Simon Wren-Lewis — Dani Rodrik talks straight on trade

Short review of Dani Rodrik's latest book, Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy.

In that sense the title of the book is rather misleading. Although it is discussed a lot, this is hardly just a book about trade. Indeed the subtitle “Ideas for a sane world economy” conveys a better picture of what it is about. The book is based on a collection of articles written for Project Syndicate and elsewhere, and occasionally the joins show. But that feeling quickly gets lost in a wealth of stimulating arguments and ideas that I defy anyone to find dull. This is a fascinating book to read, and I cannot think of anyone who would not learn a great deal from reading it.

It sounds like this book is in the right ball park, dealing with the global economy as a closed system in terms of the social, political and economic issues this involves owing to national boundaries and regional affiliations. Addressing these issues successfully is the challenge of the age in order to avoid dysfunction and conflict above all, but also to aim at distributed prosperity along with fostering political stability and promoting social harmony.

Mainly Macro
Dani Rodrik talks straight on trade
Simon Wren-Lewis | Professor of Economics, Oxford University