Why has Hawaii, from the times of Polynesian antiquity to the present, enjoyed the highest material standard of living in Oceania? How did changes in the social structure of pre-Cook Hawaii affect that standard? What happened to the islands' economy as western dominance took place, as land ownership was created, as technology was imported, as plantation workers immigrated, as World War II broke the social mold of the islands? These are some of the basic questions raised by Thomas Hitch in "Islands in Transition," the first book-length economic history of Hawaii to be printed in a generation. The book is divided into two sections. The first, "From the Record, "traces the development of Hawaii's economy from the moneyless, sharing, tribute, and barter system of the native culture to a plantation economy controlled from Honolulu and dominated by the Big Five. In the second section, "As I Saw it," Dr. Hitch describes the further development of Hawaii into a high-tech service economy, heavily based on tourism and military expenditures, increasingly involved in the multi-national global economy. He appraises the recent past and projects the future from the vantage point of his long career at Honolulu business community, first as director of research for the Hawaii Employers Council and then as Senior Vice President for Research at First Hawaiian Bank, until his death in August, 1989. This volume is written for the general reader, but appendices address questions of particular interest to economists and business analysts. These include measuring the cost of living in Hawaii, estimating the growth rate of the state economy, and appraising its sensitivity to the national business cycle.
Setting / LocationGlobal
Story EraWWII Era
Protagonist / CoreIslands in transition Lead Character
Who caused the Great Recession? We did. In Disequilibrium, economist Steven Ricchiuto traces how destructive changes in our economic systems have created our present unbalanced economy. He expertly shows how today's disequilibrium between supply and demand came from decades of misguided economic policies made in response to the Great Inflation of the 1970s and 1980s. Ricchiuto then goes even further, investigating how economic forces created in the World War II era laid the groundwork for this destructive shift. Ricchiuto's timely book offers a method for assessing macro economic credit quality and suggests policy makers alter their behavior to handle new macro dynamics. Today's economic framework cannot be counted on to protect us forever. In Disequilibrium, Ricchiuto shows us where we went wrong in the past so that we can work to get the future right.
"What does it mean to be an American? What are American ideas and values? American Enterprise, the companion book to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, aims to answer these questions about the American experience through an exploration of its economic and commercial history. It argues that by looking at the intersection of capitalism and democracy, we can see where we as a nation have come from and where we might be going in the future. Richly illustrated with images of objects from the museum's collections, American Enterprise includes an early Thomas Edison light bulb, a wheat thresher, a Barbie doll, a Google server, and many other goods and services that have shaped American culture. Historical and contemporary advertisements are also featured, emphasizing the evolution of the relationship between producers and consumers over time. Interspersed in the historical narrative are essays from today's industry leaders--including Sheila Bair, Adam Davidson, Bill Ford, Sally Greenberg, Fisk Johnson, Hank Paulson, Richard Trumka, and Pat Woertz--that pose provocative questions about the state of contemporary American business and society. American Enterprise is a multi-faceted survey of the nation's business heritage and corresponding social effects that is fundamental to an understanding of the lives of the American people, the history of the United States, and the nation's role in global affairs"-- "American Enterprise is a dramatic exploration of how the United States transformed from a small dependent nation into one of the world's most vibrant and trend-setting economies. This companion book to the National Museum of American History's exhibition of the same name argues that the American experience has been shaped by economic and commercial philosophies. Founding ideals of capitalism and democracy fostered national values of competition and innovation. These values in turn became the building blocks of American business and sparked a tradition of constant creative destruction. The ongoing transformation of the marketplace has provided opportunities for many, benefits for some, and hardships for others. This powerful book explores the perspectives of both producers and consumers and illustrates the complex interplay between these two groups throughout history. It does so through four major eras: Merchant (1770s - 1850s), Corporate (1860s - 1930s), Consumer (1940s - 1970s), and Global (1980s - 2010s). The goods, machinery, advertisements, and business leaders of each era are brought to life with objects from the Smithsonian's unparalleled collections and explanations by the exhibition's curators. Each era concludes with two essays by famous and influential business leaders who play off the history to pose provocative questions about the state of contemporary American business and society. American Enterprise provides an understanding of the nation's business heritage and corresponding social effects that is fundamental to the lives of the American people, the history of the United States, and the nation's role in global affairs"--
Sixty-five years have passed since the end of World War II. It is timely to reflect upon this short but curious Japanese economic history, beginning with the extreme hunger and poverty in the late 1940s, followed by quick recovery and "miraculous" growth since the late 1950s, to the first oil shock in 1972, slow growth in the reset of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally almost complete stagnation over the last two decades. This book attempts to make sense of Japan's economic history for these past sixty-five years.
"In this book, Michael Alexander has a message for all Canadians: our standard of living is in free fall, and has been for almost 25 years. Currently, Canada's standard of living is 20 percent lower than America's. The author asks why we have failed to achieve our economic potential, and many will find the reasons hard to accept. Some of our most cherished beliefs and values have turned out to be misguided and harmful to our well-being." "When offering solutions, the author turns to the United States, not to advocate the adoption of American ideas and policies as a cure-all, but to pinpoint best practices that have made America the world's foremost economic power. He argues that by combining these practices with our own overdue reforms, we can begin to challenge the thinking that has held us back, and fulfill the promise of the just society." "Competing Against America is a wake-up call for Canada. It's a guide to a more prosperous future. But, as the author stresses, we can get there only if we get our house in order and sweep away bad ideas and regressive policies."--Jacket.
Islands in transition by Thomas Kemper Hitch | Literally Just Books
