Financial collapses—whether of the junk bond market, the Internet bubble, or the highly leveraged housing market—are often explained as the inevitable result of market cycles: What goes up must come down. In Liquidated, Karen Ho punctures the aura of the abstract, all-powerful market to show how financial markets, and particularly booms and busts, are constructed. Through an in-depth investigation into the everyday experiences and ideologies of Wall Street investment bankers, Ho describes how a financially dominant but highly unstable market system is understood, justified, and produced through the restructuring of corporations and the larger economy. Ho, who worked at an investment bank herself, argues that bankers’ approaches to financial markets and corporate America are inseparable from the structures and strategies of their workplaces. Her ethnographic analysis of those workplaces is filled with the voices of stressed first-year associates, overworked and alienated analysts, undergraduates eager to be hired, and seasoned managing directors. Recruited from elite universities as “the best and the brightest,” investment bankers are socialized into a world of high risk and high reward. They are paid handsomely, with the understanding that they may be let go at any time. Their workplace culture and networks of privilege create the perception that job insecurity builds character, and employee liquidity results in smart, efficient business. Based on this culture of liquidity and compensation practices tied to profligate deal-making, Wall Street investment bankers reshape corporate America in their own image. Their mission is the creation of shareholder value, but Ho demonstrates that their practices and assumptions often produce crises instead. By connecting the values and actions of investment bankers to the construction of markets and the restructuring of U.S. corporations, Liquidated reveals the particular culture of Wall Street often obscured by triumphalist readings of capitalist globalization.

The History of Sulu by Najeeb M. Saleeby: Discover the history and culture of the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines with this comprehensive study by Najeeb M. Saleeby. Covering various aspects of Sulu's past, including its political organization, trade, and social customs, this book provides valuable insights into the rich heritage of the region and its significance in Southeast Asian history. Key Aspects of the Book "The History of Sulu": Cultural Heritage: The book delves into the cultural traditions and practices of the Sulu Archipelago, shedding light on its diverse and vibrant heritage. Historical Events: Saleeby provides a detailed account of significant historical events that shaped the political and social landscape of Sulu. Southeast Asian Studies: "The History of Sulu" contributes to the understanding of the broader history and cultural connections within the Southeast Asian region. Najeeb M. Saleeby was a Filipino physician, writer, and scholar who made significant contributions to ethnology and anthropology in the Philippines. Born in 1870, Saleeby was of Lebanese and Filipino descent and dedicated much of his life to the study of indigenous peoples and their cultures. "The History of Sulu" is one of his seminal works that continues to be a valuable resource for researchers and enthusiasts interested in the history of the Sulu Archipelago.