{"title":"Duncan Weldon","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuncan Weldon’s works invite readers into profound explorations of human nature and societal values. Rooted in \u003cem\u003ephilosophy and psychology\u003c\/em\u003e, his writing challenges conventional thought and encourages a deeper understanding of our inner and outer worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith titles such as \u003cstrong\u003eBlood and Treasure\u003c\/strong\u003e, Weldon combines narrative insight with intellectual rigour, offering a thought-provoking journey that appeals to anyone intrigued by the complexities of the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"blood-and-treasure-by-duncan-weldon-9780349145402","title":"Blood and Treasure","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlood and Treasure\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of the economics of conflict from the Viking Age to the war in Ukraine.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWars are expensive, both in human terms and monetary ones. Since at least the 1640s, in the aftermath of the British Civil Wars, the phrase 'blood and treasure' has sought to encapsulate these costs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwo economic notions, in particular, feature in this book: incentives and institutions. A rational look at incentives explains even the most seemingly irrational behaviour – and few things are as irrational as war. Crucially, incentives are not formed in a vacuum; they are shaped by the wider social, cultural, and political context – the kind of things economists call institutions (i.e. the State). Over time, institutions change and with them, incentives change too. Together, institutions and incentives shape and explain human behaviour. Over the long span of human history, nothing has shaped institutions – and hence economic outcomes – as much as war and violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlood and Treasure\u003c\/i\u003e examines why Genghis Khan should be regarded as the father of globalisation, how New World gold and silver kept Spain poor, why some economists think of witch trials as a form of 'non-price competition', how pirate captains were pioneers of effective HR techniques, how handing out medals hurt the Luftwaffe in the Second World War, and why economic theories helped to create a tragedy in Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, it considers why some medieval kings were right to arm their soldiers with inferior weapons, takes some management lessons from Joseph Stalin, and asks if a culture of patronage and cronyism helped the Royal Navy rise to greatness. It also analyses the changing economic costs of war and asks whether war is always bad for the economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46362638287084,"sku":"9780349145402","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780349145402.jpg?v=1744588145"},{"product_id":"blood-and-treasure-by-duncan-weldon-9780349145419","title":"Blood and Treasure","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlood and Treasure\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of the economics of conflict from the Viking Age to the war in Ukraine.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Absolutely fascinating and totally absorbing'\u003c\/b\u003e JAMES HOLLAND\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A brilliant book'\u003c\/b\u003e MARTIN WOLF, \u003ci\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e CHIEF ECONOMICS EDITOR\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Chock full of marvellous nuggets, this fascinating book is both important and surprisingly cheering'\u003c\/b\u003e ED CONWAY\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A delightfully quirky approach to military history'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eSPECTATOR\u003c\/i\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWars are expensive, both in human terms and monetary ones. But while warfare might be costly it has also, at times, been an important driver of economic change and progress. Over the long span of history nothing has shaped human institutions—and thus the process of economic development—as much as war and violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlood and Treasure\u003c\/i\u003e looks at the history and economics of warfare from the Viking Age to the war in Ukraine, examining how incentives and institutions have changed over time. Along the way it asks whether Genghis Khan should be regarded as the father of globalisation, explains how New World gold and silver kept Spain poor, asks if handing out medals hurt the Luftwaffe in the Second World War and assesses if economic theories helped to create a tragedy in Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47734221897964,"sku":"9780349145419","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780349145419-blood-and-treasure.jpg?v=1781217115"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/duncan-weldon.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}