Democracy Pays Off

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A nation's poverty or prosperity may have as much to do with politics as economics, says Daron Acemoglu.

The MIT professor argues that more democratic countries with inclusive political institutions create sustained prosperity, while “extractive” authoritarian regimes lead toward poverty.

Acemoglu discusses why China is not the exception.

Listen to an interview with Acemoglu: http://www.imf.org/external/podcast/2...

Exploring the Irrational

MIT professor Dan Ariely

Ariely, behavioral economist and author of Predictably Irrational, discusses the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our general behavior, up close and personal.

In The Upside of Irrationality, Ariely explores the many ways in which our behavior often leads us astray in terms of our romantic relationships, our experiences in the workplace, and our temptations to cheat. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

He also talks about Wall St. bonuses, incentives, and the role of emotions in the workplace.