Something must be done, explain the authors, but governments will fail again unless they shake off the economic orthodoxy which is now one of the problems rather than the means to a solution. This book investigates the roots of the problem, both historically and theoretically. Dr Michael Hudson draws on archaeology and history, from Bronze Age Mesopotamia through Rome to Byzantium, to show how a destructive virus crept into the body politic. This led to a breakdown in man's relationship to the environment, and divided society into a wealthy ruling oligarchy and an impoverished majority. The welfare state seeks to …

In the two-and-a-half years since the first edition appeared, events have unfolded as predicted. In 2005, the consensus among forecasters was that the boom in house prices would cool to an annual 2 or 3 percent rise over the following years. In fact, in keeping with the winner’s curse phase of the cycle described by the author, prices rose by more than 10 percent per annum in Britain. Harrison’s first book, The Power in the Land, predicted the early 1990s recession. Boom Bust, warned that investing in property is not always a safe bet, because the market is subject to …

This book offers a radical revision of modern economic theory. Its starting point is the existing body of both micro and macro economics, as developed in such textbooks as Economics by Begg, Fischer and Dornbusch and Positive Economics by Lipsey and Chrystal. Following a similar framework to these books, it adjusts the whole range of theory by introducing some new concepts and other earlier ones that have been much neglected in the economic thought of the past century. These are related especially to the fundamental part played by land, in it proper sense of all natural resources available on the …

This historical analysis of the political and religious relationship of Britain and Spain, from 12th-century dynastic alliances to the Spanish support of the English-American invasion of Iraq, asserts that there have been many significant links between the two countries over the past 800 years. While England and Spain were rivals in the New World, British and Spanish troops fought side by side for causes of mutual concern during the Peninsular War, Spanish Civil War, and World War II. This bittersweet relationship has been fundamental to continental politics and the position of each country in the international realm.

In Eradicating Ecocide, international environment lawyer and activist Polly Higgins sets out to demonstrate in no uncertain terms how our planet is fast being destroyed by the activities of corporations and governments, facilitated by compromise laws that offer insufficient deterrence. She offers a solution that is radical but, as she explains with great competence and experience, absolutely necessary. The recent Mexican Gulf oil spill is a compelling reminder of the consequences of unchecked ecocide. Higgins advocates the introduction of a new international law against ecocide. It would become the 5th Crime Against Peace and would hold to account heads of …

This book offers the first comprehensive assessment of Tony Blair's premiership and his Third Way project. It reveals the hidden flaw in the market economy that explains why politicians of all parties cannot keep their grand promises. Blair promised to reform the Welfare State, the pact between people and their governments to abolish the evils of poverty and ignorance. Despite a record three election victories in a row, the gap between rich and poor widened. The reason, the author argues, is the method government relies on to raise taxes. Contrary to intention, the tax burden on low income earners increased, …

Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest Roman emperors, is remembered less for his military exploits than for his private reflections. His Meditations, as they became known, have been a major influence on Western thought and behaviour down through the centuries, proving that the pen is mightier than the sword. Seeking an alternative to faith-based religion, Alan Stedall came across the book and found rational answers to questions about the meaning and purpose of life that had been troubling him. Here too were answers to his concern that in the absence of moral beliefs based on religion, we risk creating a …

The country is in crisis. Unrest and inner city tensions feed on unemployment, and as the government struggles to contain the soaring debt, no one listens. Most are tired of PR-savvy words and tired of the blame game that poses as debate. Divisions in the Cabinet force the premier’s resignation. Because circumstances are too dire to afford the luxury of an election, the queen calls a meeting of the three main party leaders. Some days efore, the leader of the opposition received a letter that intrigued him. The writer had held little hope of making contact, but gave it one …

John Clare (1793-1864) was born at a time of great social upheaval, just months after the beheading of Louis XVI and the outbreak of war with France, which was to last until the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. He also lived through the upheavals of the land enclosure movement and agricultural revolution, which changed the face of the countryside and the way of life in rural England. His father was a farm worker who managed to pay for his son’s schooling, though this was cut short as conditions worsened, but Clare had by then learned to read and …

This authorised biography of poet Kathleen Raine tells the story of how she developed from a small girl, who knew at the age of eight that she wanted only to write poetry, into a world-renowned poet and literary scholar. Philippa Bernard follows Kathleen Raine’s struggle against the constrictions of her suburban childhood to her exciting days at Girton College in the 1920s, where she became friends with many brilliant writers, artists, and scientists, whose friendships lasted all her life. After a short marriage to Hugh Sykes Davies, she eloped with the poet Charles Madge to live in Blackheath, where two …

Beings from a distant planet impact the political, economic, and spiritual life of both Britain and the world in this tale that uses a touch of science fiction to explore human potential. Dealing with a suffering economy and rising inflation, the prime minister is a year into office and faces nothing but frustration. Then, visitors with impressive technological skills and an astonishingly tranquil presence arrive claiming to be from a distant world. This perceptive narrative lifts current political debate out of its rut when these aliens explain that, thanks in part to the wise Teachers of Earth, they have established …