Engelska

<p>Apes that exchange things. That is what we are. </p><p>At some point around two million years ago, we discovered that we could exchange one thing for another. Since then, humans have continued trading and exchanging things throughout economic history. Clever humans also invented capital, which we used to shape our whole economic system. In this information-packed, entertaining, eye-opening book, Kjell A. Nordström guides us from the collaborative origins of prehistoric bartering to Adam Smiths concept of specialisation. He shows how we have used our endless inventiveness to transform our planet into a colossal, pulsating bazaar, where everyone is trading with one another all over the world, around the clock. </p><p>How did we end up here? And what does the future hold for our immense, complex global economy that has now started to appear vulnerable? </p><p>Dr Nordström provides hope that we will find new ways to continue our endless trading and exchanging. New ways that involve and take into account nature, our other vital source of capital: not created by us, butcrucial to our wellbeing.</p>

When the financial crisis of 2008 hit the world some countries responded with cutbacks and swift reforms. Others dug in and resisted change. Why do nations respond so differently in the face of adversity, and what are the consequences? In recent years economists have shown convincingly how a countrys institutions determine its growth rate and development. In Renaissance for Reforms this analysis is taken one step further. What does it take for nations to improve their institutions? Is a crisis a necessary condition? Can politicians get re-elected after introducing market-oriented reforms? How have such reforms helped countries during the recent financial crises, and what lessons are there to be learned for the future? These issues are addressed based on current research and the authors own analysis.