The Nature of Economies
Author: Jane Jacobs
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ISBN: 0375702431
Publisher: Vintage (13 March, 2001)
Sales Rank: 94,793
Average Customer Rating: 3.72 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Dialogue Loop
I highly recommend this book. I read it in nearly one sitting. The structure of the book is Platonic dialogue/'My Dinner with Andre.' The conversations of five friends are the entirety of the book. It deals with complex philosophical ideas on economies and natural systems in a highly readable way. The book centers on the idea of biomimicry, in which natural phenomena are imitated (engineered) in such a way that using natural principles creates efficiency. Essentially it is the notion that there are basic principles to which all systems naturally adhere, and understanding those systems can help us frame economics more rationally and sustainably. Jacobs discusses notions of positive-feedback loops, negative-feedback stops, dynamic stability. All this within the idea that evolutionary processes, interdependencies, and natural tensions and tendencies are the basis of economic interaction.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The content is major even if the form is debatable
A number of the other reviews critiscise the conversational form of this book. And one reviewer (who is clearly an investment analyst) critiscises one tiny sentence which makes a rather erroneous analogy between corporate and national behaviour. But the central theme of the book, that economies must be defined by natural principles since they are the product of human beings, themselves merely a succesful product of nature, is crucial. Its enlightening and must be debated and fleshed out. It gets beyond the "hack" economics that suggests economies need to make exports in order to earn their keep. Instead, Jacobs says that exports are the output of economic systems, not the inputs. The real inputs are basic resources - e.g. weather, location, human skills & the depth and breadth of the existing economic system.
As an amateur economist I find the argument to be a strong one. Serious critiscisms of this book should be based on critiscisms of the central argument and its substantiveness, rather than of the formn of the book. I'd enjoy seeing such critiscism from professional economists.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Definitely worth reading
If you pass chapter 1, you will find it more interesting. You may have already known many ideas presented in the book, but Jacobs integrates all those ideas and tries to apply them for general purposes. I felt like I was reading a poem. You may know all the words and their meanings, but how they rhyme and how they finally capture your feeling artfully make it a great poem. "The Nature of Economies" is just like that for both sides of your brain. Similar Products
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