Stimulus plans: good or bad? Free markets: How free are they? Jobs: Can we afford them? Occupy Wall Street . . . worldwide
Everybody's talking about the economy, but how can we, the people, understand what Wall Street or Washington knows--or say they know? Read "Economix."
With clear, witty writing and quirky, accessible art, this important and timely graphic novel transforms "the dismal science" of economics into a fun, fact-filled story about human nature and our attempts to make the most of what we've got . . . and sometimes what our neighbors have got. "Economix "explains it all, from the beginning of Western economic thought, to markets free and otherwise, to economic failures, successes, limitations, and future possibilities. It's the essential, accessible guide to understanding the economy and economic practices. A must-read for every citizen and every voter.
PRAISE FOR "ECONOMIX
" "Goodwin brilliantly contextualizes economic theories with historical narrative, while Burr's simple but elegant illustration employs classical techniques like caricaturing politicians and symbolizing big businesses (as a gleeful factory) to help the reader visualize difficult concepts." --"Publishers Weekly," starred review
" Economix] brings a lively visual sensibility to this intensely abstruse subject matter without condescending to the reader or dumbing the ideas down." --MotherJones.com
"Flat-out awesome " --Wired.com
"This witty and elegant volume takes on a number of complex issues--in this case, economics, history and finance--and makes them comprehensible for mere mortals." --"Miami Herald "
"After reading "Economix" I felt like I understood many fundamental aspects about the way the world works that I had been too lazy to learn about before . . . "Economix" is a book I'm going to buy and give to people." --"Boing Boing"
"Having never taken economics in college, I find the world of high finance needlessly complicated and confusing. Thankfully Michael Goodwin saw the need for a basic primary on how the economy currently works and how we got here. A text like this would certainly help high school and college students gain their first taste of financial literacy and it comes recommended for the rest of us." --ComicMix.com

"Just when the world seems to have fallen apart thanks to the economy, Goodwin and Burr's "Economix" comes along to give us some understanding of the immense, yet still 'delicate machine' that controls our world so that we can be the rulers with our votes and not the uninformed (or disinformed) ruled." --BigThink.com

"Michael Goodwin hasn't just written a great graphic novel--he's written one that should be required for every school, newsroom and library in the United States." --"Minneapolis Star Tribune"
"It's simply phenomenal. You could read ten books on the subject and not glean as much information."
-- David Bach founder of FinishRich Media; author of nine "New York Times" bestsellers, including "Debt Free for Life" and "The Automatic Millionaire"
"Goodwin has done the seemingly impossible--he has made economics comprehensible "and" funny."
-- Joel Bakan, author of "The Corporation" "The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"
"An amazing lesson in true-world economics Delightfully presented, powerful, insightful, and important information What a fun way to fathom a deep and often dark subject "
-- John Perkins, author of "Hoodwinked" and the "New York Times" bestseller "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man"
"Smart, insightful, clear, and as close to the truth as economics can get. The bonus: Who would have guessed that economics could be fun, and--here's the joy--really accessible? Goodwin roots us in history and fills us with common sense understanding. As he puts it early on, economics seems horribly complicated mostly because we're looking at it all at once. Broken down into its component pieces, it's relatively easy to understand. And a good understanding of economics is critical to maneuvering in the world today. If I were compiling a list of the 100 most important books you can read in a lifetime, this would be on it."
--Stephen Petranek, editor-in-chief, Weider History magazines, former editor-in-chief of "Discover" magazine
"Through a potent mix of comics and punchy, concise, accessible prose, Goodwin takes us on a provocative, exhaustively researched, and exceedingly engaging trip through our history and present day, creating an alternately hilarious and scary picture of where we are today as an economy-- and what it all means. More than that, Goodwin makes the arcane, understandable. If your mind either spins or slumbers at the thought of economics, read Goodwin's "Economix" and all will become clear.
--Nomi Prins, author of "It Takes a Pillage: An Epic Tale of Power, Deceit, and Untold Trillions"
""Economix" is a lively, cheerfully opinionated romp through the historical and intellectual foundations of our current economy and our current economic problems. Goodwin has a knack for distilling complex ideas and events in ways that invite the reader to follow the big picture without losing track of what actually happened. Any reader wondering how our economy got to where it is today will find this a refreshing overview."
--Timothy W. Guinnane, Philip Golden Bartlett Professor of Economic History, Yale University

In Policing the Womb, Michele Goodwin explores how states abuse laws and infringe on rights to police women and their pregnancies. This book looks at the impact of these often arbitrary laws which can result in the punishment, incarceration, and humiliation of women, particularly poor women and women of color. Frequently based on unscientific claims of endangering a fetus, these laws allow extraordinary powers to state authorities over reproductive freedom and pregnancies. In this book, Michele Goodwin discusses real examples of women whose pregnancies have been controlled by the law and what has led to the United States being the deadliest country in the developed world for a woman to be pregnant.

