Bleakonomics: A Heartwarming Introduction to Financial Catastrophe, the Jobs Crisis and Environmental Destruction

by Rob Larson

Bleakonomics is a short and humorous guide to the three great crises plaguing today's environmental degradation, social conflict in the age of austerity, and financial instability. Written for anyone who is wondering how we've come to this point, Rob Larson holds mainstream economic theory up against the grim reality of a planet in meltdown. He looks at scientists' conclusions about climate change, the business world's opinions about its own power, and reveals the fingerprints of finance on American elections. With a unique and engaging approach to each crucial subject, students, academics, and activists will find a lot to appreciate in this quiet call-to-arms for a saner and more stable world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Economics

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Nhial Kuch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob Larson vividly describes, with humor, the three major perils of our modern world: environmental degradation, social conflict between capital owners and labor suppliers, and the financial catastrophe posed by financial institutions deemed "too big to fail". I really enjoyed the book, but I felt like he devoted more than necessary attention to the environmental externality. Nonetheless, a very compelling read!

[Mel Stead]

Review from the March 2013 issue of the Socialist Standard:

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blog...

[Niraj Khandwala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scathing attack on capitalism and the ill effects on the society

[Thomas Ray]

Here's Larson's 2023 Current Affairs Magazine article on the Federal Reserve:
https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2...

[Jennifer Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read introducing me to some concepts I wasn't familiar with, such as externalities, in a frank, concise, and easily understood manner. So frequently it seems our world and the issues we face are covered in a compartmental fashion that hides or warps the reality of our interconnected systems; this book is a great step towards a more holistic approach.