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Daniel W. Drezner

The Ideas Industry: How Pessimists, Partisans, and Plutocrats are Transforming the Marketplace of Ideas. 1st Edition

by Daniel Drezner (Author)

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The public intellectual, as a person and ideal, has a long and storied history. Writing in venues like the New Republic and Commentary, such intellectuals were always expected to opine on a broad array of topics, from foreign policy to literature to economics. Yet in recent years a new kind of thinker has supplanted that archetype: the thought leader. Equipped with one big idea, thought leaders focus their energies on TED talks rather than highbrow periodicals.
How did this shift happen? In The Ideas Industry, Daniel W. Drezner points to the roles of political polarization, heightened inequality, and eroding trust in authority as ushering in the change. In contrast to public intellectuals, thought leaders gain fame as single-idea merchants. Their ideas are often laudable and highly ambitious: ending global poverty by 2025, for example. But instead of a class composed of university professors and freelance intellectuals debating in highbrow magazines, thought leaders often work through institutions that are closed to the public. They are more immune to criticism--and in this century, the criticism of public intellectuals also counts for less.

Three equally important factors that have reshaped the world of ideas have been waning trust in expertise, increasing political polarization and plutocracy. The erosion of trust has lowered the barriers to entry in the marketplace of ideas. Thought leaders don't need doctorates or fellowships to advance their arguments. Polarization is hardly a new phenomenon in the world of ideas, but in contrast to their predecessors, today's intellectuals are more likely to enjoy the support of ideologically friendly private funders and be housed in ideologically-driven think tanks. Increasing inequality as a key driver of this shift: more than ever before, contemporary plutocrats fund intellectuals and idea factories that generate arguments that align with their own. But, while there are certainly some downsides to the contemporary ideas industry, Drezner argues that it is very good at broadcasting ideas widely and reaching large audiences of people hungry for new thinking. Both fair-minded and trenchant, The Ideas Industry will reshape our understanding of contemporary public intellectual life in America and the West.

ISBN-10

0190264608
ISBN-13

978-0190264604
Edition

1st
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

April 3, 2017
Language

English
Dimensions

9.3 x 1.2 x 6.4 inches
Print length

360 pages
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Anand Giridharadas
2,998
Paperback
130 offers from $2.01

Editorial Reviews

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"Drezner is a lively and engaging writer...Throughout the book he is balanced and measured, recognizing that the new era comes with benefits as well as drawbacks." -- Nikita Lalwani and Sam Winter-Levy, Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Daniel Drezner is Professor of International Politics at Tufts University and a regular contributor to the Washington Post. Along with having one of the most heavily trafficked blogs in the world of academia, he is also the author of The System Worked; Theories of International Relations and Zombies; All Politics is Global; and The Sanctions Paradox.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (April 3, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190264608
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190264604
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 1.2 x 6.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,023,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #350 in Media & Internet in Politics (Books)
- #900 in Globalization & Politics
- #3,197 in Communication & Media Studies

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4.0 86 ratings

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Daniel W. Drezner

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Daniel W. Drezner is professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Prior to Fletcher, he taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has previously held positions with Civic Education Project, the RAND Corporation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and received fellowships from the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Harvard University. He received his B.A. in political economy from Williams College and an M.A. in economics and Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University. Drezner is the author of four books -- most recently, Theories of International Politics and Zombies -- and the editor of two others. He has published articles in numerous scholarly journals as well as in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The New Republic, and Foreign Affairs. Time magazine named Drezner's blog as one of the best in 2012. For more about Drezner and his work, visit his website at www.danieldrezner.com.

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Chris

How Ideas Make it into the public space ... worth your time but not immediately of use

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 12, 2017

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Long stream of consciousness re the book. Feel free to not read. Some of this is musing about the past.

This is an interesting, easily readable book. It is not a fountain of wisdom on what "should be" however, it is reasonably balanced assessment from an academic. The book inventories sources of policy ideas, in particular focusing on the role of academia as experts. The section on think tanks is interesting, brought back memories, McKinsey both praised and panned. Other think tanks are portrayed positively/negatively (Tetlock’s analyses on accuracy of “experts” for forecasting are incisive … experts less accurate than amateurs … references Superforecasting but "Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?" is the book to get). Drezner explains Heritage Foundation, how it went downhill after DeMint took over moving to ideological instead of pursuit of intellectual rigor in advancement of ideas. He explains that ideological polarization has come to universities however, still advocates professors entering into the public ideas game, being the foxes in the Berlin parable in contrast to TED talkers and idea evangelists who are hedgehogs capably pushing their one idea (Tetlock offers detailed histories and data for how the hedgehogs fail, fixated on the one thing they are "experts").

