The Commanding Heights: The Battle Between Government And The Marketplace

The most powerful force in the world economy today is the redefinition of the relationship between state and marketplace - a process that goes by the name of privatization though this term is inadequate to express its far-reaching changes. We are moving from an era in which governments sought to seize and control the 'commanding heights' of the economy to an era in which the idea of free markets is capturing the commanding heights of world economic thinking. Basic views of how society ought to be organized are undergoing rapid change, trillions of dollars are changing hands and so is fundamental political power. Great new wealth is being created - as are huge opportunities and huge risks. Taking a worldwide perspective, including Britain, where the process began with Mrs Thatcher, Europe and the former USSR, China, Latin America and the US, THE COMMANDING HEIGHTS shows how a revolution in ideas is transforming the world economy - why it is happening, how it can go wrong and what it will mean for the global economy going into the twenty-first century.

About the Author :
Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates and the Global Energy Expert for the CNBC business news network, is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics. Dr. Yergin received the Pulitzer Prize for the number one bestseller The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, which was also made into an eight-hour PBS/BBC series seen by 20 million people in the United States. The book has been translated into 12 languages. It also received the Eccles Prize for best book on an economic subject for a general audience. Of Dr. Yergin’s subsequent book, Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, the Wall Street Journal said: “No one could ask for a better account of the world’s political and economic destiny since World War II.” This book has been translated into 13 languages and Dr. Yergin led the team that turned it into a six-hour PBS/BBC documentary — the major PBS television series on globalization.  The series received three Emmy nominations, a CINE Golden Eagle Award and the New York Festival’s Gold World Medal for best documentary. Dr. Yergin’s other books include Shattered Peace, an award-winning history of the origins of the Cold War, Russia 2010 and What It Means for the World (with Thane Gustafson), and Energy Future: The Report of the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School, which he edited with Robert Stobaugh.

Review :
Adam Smith Author of "Paper Money" With great clarity and intelligence, the authors have written one of the central stories of our time. We have a torrent of information -- discordant, cacophonous, dissonant -- from TV, PCs, and print. The great accomplishment of "The Commanding Heights" is to make sense of this confusing scene. Gary Becker Winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, 1992 An absorbing, well-written narrative of the victory of market forces over communism and socialism. The authors effectively and dramatically show how ideas and events combined to produce the most important economic revolution of the second half of this century. George P. Shultz Former U.S. Secretary of State and Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury A stunning and eminently readable account of how the market has captured the commanding heights of economic thinking. Transforming economic analysis into a compelling narrative, the authors give us a comprehensive picture of an unfolding and dramatic story. It is as engrossing as it is instructive. John Browne Chief Executive, BP (British Petroleum) "The Commanding Heights" conveys the new reality of the world economy with a sure grasp and a unique vision. It is stimulating, topical, and very well written. The depth of the analysis and the geographic breadth are overwhelming. It is a resounding achievement -- and essential reading for anyone engaged in international business. Lawrence Summers There has been a revolution in economic thought every bit as profound in its implications as any other scientific revolution. "The Commanding Heights" tells the story of changes that have been world-transforming. It's a compelling guide to the 21st century economy. Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter Harvard Business School, Author of "World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy""The Commanding Heights" persuasively and powerfully identifies today's and tomorrow's critical challenges for government policy and corporate action. Whether enthralled by the prospects of ever-expanding free markets or anxious about the social fallout of market excesses, readers will benefit from the book's compelling economic histories of key world regions showing how they are coping with change on the cusp of a new century. Valery Giscard D'Estaing Former President of France The crowning achievement of "The Commanding Heights" is that it illuminates today's profound changes through the great sweep of history. Yegor Gaidar Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Russia "The Commanding Heights" captures the modern world's most crucial changes in a dramatic and vivid way. This book will be invaluable for readers in every part of the world -- decision makers and general readers alike -- for its ideas will be instrumental in helping the global community prepare for the twenty-first century.