Stumbling Over the Starting Line
Oxford University Press has just released Uncertainty and Enterprise after a nerve-racking production process, almost as stressful as the writing. And physical books have just been delivered, the evening before Thanksgiving.
The book is resolutely apolitical and non-prescriptive, although I do draw connections with popular discontents (e.g., about overbearing experts). Similarly, I do not attack mainstream economics. But, I connect numerous dots that lie outside standard theories. These include imagination, story-like discourse, and seemingly bureaucratic routines that have profound real-world consequences.
I have tried hard to make the book accessible to serious general readers, including those outside the anglosphere. I had the manuscript edited twice and used devices such as bullet points that respectable books avoid.
The book even has pictures.
Peter Coy has just published a thoughtful write-up in the New York Times. On the scholarly side, Richard Friberg (Stockholm School of Economics) has posted a generous assessment on his website.
If you are a journalist, blogger, or academic who would like a digital review copy or printed galley, please contact me at amar AT bhide.net or Jessica Pellien <jessica AT pellienpublicrelations.com>.
To other friends and former students or colleagues with expense accounts, I recommend Jim Kramer’s Mad Money advice. “Buy, buy, buy.”
I’d be immensely grateful. There is no chance this will become a bestseller, but some general attention could influence scholars. As Dunne’s fictional bartender declared, “The Supreme Court follows the election returns.”
The publisher hasn’t attempted to distribute through traditional bookstores. But, you can order on Amazon or immediately download a Kindle version. You can also peruse sample chapters on Amazon.[1]
Finally, in the spirit of Thanksgiving: I live a privileged, cocooned existence in a difficult world. My aggravations and disappointments are minor. I hope yours are too.
[1] The $35 list price in 2024 is exactly the same as of its 1999 prequel, The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses, with the same ~440 pages. Thanks to automation and outsourcing to India, that’s about a 50% price decrease.