A clearly presented book that effectively “reduce[s] the confusion surrounding financial activities.”
A leading financial economist attempts to counterbalance “the impression that modern finance is at best ‘ethically challenged’ or at worst fatally flawed,” a perception bolstered by the “constant barrage of financial scandals.”
This is no apologia for the current state of market finance. O’Hara (Finance/Johnson Graduate School of Management/Cornell Univ.; Market Microstructure Theory, 1995, etc.), whose qualifications and contributions are recognized in the world of finance as well as academia, is concerned with exploring the gray areas between an ethical approach to financial transactions and behavior sanctioned by law. Identifying where such lines are drawn opens the door to a provocative and stimulating discussion of the kinds of ambiguous situations that arise almost daily in the financial sector, as well as the economy at large. Are there different kinds of harm caused, she asks pointedly, by acting on something or not acting on it? Among the author’s illustrative examples are Goldman Sachs’ conduct in a series of transactions in the early 2000s that helped Greece qualify for entry in the European Union by making it appear as if its government did not carry so much debt, as well as the company’s notorious bets against real estate finance. O’Hara investigates a host of complications that can surface in transactions, including one party’s obligations to inform another and the counter-party’s duty to exert due diligence on its own behalf. This fine-grained attention to detail requires a familiarity with both recent developments in the financial world and an acquaintance with major schools of ethics. Regarding the former, the author provides an overview of how synthetic products are created and proliferate; regarding the latter, a discussion of different approaches helps support her discussion. She also looks at controversial developments in new algorithmic technology.
A clearly presented book that effectively “reduce[s] the confusion surrounding financial activities.”Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-393-28551-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...
A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.
The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our minds.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.
A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.
“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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