Awards

• Commended for Askblog's Books of the year 2017, chosen by Arnold Kling 2017
• Short-listed for Financial Times (FT.com) Best Books of 2017: Economics 2017
• Short-listed for Blackwell's Best of Non-Fiction 2017 2017
• Short-listed for Economist.com Wise Words 2017 Books of the Year in Economics and Business 2017

Overview

"Selected for Askblog's Books of the year 2017, chosen by Arnold Kling One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Books of 2017: Economics One of the Economist.com ""Wise Words 2017 Books of the Year"" in Economics and Business One of Blackwell's Best of Non-Fiction 2017 Early in the twenty-first century, a quiet revolution occurred. For the first time, the major developed economies began to invest more in intangible assets, like design, branding, and software, than in tangible assets, like machinery, buildings, and computers. For all sorts of businesses, the ability to deploy assets that one can neither see nor touch is increasingly the main source of long-term success. But this is not just a familiar story of the so-called new economy. Capitalism without Capital shows that the growing importance of intangible assets has also played a role in some of the larger economic changes of the past decade, including the growth in economic inequality and the stagnation of productivity. Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake explore the unusual economic characteristics of intangible investment and discuss how an economy rich in intangibles is fundamentally different from one based on tangibles. Capitalism without Capital concludes by outlining how managers, investors, and policymakers can exploit the characteristics of an intangible age to grow their businesses, portfolios, and economies. 'Compelling...Haskel and Westlake have mapped the economics of a challenging new economy.' - Martin Wolf, Financial Times 'One of this year's most important and stimulating economic reads....Read this book.' - Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution 'For an introduction...it would be hard to do better than Capitalism without Capital, which is clear and lively and raises - without having all the answers - the relevant questions.' - Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist 'The book makes its case in a lighthearted, conversational way that will appeal to economists and non-economists alike.' - The Economist 'One of the year's most talked-about books.' - John Harris, The Guardian"

Full Product Details

9780691183299

Table of Contents

Reviews

[Capitalism without Capital] is a very relevant and timely book. --Peter A. Coclanis, Raleigh News & Observer [Capitalism without Capital is] superb and important. --Yuval Levin, National Review The best books on economics take a theme that is instantly recognisable and intuitively correct, and run with it. Capitalism Without Capital, which has been causing a stir recently by charting the rise of so-called intangible investment, is thus a good and thought-provoking book. . . . And, unlike a lot of economics, it is firmly rooted in the world we are in. --David Smith, Sunday Times In Capitalism without Capital, Haskel and Westlake examine the key characteristics of intangible investments, including scalability, sunk costs, spillover effects, and synergies. . . . Capitalism without Capital is an essential introduction to an important and often overlooked driver of the modern economy. --HuffPost A great new book Capitalism without Capital by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake suggests the rise of intangible assets makes corporate banking riskier. --Manish Sabharwal, The Indian Express The book makes its case in a lighthearted, conversational way that will appeal to economists and non-economists alike. --The Economist A first-rate book. --Arnold Kling, Askblog [Capitalism without Capital] needs to be read by anyone seeking to understand the nature of modern capitalism and its politics. --Daniel Finkelstein, The Times An intriguing book. . . . Perhaps the most surprising facts in a book full of surprises is how large investments in intangible assets--in research and development, software, databases, artistic creations, designs, branding and business processes--now are. . . . Messrs Haskel and Westlake have mapped the economics of a challenging new economy. --Martin Wolf, Financial Times And before anyone starts talking about 'the pettiness of arguing over symbols', let me point you to an amazing new book by an ex-colleague of mine, Stian Westlake, called Capitalism Without Capital: the Rise of the Intangible Economy. --Pat Kane, The National Haskel and Westlake's book focuses on the rise of the intangible economy. They are not trying to make any statement on the EU, but in one chapter of their book they plot tangible and intangible investment against an OECD measure of employment strictness. The results are fascinating. In their own words: 'countries with more restrictive hiring and firing invest more in tangibles and less in intangibles'. --Graeme Leach, CityAM For an introduction, though, it would be hard to do better than Capitalism without Capital, which is clear and lively and raises--without having all the answers--the relevant questions. --Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist Recommended reading for venture capitalists and investment counselors. --Kirkus Reviews One of this year's most important and stimulating economic reads. . . . Read this book. --Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution Economist Jonathan Haskel and UK government adviser Stian Westlake describe in an entertaining and engaging way why governments need to count innovation as an engine of profit. --Ehsan Masood, Nature The historical view of 'capital as something tangible persists and limits our thinking, ' the authors argue. To be sure, exactly which intangible assets qualify as capital can be debated endlessly. In Capitalism Without Capital, [they] choose a broad definition and explore its implications. In so doing, they provide insights into some puzzling questions . . . [and] make a good case that we don't know as much as we think because some of our tools for measuring economic performance are out of date. --George Molloan, Wall Street Journal Selected for Askblog's Books of the year 2017, chosen by Arnold Kling One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Books of 2017: Economics One of Blackwell's Best of Non-Fiction 2017 One of the Economist.com Wise Words 2017 Books of the Year in Economics and Business

The book makes its case in a lighthearted, conversational way that will appeal to economists and non-economists alike. --The Economist One of this year's most important and stimulating economic reads.... Read this book. --Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution One of the year's most talked-about books. --John Harris, The Guardian For an introduction ... it would be hard to do better than Capitalism without Capital, which is clear and lively and raises--without having all the answers--the relevant questions. --Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist Compelling.... Haskel and Westlake have mapped the economics of a challenging new economy. --Martin Wolf, Financial Times Selected for Askblog's Books of the year 2017, chosen by Arnold Kling One of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Books of 2017: Economics One of Blackwell's Best of Non-Fiction 2017 One of the Economist.com Wise Words 2017 Books of the Year in Economics and Business

Author Information

Jonathan Haskel is professor of economics at Imperial College Business School. Stian Westlake is advisor to the UK Minister of Science and Innovation. Haskel and Westlake were cowinners of the 2017 Indigo Prize.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available