Neverwhere

This book, the stunningly cunningly twistily mistily delightful first novel from storyteller extraordinaire Neil Gaiman, was (you can probably tell from the parts of this sentence you've already read) very enjoyable indeed. I picked it up second-hand years ago, and in this last week of my abhorrently long student summer, ploughed through it in a couple of days. I loved it.*
   To explain what the book is about would basically require a full synopsis, which I cannot be bothered to write and you shouldn't be bothered to read. You should just read the book. It's brilliant. The basic premise though is that another London exists, under and inbetween the gaps and forgotten areas of England's capital; this London Below (as it is called) is populated by weird conglomerations of cultures and peoples left behind in time and reality, by stern indefatigable warriors and people who idolise rats and immortal hitmen (Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar are hilarious and terrifying in equal measure) and medieval courts based on the Underground and black tea-drinking monks and dark life-sucking temptresses and some fantastically pompous dude called the Marquis de Carabas and even an angel called Islington. By accident, Richard Mayhew (a man with the stereotypical yuppie lifestyle and an appropriate unease at it) finds himself inextricably sucked into this world, and caught up in the murder plot of Door, the last surviving daughter from a noble family with the magical powers of opening anything. Richard, dragged along by Door, the Marquis and Hunter (a bodyguard with a penchant for slaying giant beasts), must come to terms with the weird new magical London he finds himself stuck in, and if possible return to his old life - all the while accompanying the others on their increasingly-dangerous quest to avenge Door's family.
   In terms of deeper thoughts and reflections on the content and themes and such of what I've read (which is what this blog's meant to be about) - well, I don't have any. Sorry. This book doesn't probe at concepts, it's not philosophical, it has no real agenda and makes no real points**, and I actually really enjoyed that about it. Sometimes it's nicer for a novel not to have one. It's only a story, but that doesn't diminish it, as in fully embracing what it is, it's a superb one. Neil Gaiman is probably one of the most genuinely imaginative writers alive. The world created is so unique, so inventive in odd yet comprehensible ways, so filled with characters real enough to care about (even the bad ones); the prose is intelligent and witty and deliciously descriptive; the plot is tight and neat and winds at the perfect pace to a fully satisfying resolution. It's punky and ethereal and postmodern and easily-accessible and wondrously entertaining.
   If you like great stories, read this book.

* A few days later, I acquired the 1996 TV-miniseries that Neil Gaiman originally wrote Neverwhere as (the novel was an extended in-depth adaptation of his previous work), only to be thoroughly disappointed. DO NOT WATCH THE MINISERIES. Almost everything about it is horrendous, except the writing (obviously) and the fact that Johnson from Peep Show plays the Marquis de Carabas and Malcolm Tucker plays the Angel Islington.

** Other than arguably a slight comment about individualism leading to antisociality, isolation and lack of interpersonal compassion in modern urban culture; the contrasts between London Below and London portrayed paint a picture of our normal world as one in which it becomes supremely easy to ignore everything and everyone outside one's own neat little life, which makes us both boring and complacent to others' ills. This isn't a central theme, though it is interesting and well-put (if somewhat socioeconomicoculturally (is that a word? I'm having that as a word) outdated, as a post-2008-recession reader).

Economics: The User's Guide

This book, a swift but penetrating introduction to the social science of economics from the veritable iconoclast Ha-Joon Chang, should be compulsory reading for voters and politicians and students and probably most other people. Chang is of the [excellent] opinion that economics, being as it is the shady force that drives global human society, is too important to be left to dubious academics. Widespread public understanding of the principles, arguments, theories and difficulties of economics is essential to a healthy democracy; our daily lives are shaped by economics and the policy decisions informed by it - how can we assent to government actions that we don't even vaguely comprehend for ourselves? In the prologue he puts forward a compelling case for even those who haven't touched a supply/demand diagram* with a bargepole to engage with the dismal science - 95% of which he says is common sense, and which is of course too important to be left to economists.

   His purpose in place, Chang then dives in to explain, in subject-divided chapters covering broad topics:

• a critical look at what economics actually is
• and an overview of how it has changed with the economies it studies, from Adam Smith in 1776 to current day
• followed by a brief history of the world's [mainly] capitalist economy
• then an open-minded insight into the varying methodologies, core theories and models of economics
• and of the economic actors' characteristics, behaviours, and interactions

[then an interlude]

• overview of issues in output, income and happiness
• overview of issues in economic production
• overview of issues in money and financial systems
• overview of issues in inequality and poverty
• overview of issues in work and unemployment
• overview of issues and debates in the role of the state
• final summative look at how we can use economics to improve the world

   The first half is an excellent orientation to economics as a thing, placing it in context of how we understand changing systems and providing insights from which one can begin to question and consider economists' points of view. The second half is an excellent introduction to some of the most hotly-contested-in-the-media important social concerns stemming from economics, which will allow a lay-reader to better engage with debate in such issues.

