See the main economics books this year – 06/30/2023 – Market

Lessons on how to manage projects of any size (from a home renovation to a major road operation), a guide that shows how small, successive episodes of stress are undermining our lives (and what to do to overcome it), plus an account full of lists about the digital revolution led by BuzzFeed are some of the themes addressed by economics books that gained prominence in the first half of 2023, according to the selection made by Andrew Hill, senior business writer at the Financial Times.

See below for suggested works, followed by expert commentary.

The Four Workarounds: How the World’s Scrappiest Organizations Tackle Complex Problems [As quatro soluções alternativas: como as organizações mais fragmentadas do mundo lidam com problemas complexos]

Paul Savaget, ed. Flatiron Books (304 pages), R$ 30.39 (ebook)

A richly illustrated guide on how to circumvent rules and norms to solve complex problems, with examples from areas as diverse as cryptocurrencies and drug distribution. Savaget describes the managerial and domestic benefits to make a broader point about the advantages of adopting an “alternative mindset.”

How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors Behind Every Successful Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration [Como se fazem as grandes coisas: os fatores surpreendentes por trás de cada projeto bem-sucedido, de reformas domésticas a exploração espacial]

Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, ed. Currency (293 pages), BRL 66.52 (ebook)

Tales of massive and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to multiple editions of the Olympic Games, are amusing and punishing in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons on how to plan, forecast and execute projects of any size, whether it’s a kitchen renovation or a high-speed train connection.

Risky Business: Why Insurance Markets Fail and What to Do About It [Negócio arriscado: por que os mercados de seguros falham e o que fazer sobre isso]

Amy Finkelstein, Liran Einav and Ray Fisman, ed. Yale University Press (280 pages), BRL 71.28 (ebook)

With a focus on the United States, the book tackles complex issues such as the impact of genetic data on health insurance and how insurers choose the “right” clients. Financial Times critic Oliver Ralph applauded how the authors bring “a talkative, airy style” reminiscent of the bestseller “Freakonomics” to this unpromising subject.

Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos, and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley [Garoto maravilha: Tony Hsieh, Zappos e o mito da felicidade no Vale do Silício]

Angel Au-Yeung and David Jeans, ed. Henry Holt (384 pages), R$ 47.65 (ebook)

A story of the extraordinary commercial success of Tony Hsieh, whose pursuit of happiness first turned shoe retailer Zappos into an e-commerce phenomenon, and then sought to regenerate downtown Las Vegas even as his mental health disintegrated. In this cautionary tale, reporters Au-Yeung and Jeans ruthlessly shed light on what went wrong.

The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work [Em defesa de bons empregos: como grandes empresas trazem dignidade, remuneração e significado ao trabalho de todos]

Zeynep Ton, ed. Harvard Business Review (272 pages), R$ 80.79 (ebook)

Ton, from MIT, makes the hard-to-dispute argument that better, better-paying jobs contribute to a virtuous circle of greater competitiveness, productivity and, above all, dignity and well-being for the worker. In her latest book, she draws on examples from retail to fast food to reinforce her argument that there is a profitable and sustainable alternative to low wages, inflexible contracts and long hours.

Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral [Tráfego: genialidade, rivalidade e ilusão na corrida de bilhões de dólares para viralizar]

Ben Smith, ed. Penguin (352 pages), R$76.03 (ebook)

A gritty, insider account of the digital media revolution spearheaded by the list-heavy BuzzFeed and click-attracting blog Gawker Media. Smith explains how the success of these sites has fueled the desire for traffic across all mediums. John Gapper of the Financial Times called it “an entertaining tale of New York’s ambition and hubris” but with “deeper social meaning”.

Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Hollywood Media Empire [Unscripted: a batalha épica por um império de mídia de Hollywood]

James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams, ed. Penguin (416 pages), R$ 80.79 (ebook)

An extraordinary account of the royal saga of succession that unfolded around sex-and-power-obsessed aging media mogul Sumner Redstone, at the end of his long and colorful life. Christopher Grimes, reviewing for the FT, described it as “a profound account of one of the most gruesome episodes in recent corporate history”.

The Rise of Corporate Feminism: Women in the American Office, 1960-1990 [A ascensão do feminismo corporativo: mulheres no escritório americano, 1960-1990]

Allison Elias, ed. Columbia University (303 pages), BRL 127.90 (ebook)

An academic book, but one that Isabel Berwick described as “one of the most engaging and original accounts of women in the workplace” she had ever read. Elias centers her story on women who carry out administrative and secretarial work and gradually organize themselves to combat low wages, lack of promotion, poor working conditions and sexual harassment.

The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems — and What to Do about It [O efeito do microestresse: como pequenas coisas se acumulam e criam grandes problemas —e o que fazer sobre isso]

Rob Cross and Karen Dillon, ed. Harvard Business Review Press (293 pages), R$ 47.07 (ebook)

Tiny moments of stress barely register, but the accumulation of these microstresses – triggered by pressures at home or at work – can take a terrible toll. “Microstress seeps into our thoughts, saps our energy, and diverts our focus. Little by little, it’s stealing our lives,” write Cross and Dillon in this highly identifiable analysis of the problem — and guide on how to overcome it.

The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies [O grande jogo: como a indústria de consultoria enfraquece nossas empresas, infantiliza nossos governos e distorce nossas economias]

Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington, ed. Penguin (352 pages), R$76.03 (ebook)

Successive UK governments are in the crosshairs of this polemic against failures to outsource public services that, the authors suggest, have enriched consultancies while letting down citizens who should benefit. It’s hard to draw the line between state and private activity, but “where The Big Con hits the nail on the head is by noting how hard it is to turn back the clock,” economist Diane Coyle wrote in her FT review.