Wildly speculative and promissory; filled with claims about the world’s economy that may be difficult for some readers to...
A book offers a revolutionary approach to global economic nirvana.
With undiluted boldness, Khan (Islamic Economic Revolution of the Century, 2006, etc.) promises to present “A Method to Address Economic Recession, Remove Poverty, Terrorism, Improve Law and Order, Reduce Drug Abuse, Inflation AND Taxes in an Interest Free Economy.” The method, which the author calls the “mutual benefit bond system,” is essentially a scheme to sell government-controlled bonds that can be purchased by any consumer or business and then used to acquire goods and services at reduced prices. MBBS is explained in three sections of the book: a graphic overview, which appears to be a reproduction of a slide presentation; a four-page summary; and the book’s text, divided into four chapters. This odd organization serves to repeat the content in three different formats, leading to a somewhat disjointed reading experience. The more pressing issue, however, is the nature of the material itself, which is a combination of a high-powered sales pitch for MBBS and hypothetical examples of how the system might be put into effect. Much of the volume concentrates on the potential implementation of MBBS in the United States. To apply the principles of MBBS, however, it appears that the country’s entire economic system would have to be scrapped and rebuilt, a scenario that seems utterly unrealistic. Hyperbolic language abounds throughout the book; for example: “At Least 20 million people employed within 30 days with zero cost to the government” and “Prove these claims wrong and win 10 Million Dollars!” The financial projections shared by the author are intriguing if not tantalizing, but no nation has ever employed MBBS, so the plan appears to be baseless and unsubstantiated. There is neither supporting evidence nor endorsements from outside experts, and no author biography is included, all of which hamper the book’s credibility. Yet Khan concludes: “Any country that does not implement MBBS would face a public revolt and would be replaced by a government willing to implement this system.”
Wildly speculative and promissory; filled with claims about the world’s economy that may be difficult for some readers to take seriously.Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4828-8178-3
Page Count: 124
Publisher: PartridgeSingapore
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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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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