economics-schools

Sorry, but i was disappointed. this book is just a cut-and-paste from all these firm's websites and recruiting brochures. There's nothing new here. I though other guides like the VaultReports guide on Consulting was a much better insider's look at the top consulting firms.

Quite simply, this book is an excellent review of the big vs. small, strategy vs. operations, and US vs. international consulting firms. It is the true source for consulting firm information.

Alien Invaders looks at one of our planet's most serious environmental problems: the problem of introduced species. In clear, well-documented text, the book describes in detail the history and catastrophic results of human transportation of non-native species. It also describes what we can do to help alleviate the problem. This book was names as a Best Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library and received the highest rating from SCIENCE BOOKS AND TAPES, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

I've been searching for an ideal business school guide for a while. I want something that will give me hard data (surveys, percentages, etc.), as well as the opinions of recruiters, graduates, and students of the school described... And while I found this Arco guide to be decent and informative, it certainly isn't ideal.

I picked up this guide primarily because of the interesting data it provided on each school. Aside from the traditional admissions/enrollment, costs, alumni success data, this book allows the schools the opportunity to rate their particular strengths and weaknesses. For example, schools will rate their programs in consulting, marketing, MIS, etc. as well as resources committed to that particular part of the program. The schools also get to rate their commitment to things like diversity and international perspectives (as well as resources devoted to those committments). You also get each school's rating (on a 3 point scale) on how important a role various admissions criteria--such as GPA, GMAT, experience, etc.--play in the admissions decisions. The evaluative data, while useful in its own right, is provided by the programs themselves and should be taken with a grain of salt.

In addition to these data, there is a decent, well-written and informative, but brief description of each school, its programs, setting, facilities, and opportunities.

The book is divided in two "sections." The first section (ch. 1-5) covers the general issues such as the MBA job market today, the MBA admissions process, etc.. While decently written and with some good points and information, educating the reader about all the intricacies of the MBA admissions process was clearly not the main goal of this book (if you're looking for general "how to apply" info, check out Montauk's "How to Get into Top MBA Programs").

The second section, the meat of the book, describes over 50 MBA programs in more or less detail. The US MBA programs are divided into three categories: Outstanding, Distinguished, and Recommended. A good amount of info is provided for the first two categories. The Recommended programs and the handful of international programs represented in their own separate section are given only cursory treatment. For info on international programs I'd turn to "Which MBA" published by the Economist magazine people.

To sum up this long winded review: This is a pretty decent guide with some unique information. However, I would recommend it only to those looking at the top 50 or so US programs.

The author of this book does an excellent job of explaining the development of Austrian economics in the US. Vaughn illustrates the importance of the Calculation and Capital debates, both in the development of the Austrian paradigm and in the decline of its reputation during the 1930's. Her views on Mises, Kirzner and Rothbard are bound to cause controversy, but she develops her critiques carefully. Vaughn explains Hayek's contributions clearly, and demonstrates the importance of his work on psychology and social theory to the Austrian paradigm. Vaughn also brings her readers up to date by discussing many of the most recent developments in Austrian economics. However, the most important contribution of this book is in her discussions of lesser-known Austrians. Vaughn gives Weiser the credit that he deserves for developing the concept of opportunity cost and for raising the issue of calculation under socialism. Vaughn also explores the ideas of one of the least understood and most mysterious figures in Austrian economics- Ludwig Lachmann. Vaughn's arguments against equilibrium theorizing and for process orientated paradigms are unlikely to bring about an immediate revolution in economic science, but her case is compelling.

After spending over (...) bucks, I hoped to find it worth the price. I wasn't disappointed. This is really a good book for the mature guy, ie. one who has a comprehensive statistical background and who wants to know about econometric time series. Unlike the American authors, the British usually do not fill their books with theorem and proof. I think student will find it more easy to read if it is in a theorem and proof approach. Other than that, it is clearly written and contains a lot of material. It is well organized with very few printing errors. This should be the entry level book on econometric time series --though not for student. This is one of the best econometric/time series books I ever bought and read. It is (...) but worth it.

Hans-Hermann Hoppe (1949- ) is a philosopher and economist writing in the "classical" Austrian tradition, which is to say in the tradition of Mises and Rothbard. He is also one of the most creative thinkers in that tradition. (His work, Democracy: The God that Failed, is a brilliant extension of Austrian thought into the realm of politics.)

