61. Economist Paul Krugman / Economics in Science Fiction (with Sarah Brand)

The book studies the past eighty years of American history, focusing on the reduction and subsequent increase in economic and political inequality. Krugman argues that government policies, particularly the establishment and dismantling of the social safety net, have played a significant role in these changes. He critiques the conservative movement, especially its use of racial and cultural resentments, and proposes a 'new New Deal' that emphasizes social and medical programs, including universal health care. The book also discusses the role of institutions and norms in economic inequality and expresses optimism about a potential shift towards a more liberal political environment.

Foundation is the first book in Isaac Asimov's renowned Foundation series. It introduces Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian who predicts the imminent collapse of the Galactic Empire and the ensuing dark age. To mitigate this, Seldon establishes the Foundation, a group of scientists and scholars on the planet Terminus, aimed at preserving human knowledge and laying the groundwork for a new civilization. The book is a collection of interrelated short stories that follow the early history of the Foundation as it navigates various crises and challenges predicted by Seldon's psychohistory.

Published in 1992, 'Snow Crash' is a science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson that delves into a future where the United States has fragmented into corporate city-states and the internet has evolved into a virtual reality called the Metaverse. The story follows Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery driver and part-time hacker, and Y.T. , a teenage skateboard courier, as they navigate a complex world threatened by a mysterious computer virus and a powerful drug known as Snow Crash. The novel explores themes of history, linguistics, anthropology, and computer science, and is noted for its prescient vision of the metaverse and its influence on Silicon Valley innovators.

Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses control planetary fiefs. The story follows Paul Atreides, whose family is tasked with ruling the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of melange, a substance crucial for extending life and enhancing mental abilities. The novel delves into the intricate politics, religion, ecology, and technology of this futuristic world, as various factions vie for control of Arrakis and its valuable spice. Paul, with his unique abilities and training by the Bene Gesserit, becomes a key figure in this struggle and eventually assumes the role of a messianic leader among the native Fremen people.

The Wheel of Time series is a sprawling epic fantasy that spans 14 main books, plus a prequel. It follows a diverse cast of characters as they navigate a world where magic is real and an ancient evil threatens to destroy everything. The series was begun by Robert Jordan and completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's passing.

In 'Just Do It: The Nike Spirit in the Corporate World', Donald R. Katz provides a comprehensive and engaging account of Nike's transformation from a small startup to a global sports powerhouse. The book starts with the origins of Nike, tracing back to the handshake deal between Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, two track and field coaches at the University of Oregon. Katz explores Nike's innovative design, marketing campaigns, and endorsement deals that helped the company stand out against competitors like Reebok and Adidas. He also delves into the controversies Nike faced, such as sweatshop allegations and athlete doping scandals. The book highlights Nike's unique approach to business, focusing on creating a brand with a distinct identity and emotional appeal, and how this approach has contributed to its success and cult-like following among consumers.

In 'Good Work,' Paul Millerd shares his personal journey through candid storytelling, exploring what constitutes 'good work' beyond traditional job definitions. The book delves into questions about embracing uncertainty, finding motivation beyond 'losing your edge,' prioritizing family without sacrificing opportunity, and defining the most ambitious life path. It challenges readers to rethink their relationship with work and seek a life where work is a portal to feeling fully alive, rather than just a necessity.

Walter Jon Williams' 'The Green Leopard Plague' is a novella that imagines a biotech breakthrough enabling humans to derive significant nutrition from photosynthesis, potentially ending hunger and reshaping society. The story examines how existing power structures, particularly corporations, might resist or suppress such disruptive change to preserve economic interests. Williams blends social speculation with character-driven drama to explore ethical questions about access, control, and the uses of transformative technology. The narrative contemplates unintended consequences and differing human responses to sudden shifts in scarcity and labor dynamics. Its exploration of technology, power, and human adaptation has made it notable in contemporary speculative fiction.

Ursula K. Le Guin's '99 Weeks' is a contemporary fairy tale that uses allegory to examine unemployment, social safety nets, and the unintended consequences of well-meaning policies. The story follows an unemployed woodcutter who becomes dependent on a weekly magical stipend that ultimately constrains his ability to accept lower-paying work, illustrating perverse incentives. Le Guin employs mythic storytelling to critique economic structures and sympathetic bureaucratic designs that can entrap individuals. The tale resonates with modern political movements and debates about labor, dignity, and economic justice. Its concise, poignant narrative reframes policy issues through human-scale storytelling.

Daniel Abraham's 'The Canvas and Lord Iron' is a short story that centers on a money changer facing a series of complex economic and logical problems presented by a decadent noble. The tale uses economic reasoning as the engine of plot, showcasing how practical arithmetic and market logic become dramatic tools. Abraham blends courtroom-like puzzle-solving with moral and social implications, highlighting the role of finance and incentives in a fantasy setting. The story demonstrates how economic thought can structure narrative tension and character development. Its inventive premise has been appreciated for integrating economics directly into storytelling.

Richard K. Morgan's Market Forces portrays a near-future world in which corporations treat geopolitical conflict as investment opportunities and internal advancement involves lethal competitive rituals. The novel follows corporate soldiers and executives navigating a ruthless system where personal survival and career progression depend on violence and ruthless calculation. Morgan uses visceral action and bleak satire to critique late-stage capitalism, corporate power, and the commodification of warfare. The book blends cyberpunk sensibilities with a sharp examination of market logic applied to human life and conflict. Its uncompromising tone offers a cautionary vision of commodified violence and corporate immorality.

Jeff Ryman's 'Dead Space for the Unexpected' is a short story that explores a bleak corporate future where employee time is tracked to an extreme degree and personal autonomy is eroded by managerial micromanagement. The narrative critiques surveillance capitalism and the commodification of labor, showing how work becomes totalizing and dehumanizing. The story uses close-up scenes of daily life under corporate control to illuminate broader social and ethical consequences. Its inclusion in anthologies highlights contemporary anxieties about workplace surveillance and the erosion of boundaries between work and life. The piece functions as both cautionary tale and sharp social commentary.

The Family Trade, by Charles Stross, launches the Merchant Princes series about a family possessing the genetic ability to travel between parallel alternate histories. The crossover enables trade and influence between technologically divergent worlds, producing intriguing economic and political dynamics as elites exploit access to advanced goods while broader society remains underdeveloped. Stross explores themes of modernization, resource transfer, and the difficulty of societal change despite technological influx. The series blends espionage, family drama, and economic speculation to examine how trade and power interact across worlds. The books are notable for combining speculative premises with attention to economic and institutional consequences.

Robert Asprin's The Cold Cash War imagines a future where corporations supplant traditional nation-states and resolve their conflicts through simulated engagements to avoid damaging profitable infrastructure. The novel examines how corporate incentives shape warfare, ethics, and human cost when profit logic governs violence. It contrasts the elite's comforts with the broader social degradation that persists despite access to advanced resources. Asprin later shifted to lighter, comedic fantasy, but this earlier work remains noted for its hard-edged critique of corporate power and militarized capitalism. The story explores how economic imperatives can hollow political institutions and warp human relations.

In this authoritative call-to-action, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman contends that the ongoing economic crisis, which began in 2007, qualifies as a depression that is essentially gratuitous and unnecessary. He argues that recovery is surprisingly easy to achieve if leaders reverse austerity policies and temporarily boost government spending, particularly through aid to states and local governments, aggressive quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, and homeowner debt relief. Krugman asserts that by applying time-honored New Keynesian economic principles, the U.S. could return to near-full employment in less than two years, provided leaders demonstrate the 'intellectual clarity and political will' to end the depression now.