Financial crises at a glance: bank crashes, geopolitics and how long til the rebound?

January 12, 2009
Here are two illuminating graphics from the Financial Times and Economist. First up is a figure from Martin Wolf’s latest column in the FT, itself based on a new paper by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, showing the proportion of the world economy affected by banking crises, from 1900-2008. Its main features are a spike around the Great Depression of the
Read more >>

Final thought on Complexity Economics

January 9, 2009
This week, I’ve been mulling over Eric Beinhocker’s book, ‘The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity and the Radical Remaking of Economics’ (see previous posts – an overview and a discussion of the implications for our models of change). One question that remains is ‘why aren’t there more books like this?’ The initial idea of  ‘Complexity Economics’ dates from an epic debate
Read more >>

Harrowing blogs from Oxfam staff in Gaza

January 8, 2009
To get a feel for life in besieged Gaza right now, have a look at some riveting eye witness accounts here. Oxfam staffer Mohamed Ali writes ‘We have one day left of food and the nappies I bought two weeks ago are nearly gone. They are not good quality as little has been able to enter this strip of land
Read more >>

Complexity Economics, Evolution and How Change Happens

January 7, 2009
Eric Beinhocker’s book, ‘The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity and the Radical Remaking of Economics’ (for review see previous post) challenges our understanding of how change happens and the role of would-be ‘change agents’ like Oxfam.
Read more >>

Complexity Economics and Evolution – a Truly Big Idea

January 5, 2009
I spent much of the Christmas break sneaking off to read chapters of Eric Beinhocker’s path-breaking 2006 book ‘The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity and the Radical Remaking of Economics’. There’s probably too much to cover in one post, so I’ll follow up this overview with some more specific reflections in the days to come.
Read more >>

How much is $700bn?

December 30, 2008
Read more >>

How will the meltdown affect development?

December 29, 2008
Read more >>

Update on global poverty figures – another 400 million below the poverty line

December 29, 2008
Read more >>

Shocks and Change

December 29, 2008
Read more >>

Never make predictions, especially about the future

December 29, 2008
Read more >>

Recession, development and climate change: the big picture

December 28, 2008
Read more >>

Bailouts v aid v climate change – $ reveals priorities

December 28, 2008
Read more >>