Crunch time : using and abusing Keynes to fight the twin crises of our era [book]

Author: Tony Kevin

"Australia today faces an existential challenge: how to manage simultaneously our two greatest national crises - the local effects of the global recession and global climate disruption. ... Argues that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is dealing with these twin crises inadequately, especially by comparison with how US President Barack Obama is tackling the same policy challenges in his nation." - page 1.

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Will China fail? : the limits and contradictions of market socialism [book]

Author: John Cheong Seong Lee / Centre for Independent Studies (Australia)

"Looks at the profound and mounting contradictions, tensions, and dysfunctions within Chinese economy and society and why the country's problems are getting worse. It also examines the impact of the global financial crisis on China's economy and assesses the Chinese Communist Party's response to the crisis." - cover.

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Does Europe Still Matter? (journal article)
By Oliver Marc Hartwich
From Policy Vol 25 Issue 2 Winter 2009, pp. 35-40.
“The article focuses on the economic weakness of Europe which is conceived to be a problem for Australia. According to the article, the European economy is disturb and its political system appears to be incompetent of enforcing the necessary changes. It is stated that the economy of the European Union, which is an important trading partner for Australia, could mean bad news for Australians and Europeans.”

The People factor : strengthening America by investing in public service [book]

Authors: Linda Bilmes & W. Scott Gould

Facing its greatest domestic challenges since the Great Depression, America is waking up to the realization that government is still important. In their new book, The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service, Harvard professor Linda J. Bilmes and IBM Vice President W. Scott Gould argue that the country cannot prosper without a strong, highly functioning federal work force to manage the government. The authors call for an investment of $10 billion to improve recruiting, training and management of the federal workforce predicting that investment will yield $300-$600 billion in productivity gains. Packed with cost and performance data as well as new research on what motivates applicants for government jobs, these former government executives provide a compelling business case for investing in the civil service so that it may better serve the nation. A must read for policy makers, civil servants and citizens who demand more from government.

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The State of Industrial Relations
Source: The Evatt Foundation
(This is from the introduction to the bnook, which is available in the library)
"The words that open this collection by Sidney and Beatrice Webb are suggestive of the context within which the work has been produced in several ways. In the first place, the Webbs remind us that the origins of the recent political struggle over the direction of the nation's industrial relations are very old. Although the debate was pursued in many terms, seen in the long view, at its heart, WorkChoices was another round in the age-old bid by employers to privilege individual over collective bargaining. What people usually mean by 'freedom of choice' in such contexts, the Webbs pointed out in 1894, 'is freedom of opportunity to use the power that they happen to possess; that is, to compel other less powerful people to accept their terms.' As they concluded, 'this sort of personal freedom in a community composed of unequal units is not distinguishable from compulsion.'"

Crisis management in a complex world [book]

Edited by Dawn R. Gilpin and Priscilla J. Murphy

"To what extent is it possible to control events and stakeholder responses to them in order to contain escalating crises or safeguard an organization's reputation? This volume addresses both scholars and high-level practitioners of public relations, organizational communication, and strategic management. Strongly cross disciplinary, the book draws on theories from communication, the physical sciences, and business. It invites controversy and ultimately aims to change the way people conceptualize and prepare for crises."

The powers to lead [book]

Author: Joseph S. Nye

A look at the nature of leadership in today's world, in a blend of history, business case studies and psychological research. The author observes that many now believe that the more authoritarian and coercive forms of leadership - the "hard power" approaches have been largely supplanted by "soft power" approaches that seek to attract, inspire, and persuade rather than dictate. Nye argues that the most effective leaders are those who combine hard and soft power skills. Drawing examples from the careers of leaders as disparate as Gandhi, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lee Iacocca, and George W.Bush, Nye uses the concept of smart power to shed light on such topics as leadership types and skills, the needs and demands of followers, and the nature of good and bad leadership in terms of both ethics and effectiveness."-