LIBERAL AND RADICAL PERSPECTIVES

THE ECONOMY TODAY
Adams, Maurianne, et al., Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (New York: Routledge, 2000). Resource book for IDST 80-F (Class and Classism); includes selections on oppression and classism.  [CCSF Library: E 184.A1 R386 2000.
American Social History Project, Who Built America? volumes 1 and 2 (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000)  U.S. history from perspective ]of working people; readable and useful.  [CCSF library: HD8066 .W47 1989]
Anderson, Sarah, et al., Field Guide to the Global Economy (New Press, 2005). Fascinating data with graphics, cartoons, from left perspective.  [CCSF library]
Athanasiou, Tom, and Paul Baer,  Dead Heat: Global Justice and Global Warming (N.Y.: Seven Stories Press, 2002).  Clearly reviews science of global warming, ties to globalization, proposed conservative and liberal policies, from radical viewpoint.
Australian Democratic Socialist Party, Environment, Capitalism, and Socialism (Sydney, Austr.: Resistance Books, 1999).  Explains how capitalism generates environmental damage; summarizes and criticizes liberal solutions.
Collins, Chuck, Betsy Leondar-Wright, and Holly Sklar, Shifting Fortunes: The Perils of the Growing American Wealth Gap (United for a Fair Economy, 1999).
Correspondents of the New York Times, Class Matters    (New York: Times Books/Henry Holt and Co., 2005).  Series describing class in U.S. in 2005.   [CCSF library: HN90.S6 C565 2005]
De Graaf, John, et al., Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (Berrettt-Koehler, 2002).  From PBS show: our addiction to debt and spending.
Dollars & Sense.  Bimonthly magazine on current economic issues from anti-capitalist perspective.
Ehrenreich, Barbara, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001). Life on low wages.
Heintz, James, Nancy Folbre & Center for Popular Economics, The Ultimate Field Guide to the U.S. Economy: A Compact and Irreverent Guide to Economic Life in America (New Press, 2000).  Entertaining, clear graphics, statistics on incomes, wealth, living conditions, etc.  [CCSF library: HC106.5 .F565 1995 ed.] 
Henwood, Doug, Wall Street: How It Works and For Whom (Verso, 1998). Very clear descriptions of how financial markets work, with radical analysis of who has power.  Entire book available for download at www.leftbusinessobserver.com/.
Henwood, Doug, After the New Economy (New Press, 2003).  Explains 1990s boom and afterward in context of long-standing international economics; argues for Sweden-type economy in U.S.
Paul Kivel, You Call This a Democracy? Who Benefits, Who Pays, and Who Really Decides (2004)  Radical; description of U.S. class system today and how owning classes maintain their power. [CCSF library: under reserve for David Landes]
Kozol, Jonathan, Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools (New York: Crown, 1991). Describes how class is transmitted through the experiences of children.
Kuttner, Robert, columns in Business Week and American Prospect.   Liberal.
Scholte, Jan Aart, Globalization: A Critical Introduction (New York: Palgrave, 2000).  Thoughtful radical discussion of causes of globalization; contrasts neoliberal, reformist, radical views.
Schor, Juliet B., The Overworked American (Basic, 1992) and The Overspent American (Perennial, 1999).  Disappearing leisure and competitive, status-conscious consumption.
Schulman, Beth, The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans (New Press, 2003). Moving portraits of working poor; suggestions for change.
Seabrook, Jeremy, The No-Nonsense Guide to Class, Caste & Hierarchies (London: Verso, 2002).  British author; readable short history of how class has changed in modern capitalism.
Sennett, Richard, The Hidden Injuries of Class (W.W. Norton, 1993).  The classic book on working-class life.
Shipler, David K., The Working Poor: Invisible in America (Vintage, 2005).  Describes people’s lives and struggles clearly and movingly.
The Wealth Inequality Reader (2004).  [CCSF library: under reserve for David Landes]
Worldwatch Institute, State of the World (W.W. Norton, annual).  Reviews global progress toward a sustainable society that protects the environment.
Yates, Michael D., Naming the System: Inequality and Work in the Global Economy (New York: Monthly Review Press, 2003).  Excellent, clear radical overview of how the economy works today.
Zepezauer, Mark, and Arthur Naiman, Take the Rich Off Welfare (Odonion Press, revised 2004).  How government transfers funds to corporations and the wealthy.
Zweig, Michael, The Working Class Majority: Americans Best Kept Secret (ILR Press, 2000).  Radical; examines U.S. class structure, shows most aren’t middle-class, discusses political options.