   The entire book is both a superbly educative primer for someone who has never properly encountered economics before, and a thought-provoking stir-from-ignorance for students of economics who have never been taught or shown (leastways, not in their course) how the subject should really be working. There are many schools of thought, and looking through a different lens or ten every so often is a great way of seeing complex issues more clearly - so why do economics departments (such as mine) focus their curriculum almost exclusively onto Neoclassical? The rational self-interest of economic actors is called into question by a host of empirical findings, but this is still taught as fact - why? How come economic policy is still taught as if it were the scientific deductions from infallible theoretical models, despite dozens of historical examples showing that the world doesn't work quite so neatly? These are questions Chang raises, curiosities he arouses in those both currently engaged with economics and those not; he intends to create a stir of educated shrewdness toward those who would otherwise blindside us with jargon and statistics. And I applaud him for it.**

   One (the only one I can think of without being overly pedantic) criticism I do have is of Chang's style of explanation. Not so much his actual explanatory sections - he writes with a clarity, levity and sensitivity to jargon and numbers; in plain English that makes the whole thing a breeze to read. He does have a habit though of peppering his descriptions with largely-irrelevant pop-culture references which themselves he then over-explains. Once or twice these actually do add to the point he's making or make a concept easier to grasp, but mostly they just seem to be there as unnecessary layman-accessibility window-dressing. I got used to them quickly, as they fit in with his relaxed tone, but it's still an irritating distraction whenever a paragraph-long explanation of a film pops up so he can employ a single short quote that he could have just said in his own words.

   Anyway.

   If you are, were, or will be an economics student; read this book. It won't teach you anything new about the content of your subject, but will teach you a huge amount about its context; it will help you weigh up your maybe-beloved-maybe-behated subject more objectively and healthily. If, as is more likely, you aren't, weren't and won't be an economics student - read it anyway. It's not at all academic so don't be scared off (it really is more of a "user's guide" than an introductory textbook, it's designed for laypeople), and will broaden your understanding of the world immensely, better equipping you to discerningly engage with political, social and business problems.

* The introductory reader will be pleased to hear there are no diagrams in the whole book. There's a few tables and numbers, but all very easily comprehensible in context. Chang is an excellent layman's explainer.

** For those interested in how current campaigns to reform economics syllabuses to something that better reflects a more humbly inquisitive subject, something less  insistent on diagrams as truth and more willing to accept pluralist schools of thought in critical debate - well, here's the facebook group for the Alternative Thinking for Economics Society at Sheffield University (where I be), and the website for Rethinking Economics, an international network of such student groups. They can probably put you in touch with an academic campaigning group near you.

Every Good Endeavour

This book, a treatise on work from super-reasonable super-accessible theologian Tim Keller, was a cracker indeed. Yet another bargain from last year's Forum bookstall, I'd been taking occasional strides through a chapter at a time for pretty much the year since, which worked out nicely as the chapters are self-contained enough to make potent points on their own and yet reinforce enough of the general theme to continue building the wider perspective of the book in an easily-retained way.
   The topic is, of course, work. In our modern western economies, "work" has become something very dissimilar to God's biblical plan for it, argues Keller. With his piercing gospel-centred biblically-grounded insights and characteristic clarity of argument, he outlines God's original intentions for the design of human work, as dignified, diligent, and delightful, taking joy in serving together and cultivating the natural, social and cultural elements of creation. Then he explains why we have problems in our relationship with work, as it all too often becomes selfish, fruitless or pointless; and these shortcoming are rooted in our idolatrous heart, which in striving to immerse our lives in self-service and sin lead us to approach all things, including work, wrongly. Our working lives can lay bare those disjointed attitudes and idols; be they prestige in posterity, a stable family, material security, raw power, whatever - the way we approach our work reflects our heart's priorities, and if we've put something other than God in top place then problems will arise in our relationship with the world (including work). Finally he brings the gospel to bear on our relationship with work and shows the liberating power it has on it; by rooting our attitude to work in the framework of God's plan for creation, our adoption into Christ, and the Spirit's influence in us, we as working christians can embrace work as something both humble and dignified, to take pride in doing but not root our value in, to strive for loving practice to the wider world both in our conduct and choice of workplace, to commit to excellence in service yet recognise the importance of rest. The new perspective offered is starkly different to how our world treats work, and is far more appealing with the christian worldview taken into account.
   I found this book really helpful. As per the stereotype of humanities students, even though I love my degree subjects and am passionate about other projects I'm involved with, I'm not prone to the best work ethic. Reading through Keller's book though made me think through a lot more thoroughly about the meaning and motivation of the work I do, finding purpose in its outcome and joyful service in actually doing it, by showing how my work and other people's work fits into God's bigger work - which is a good work. I'm trying to prayerfully reshape my attitudes to work to do it not for the salary, prestige, feelings of self-fulfilment, pride at social betterment, or even ethical outcomes themselves; but for the glory and spread of the kingdom of God. Old attitudes and habits die hard though, and having the truth laid bare in very lucid terms applicable to most working lives helps show us where to start. So, if you're a christian I strongly recommend this book to give you a solid grounding of practical theological applications of the gospel to the work that you do, and how it relates to the work that God's doing.