Dambisa Moyo's 6 favorite books
The acclaimed economist's reading list covers everything from social media and cybertechnology to China's meteoric rise

The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov (PublicAffairs, $28). A well-argued brief that challenges our widely held belief that social media and cybertechnology are enhancing democracy, human rights, and freedoms around the world. Far from helping, Morozov very compellingly argues, they’re hindering.
The Party by Richard McGregor (Harper, $28). I am enamored of all things Chinese, so McGregor’s book—subtitled The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers—was always going to grab my attention. He provides a peek behind the “Red Curtain” at the political structures that make China tick. The book reveals just how little we really know about Chinese politics.
Civilization: The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson (Penguin U.K., $41). Hot off the presses. The Harvard historian’s latest does a brilliant job of going beyond just economics as a deciding factor in the tussle between East and West. Religion, culture, the work ethic, and, of course, historical context all play a role. It’s worth a read to get up to speed on what Ferguson considers Western civilization’s “six killer apps.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The End of the Free Market by Ian Bremmer (Portfolio, $27). At a recent dinner speaking engagement, Bremmer summarized a key theme in his book best when he said (and I paraphrase): In China, the state controls the corporations, whereas in the United States, the corporations control the state. His contribution to the Rest versus the West debate is both fresh and insightful.
This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff (Princeton, $35). A must-read for anyone who wants to get an unemotional, untainted, no-holds-barred picture of what countries with massive debts and gaping deficits have in store economically. If the past offers any indication of the future, the U.S. and other developed economies are in for a tortuous ride.
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (Harper, $22). An all-time classic from an economist turned novelist. Over 1,500 pages, Seth manages to keep the reader hooked. To this day, I remain stunned by what happens in the end. My all-time favorite.
—Economist Dambisa Moyo is the author of the 2009 best-seller Dead Aid. Her latest book, How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly—and the Stark Choices Ahead, has just been published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytelling
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficulties
Feature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imagination
Feature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious characters
Feature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Garrett Graff's 6 favorite books that shine new light on World War II
Feature The author recommends works by James D. Hornfischer, Craig L. Symonds, and more
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short stories
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more
-
Beatriz Williams' 6 timeless books about history and human relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Jane Austen, Zora Neale Hurston, and more