One would think states and peoples have had so many bad experiences with inflation that politicians at the helm of these states would do everything within their power to avoid inflation and, in particular, its very intensive shape, i. e. hyperinflation. However, this has not been the case. After the big inflations of the twenties and the post-war inflations of the fourties, we still witness intensive, economically, socially and politically extremely painful inflationary processes. And the eighties will be particularly engraved in history as a period in which the inflation has assumed an exceptionally dynamic character with respect to some countries. This regards, in the first place, Latin America, but not exclusively. Not without reason -as will be of particular intensity has also affected shown in this book -inflation countries which, according to the passed economic doctrine, were supposed to be completely immune from this economic illness. Most generally, the inflation can be assumed to be a uniform phenomenon which, in each case, can be described by a single, universal definition, while being divided into a number of forms and types distinguishable according to their original and secondary sources, their mechanisms, the ways of their manifestation as well as to their effects and the methods of counteracting them.

Hungarian Kornai (economics, Harvard U.) analyzes stabilization and reform in eastern Europe and appeals for solidarity and individual rights. He characterizes the problems of stabilization and adjustment as painful but necessary conditions of sustainable growth, and the reforms of what he calls premature welfare states as disproportionately large in relation to the resources available. He emphasizes the ethical implications and historical roots of the problems and the political conditions and consequences of change. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Gail produced a sequence of fascinating studies that succeed in coaxing orderly patterns and basic macroeconomic forces at work in the midst of what at first glance seems to have been chaos. - From the foreword by Thomas J. Sargent, co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics The often terrible economic and political costs of hyperinflation have made it a topic of enduring interest for economists and public alike. In this book, Gail Makinen and his coauthors examine 20th century hyperinflations in China, Greece, Hungary, and Taiwan, plus high inflations in South Korea and South Vietnam. How did they happen? What were the consequences? How did they end? By pulling the episodes together, the book throws light on common patterns of error and success in dealing with hyperinflation. In the preface and the postscript, the authors discuss the lessons of these episodes and whether hyperinflation is a realistic possibility in the leading economies today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND COAUTHORS Gail E. Makinen is Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. Previously he was a Specialist in Economic Policy at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress and Principal Macroeconomist for the General Accounting Office in Washington, D.C. William A. Bomberger is Associate Professor of Economics in the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. G. Thomas Woodward, now retired, was most recently Assistant Director for Tax Analysis with the Congressional Budget Office in Washington D.C. The late Robert B. Anderson was formerly a macroeconomist at the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. The late Jarvis M. Babcock taught economics at Oberlin College.

This book deals primarily with social costs of transformation to a market economy in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The transformation provisions have negatively affected the well-being of the population. They brought about unemployment, a phenomenon which did not exist in the previous, communist system, increased income inequities, reduced social programmes and expanded poverty. All these phenomena are examined in this book. In addition, the book discusses the strategy of transformation, privatisation and the economic performance of the three countries.

The global financial crisis has provided an important opportunity to revisit debates about post-socialist transition and the relative success of different reform paths. Post-communist Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) in particular show resilience in the wake of the international crisis with a diverse range of economic transformations. Transformation and Crisis in Central and Eastern Europe offers an in depth analysis of a diverse range of countries, including Poland, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. This volume assesses each country’s institutional transformations, geopolitical policies, and local adaptations that have led them down divergent post-communist paths. Chapters take the reader systematically through the evolution of former communist national economic systems, before ending with lessons and conclusions for the future. Subsequent chapters demonstrate that economic performance crucially depends on achieving a sustainable balance between sound institutional design and policies on one hand, and localization on the other. This new volume from a prestigious group of academics offers a fascinating and timely study which will be of interest to all scholars and policy makers with an interest in European Economics, Russian and East European Studies, Transition Economies, Political Economy and the post-2008 world more generally.

This book provides answers to fundamental questions of sustainable development and international cooperation in light of irreversible globalization. Based on comprehensive research and a wealth of experience from his own political activities, the author offers an insightful analysis of the globalized economy and its political, cultural and ecological context. Presenting an objective assessment, the author diagnoses the state of affairs and formulates recipes to overcome present day challenges, such as income inequalities, climate change, demographic imbalance and the new Cold War, which overlap with the “black trinity”: populism, nationalism and authoritarianism. "Grzegorz Kolodko is one of the most acute observers of the international economy, based on long experience both as a practitioner and as an academic. His writings are always an important starting point for debate and discussion about the political economy of globalization." Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, author of “The End of History” "Grzegorz Kolodko unites deep policy experience, a vast breadth of observation and a solid grip on real-world economics in his case for a new pragmatism. For all involved in the causes of peace, justice, shared prosperity and public purpose, he is a leader and an ally." James K. Galbraith, The University of Texas at Austin "Dr. Kolodko delivers comprehensive and inspiring economic analysis, drawing on his rich historical political leadership. His probing and insightful assessment of globalization in today's and tomorrow's world is a must read." Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, President of Rainbow Coalition and International Civil Rights Activist