Person
Every book Jillian Tett recommended on podcasts
Jillian Tett appears as a guest on programs like The Ezra Klein Show, where she is introduced and speaks as an insightful economic and financial analyst with a deep background in anthropology and global affairs. Her commentary often bridges traditional financial markets with broader societal structures, demonstrating an analytical approach that looks far beyond standard mainstream economic viewpoints. During her podcast discussions, Tett recommended and reviewed several foundational and non-mainstream texts designed to shed light on contemporary global challenges. She recommended Albert Hirschman's National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade from 1945, noting that while out of fashion, it provides crucial insight into modern global power dynamics. She also highlighted David Graeber's Debt: The First 5,000 Years for its long-term historical perspective on debt systems and power. Furthermore, Tett pointed listeners to Matthew Engelke's How to Think Like an Anthropologist as a concise introduction to the discipline's core ideas, and mentioned John Maynard Keynes's The Economic Consequences of the Peace, advising readers to focus on its insightful first third. Through these selections, Tett emphasizes the importance of historical depth, anthropological insight, and heterodox economic thinking in understanding the complex political and financial realities of the modern world.
Books recommended by Jillian Tett
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National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade
National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade by Albert Hirschman is an economic study analyzing how international trade patterns influence global political power and dependency.
Recommended“so the first one I'd recommend is Albert hershman's National Power and the structure of foreign trade um from 1945 which is something that's gone completely out of fashion in recent years but shed a lot of light on where we are today”
Where to get it
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Debt
Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber is a sweeping historical and anthropological critique that examines the origins of debt, monetary systems, and credit across millennia, arguing that financial obligations have consistently served as instruments of political power.
Recommended“and I'd recommend another book which is David graber's debt the first 5,000 years which looks at what you do with debt system systems from a very long-term perspective and makes a point about the fact that debt is always about power”
Where to get it
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How to Think Like an Anthropologist
How to Think Like an Anthropologist by Matthew Engelke is an accessible introduction to the core concepts, methods, and theoretical perspectives of anthropology, designed to help readers understand human culture and social behavior.
Recommended“if you want to get a very quick take on what anthropology is there's a book by Matthew Angel called think like an anthropologist that summarizes some of the key ideas in anthropology”
Where to get it
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A Dictionary of Chinese-Japanese Words in the Japanese Language
A Dictionary of Chinese-Japanese Words in the Japanese Language by John Harrington Gubbins is a specialized linguistic reference work documenting Sino-Japanese vocabulary.
Recommended“I would recommend John Min Kan The Economic Consequences of the piece um which just read the first third the last two thirds not worth reading”
Where to get it
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National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade, by Albert O. Hirschman
National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade by Albert O.
Recommended“um so the first one I'd recommend is Albert hershman's National Power and the structure of foreign trade um from 1945 which is something that's gone completely out of fashion in recent years but shed a lot of light on where we are today”
Where to get it
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The Economic Consequences of the Peace
The Economic Consequences of the Peace is an influential 1919 economic text written by John Maynard Keynes analyzing the punitive reparations imposed on Germany after the First World War.
Recommended“I would recommend John Min Kan The Economic Consequences of the piece um which just read the first third the last two thirds not worth reading”
Where to get it
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General Theory Of Employment , Interest And Money
General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keynes is a seminal 1936 economic treatise that revolutionized macroeconomics by arguing that free markets do not automatically provide full employment and advocating for government intervention during economic downturns.
Discussed“and as someone who also spend a lot of time thinking about economic history and is head of King's College in Cambridge which was where John Min kanes was based I'm also haunted by the fact that in 1919 after World War One John man KES wrote a haunting pamphlet called The Economic Consequences of the Peace in which he”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is Trump ‘Detoxing’ the Economy or Poisoning It? | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2025-03-14 | 11 |