otro lado, este paradisíaco territorio se ha consolidado desde hace dos décadas como una de las democracias más estables de América, además de lograr uno de los mejores índices de desarrollo a nivel latinoamericano.

Los pormenores de la existencia en este maravilloso país centroamericano, bañado por las aguas del Océano Pacífico al oeste y el mar Caribe por el este. Sui historia, geografía, economía, sociedad, manifestaciones culturales, y mucho más, en un audio que Usted no se puede perder.