Book reviews
Book notes: I do what I do, by Raghuram Rajan
This collection of speeches and commentary sheds light on how the ‘rockstar’ central banker operated, but it reveals little in the more controversial areas of Rajan’s governorship
Book notes: The paradox of vulnerability, by John Campbell and John Hall
Quality of national institutions vital to handling financial crises, say authors
Book notes: A diary of the euro crisis in Cyprus
Panicos Demetriades’s book tells the inside story of the Cypriot crisis
Book notes: Respectable banking, by Anthony Hotson
Author’s sensible goal of “respectable banking” is admirable, but recommendations would not all help to achieve this
Book notes: How global currencies work, by Barry Eichengreen, Arnaud Mehl and Livia Chiţu
A comprehensive introduction to the history of global reserve currencies
Book notes: The End of Theory, by Richard Bookstaber
Bookstaber provides an entertaining introduction to agent-based modelling
Book notes: Money in the Great Recession, by Tim Congdon
A stimulating collection of papers on the monetarist theory that had central bankers in late 2008 focused on boosting the quantity of broad money “the Great Recession would not have happened”
Book notes: The Right Balance for Banks, by William Cline
Interesting analysis of optimal capital requirements for G-Sibs, examining whether Basel III requirements can stem another financial crisis
Book notes: Hole in the Wall, by James Shepherd-Barron
Cash machines have changed how cash is managed, but is there any future for such machines in cashless world?
Book notes: Econometrics as a Con Art, by Imad Moosa
Every central bank should have a copy of this interesting study, which holds common econometric practice under the microscope, writes Graham Bannock
Book notes: Advice & Dissent: My Life in Public Service, by YV Reddy
Engaging look into private life and career of former governor of Reserve Bank of India
Book notes: The Myth of Independence, by Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel
Politicians would do well to heed the authors’ lessons, but their economic analysis could be stronger, writes Niels Bünemann
Book notes: The Limits of the Market, by Paul de Grauwe
Concise analysis into how markets and governments react with one another, but surprising lack of economic thought history
Book notes: The Spider Network, by David Enrich
A thrilling exploration of one of the largest financial scandals in history
Book notes: The Tides of Capital, by Julia Leung
“Stimulating read” offers unique perspective on how Asian countries have developed, yet still have long way to go
Book notes: Can We Avoid Another Financial Crisis?, by Steve Keen
Steve Keen challenges “mainstream” economic thinking in this concise book
Book notes: Fed Up, by Danielle diMartino Booth
A “fascinating but annoying” account by US Fed insider who openly criticises culture of US central bank
Book notes: Crash Bang Wallop, by Iain Martin
A comprehensive study of the City of London and how it became the world’s leading financial centre prior to the financial crisis and the UK’s vote to leave the European Union
Book notes: Gaining Currency, by Eswar Prasad
A detailed study into the renminbi’s journey to becoming the reserve currency
Book notes: Bankers, Bureaucrats and Central Bank Politics, by Christopher Adolph
Analysis of those in charge of monetary policy decisions in advanced economies between 1950–2001, attempting to understand the role of personal background in decision-making
Book notes: Architects of the Euro, edited by Kenneth Dyson and Ivo Maes
Biographical study of 10 key players in development of EMU provides contrast to more historical analyses
Book notes: Competition and Stability in Banking, by Xavier Vives
The book highlights many important issues, but also has a few flaws
Book notes: The Nobel Factor, by Avner Offer and Gabriel Söderberg
The authors examine the politics behind the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
Book notes: The International Monetary Fund: Distinguishing Reality from Rhetoric, by Graham Bird and Dane Rowlands
Strong analysis is undermined by data that looks somewhat outdated