Cooperation and Coercion : How Busybodies Become Busybullies and What That Means for Economics and Politics

An eye-opening guide to how society and government function... and how they should function! From the co-hosts of the popular Words & Numbers podcast comes cool-headed discussion of a hot-button question: Are we better off coercing or co-operating in solving social problems? There are only two ways that humans work together: they co-operate with one another, or they coerce one another. And once you realise this fundamental fact, it will change how you see the world. In this myth-busting book, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan display the wisdom and talent for explaining complex topics that have attracted a devoted audience to their weekly podcast, Words & Numbers, and made them popular speakers around the country. By looking for co-operation and coercion in everyday life, they help make sense of a wide range of issues that dominate the public debate. You'll come away from this book with a clear understanding of everything from the minimum wage to taxes, from gun control to government regulations, from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs to the War on Poverty. It turns out that coercion is necessary - sometimes. Even in a democracy, we all abide by rules, including plenty that we don't agree with, in the name of getting along. But in the end, Davies and Harrigan show, cooperation without question is the key to human happiness and progress. The more we encourage it, the better off we all are. Cooperation and Coercion cuts through heated partisan debates to provide a refreshingly clear and comprehensive understanding of the way the world works.