Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jared Bernstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Is Social Security really going bust, and what does that mean to me? If I hire an immigrant, am I hurting a native-born worker? How much can presidents really affect economic outcomes? Why does the stock market go up when employment declines? What's a "living wage?" Why do I feel so squeezed?

If you'd like to know the answers to these questions, premier economist Jared Bernstein is here to help. In "Crunch" he answers these as well as dozens of others he has fielded from working Americans by email, on blogs, and at events where he speaks. Chances are if there's a stumper you've always wanted to ask an economist, it's solved in this book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. According to economist and author Bernstein (All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy), the endless parade of economic legislation and corporate criminality that keep the rich getting richer are all a direct product of economic knowledge being monopolized and manipulated by the rich, keeping the middle and lower classes woefully unprepared to understand, much less stand up to, the economic forces aligned against them. Fortunately, this accessible overview should clear things up for even the most befogged reader. Answering questions from an average American perspective-"the ones in the vise grip of the crunch"-Bernstein explains murky topics like health care reform, minimum wage laws, the Federal Reserve, immigration and budget deficits with a clear, friendly manner that sidesteps any scholarly (and/or sinister) obfuscation. His progressive "we're all in this togther" philosophy, though seemingly familiar, is backed up with enough data and savvy to illuminate what's wrong in the dominant "self-reliance" narrative of American political discourse. This down-to-earth, populist guide to the pressing economic issues of our time is a clarifying, useful and empowering resource.
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Review

No mere populist rant, Crunch is organized as a broad primer on U.S. economics that uses inequality as a starting point for understanding this wider subject. Bernstein's concise explanations of issues like unemployment and health care expenses are meaty and engaging, offering laypeople tangible insight into how the economy functions and what it takes to ensure that those who make it work also share its rewards. -- Utne, Book Review, May-June 2008

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1st edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576754774
• ISBN-13: 978-1576754771
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #670,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The goal of my work is to help build a much more equitable economy in this country. As a DC-based economist in the heart of the national debate, I've watched this goal take a beating by an evolving philosophy I call YOYO ("you're on your own") economics.

In contrast, I propose a WITT ("we're in this together") agenda which aims to revitatlize a much more optimistic set of options to meet the challenges we face.

I've tried to tell this story in plain language in all that I do and I hope it resonates with you.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Powerful, March 31, 2008

By 

J. D. Williams (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Finally - a book about the economy for non-economists! Jared Bernstein's clear and compelling approach to economic mysteries is a breath of fresh air amidst an atmosphere stagnant with jargon and so-called experts convoluting the issues. Crunch takes the spin out of statistics and explains what all those numbers really mean - and how politicians and the media can use (and misuse) them for political purposes.

The book is structured around the author's answers to real questions from real people, which I greatly appreciated, having asked many of those questions myself and never before received a satisfactory answer. Crunch is truly inspirational - not only do we all have the ability to understand complex economic principles, but we have the power to see through media hype and make our own decisions about the best policies to get our flailing economy back on track.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars clear tools for understanding where we are and where we're headed, May 1, 2008

By 

old timer (san diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Having long ago forgotten my college economics, I've been trying to make sense of the current talk of recession and the various stimulus proposals put out by politicians. Something about the viewpoint expressed by cable news pundits and economic leaders hasn't added up for me, but I couldn't articulate why. Jared Bernstein can and did in his book Crunch. In clear language, he explains how the current squeeze happened and gives the tools for evaluating how various issues--social security, globalization, immigration, and more--affect my pocketbook and what would move us towards, or away from, a fair society.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is Power, April 30, 2008

By 

J. Charles (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Went to see Jared Bernstein speak last Saturday and left feeling surprisingly uplifted despite the doom-and-gloom economic analysis. Being a member of the middle class myself, I can fully endorse his description of the "crunch" and I am already a firm believer that wealth distribution is a core problem in our society -so I wasn't expecting more than an endorsement of what I already believe. However, I came away feeling energized by his organizing theme that with knowledge we can "rechannel the power of economic analysis back to the service of those who need it most: the ones in the vise grip of the crunch." He has a great command of the telling economic detail & certainly gave me fact-fodder for a dozen arguments with 'fiscally conservative' relatives - but I found his interweaving of economic and policy ideas to be particularly compelling. Plus, his enthusiasm for his subject and his sincerity are infectious - so I bought the book. It hasn't disappointed. A well-written, easy to digest analysis with compelling arguments on every page. I'm ready to "rechannel the power."