Business & Economics

Explore the ways that money makes the world go 'round in these Business and Economics selections. Ranging from wealth-building self-help advice to philosophical critiques of capitalism, the titles in this Collection explore the role of money and wealth in society and the systems that drive global economies.

Publication year 1963

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Science / Nature


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community

Tags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

In 2007 the United States experienced an economic downturn that caused the standard for living for millions of Americans to plummet. While the share of national income dropped for 99 percent of Americans, the top 1 percent of Americans saw their wealth increase, in some cases considerably. Joseph E. Stiglitz published The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future in 2012 to explain this income gap and offer some hope that it... Read The Price of Inequality Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class

Tags Education, Business / Economics, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Class, Sociology, Race / Racism


Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment

Tags Military / War, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary


Publication year 1905

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Sociology, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by German historian and sociologist Max Weber in 1905. Weber is often considered to be one of the founders of the discipline of sociology, and The Protestant Ethic is one of his most famous texts. As a work of sociology, the book seeks to analyze broad changes in both the economic and the religious structures of Western European and American societies. Over the... Read The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2006

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Biography

Chris Gardner’s memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness, details his pursuit of the American Dream and desire to rise against the challenging circumstances of his birth and attain success. From the outset, life is difficult for Gardner, a poor black child growing up in the Milwaukee ghetto with his mother, sisters and violent, abusive stepfather, Freddie. Gardner’s mother, Bettye Jean, had her own dreams taken away from her, when her father refused to pay for her... Read The Pursuit of Happyness Summary


Publication year 1944

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, Business / Economics, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, British Literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) wrote The Razor’s Edge in 1944. The novel’s title comes from a quotation translated from the Katha Upanishad, with the assistance of Christopher Isherwood: “Rise, wake up, seek the wise and realize. The path is difficult to cross like the sharpened edge of the razor." The story has been adapted for film twice, once in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and again in 1984 with Bill Murray. When World War I air... Read The Razor's Edge Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Community

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Poverty, Social Justice, Class, Education, Russian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1926

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

David Brooks’ The Road to Character, published in 2015, is a philosophical treatise and self-help book hybrid. Brooks believes that in an ego-obsessed, achievement-focused society, our focus is constantly on self-promotion and desire-fulfillment rather than on spiritual enrichment, strength of character, and moral compass. Brooks contrasts the outward-facing, more shallowly motivated self with the inward-facing, more introspectively driven self. After a significant amount of time spent reflecting on his own life experiences as a high-achieving... Read The Road to Character Summary


Publication year 1944

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

As World War II raged around him, F.A. Hayek wrote and published The Road to Serfdom, which became a touchstone of the campaign to preserve personal and economic freedoms. The book argues that Western democracies’ attraction to socialism will take them down a path to authoritarian dictatorships like those in Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Government planning of economies, Hayek declares, must result in arbitrary and unfair edicts, as well as a loss of individual... Read The Road To Serfdom Summary


Publication year 1937

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Social Justice, Class, History: European, British Literature, Journalism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

The Road to Wigan Pier is a 1937 nonfiction book by George Orwell. The book describes Orwell’s firsthand experiences of life in Great Britain’s working-class communities in the early 20th century and advocates for the adoption of socialism. SummaryThe Road to Wigan Pier begins in a small lodging house in Northern England. The impoverished, rundown house rents crowded rooms to people who work in the nearby mines. The landlord, Mr. Brooker, was once a miner... Read The Road to Wigan Pier Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Social Justice, Political Science, Philosophy

The Shock Doctrine (2007) is a critique of neoliberalism by Canadian writer and activist Naomi Klein. Klein analyzes the history of neoliberalism and its relationship with crises to argue that neoliberal economics—as promoted by Milton Friedman and his acolytes—exploit and create crises to impose neoliberal policies on unwilling populations through undemocratic means. In Klein’s view, this happens through the mechanism of “shock therapy,” through which nations take advantage of crisis moments to strategically introduce new... Read The Shock Doctrine Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Nation

Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, War On Terrorism / Iraq War


Publication year 1999

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Philosophy, Social Justice, Poverty, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Philosopher Peter Singer, known for his uncompromising commitment to utilitarian principles, published his opinion editorial “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” in The New York Times Magazine on 5 September 1999. In the essay, Singer argues that the inhabitants of affluent countries have a moral obligation to donate a significant portion of their wealth to charities that can save lives around the world.Singer begins by describing a situation from the 1998 Brazilian film Central Station... Read The Singer Solution to World Poverty Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1891

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction