Though it lacks the thrills, chills, and spills of his Secrets of the Temple (1987), Greider’s latest does a good job of...
A cri de bourse against a heartless, soulless economic system by a master of financial journalism.
For at least four-fifths of modern Americans, writes Nation correspondent Greider (Fortress America, 1998, etc.), capitalism has effectively vanquished the fiscal worries of old: how to keep a roof over one’s head, how to keep one’s belly fed. The costs of essentials have fallen over time, while the money available for what economists call “variety or status goods” has increased. “Basic human needs,” Greider writes, “are now eclipsed—even overwhelmed—by the overflowing abundance and variety produced by the modern economic system.” Yet, for all the variety and abundance in this great supermarket of a nation, Americans are miserable, and getting more so: we feel as if we’re out of time, have no power, have little hope of ever getting a step ahead, have too little compared to our neighbors. It’s the logic of capitalism that makes us feel that way, Greider asserts. Moreover, an ever-narrower financial system has replaced government in shaping the social contract, has conditioned society to want more and more, and “plays a central role in the homogenization of American culture” (as witness cookie-cutter shopping malls, fast-food restaurants, and housing developments that clutter the landscape). What is to be done? Well, writes Greider—no enemy of the profit motive per se—it’s up to the workers and producers of America, and the world, to see to it that capitalism fulfills its promise of plowing new wealth back into the society at large, and not just into a few hands. Offering case studies of firms and factories that have actually empowered workers for the better, the author suggests that such a shift is possible, if perhaps not likely anytime soon; those case studies are isolated and the big-picture details of changing things are a little fuzzy, but his enthusiasm for the project keeps this argument moving along at a brisk pace, and convincingly.
Though it lacks the thrills, chills, and spills of his Secrets of the Temple (1987), Greider’s latest does a good job of arguing for a future economics with a human face.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-684-86219-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2003
This biography of a major figure of the Nazi regime raises tough ethical questions about the nature of collaboration and patriotism. Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht was born in 1877 into a prominent family from Schleswig-Holstein. By the turn of the century he had already acquired a reputation as an economist. But his real fame came in 1923, when, four days after Hitler's failed putsch, he became currency commissioner for the Weimar Republic; he controlled the disastrous inflationary spiral that had already destroyed Germany's economy and the middle class. By the end of 1923, he was also named president of the Reichsbank. Schacht was such a hero that in the cabarets of Berlin they literally sang his praises. After a period of prosperity in the mid-1920s, Germany again faced economic ruin, brought on by the Depression. Hitler's political success, according to Schacht, was based on ``poverty and unemployment.'' Such a simplistic evaluation suggests that Schacht misunderstood the true nature of the Nazi regime. Seeing himself as first and foremost an economist, and a patriot obliged to work with whatever regime was in power, no matter how odious, he had no qualms about collaborating with Hitler. Although never a fanatical Nazi, Schacht faithfully served the new regime (he was named minister of economics in 1934), yet managed to maintain his contacts with the anti-Nazi movement. Although dismissed by Hitler in 1943, Schacht was among those tried for war crimes at Nuremberg. He was acquitted, as he knew he would be; but that does nothing to resolve the question of his moral culpability in working with the Nazis. Weitz (Hitler's Diplomat, 1992) weaves an interesting and useful story, and although not the work of a professional historian, it sheds light on those Germans who, while not Nazis, elected to work with the regime, convincing themselves that it was the right and patriotic thing to do. (9 b&w photos, not seen)
Pub Date: Oct. 13, 1997
ISBN: 0-316-92916-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
Fresh on the heels of a Pulitzer for his reporting on the oil shipping business, Nalder (Seattle Times) offers this flowing, believe-it-or-not account of life on an oil tanker. The modern supertanker plying the waters from Alaska to Washington State is a study in extremes: cargo enough to light the city of Seattle for two days, or, conversely, enough to befoul an entire bioregion for decades. The numbers tell why: 900-foot boats, pounding 100-foot seas chilled by 150-mph winds driving the thermometer to 100 below zero, all to deliver, in one load, 40 million tons of Alaska crude. Nalder was curious as to why, under such conditions, tanker owners actually reduced the steel in their boats and took decades to adopt safety devices, and why the Coast Guard cut back on inspections and permitted ship-owners to size down their crews when fatigue was known to be the chief cause of accidents. What he found was that ``foot-dragging, greed, obfuscation, and a public-be-damned attitude'' ruled the day in maritime shipping, endangering sailor, sea creature, and seascape alike. The arrogance of maritime bosses (industry and union) and the ineptness of government officials aren't big surprises, but the blatant discrimination and dangerous working conditions seem downright criminal, while the punishing work hours make stories about overworked medical interns sound like small potatoes. The beauty of Nalder's account lies in its you-are-there depiction of everyday life on the tanker—how to contend with the weather, who does what, how harbor pilots and tanker captains get along, exactly what happens when a 900-foot ship tangles with a 100-foot wave. Gluing the whole thing together are port histories, crew profiles, and tours through the ship's architecture. Enthralling. No wonder a Pulitzer graces Nalder's mantle. (First printing of 15,000)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-8021-1458-X
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Grove
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1994
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
