The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World - Hardcover

Karabell, Zachary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1451651201 ISBN 13: 9781451651201

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2014

Synopsis

Hardcover

About this title

Review

"Our understanding of the economy is shaped by the numbers we use to measure it. In this engaging and subversive history, Zachary Karabell tells the story of how the indicators came to rule us, who invented them, what they actually tell us, and why we need to rethink all of them if we are to make sense of the world today."--Justin Fox, Executive Editor, Harvard Business Review

"We live in a world of Big Data, and we are led to believe that it contains the truth of our lives. But the numbers that we use to tally our wealth, our productivity, and our very worth as human beings are based not on any absolute truth, but on the shifting sands of politics, culture, and the personal quirks of our leaders. Zachary Karabell is a thinker who understands why economics isn't a hard science. The Leading Indicators is a much needed book about economic numbers that tells us how much--and how little--they ultimately mean."--Rana Foroohar, Assistant Managing Editor, Time Magazine; Global Economic Analyst, CNN

"An enchanting primer on the origins and foibles of our economic numbers, marked with biting critique--and building toward the case for something new, different and adapted to the digital age."--James K. Galbraith, Professor, UT-Austin, and author of Inequality and Instability

"An amusing and eye-opening romp through the history of the powerful numbers, such as the unemployment and inflation rates, that influence the course of national policy. They're not only out of date, they often point us in the wrong direction. Karabell's surprising book shows that we don't know what we think we know, and trillions of dollars hang in the balance."--Jane Bryant Quinn, author of Making the Most of Your Money NOW

Our understanding of the economy is shaped by the numbers we use to measure it. In this engaging and subversive history, Zachary Karabell tells the story of how the indicators came to rule us, who invented them, what they actually tell us, and why we need to rethink all of them if we are to make sense of the world today. --Justin Fox, Executive Editor, Harvard Business Review"

We live in a world of Big Data, and we are led to believe that it contains the truth of our lives. But the numbers that we use to tally our wealth, our productivity, and our very worth as human beings are based not on any absolute truth, but on the shifting sands of politics, culture, and the personal quirks of our leaders. Zachary Karabell is a thinker who understands why economics isn't a hard science. The Leading Indicators is a much needed book about economic numbers that tells us how much and how little they ultimately mean. --Rana Foroohar, Assistant Managing Editor, Time Magazine; Global Economic Analyst, CNN"

An enchanting primer on the origins and foibles of our economic numbers, marked with biting critique and building toward the case for something new, different and adapted to the digital age. --James K. Galbraith, Professor, UT-Austin, and author of Inequality and Instability"

An amusing and eye-opening romp through the history of the powerful numbers, such as the unemployment and inflation rates, that influence the course of national policy. They re not only out of date, they often point us in the wrong direction. Karabell s surprising book shows that we don t know what we think we know, and trillions of dollars hang in the balance. --Jane Bryant Quinn, author of Making the Most of Your Money NOW"

To any who treat the government s economic data as if it were Holy Writ, Zachary Karabell s book will come as a revelation. The Leading Indicators is the fast-paced story of the statistics that occupy far too large a part of our national consciousness. If you always suspected that the GDP was a snare and the CPI a delusion, Karabell s narrative will tell you just how right you were. --James Grant, Editor, Grant s Interest Rate Observer"

"[The Leading Indicators] demystifies a lot of current debates, explains its subject matter clearly and shows that the major published macroeconomic statistics are neither nonsense nor conspiracy. Most people could read this book with enjoyment and profit."--Tyler Cowen "The Washington Post "

About the Author

Zachary Karabell is an author, money manager, commentator, and president of River Twice Research, where he analyzes economic and political trends. Educated at Columbia, Oxford, and Harvard, where he received his PhD, Karabell has written eleven previous books. He is a regular commentator on CNBC, MSNBC, and CNN. He writes the weekly "Edgy Optimist" column for Reuters and The Atlantic, and is a contributor to such publications as The Daily Beast, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs.

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1451651201
• ISBN 13: 9781451651201
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 287