A example from my past of pushing the 1 big idea is a professor turned consultant pushing a "new" methodology, actually a warmed over version of Porter’s work, new packaging. It was obvious he had no idea how to operationalize it, learning from his clients, not an uncommon consultant practice. Some of the orthodoxy was unusable but company staff plugged on, doing what they were told. This was during the heady days of mid 1990's re-engineering and "revolutionary" management thinking. Reading this book brought back the memory of evangelism triumphing over common sense.

Among other things, this is a survey of how new ideas on public policy are brought forth. Denzer goes on to describe major policy "thought leader types", with significant criticisms surrounding each. Then he launches into an exposition on whether the ideas industry “works”. There is a discussion of the business side, more detailed on Clayton Christensen and the theory of disruption ... including how “disruption” hit a pothole with criticisms about whether it was well founded and its (in)applicability outside of business.

Second last short chapter is on tweeting, retweeting, online debates. Interesting anecdotes, not insights you can use. Last one is a recap of views found throughout the book. The book is readable because filled with real stories to illustrate points, sometimes more than needed, entertaining throughout.

It's worth your time but don't look for anything you can put to immediate use.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

If You Worry About Ideas, Read This Book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2017

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I found about this book from a friend who was reading it at a conference (where else? Drezner would add). I took a detour and read his Theories of International Relations and Zombies first because my seven year old grandson is between his zombie and star wars phases.

The Ideas Industry is not as funny but it is even more insightful. I write it as someone who is on the fringes of the world he writes about and, at times, hopes to be closer to its center. After reading this thought provoking book, I'm happier being on the fringes.

Drezner does a terrific job of outlining the way organizations like AEI, Brookings, and the Carnegie Endowment work (all of which I can see out my office window). He also does a terrific job of laying out the strengths and weaknesses of what he calls public intellectuals and thought leaders.

I really recommend the book, first, because I don't agree with all of his conclusions, especially his criticisms of "disruptive" thought leaders like Clayton Christensen. However--and this is the key--he made me think. Here, in particular, he talks about the so-called Overton Window that essentially defines what the ideas industry and the rest of us think should be at the heart of the public policy debate. He opened mine a bit more.

I really recommend it, second, because of the last chapter. Rarely do last chapters of books add much. This one does. It has much of the wit I found in zombies and, more importantly, a lot more self-reflection and self-awareness than one normally finds in books by or about the ideas industry. And, he draws heavily on one of my favorite books that he also takes very seriously, Kathryn Schulz's Being Wrong.

I've never met Drezner, but I hope to so he can talk about zombies with my grandson, and he and I can have fun discussing being wrong. I'm not sure which conversation will be more fun.

7 people found this helpful

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La Yhadira

A Meaningful Analysis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2021

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Intellectuals are beyond the snare of corporate interests -- this is one of the most enduring beliefs in American culture. However, Thomas Sowell -- and, ironically, several other intellectuals -- have been challenging this assumption for decades, outlining in excruciating detail the corporatization of intellectual work and the political kickbacks that undergird many intellectual endeavors in and out of academia. This book is a happy addition to the existing literature on what many have dubbed Intellectuals Inc.

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David S. Wellhauser

A middle-of-the-road analysis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 27, 2017

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This was an interesting book that started out well. The idea of the public intellectual and the thought leader as juxtaposed to one another was really quite interesting. But then it devolved into an analysis of thought Leaders with only a little bit of attention paid to public intellectuals. As a result we have a book that is more about thought leaders than anything else. Perhaps this is the way it should be, perhaps this is the only way it could be. However, this book is less interesting for the fact that it is mostly about thought Leaders with little or no attention paid to public intellectuals.

11 people found this helpful

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Will Lee

Entertaining and informative

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 10, 2017

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The main thing I got out of this book is that it is excellent for becoming familiar with the modern actors and entities in international affairs within the US. It mentions several important people and institutions in the field of IR and gives a great summary on their applicability. Otherwise the book presents very fun and interesting points of contention. The entire time I was reading this book I couldn't help but get excited to read more IR literature afterwards, as well as follow a few more interesting twitter pages to become more familiar with the domestic ideas industry

7 people found this helpful

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Oxinsox

Three Stars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on August 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

An interesting book, but too much repetition.

Irene Alonso

Almost what I hoped for

Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on October 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a insightful book. The writing is engaging and the ideas both original and deep. I hoped for a bit more developed conceptual frameowork about the Ideas Industry and the Marketplace of Ideas, but I liked anyway. I will recommend it..

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Lyndon

Outstanding read

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on September 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

A great read for every intellectual who plays in this ideas industry. We all have a lot to learn from the modern ideas industry, possibility influence and improve it. Some great insight into what promises to be a prophetic voice of the future of Ideas so to say.

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