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Transaction Man
A review of

Transaction Man

The Rise of the Deal and the Decline of the American Dream

Nicholas LemannFSG • 2019

A Tour de Force

by David Meyer

New Yorker staff writer and Columbia University professor Nicholas Lemann offers a detailed history of the crucial economic trends and philosophies of the 20th century.

In this illuminating tour de force, New Yorker staff writer and Columbia University professor Nicholas Lemann offers a history of two encompassing economic doctrines, as well as a look at a third now coming into view. Lemann argues that messy, pluralistic democratic processes best serve economies and societies. This engaging tapestry offers readers a solid foundation for understanding a world economy in flux.

Lemann is a long-established, perceptive observer of socioeconomic trends, and his insights brought rave reviews. The Economist wrote, “Ingenious and colorful…There are dazzling passages.” Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo da Vinci and The Innovators, said, “This fascinating book is destined to become our era’s most important and insightful explanation of the deep forces disrupting our economy.”


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