The Economy Really Does Matter

Description

Brian Easton suggests that everyone agrees the ‘economy really does matter’ but too few seriously investigate the implications. His book ‘Not in Narrow Seas’: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand is a major contribution addressing this omission. Ittraverses the history of this country from the traditional Māori economy to the current government’s response to global warming. Divided into six parts: ‘Beginnings’, ‘Settlement’, ‘The Pastoral Economy’, ‘Postwar Prosperity and Change’, ‘Rogernomics’, and ‘Ongoings’, the author identifies major economic trends since the Second World War and challenges a number of national myths. The narrative includes attention to the environment, technical change, and globalisation as well as to the tensions between market and government.