[self-promotion]My first book is out from Cambridge (and has been for a few weeks). Entitled _The Political Economy of Trust: Interests, Institutions and Inter-Firm Cooperation in Italy and Germany_, it sets out a rational choice account of how institutions affect the ways in which people do or do not trust each other, and applies it to explain cooperation among firms in Italy and Germany, as the title suggests, as well as among Sicilian mafiosi. I received some help from CT readers on Sicilian dialect, which is duly acknowledged in the book itself. I’ve set up a basic website for the book at “http://www.explainingtrust.com”:http://www.explainingtrust.com with information, blurbs and the book’s introductory chapter. The book is an academic hardback, and hence not cheap, but those with (a) an interest in the topic, and (b) a research budget/substantial discretionary income, or (c ) a friendly institutional librarian are warmly encouraged to take all appropriate steps (if it sells well, it will then go into paperback). If you order “directly through Cambridge”:http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521886499 before the end of the year, you can use the discount code E09FARRELL which will get you 20% off the book, and indeed any other purchases you make (as far as I can make out, this is the cheapest source). Alternatively, you can buy it at “Powells”:http://www.powells.com/partner/29956/biblio/9780521886499?p_cv%27%20rel=%27powells-9780521886499, “Amazon”:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/052188649X?ie=UTF8&tag=henryfarrell-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=052188649X, “Barnes and Noble”:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Political-Economy-of-Trust/Henry-Farrell/e/9780521886499/?itm=1&USRI=henry+farrell+political+economy+of+trust or “Amazon UK”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Political-Economy-Trust-Institutions-Cooperation/dp/052188649X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257452790&sr=8-1. And if you do read it, comments, rejoinders etc are all warmly welcomed.[/self-promotion]
{ 12 comments }
Farah 11.18.09 at 6:43 pm
Congratulations Henry.
Henry 11.18.09 at 6:49 pm
Thanks. And I still owe you that post on _Rhetorics of Fantasy_ (which I have also been pillaging unashamedly for an essay proposal on _The City and the City._
Mrs Tilton 11.18.09 at 7:24 pm
I think it was Chris, wasn’t it, or maybe Harry, who some time ago set up a link to a book through their Amazon Associate account and pledged to donate any fees generated thereby to some worthy cause. Perhaps one or more CTers would consider doing the same for those thinking of ordering Henry’s book through Amazons .com or .co.uk?
That’d be a Good Thing To Do, and also a clever sales tactic (“I really shouldn’t be spending that sort of money on a book, but seeing as how it’ll help buy shoes for shoeless kittens…”). It’s all good!
Phil 11.18.09 at 11:57 pm
Congrats. How did you get the 20% deal? I might suggest it to my publisher.
vivian 11.19.09 at 1:25 am
Congratulations. And, as with birthdays, may you have many more.
Chris Bertram 11.19.09 at 5:09 pm
Many congratulations Henry.
Ingrid Robeyns 11.19.09 at 8:10 pm
Many congratulations Henry! It’s a milestone to have a monograph out. And, I think there is an underrated feature of books on which your books scores very high (I can conclude this without having read it): the esthetics of the cover. It is a wonderful cover, very nicely done. May many buy or lend it, and almost as many read it!
John Quiggin 11.19.09 at 11:04 pm
Well done, and perfect timing since I’m bookblogging about the importance of trust a few posts up. If someone could set up the shoeless kittens account, I’ll definitely get it that way.
ECW 11.19.09 at 11:10 pm
Henry,
I’ve read throught the first chapter and understood the arguments about trust, but I’m not a political scientist and had trouble figuring out what, exactly, counts as an institution. Are institutions just rules (and if so, is it only explicit rules enforced by the state or are cultural rules and assumptions also institutions)? Are they norms, either historical or cultural? Are they the bureaucratic populations that administer the law? Something else? I assume this is something political scientists would understand clearly based on your citations, but I don’t know that literature.
Any chance you have a one-two sentence definition of what institutions are in your project?
John Holbo 11.20.09 at 3:15 am
Congrats! But I still say you should have put a picture of Rick Astley on the cover.
Henry 11.22.09 at 12:21 am
Belated replies …
Mrs Tilton – sounds like a good idea. Although since it took me two months to get my promo site sorted, I wouldn’t be holding my breath for it to be implemented soon (small children play havoc with yr schedule).
Phil – Cambridge offered to give me paper vouchers if I did any readings for a 20% off deal, and I told em that I’d much prefer an electronic discount, which they set up without any fuss. Now it may be that they are better equipped in their website than some …
ECW – I define institutions (following new institutional economists like Doug North, and pol scientists like Jack Knight) as sets of rules. There is a more elaborate definition in the book, but as best as I recall, the piece on institutions in my piece with Jack Knight linked from me website talks about definitional questions at much greater length, and is probably what you are looking for …
Thanks to all again.
John Holbo 11.22.09 at 8:12 am
Henry makes no reply to my Rick Astley comment! His unwillingness to meet my argument head on shows that he concedes, privately, that he should have put a picture of Rick Astley on the cover. I rest my case.
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