John Lanchester est célèbre pour ses romans perspicaces et ses ouvrages de non-fiction, qui explorent souvent les complexités de la vie moderne. Son écriture se caractérise par une observation pointue, un esprit intelligent et un talent pour découvrir des vérités plus profondes sur la société. Lanchester examine l'impact des changements économiques et de la mondialisation sur les individus et les communautés. Son œuvre offre une perspective riche et stimulante sur le monde contemporain.
The biggest problem for outsiders in the world of economics is that most of the time, we don't know what the hell the insiders are talking about. To know that, you have to understand the words they're using. The language of economic elites can be complex, jargon-filled and completely baffling. But if we don't know what they're talking about, we're making our decisions at the ballot box on insufficient information.
There's probably a word in German for that feeling you get when you can understand something while it's being explained to you, but lose hold of the explanation as soon as it stops. A lot of writing about the credit crunch has that effect. This title makes it possible for all of us to grasp how we found ourselves in this predicament.
For most people, the reasons for the sudden collapse of our economy still remain obscure. I.O.U. is the story of how we came to experience such a complete financial disaster, starting with the magical proliferation of credit that led to an explosion of lending on the global and local landscapes of banking and finance. Viewing the crisis through the lens of politics, culture, and contemporary history-from the invention and widespread misuse of financial instruments to the culpability of subprime mortgages-Lanchester deftly draws conclusions on the limitations of financial and governmental regulation, capitalism's deepest flaw, and most important, on the plain and simple facts of human nature where cash is concerned. With newly updated, superbly written reportage, Lanchester delivers a shrewd perspective and a digestible, comprehensive analysis that connects the dots for expert and casual reader alike. Part economic primer, part fiscal and historical analysis, I.O.U. is an eye-opener of a book.
This is the story of four people whose intertwined lives span 70 years in Asia. The complacency of colonial life in the 1930s; the horrors of the Japanese occupation during World War II; and the post-war boom and transformation of Hong Kong all surface in this epic novel.
The biggest problem for outsiders in the world of economics is that most of the time, we don't know what the hell the insiders are talking about. To know that, you have to understand the words they're using. This book explains everything from high-frequency trading to the difference between bullshit and nonsense.
Draws the reader, through descriptions of food and cooking, into a world of murder and art. Narrated by Tarquin, an ironist, epicurean and a snob, this novel is constructed around a series of seasonal menus, which unfold his autobiography.
The residents of Pepys Road, London - a banker and his shopaholic wife, an old woman dying of a brain tumour, a family of Pakistani shop owners, the young football star from Senegal and his minder - all receive an anonymous postcard one day with a simple message: we want what you have. Who is behind it? What do they want? As the mystery of the postcards deepens, the world around Pepys Road is turned upside down by the financial crash and all of its residents' lives change beyond recognition over the course of the next year.
Ravaged by the Change, an island nation in a time very like our own has built the Wall―an enormous concrete barrier around its entire coastline. Joseph Kavanagh, a new Defender, has one task: to protect his section of the Wall from the Others, the desperate souls who are trapped amid the rising seas outside and are a constant threat. Failure will result in death or a fate perhaps worse: being put to sea and made an Other himself. Beset by cold, loneliness, and fear, Kavanagh tries to fulfill his duties to his demanding Captain and Sergeant, even as he grows closer to his fellow Defenders. A dark part of him wonders whether it would be interesting if something did happen, if they came, if he had to fight for his life.
Selfie sticks with demonic powers. Cold calls from the dead. And the creeping
suspicion that none of this is real. Reality, and Other Stories is a gathering
of deliciously chilling entertainments from John Lanchester, the Booker-
nominated author of The Wall and Capital.
"One warm July morning Mr Phillips climbs out of bed, leaving Mrs Phillips dozing. He prepares for his commute into the city - but this is no ordinary Wednesday. It is a day on which Mr Phillips will chat with a pornographer, stalk a tv mini-celebrity, have lunch with an aspiring record mogul, and get caught up in a bank robbery. It is, as Mr Phillips comes to realise, the first day of the rest of his life - whether he wants it to be or not. All this is both better and worse than being at work. So why is Mr Phillips, a cautious middle-aged accountant, not behind his desk calculating the financial consequences of redundancies or recommending the savings to be made from more responsible use of yellow sticky note pads?"--Publisher's description.
