The Economist Books

This short guide brings together the five recent Economist briefs on aspects of the financial crisis and its consequences, into a single, short A-format paperback and e-book, with an introduction by Zanny Minton Beddoes, to be published in spring 2014. The sections are: Zanny Minton Beddoes introduces the five Economist's Economics articles and explains the significance of the financial crisis for the current state of global economy and its prospects. The origins of the financial crisis The effects of the financial crisis are still being felt five years on. What were its causes? The dangers of debt The role debt and deleveraging have played in the turmoil. Monetary policy after the crash The unconventional methods central bankers have adopted to stimulate growth in the wake of the crisis. Stimulus v. austerity The surge in public debt and the debate about how quickly governments should cut back. Making banks safe The best way to make banks safer without killing lending.

The euro was supposed to create an unbreakable bond between the nations and people of Europe. But when the debt crisis struck, the flaws of the half-built currency has brought the EU close to breaking point after decades of post-war integration. Deep fault-lines have opened up between European institutions and the nation-states, and often between the rulers and the ruled, raising profound questions about Europe's democratic deficit. Belief in European institutions and national governments alike is waning, while radicals of both the left and the right are gaining power and influence. Europe's leaders have so far proved the doomsayers wrong and prevented the currency from breaking up. "If the euro fails, Europe fails," says Angela Merkel. Yet the euro, and the European project as a whole, is far from safe. If it is to survive and thrive, leaders will finally have to confront difficult decisions. How much national sovereignty are they willing to give up to create a more lasting and credible currency? How much of the debt burden and banking risk will they share? Is Britain prepared to walk away from the EU? And will other countries follow? In their astute analysis of the crisis, the authors describe America's behind-the-scenes lobbying to salvage the euro, economists' bitter debates over austerity, the unseen manoeuvres of the European Central Bank and the tortuous negotiations over banking union. In the final chapter, they set out the stark choices confronting Europe's leaders and citizens.

The effectiveness of a good strategy well implemented determines a business' future success or failure. Yet history is full of strategic decisions, big and small, that were ill-conceived, poorly organised and consequently disastrous. This updated gui de looks at the whole process of strategic decision-making - from vision, forecasting, and resource allocation, through to implementation and innovation. Strategy is about understanding where you are now, where you are heading and how you will get th ere. There is no room for timidity or confusion. Although the CEO and the board decide a company's overall direction, it is the managers at all levels of the organisation that will determine how the vision can be transformed into action. In short, ev eryone is involved in strategy. But getting it right involves difficult choices: which customers to target, what products to offer and the best way to keep costs low and service high. And constantly changing business conditions inevitably bring risks . Even after business strategy has been developed, a company must remain nimble and alert to change, and view strategy as an ongoing and evolving process. The message of this guide is simple: strategy matters, and getting it right is fundamental to b usiness success - this book will show you how.

Why are the best words short and old? Why are full stops a writer's best friend? How can we simplify, then exaggerate? And what exactly are dangling modifiers? We'd all like to write with style. But what does that mean, and what can we learn from The Economist, a publication well known for its clarity and flair? Welcome to Writing with Style, an elegant survey of the principles available for writing better prose. By adopting some tried and tested tools and techniques, you too can learn how to inform, persuade and entertain when you write. Whether you want to know your singulars from your subjunctives, how colons add drama or why the word "comprise" is contaminated, this is the style guide for you.

The first quarter of the new century has seen developments in technology, monetary policy and the management of large companies that have transformed personal savings and investment around the world. Love it, loathe it, or just not interested in it, this innovation has changed not only the nature of money, but our understanding of what it means to invest - whether we want to safeguard our pensions, experiment with personal trading platforms or simply understand how the markets really work. How to Invest aims to help investors navigate this new world, offering a principles-based, keep-it-simple approach to help them make investment decisions and have investment conversations that will make the most of their money.