Very valuable! "The Age of Geoeconomics: How the Logic of International Economics and Politics is Changing" by Mikael Wigell and Mohammed S. Hadi. amzn.to/4dM5Rot The Age of Geoeconomics "powerfully explains how market economics is being supplanted by geoeconomics. Geoeconomics refers to the way in which countries use economic tools—trade, investments, financial policies and penalties, such as tariffs and sanctions—to achieve political or strategic goals. Instead of using military power, countries compete and influence each other through economic means. The Age of Geoeconomics skilfully outlines ways in which governments may choose to impose trade restrictions such as tariffs to pressure other governments, invest in infrastructure projects to gain influence, or use control over key resources (like oil or rare minerals) as leverage in international negotiations. This very timely book assesses the re-shaping of the economic world-order following the US election, including an analysis of 'MAGAnomics'." Olli Rehn (Governor at the Bank of Finland, Finland): "Purely market-based economic globalization is receding, replaced by geoeconomics as the defining logic of the current geopolitical era. The Age of Geoeconomics provides an indispensable analytical toolbox for understanding-and wielding-the economic statecraft shaping today's world." amzn.to/4dM5Rot

Thought-provoking books by Nobel Prize winners! "Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty" by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo. amzn.to/472ll3Z "In this new edition of their classic work, the winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics upend the most common assumptions about how economics works, providing a “rich and humane” (Financial Times) examination of how poor people actually live. Why do the poor borrow to save? Why do they miss out on free lifesaving immunizations but pay for unnecessary drugs? Why do children from poor families attend school but fail to learn anything?...they investigate what the lives and choices of the poor tell us about how to fight global poverty, from why microfinance is useful without being the miracle some hoped it would be to why the poor don’t want health insurance. Throughout, they reveal that even as many magic bullets of yesterday have ended up as today’s failed ideas, there is a path forward through this challenge." Steven D. Levitt: "This book is a must‑read for anyone who cares about world poverty. It has been years since I read a book that taught me so much. Poor Economics represents the best that economics has to offer." amzn.to/472ll3Z

Thought-provoking, perhaps controversial, and certainly worth reading! "The State and Your Hard-Earned Money: A Global Perspective on Morality and Public Finance" by Paolo Mauro. amzn.to/46q2EXG "In this book, economist Paolo Mauro looks at the interplay between moral perspectives and policy decisions. After analyzing how the role of the state has evolved in response to economic transformations and changing notions of good government, he traces the rising gap between actual practice and what citizens consider to be fair taxation and public service provision policies. Mauro connects fiscal policy trends to insights from other fields, including ideas from moral philosophy, social science surveys on attitudes toward taxation and public services, and studies of corruption. He offers a concise but compelling overview of philosophy relevant to fiscal issues; considers how people perceive inequalities; traces the moral choices made by states as they develop new policies on taxation and spending; and looks at opportunities and incentives for malfeasance within the system. Building on this, Mauro calls for policymakers to engage with a wider range of moral viewpoints. If we are open to ideas from a variety of disciplines, he argues, we can chart a path for fiscal policies that will help preserve democracy, combat inequality, and promote social cohesion." Adam Posen (Peterson Institute for International Economics): "Paolo Mauro has led groundbreaking real-world research on fiscal policy for thirty years. Importantly, he has always been motivated by what fiscal policy is for: to promote the general welfare. In The State and Your Hard-Earned Money he puts it all together brilliantly. This is the book we need right now as politicians and publics confront imminently rising fiscal demands and constraints." amzn.to/46q2EXG