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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

This book is very good. I started it today and was hooked, am about halfway through already. Cooper assesses the ways in which beliefs in traditional family structures underpin the laissez-faire resurgence of the 1990s. Definitely recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Interesting fact about the economy of the USSR. Effectively an element of the economic plan was to be constantly ready for war mobilisation. Hence, tractors were deliberately excessively large and heavy, so as to allow easy transition to tank production if needed.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

This book is extremely good. Robert C Allen is a serious economic historian and examines one of the great "what ifs" in history, the 1920s-30s transformation of the USSR against plausible counterfactuals. Examines everything from living standards to demographics. V much recommend

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Life update, I recently got a new study buddy. She's not super across the literature but I'm quickly getting her up to date

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Against Money by @jwmason.bsky.social and @arjunjayadev.bsky.social is simply terrific, probably the best book I've read this year. From capital, to the interest rate, to GDP, they examine the ways in which the money form governs our lives and can observe social relations. Definitely recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

There's a lot of discourse rn about capital taxation, and the principle that should govern it. I recommend people check out this recent Stiglitz work on the topic. He's a leading thinker on the topic and knows much more about the econ models used in the debate than most.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

This new @drodrik.bsky.social book is extremely good. Adapting old insights to a changing world, such as the decreasing labour intensity of manufacturing, Rodrik argues forcefully for a sensible approach to global governance and development. Strongly recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

During WW2, Milton Friedman argued against sales taxes in favour of the income tax. This was primarily for equity reasons, noting income tax “permits the cost of the war to be distributed explicitly in a socially desirable manner.”

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

I turned the Atkinson-Stiglitz (1976) critique of Ramsey Taxes into a meme

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Interesting Stiglitz passage reconciling Piketty's R>G with traditional neoclassic understandings of capital. Basically the volume of wealth ≠ the capital stock, as it also includes exploitation rents. Wealth can actually increase while the capital stock declines.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

This tome of a book is excellent. I've always liked Stiglitz, but wished his books did more academic deep dives. This book does that, presenting the current research on inequality, as well as the corresponding models plus variations. Highly recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

My contribution to the welfare state debate: Pre-transfers, the Child Poverty Rate is 100% [Link below]

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

A nice passage from Barr explaining why publicly provision is gold flr healthcare, but food stamps are bad (just give them money). It comes down to whether market mechanisms work in the sector. If they do, then the key issue for the poor is their lack of purchasing power.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Here are some recommendations for progressive policies analysis

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

I've been reading/rereading a few biographies recently, these are a few I've enjoyed

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Picked my brother up from the train station and feeling like a unique individual

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Here's a few well written critiques of mainstream economics

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

A few recommended readings on the welfare state

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Some recommendations on history of economic thought

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

I've been reading/rereading a few biographies recently, these are a few I've enjoyed

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Olson however has a more coherent theory of political economy

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

With billionaires in the discourse again, here are some great reads on the topic of extreme wealth

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

While people cite Atkinson-Stiglitz (1976) to argue against capital taxes, both the paper's authors supported such taxes. Here Stiglitz notes "Those who [advocated abolishing capital taxes] typically did not understand (or did not want to understand) the limitations of the model.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

In many ways, Milanovic's recent book reminds me of Chomsky's Understanding Power, which collates many of his interviews and responses to Q&A. It's an unusual book structure, but provides a better overall picture of how someone's thought fits together than you do for normal books

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

I wish there were more books by significant thinkers like this: a collection of musings on topics from migration to inequality to history. @brankomilan.bsky.social recent book is a collection of his articles: curated and sorted by theme. Thoroughly enjoyed, very much recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

My recommendations on economic growth and development

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Me when somebody asks for my opinion on a policy question

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Capitalism and its Critics by @johncassidysays.bsky.social is great, enjoyable read. It's structure reminds me of the Worldly Philosophers, a chronology of thinkers tied together based on a common theme, here being notable critics of capitalism. I v much recommend.

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Macroeconomists explaining Real Business Cycle theory to their students

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

My recent reads: Rebels Clinic - terrific work, absolutely would recommend Inflation - good and highly readable, wish it was longer and more technical

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

My favourite books on economics as a discipline

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Amartya Sen: "[the] result [of the Second fundamental theorems of welfare economics] can be of real use only as a part of some 'revolutionary's handbook', transforming the ownership of means of production before getting the market to do the rest."

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Michael Thrower Chowdhury @bevansadvocate.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

I only recently started The Rebel's Clinic and I'm already hooked. This detailed, engaging and deeply human work examines the life of Franz Fanon, a psychiatrist and revolutionary, and one of the 20th century's most important thinkers. Highly recommend.

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