Author Archives: Barney Gilmore

Capital and Ideology (2019) by Thomas Piketty

Capital and Ideology (2019) by Thomas Piketty:A synopsis of his concluding recommendations for reducing inequalityincluding related observations by Joseph Stiglitz and Anthony Atkinson REDUCING AND CONTROLLING INEQUALITY:Ways and MeansObstacles and OpportunitiesIn the Short Term and over the Long Term    … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Capital and Ideology (2019) by Thomas Piketty

Resisting the “Book Now” Bait

      Once upon a time the World Wide Web appeared to be a great gift to the common citizen. In those early days, Google was still committing minimal corporate evil. A Google web search would return all relevant … Continue reading

Posted in Rants (calm & serious) | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Resisting the “Book Now” Bait

Galbraith’s Economics of Innocent Fraud

A Synopsis of J. K. Galbraith’s final book: The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth for our Time       Late in life, at the end of his long career as an economic advisor to governments, as a Professor of … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Galbraith’s Economics of Innocent Fraud

47: Retiree Sabbaticals

Chapter 47: Retiree Sabbaticals Kaslo, B.C.    Sunday October 11, 2015      While talking recently with an old friend I happened to mention that I had just returned from “a little getaway.” He immediately asked, “what did you get … Continue reading

Posted in New Chapters | Tagged , | Comments Off on 47: Retiree Sabbaticals

46: Past-Perfect

46: PAST-PERFECT      I used to believe that most older professionals had an inner curmudgeon, one that was just waiting to spring into life upon retirement. Of course, if that were true, it might not be particularly nice for … Continue reading

Posted in New Chapters, Rants (calm & serious) | Tagged , | Comments Off on 46: Past-Perfect

Joseph Stiglitz (2012) The Price of Inequality

 A Synopsis of the book: The Price of Inequality (2012)  by Joseph Stiglitz       INCREASES IN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY:             THEIR LINKS TO INEQUALITY      In 1887 England’s Lord Acton wrote: “power tends to … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Joseph Stiglitz (2012) The Price of Inequality

The Spirit Level and its Critics

 “THE SPIRIT LEVEL” AND ITS CRITICS    Extremes of financial inequality, their possible sources and their potential dangers, have lately become the focus of an increasing number of books and articles. This has been particularly true since the western financial … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Spirit Level and its Critics

Pleonexia and Human Nature

WHEN ENOUGH ISN’T ENOUGH: PLEONEXIA AND HUMAN NATURE   “Money is just a way of keeping score.” H.L. Hunt       Pleonexia is an ancient Greek word referring to a very old human problem. The word describes an obsessive desire … Continue reading

Posted in Rants (calm & serious) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pleonexia and Human Nature

Wilkinson & Pickett (2009) The Spirit Level

                    A Synopsis of the book:  The Spirit Level (2009)                           by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett INEQUALITY: THE PRIME SUSPECT … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wilkinson & Pickett (2009) The Spirit Level

McQuaig & Brooks (2010) The Trouble With Billionaires

A Synopsis of the book:  The Trouble With Billionaires by Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks (2010) SOCIETIES IN AND OUT OF BALANCE: EFFECTIVE SHARING OF WEALTH AND POWER     A careful balance between private and public access to “property” … Continue reading

Posted in Synopses of Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on McQuaig & Brooks (2010) The Trouble With Billionaires