I've been on a reading kick lately so I want to share some of these books with you and the basic gist of what they are about.
Private Government by Elizabeth Anderson: This book is a series of lectures on the nature of work and how the workplace functions as a “private government” that increasingly rules us and creeps into our lives. It's heavy but gratifying reading and crucial to understand our new workplace feudalism and how our lives are dictated by private companies.
Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future by Paul Mason: I really like this book because it's more engaging than Harvey's Neoliberalism and talks about the unraveling of globalization, in particular how financialization and increasing deterioration of money has led to unsustainable schemes that keep economies going. Like a Jenga game, one component slipping can result in a worldwide collapse. Mason also shows how the excesses of globalization are leading to the increase of authoritarianism.
Supercapitalism by Robert Reich: I like this book because it shows how consumer and investor oriented society (more or less neoliberalism) is a double-edged sword in that it disempowers unions, workers and households while offering lower prices and higher returns. Ultimately all of this is unsustainable because our consumer base cannot eventually afford the benefits of all these consumer advantages brought on by capitalism because of eroding purchasing power. It also shows how capitalism has effectively destroyed or distorted democracy and how it all ties together. It is also a useful taste of the economics of John Kenneth Galbraith, which I think are a great counterbalance to the free-market bullshit that justifies so much of our misery today.
The Age of Diminished Expectations by Paul Krugman: Krugman's focus on inequality is really important and this book (though written in the 1990's) helps introduce readers to trends in our economic stagnancy and malaise. It's important because it shows exactly why Americans don't expect better and have opted for the route of doing as little as possible or even nothing about issues like inflation, budget deficits, health insurance, trade deficits, unemployment, etc.
Work Won't Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe: I think I was inspired to read this book because of my time perusing this forum over the years (under old accounts). It's a bit ranty and the basis is Marxian, but it's still really refreshing to hear some of this stuff and that we aren't somehow the problem. It is more of a solidarity-builder and helped me understand the importance of separating work and home life, and unapologetically being a “work to live” person and not a “live to work” type.