U.S. ECONOMIC/SOCIAL/POLITICAL HISTORY

Coontz, Stephanie, The Way We Really Are:  Coming to Terms with America’s Changing Families (Basic, 1997).  Describes the pressures we face and changes in how we work and live.
Davis, Mike, Prisoners of the American Dream: Politics and Economy in the History of the U.S. Working Class (London: Verso, 1986, 1999).  On why U.S. workers don’t have a mass political party.
Greider, William, Secrets of the Temple:  How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country (Simon & Schuster, 1989).  Inside story of how the Fed makes its decisions, focusing on 1979 turn to monetarism.
Johnson, Haynes, Sleepwalking Through History (Doubleday, 1992).  Journalist on how Reagan and his friends shaped government policy for their own ends.  Entertaining.
Stewart, James B., Den of Thieves (Touchstone, 1992).  Story of Michael Milkin, Ivan Boesky, and others involved in Wall Street junk bonds scandal.  Entertaining reading.
Stockman, David A., The Triumph of Politics (Avon, 1986).  Reagan's budget director confesses: how politics ruled economic decision-making .
Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of the United States, 1492-Present, updated edition (HarperPerennial, 1995). Very readable history from radical perspective – a different view than traditional texts.

OVERVIEWS OF ECONOMIC THEORIES

Buchholz, Todd G., New Ideas from Dead Economists (Penguin, 1989). Amusing overview of theories.
Heilbroner, Robert L., The Worldly Philosophers (Touchstone, 1987).  Liberal classic on economists.
Hunt, E.K., Property and Prophets: The Evolution of Economic Institutions and Ideologies, 4th edition (Harper and Row, 1981).  Radical economist puts economic ideas in historical context in very short, clear book. [CCSF library: HC21 .H85 1995] 

RADICAL POLITICAL ECONOMIC THEORY

Paul D’Amato, The Meaning of Marxism (Haymarket Books, 2006).  Very clear summary of theory and examination of U.S. today by Trotskyist radical. 
Hahnel, Robin, The ABC's of Political Economy: A Modern Approach (Pluto, 2003).  Discusses ideas of Marx, Keynes, Veblen, and applies to current issues including globalization.
Karl Marx, Wage Labor and Capital.  Clear, brief summary of the labor theory of value and its meaning in capitalism.  Available in full at www.marxists.org.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (1848).  Easy to read.
Mandel, Ernest, An Introduction to Marxist Economic Theory (Pathfinder, 1987).  Short, clear explanation of basic Marxist economics by Trotskyist.  CCSF library:  HB97.5 .M26513 1970x    
Sackrey, Charles, and Geoffrey Schneider, Introduction to Political Economy, third edition (Economic Affairs Bureau, Dollars and Sense Magazine, 2002).  Useful review of theories about the interaction of the economy and politics from Marx to present.  [CCSF library: HB75 .S23 2002]

CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVES

Business Week magazine columns by Robert Barro, Gary Becker, Paul Craig Roberts -- free-market, laissez-faire, sometimes Supply-Side viewpoints.
Friedman, Milton, Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 1962).  Classic statement of Monetarism and laissez-faire (libertarian) economics.
Friedman, Milton and Rose, Free to Choose (Avon, 1980).  Classic on free markets, clearly written.
Gilder, George, Wealth and Poverty (ICS Press, 1981, 1993).  Supply-Side social and economic theory.
Wall St. Journal editorial page: usually expresses some version of modern Classical theory, including Supply-Side.

BOOKSTORES

Modern Times, 888 Valencia Street, S.F., between 19th and 20th Streets – collectively owned, wide range of liberal and radicalrogressive materials, speaker events.  Phone 415-282-9246; www.mtbs.com
A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro St., S.F. – resources on and for the GLBTQ community.  Phone 415-431-0891; www.adlbooks.com

RADIO STATIONS

94.1 FM --  KPFA, Berkeley – longtime progressive/pacifist station; news, discussion, and music programs

960 AM -- "Green” (liberal) talk radio -- nationally syndicated programs