This little work (which is a collection of some stuff previously printed) provides a good introduction to and defense of Austrian methodology. The question is this: what is the status of the laws and principles of economics? Are principles such as "the law of marginal utility" everywhere and on all occasions true, or are they empirical generalizations subject to falsification? Mises - writing in the tradition of Kant and Leibniz - argued that the principles of economics are a priori. Misesian methodology therefore falls within the Kantian and rationalist tradition. (Hoppe rejects the interpretation of Kant given by Rand as "arrogant ignorance.) Economics, according to Mises, is closer to disciplines such as logic and mathematics than it is to the natural sciences. In his defense of the Austrian method, Prof. Hoppe provides brief but useful critiques of empiricism, historicism, and relativism.

Mises's central works in this area are Human Action, Epistemological Problems of Economics, Theory and History, and The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science.

This book does much to advance the marginalist-subjectivist paradigm in economics. Most economists treat time trivially in their analysis. Some, like Gary Becker, correctly recognize the need to examine how people allocate the only non-renewable resource- time. The Becker approach uses static equilibrium models to address this issue. This represents an advance over the rest of mainstream analysis, but holds the data that people acquire through time constant. This makes convergence on equilibrium conditions possible, if not certain.

Following the work of Mises and Hayek, the authors of this book examine the implications of how knowledge develops through time. As people interact, they learn and change data relevant to their economic plans. We learn and create knowledge simultaneously, and do this differently depending upon the choices we make. Consequently, convergence on equilibrium conditions in markets is not inevitable, and may not even be possible. This makes the concepts of 'real time' and 'ignorance' that the authors discuss relevant to all economics analysis.

This allows us to consider information problems other than second best rational ignorance. We not only know that we do not know some things. We face gaps in our data concerning what we consider finding out about.

This does not mean that equilibrating forces do not exist. It means only that we must consider open ended processes in markets. This is not a new proposition. Adam Smith, the founder of economics as a distinct discipline, thought in evolutionary and process orientated terms.

If there is anything wrong with this book, it is that the authors might be a little too dismissive of conventional economics. Conventional notions of supply, demand, and equilibrium help us to understand economics more than the authors will admit. This approach simplifies many real world complexities. The static approach is not entirely unreal, and does contain enough reality to play an important role in economic analysis. Mainstream economists should, however, be mindful of the extent to which static optimization models fail to explain real world phenomena.

This book was my first exploration into the Frankfurt School; although it immediately struck a chord within me, I was unprepared for the scholarly vocabularly (classic sociology, etc.) expected of the reader. Advice to the bold, impetuous novice: if you read this book, begin with the essays themselves, not the editors' introductions.

Great tips, but extremely overpriced. Check it out from the library

An analysis and expose of business schools and their flaws, with a prescription for directions that they should take. Essentially written as an exposé and an entertainment, with something of the breathless 'gee whiz' quality that seems to go with the genre. At the same time, it marshals a formidable body of facts and opinion in support of its thesis and is challenging and thought-provoking. It should certainly give those connected with business schools some cause for reflection.

The main thesis is that Business Schools have lost their way as educators or contributors to the art of management, while continuing to run a profitable, though often inefficient business. The main beneficiaries are the alumni who are able to wave the icon of an MBA to attract large rewards, although there is little evidence that they perform better as managers than those without the label. They in turn support the business schools with contributions, thereby completing a mutually beneficial reinforcing loop.

The authors go into some length on the fallacies of the case study method, which remains the favoured teaching method. Among the critical fallacies are:

the fallacy that there is a 'right answer'

the fallacy that the sorts of financial and analytical data typically provided give an sufficiently complete insight into the dynamics of the issue (the neglect of the human element)

the fallacy that the professor 'knows' and the student 'learns' (an issue that is discussed at great length and with great pungency in Vaill: Learning as a Way of Being)

the fallacy that working with a series of case studies has much to do with the critical skill of preparing for life-long learning (see, among others, Cunningham, Ian: The Wisdom of Strategic Learning)

The authors argue that 'the end result is that top managers are notably dysfunctional when it comes to personal skills' and that many are notably poor at learning. 'Despite Argyris' work and insights, business schools have nurtured a faith in problem solving.'

Interesting and often entertaining though the analysis is, the most important substance in the book is in the last two chapters, which look to the future. The authors argue that the advance of technology (including the capacity for various forms of distance learning and electronic integration of learning with work), plus the turbulence that is forcing business to recognise the centrality of continuous learning and knowledge acquisition provide two powerful drivers of change. Business schools must stop regarding themselves as the sole preserve of knowledge and learning and must become part of networks of learning.