" Goodwin has surprising sensitivity and wisdom that is unusual in such a young poet." - Charlotte Gordon ( Author of Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley)

George Eastwood is a fifty-two year old, middle-aged man, husband and proud father of two grown children.

George has been brought up within the old traditional values of working hard for a living and getting on with life, no matter what it may throw at you. The problem is life is not being very kind to him at the moment: he is getting older, out of work and the demands of family life are pushing him to the edge of despair. He feels anxious and depressed and can't seem to look forward to anything that can make him feel better.

Then, one day, he finds himself on his way to a job interview with a promise that it could be just what he needs to turn his life around. As he rushes to cross the busy road to catch his train, he is helplessly hacked down by a speeding car driven by a seventeen year old drop-out.

George's story continues as he wakes up in strange surroundings: an old Library containing the knowledge of the universe. It is within this place of 'no time' but 'all time' that he looks around believing he is 'dead' but yet 'not dead' . . . and then the strangest of occurrences takes place. He is confronted by a voice that speaks to him of his true destiny; a voice that gives reason to a world that has become confused and lost within the false identity that has created it.

He is astounded as a friendship is pulled together, and the big fundamental questions of who we truly are and our purpose upon the earth are revealed to him in a series of conversations and reflections that lead him towards peace, forgiveness, the relinquishment of fear and finally to know that life can be 'happy' on the earth plane, when the 'false self' that has held us tightly in its grip for thousands of years is finally released.

George is fascinated by the voice that holds all the answers to a freedom that has been long lost, but, even more astonished to know that the voice is his own . . . . . his own 'true self'.

Black and gray markets for body parts are illegal, but also pioneering and inventive. Although this type of criminal activity requires dexterity and innovation, these markets thrive and flourish, sometimes in view of law. On the other hand, altruistic procurement is mired by low participation, which encourages black market transactions. Thousands of patients die each year waiting for an organ or bone marrow donation through the altruistic procurement system, so some turn to the dark side. This book offers a frank discussion of altruism in the global body market. It exposes how researchers exploit their patients' ignorance to harvest tissue samples, blood, and other biologics without consent, chronicles exploitation in the name of altruism, including the non-consensual use of children in dangerous clinical trials, and analyzes social and legal commitments to the value of altruism - offering an important critique of the vulnerability of altruism to corruption, coercion, pressure, and other negative externalities.

When Vultures Dance follows Seth Farragut, a young hedge fund manager, as his drive to take over a bankrupt auto supplier leads to an indictment for insider trading. A "vulture" investor who excels at highstakes trading of distressed companies' securities, he makes decisions that all too easily cost others their jobs and create plenty of enemies.

Under the influence of tough, attractive Lauren Hayward, he bets everything on the survival of a small Chicago manufacturing company that could, if he can rescue it, be his career-making score. But his quest spawns an attempted murder, suicide, and the prospect of years in prison.

Seth is more than a Type-A, fast trading up-and-comer. He is a loner who increasingly questions what he does for a living after seeing first-hand the consequences of his actions. He finally meets someone who opens him up to love and a life beyond trading and money. Meanwhile, in the background, Wall Street is in turmoil as the economy tumbles. When Vultures Dance explores themes that are all over today's news: the growing divide between the haves and have-nots, the rule of capitalists over the shrinking blue collar work force, and the stupendous wealth accumulation by a very few. Goodwin's eye for detail brings the headlines to life.

When Vultures Dance follows Seth Farragut, a young hedge fund manager, as his drive to take over a bankrupt auto supplier leads to an indictment for insider trading. A "vulture" investor who excels at highstakes trading of distressed companies' securities, he makes decisions that all too easily cost others their jobs and create plenty of enemies.

Under the influence of tough, attractive Lauren Hayward, he bets everything on the survival of a small Chicago manufacturing company that could, if he can rescue it, be his career-making score. But his quest spawns an attempted murder, suicide, and the prospect of years in prison.

Seth is more than a Type-A, fast trading up-and-comer. He is a loner who increasingly questions what he does for a living after seeing first-hand the consequences of his actions. He finally meets someone who opens him up to love and a life beyond trading and money. Meanwhile, in the background, Wall Street is in turmoil as the economy tumbles. When Vultures Dance explores themes that are all over today's news: the growing divide between the haves and have-nots, the rule of capitalists over the shrinking blue collar work force, and the stupendous wealth accumulation by a very few. Goodwin's eye for detail brings the headlines to life.

"Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, blood and revenge are hammering in my head." Such were the Shakespearian sentiments simmering in one man's soul since being bullied at school forty years earlier. But Sam's philosophy was more straightforward. Although he had regrets and one in particular, he saw no point in harbouring grudges. But his view was about to change, as his regrets and the vengeance of someone else converged.

Martin Stallworth is a black man trying to make it on Wall Street. As a junk bond salesman with the investment bank Whorman Skeller & Co., he has a chance to prove his worth when the firm plans to launch a major high yield bond deal for a satellite communications company called Lodestar. Because Lodestar has important connections to the US Department of Defense, Martin and the other junk bond salespersons know their jobs are on the line if they don't sell the deal. Their desperation to do so leads to an act of espionage and murder. Martin somehow finds himself as the accused perpetrator of both. Both the cops and a gang of Chinese thugs under the command of a rogue hedge fund trader are hot on his trail. "Junk" combines a satirical send-up of a typical investment bank with elements of a fast-paced thriller. While the narrative action is riveting, Goodwin's characterizations and descriptive writing attain the level of serious literary fiction.

Martin Stallworth is a black man trying to make it on Wall Street. As a junk bond salesman with the investment bank Whorman Skeller & Co., he has a chance to prove his worth when the firm plans to launch a major high yield bond deal for a satellite communications company called Lodestar. Because Lodestar has important connections to the US Department of Defense, Martin and the other junk bond salespersons know their jobs are on the line if they don't sell the deal. Their desperation to do so leads to an act of espionage and murder. Martin somehow finds himself as the accused perpetrator of both. Both the cops and a gang of Chinese thugs under the command of a rogue hedge fund trader are hot on his trail. "Junk" combines a satirical send-up of a typical investment bank with elements of a fast-paced thriller. While the narrative action is riveting, Goodwin's characterizations and descriptive writing attain the level of serious literary fiction.

Black and gray markets for body parts are illegal, but also pioneering and inventive. Although this type of criminal activity requires dexterity and innovation, these markets thrive and flourish, sometimes in view of law. On the other hand, altruistic procurement is mired by low participation, which encourages black market transactions. Thousands of patients die each year waiting for an organ or bone marrow donation through the altruistic procurement system, so some turn to the dark side. This book offers a frank discussion of altruism in the global body market. It exposes how researchers exploit their patients' ignorance to harvest tissue samples, blood, and other biologics without consent, chronicles exploitation in the name of altruism, including the non-consensual use of children in dangerous clinical trials, and analyzes social and legal commitments to the value of altruism - offering an important critique of the vulnerability of altruism to corruption, coercion, pressure, and other negative externalities.

In America, in direct response to indefinite delays on the national transplantation waitlists and an inadequate supply of organs, a growing number of terminally ill Americans are turning to international underground markets and coordinators or brokers for organs. Chinese inmates on death-row and the economically disadvantaged in India and Brazil are the often compromised co-participants in the private negotiation process, which occurs outside the legal process - or in the shadows of law. These individuals supply kidneys and other organs for Americans and other Westerners willing to shop and pay in the private process. This book contends that exclusive reliance on the present altruistic tissue and organ procurement processes in the United States is not only rife with problems, but also improvident. The author explores how the altruistic approach leads to a 'black market' of organs being harvested from Third World individuals as well as compelled donations from children and incompetent persons.

In America, in direct response to indefinite delays on the national transplantation waitlists and an inadequate supply of organs, a growing number of terminally ill Americans are turning to international underground markets and coordinators or brokers for organs. Chinese inmates on death-row and the economically disadvantaged in India and Brazil are the often compromised co-participants in the private negotiation process, which occurs outside the legal process - or in the shadows of law. These individuals supply kidneys and other organs for Americans and other Westerners willing to shop and pay in the private process. This book contends that exclusive reliance on the present altruistic tissue and organ procurement processes in the United States is not only rife with problems, but also improvident. The author explores how the altruistic approach leads to a 'black market' of organs being harvested from Third World individuals as well as compelled donations from children and incompetent persons.

In Policing the Womb, Michele Goodwin explores how states abuse laws and infringe on rights to police women and their pregnancies. This book looks at the impact of these often arbitrary laws which can result in the punishment, incarceration, and humiliation of women, particularly poor women and women of color. Frequently based on unscientific claims of endangering a fetus, these laws allow extraordinary powers to state authorities over reproductive freedom and pregnancies. In this book, Michele Goodwin discusses real examples of women whose pregnancies have been controlled by the law and what has led to the United States being the deadliest country in the developed world for a woman to be pregnant.