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The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy (Paperback)

The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy Cover Image
By Yanis Varoufakis, Paul Mason (Foreword by)
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Description


In this provocative book, Yanis Varoufakis—the fiery former finance minister in Greek’s new Syriza-led government—explodes the myth that financialization, ineffective regulation of banks, and generalized greed and globalization were the root causes of the global economic crisis. Rather, he shows, they are symptoms of a much deeper malaise, one that can be traced all the way back to the Great Depression, then through the stagflation of the 1970s, when a “Global Minotaur” was born. Today’s deepening crisis in Europe, Varoufakis shows, is just one of the inevitable signs of the weakening Minotaur—of a global system that is now as unsustainable as it is unbalanced. Rather than simply diagnose a problem, however, Varoufakis also offers a solution, a program for introducing reason into what has become a perniciously irrational economic order.

An essential, powerfully polemical account of the hidden histories that continue to shape our world and economy today, this book from a major player on the stage of world finance, and with a new introduction by Paul Mason, will be essential reading for economists, policy makers, and regular citizens alike.

About the Author


Yanis Varoufakis was the Greek Minister of Finance and an MP for Syriza. He was also professor of economics at the University of Athens and visiting professor at the University of Texas.

Praise For…


"The emerging rock-star of Europe's anti-austerity uprising."
— Daily Telegraph

"The book is one of those exceedingly rare publications of which one can say they are urgent, timely and absolutely necessary."
— Terry Eagleton

"Varoufakis is a rare economist: skilled at explaining ideas, happy to join in public debates and able to put his discipline in a broader context."
— Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian

"Yanis is one of the best, brightest and most innovative economists on the planet."
— Steve Keen, author of Debunking Economics

"Clearly and strongly written, with logical organization building towards simple conclusions, the book is an easy yet rewarding read ... perhaps should become the standard way we think about the nature of our increasingly dysfunctional world economy."
— Joel Campbell, International Affairs

"In the most comprehensive guide to the contemporary economic crisis yet written, Varoufakis traces out the path from post-war US economic supremacy to the current predicament. This book's provocative thesis, written in lively and impassioned prose, is that neither the US nor the EU nor any other nation can now restore robust global growth. Whether you agree or disagree, this book's lively and impassioned prose will engage you both heart and mind, and hold you in thrall to the last word. The Global Minotaur is a masterwork that registers for all time the challenge of our time."
— Gary Dymski, University of California, Riverside

"If you want to know how serious the current crisis is, you should read his book. With much eloquence, Yanis Varoufakis argues that the current financial problems are connected to the emerging fault lines of the international monetary system. The US (the Minotaur) used to govern the international monetary system, but no more; and this crucially means that there is no surplus recycling mechanism that can reliably stabilise the world economy. The elephant in the room, so to speak, is a stumbling Minotaur."
— Shaun Hargreaves-Heap, University of East Anglia

Product Details
ISBN: 9781783606108
ISBN-10: 178360610X
Publisher: Zed Books
Publication Date: July 15th, 2015
Pages: 304
Language: English