Waubonsee Community College

Finance and the good society, Robert J. Shiller

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-272) and index

index present

non fiction

Finance and the good society

bibliography

761851056

Robert J. Shiller

Argues that finance should be defined not merely as the manipulation of money or the management of risk but as the stewardship of society's assets, and that new ways to rechannel financial creativity to benefit society as a whole are neededThe reputation of the financial industry could hardly be worse than it is today in the painful aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. New York Times best-selling economist Robert Shiller is no apologist for the sins of finance--he is probably the only person to have predicted both the stock market bubble of 2000 and the real estate bubble that led up to the subprime mortgages meltdown. But in this important and timely book, Shiller argues that, rather than condemning finance, we need to reclaim it for the common good. He makes a powerful case for recognizing that finance, far from being a parasite on society, is one of the most powerful tools we have for solving our common problems and increasing the general well-being. We need more financial innovation--not less--and finance should play a larger role in helping society achieve its goals. Challenging the public and its leaders to rethink finance and its role in society, Shiller argues that finance should be defined not merely as the manipulation of money or the management of risk but as the stewardship of society's assets. He explains how people in financial careers--from CEO, investment manager, and banker to insurer, lawyer, and regulator--can and do manage, protect, and increase these assets. He describes how finance has historically contributed to the good of society through inventions such as insurance, mortgages, savings accounts, and pensions, and argues that we need to envision new ways to rechannel financial creativity to benefit society as a whole

Chief executive officers -- Investment managers -- Bankers -- Investment bankers -- Mortgage lenders and securitizers -- Traders and market makers -- Insurers -- Market designers and financial engineers -- Derivatives providers -- Lawyers and financial advisers -- Lobbyists -- Regulators -- Accountants and auditors -- Educators -- Public goods financiers -- Policy makers in charge of stabilizing the economy -- Trustees and nonprofit managers -- Philanthropists -- Finance, mathematics, and beauty -- Categorizing people : financiers versus artists and other idealists -- An impulse for risk taking -- An impulse for conventionality and familiarity -- Debt and leverage -- Some unfortunate incentives to sleaziness inherent in finance -- The significance of financial speculation -- Speculative bubbles and their costs to society -- Inequality and injustice -- Problems with philanthropy -- The dispersal of ownership of capital -- The great illusion : then and now