A Richer Life- How Economics Can Change the Way We Think and Feel by Philip Roscoe is a radical, inspiring, agenda-setting critique that shows how economics invades our most intimate decisions, and what the real alternatives might be.
'A brilliant critique' Robert Skidelsky, prize-winning biographer of John Maynard Keynes
'Impressive . . . important . . . very thoughtful and thought-provoking' Ha-Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism
'A splendid denunciation of the dismal science . . . a fine book, on the side of the angels' Guardian
'A powerful description of the many ways we have lost our bearings as a society . . . makes the case that economics has left us impoverished as human beings . . . a powerful and engaging read' Sunday Times
'Very readable and entertaining' Independent
Is a promotion at work worth more than time with family? Does the price of cheap socks compensate for their being made by children? Might a new lover be better than the one you have? How do we choose when what we want is bad for someone else? In fact, in a world as complicated as ours, how do we choose at all?
Over the course of the 20th century economics has become our most trusted science of decision-making. From government policies to personal decisions - such as buying a house, educating our children, caring for our sick or even meeting a spouse - economic principles govern both our range of choices and how we choose between them. But economics is not a perfect science. It is political and far from impartial, and yet its values - ownership, efficiency, cost benefit and self-interest - now threaten to usurp all others. At a time when the most urgent problems require collective action, economics is perhaps our greatest obstacle to change.
Written with humour, wisdom and compassion, and investigating the worlds of work, shopping, healthcare, house-buying, online dating, politics and daily life, this brilliant and timely book exposes the true cost of economic thinking, points the way to some compelling alternatives - co-operatives, local currencies, non-Western finance, community - and draws attention to some other, timeless values that few of us have yet forgotten.
Philip Roscoe is Reader in Management at the School of Management, University of St Andrews. He is interested in markets and organizing, and has published and lectured on such topics as online dating, organ transplants, non-professional investors and alternative currencies. Philip holds a PhD in management from Lancaster University, an MPhil in medieval Arabic thought from the University of Oxford, and a BA in theology from the University of Leeds. Between studies, he has worked as a financial journalist and tried his hand at running a small business. In 2011 he was one of the ten winners of the inaugural AHRC BBC Radio 3 'New Generation Thinkers' scheme chosen from over a thousand applicants. He is married to Jane, and they have three sons.
A Richer Life- How Economics Can Change the Way We Think and Feel was originally published in hardback as I Spend, Therefore I Am.
Industry Reviews
A brilliant critique -- Robert Skidelsky, prize-winning biographer of John Maynard Keynes
Impressive. Important, very thoughtful and thought-provoking -- Ha-Joon Chang, author of '23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism'
A splendid denunciation of the dismal science [of economics]. . . A fine book, on the side of the angels * Guardian *
Very readable and entertaining. Roscoe bemoans the power of economics . . . using some intriguing examples to make his case * Independent *
Roscoe is right to remind us that the habit of seeing all our problems in economic terms has fatally narrowed the range of motives to which politicians appeal . . . that the relentless drive to attach a market price to everything is undermining the realm of human values. His most important conclusion is that we must confine the economists to the asylums - universities, for instance - where they can do no harm -- Roger Scruton * Prospect *
An engaging read, and a powerful description of the many ways we have lost our bearings as a society. A Richer Life makes the case that economics has left us impoverished as human beings * Sunday Times *
Roscoe makes a convincing case for the way economics has commodified and devalued aspects of our lives . . . exposing the flawed assumptions in the economic theories of some respected thinkers. He gives us a fresh and incisive critique of a doctrine still shaping our society * Observer *
Wide-ranging and readable. Roscoe makes many interesting points about how we judge governments by market standards . . . via an insightful account of some of the problems of mainstream economics. A very engaging, erudite and illuminating account * Times Higher Education *
It is true that we sometimes take economists too seriously, and that westerners may have lost something in their rush to replace community values with the individualistic ritual of market exchange. But Roscoe's more powerful argument is that we now approach sex and love in the way we might shop for a low-cost holiday on a price comparison website * Financial Times *
A Richer Life's vision of a future world where we are each governed by economics is quite alarming. Despite the gloom, Roscoe concludes that economic-thinking shouldn't be dumped. It just needs to leave behind the dispassionate science. * Scotsman *
An intelligent and tightly argued book . . . warranting close attention. There are some great examples in the book of how economic reasoning hides the true cost of things and narrows our decision making into simple profit-maximising * MakeWealthHistory.org *
A radical, inspiring, agenda-setting critique that shows how neo-liberal economics has invaded every area of society, including our most intimate decisions. Truly revelatory * Sublime Magazine *
Roscoe makes a powerful case that we need to change course * Christian Aid *
Written with humour, wisdom and compassion, and investigating the worlds of work, shopping, healthcare, house-buying, online dating, politics and daily life, this brilliant and timely book exposes the true cost of economic thinking, points the way to some compelling alternatives - co-operatives, local currencies, non-Western finance, community - and draws attention to some other, timeless values that few of us have yet forgotten * Politicos *
A lively, radical book that challenges dry, dismal principles and champions the greater values of charity and civic virtue * The Times *
A fascinating book on so many levels. Timely and important * Scotsman *
Loads of economists are lining up to slag this book off, which alone makes it an economically sound buy * Sunday Sport *
