James Surowiecki
James Surowiecki
James Michael Surowieckiis an American journalist. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he writes a regular column on business and finance called "The Financial Page"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
CountryUnited States of America
risk defense rewards
Defense contractors are able to reap tremendous profits while rarely confronting the risks for which those profits are supposed to be the reward.
order levels needs
In order to work well, markets need a basic level of trust.
names mergers name-changes
Most corporate name changes are the result of mergers and acquisitions. But these tend to be unimaginative.
president economy states
Of course, presidents are always blamed or rewarded for the state of the economy.
self people legacy
Patrimonial capitalism's legacy is that many people see reform as a euphemism for corruption and self-dealing.
real thrillers messy
Real politics is messy and morally ambiguous and doesn't make for a compelling thriller.
world autocracy destructive
The autocracies of the Arab world have been as economically destructive as they've been politically repressive.
challenges environment american-capitalism
The challenge for capitalism is that the things that breed trust also breed the environment for fraud.
reality people want
The fact that industries wax and wane is a reality of any economic system that wants to remain dynamic and responsive to people's changing tastes.
government people decision
All things being equal, letting people make decisions for themselves will produce smarter outcomes, collectively, than relying on government planners.
real technology people
As technology improves, on-screen avatars look more and more like real people. When they start looking too real, though, we pull away. These almost-humans aren't quite right; they look creepy, like zombies.
cutting player dvds
In industries where a lot of competitors are selling the same product - mangoes, gasoline, DVD players - price is the easiest way to distinguish yourself. The hope is that if you cut prices enough you can increase your market share, and even your profits. But this works only if your competitors won't, or can't, follow suit.
cutting technology practice
In practice, downsizing is too often about cutting your work force while keeping your business the same, and doing so not by investments in productivity-enhancing technology, but by making people pull 80-hour weeks and bringing in temps to fill the gap.
differences america people
In terms of productivity - that is, how much a worker produces in an hour - there's little difference between the U.S., France, and Germany. But since more people work in America, and since they work so many more hours, Americans create more wealth.