Overview

Two of the UK's leading economists call time on selfishness as the engine of prosperity The idea that people are basically driven by individualism and economic incentives, and that prosperity and good societies come from top-down leadership, has dominated politics for the last thirty years (from some perspectives, much longer). This book shows that the age of homo economicus and centralisation is coming to an end. Instead, Collier and Kay argue that community and mutuality will be the drivers of successful societies in the future - as they are already in some parts of the world. They show how politics can reverse the move to extremes of right and left in recent years, that the centre can hold, and that if we think differently we can find common ground to the benefit of all.

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9780141994161

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Reviews

this thoughtful polemic... is clear, punchy and... convincing... their breezy, no-nonsense guide is packed with excellent advice - a plea for expertise rather than feeling, for pragmatism rather than ideology and for listening rather than shouting. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times * Two of the most thoughtful economists writing today ... Collier and Kay are interesting on almost every subject they alight upon. -- Richard Reeves * Literary Review * Written by two of the UK's best economists, the book attacks the solipsistic individualism that permeates modern economics and far too much of modern society. The book's animating idea is that humans are first and foremost social animals. Our successes always depend on co-operation. The authors apply this concept to our economic, social and political institutions, which can, they argue, only be revived by being seen as self-sustaining communities. -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times Books of the Year * Their analysis is pitiless and compelling. This is a fine, incisive polemic. -- Clement Knox * Telegraph * In a provocative but thought-provoking and nuanced argument, Collier and Kay argue that our culture of hyper-centralisation is choking us. -- Books of the Year * Daily Telegraph *

In a provocative but thought-provoking and nuanced argument, Collier and Kay argue that our culture of hyper-centralisation is choking us. -- Books of the Year * Daily Telegraph * Their analysis is pitiless and compelling. This is a fine, incisive polemic. -- Clement Knox * Telegraph * Written by two of the UK's best economists, the book attacks the solipsistic individualism that permeates modern economics and far too much of modern society. The book's animating idea is that humans are first and foremost social animals. Our successes always depend on co-operation. The authors apply this concept to our economic, social and political institutions, which can, they argue, only be revived by being seen as self-sustaining communities. -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times Books of the Year * Two of the most thoughtful economists writing today ... Collier and Kay are interesting on almost every subject they alight upon. -- Richard Reeves * Literary Review * this thoughtful polemic... is clear, punchy and... convincing... their breezy, no-nonsense guide is packed with excellent advice - a plea for expertise rather than feeling, for pragmatism rather than ideology and for listening rather than shouting. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *

Author Information

Paul Collier (Author) Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government. He is the author of The Future of Capitalism (Handesblatt Prize) and The Bottom Billion (Arthur Ross Prize) both widely translated. He works with governments and communities around the world. A communitarian, he was awarded the Adam Smith Prize by Glasgow's Philosophical Society (2023) and the Global Citizenship Award by Belgium's cooperative movement (2018). John Kay (Author) John Kay is one of Britain's leading economists and a fellow of St John's College Oxford. His career has spanned academia, business, finance and public policy. He was the founding head of the Oxford Said Business School and the Institute for Fiscal Studies - Britain's most respected think tank. He is the author of The Truth About Markets, Obliquity, Other People's Money and other books and for twenty years contributed a regular column to the Financial Times.

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