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Robert B. Reich
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The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for 21st Century Capitalism Paperback – February 1, 1992

by Robert B. Reich (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 52 ratings
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There is no longer such a thing as an American economy, say Robert Reich at the beginning of this brilliant book.  What does it mean to be a nation when money, goods, and services know no borders?  What skills will be the most valuable in the coming century? And how can our country best ensure that all its citizen have a share in the new global economy?  Robert B. Reich, the widely respected and bestselling author of The Next American Frontier and The Resurgent Liberal, defines the real challenge facing the United States in the 21st century in this trail-blazing book.  Original, readable, and vastly informed, The Work of Nations is certain to set a standard for the next generation of policy-makers.

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  1. Print length
    331 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 1, 1992
  4. Dimensions
    5.19 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0679736158
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0679736158
  7. See all details
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4.5 out of 5 stars
52 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jmcgow
    5.0 out of 5 stars Too bad Reich's recommendations for fixes have zero chance of being ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Although written at the end of the last century, this book explains why Sander and Trump now. The income disparity between the upper cognitive class and the rapidly declining middle class has led to anger that is now emerging in politics. Lesser skilled workers are disenchanted with both parties and are looking for a seismic change in politics. Too bad Reich's recommendations for fixes have zero chance of being implemented by the government.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Stewart E. White
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Life-Changer
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Yes. This is one of those few books that has the power to expand your awareness of how the pieces of society fit together to the point of discomfort. Yet, once I had begun to read it, I could not put it down. It is a treasure!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Sam Smooth
    4.0 out of 5 stars The future is complex but favors and pays those that make it seem easy or simple.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I have the gist of this book but gave away my only copy so I bought another. Totally logical wha't being said about knowledge and info work now that we have competition and computers. I want to be a symbolic analyst.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Brant l
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great, very fast.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very fast, item as described.
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  • RKAZ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Ahead of his time.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Pumpkin King
    3.0 out of 5 stars Investing in people
    Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2001
    Robert Reich is interested in labor. Not surprising. He's a former Secretary of Labor under Clinton's administration. He begins by telling us that corporations have lost their national identity. In other words, almost all American and foreign corporations consist of employees, investors, and machinery that are located all over the world, and so the traditional view that American economic progress being directly related to the profitability of American firms is no longer valid. So what then should be the economic goals of the state?
    Three types of workers exist in Reich's thinking: routine producers, in-person servers, and symbolic analysts. Reich shows evidence that the symbolic analysts, who "solve, identify, and broker problems by manipulating symbols," are the winners in this age. The workers who are educated and can use their knowledge to supply a service will get the highest incomes. Those who have no knowledge to sell, who are engaged in routine jobs in factories or in-person servers such as waiters and cashiers will be left behind them.
    So Reich proposes that education is of great importance, and devotes two chapters to "The Education of the Symbolic Analyst." It doesn't matter whether or not American firms, if definable, prosper. It is in the long term interests of the American people for the people to learn and be able to use that knowledge. If foreign firms come and employ Americans, good. The workers will still be Americans, and they will learn stuff in the process.
    But not all Americans can be symbolic analysts, and perhaps not all symbolic analysts can be well off. Reich's main concern seems to be income inequality and the social attitudes of the symbolic analysts. He feels that we have lost a sense of national community as more and more symbolic analysts, who earn the most income, become less dependent upon the other workers who earn much less. If those who are fortunate do not feel obligated to those who are not, then what does that mean for America as a whole?
    I don't feel that I gained much new information in reading this work. And though I read with interest, the economic arguments are not clearly stated (understandably, as this is written for the public). So, many claims were made and they make sense given the data and reasoning he provides, but it isn't a sturdy enough work for me to give more than three stars. Robert Reich takes a liberal view, but I disagree with other reviews that this book is drivel. One review comments on how the rich deserve to be rich for working hard and the poor, it is implied, are lazy and deserve to be somehow punished by low wages. Income disparity is a concern. Whether or not Reich's argument is sound and his data accurate, there is nothing wrong in sympathizing with the poor or thinking that government might serve some purpose in aiding them. There is much that is wrong in making general assumptions about the behavior of the poor and what they deserve. Another review says that Reich advocates strategic trade in which "we ought to use tariffs and subsidies to increase American firms' market shares in their fields." Reich does advocate subsidies to help the work force gain advanced skills, but he says, "it would draw no distinctions based on the nationalities of the firm's shareholders or top executives." Such subsidies would have little to do with "American firms," a notion he spends the first half of the book trying to erase.
    Not great, not bad. Pick it up if you're interested in these topics.
    29 people found this helpful
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  • LIN LI
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    interesting book
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  • Taparaho
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic economic model for the Global Economy
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 1999
    Many of us outside of the manufacturing sector have not yet seen the changes that the global economy has in store for us.
    In his economic model, Reich points out the "vestigial thought" of the American corporation -- which today consider themselves "global" with no ties to its home country. His point is that America as a nation should welcome foreign investment if it will provide jobs to Americans. The global economy, as he models, is comprised on global webs, with knowledge workers with ideas in the center, surrounded by support services that add global economic value and bring concepts and products to fruition.
    He also segments labor in the global economy into three catagories. Symbolic Analysts (or knowledge workers) who have the greatest chances for success, in-person services which are not readily suceptable to downward wage pressures, and routine producers which have already seen jobs shipped overseas to totalitarian areas with low wages.
    More important than his global economic model is the subtlties that lie deep within the text. At first glance these may be missed, but a careful study reaveals several important caveats.
    First that the global economy will likely mean less social mobility to the majority, with an ever increasing inequality in the distribution of wealth: Hence, the end of the middle class. This means that in a global economy, there may not be enough jobs paying living wages to support our already declining standards of living.
    Second, Reich points out the improbability of of everyone becoming sybolic analysts -- which is evidence on the growing population of people today who can not even perform basic skills. He refers to a study by William Julias Wilson, writen in "When Work Dissapears."
    Third, that as the rich get richer and further segment themselves from others, there will less of a connection between them and the poor -- a defacto end to the trickle-down economic theory. They also will continue having their own schools, private services etc, (their own private government) furthering the rift. He points out that the government has to take a careful approach to these people so as not to make them leave the U.S., taking with them the economy that revolves around them.
    Reich half-heartedly makes a few suggestions about investing in training, education, and healthcare as a means of giving all people an equal economic opportunity, but that also may be "vestigial thought."
    27 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cupcakequeen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Great book, really enjoyed readying Reich’s extremely interesting observations. Despite being rather out of date now (1991) it’s still highly insiteful into the mechanics of bro liberal economies.
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  • 底辺DD
    5.0 out of 5 stars 素晴らしい本
    Reviewed in Japan on July 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    僕が最初に読んだ経済書が「クルーグマン教授の経済学入門」で本書と同じ時期に原著は発表されていますが、クルーグマンの本が抽象性が高くて上位三割向けの内容だとすると、本書は歴史的な事実をキッチリと解説していて本当の意味での経済入門書だと思います。
    シンボリックアナリストの「具体的」な分析とか日本の教育制度のダメな部分をキッチリ指摘していて今日から見ても全く色褪せない。
    クルーグマン・・・フェミニズムの経済理論
    とすれば
    ライシュ・・・マスキュリズムの経済理論
    と言っても良いかも。

    最初に取った本が逆だったら僕も頭が混乱せずに済んだのにな～。
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Great
    Report
  • Vir ENDRA
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good service. Received before scheduled date.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I had read it before. I wanted to have a copy.
    Report