{"product_id":"9781554686230","title":"The Value Of Nothing","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Value Of Nothing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Raj Patel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe bestselling book by the author of \u003cem\u003eStuffed and Starved\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs retirement funds shrink, savings disappear and houses are foreclosed on, now is a good time to ask a question for which every human civilization has had an answer: why do things cost what they do? \u003cem\u003eThe Value of Nothing\u003c\/em\u003etracks down the reasons through history, philosophy, neuroscience and sociology, showing why prices are always at odds with the true value of the things that matter most to us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDamien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull sold for a record $100 million at auction. But if we account for the possibility that blood diamonds were used (as many suspect), the human cost is even greater. A Big Mac might seem like the best deal in these economic times, but after analyzing the energy to produce each burger, from field to Happy Meal, Patel argues the real price tag is a whopping $200. But it is easiest to see the gap between price and value by looking at things that are so-called free. Examining everything from Google to TV, from love to thoughts, \u003cem\u003eThe Value of Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e reveals the hidden social consequences of our global culture of “freedom.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e“This is Raj Patel’s great gift: he makes even the most radical ideas seem not only reasonable, but inevitable. A brilliant book.”\u003cbr\u003eWith epic scope, \u003cem\u003eThe Value of Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e poses a spirited exploration. . . . [A] challenging and important book.”\u003cbr\u003e“Through a shrewd and absorbing discussion, Patel exposes the flaws in the model of the world in which people are . . . prepared to override their own better judgment in service of their selfish natures.”\u003cbr\u003e“As we confront the crisis in the worldview of orthodox economics, Raj Patel offers us a whole new way to think about price and value. Bracingly written and full of surprises, \u003cem\u003eThe Value of Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e is itself invaluable, showing us a path out of the darkness of the economic woods.”\u003cbr\u003e“Patel (\u003cem\u003eStuffed and Starved\u003c\/em\u003e) aims to shake readers out of complacent acceptance of the free-market economy, which has recently gone awry, with devastating consequences.”\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Value of Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e, is not high on either governments or 21st-century capitalism. He makes a compelling case that matters have gotten so out of whack that, rather than staying the economic course that landed us on the rocks, we need to closely reevaluate doing business as usual.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781554686230\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":41094653280462,"sku":"9781554686230","price":14.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/9781554686230.jpg?v=1649214929","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781554686230","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}