By: Denise Johnson on March 6, 2022
I am deeply impacted by the fact that I am writing this post in the safety of The United States, while my friends and colleagues are being run ragged attempting to meet the ever-mounting needs of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The emotional upheaval that wells up within me…
By: Mary Kamau on March 5, 2022
Karl Polanyi is a historian and political economist who wrote the book, The Great Transformation, as historical explanations of the political and economic origins of the collapse of nineteenth-century civilization, and the great transformation that he had lived through in the twentieth century.[1] Jason Clark is a Theologian, leadership expert and a pastor in the…
By: Elmarie Parker on March 4, 2022
I recognize there is an inherent logic challenge with my blog title. By definition, one cannot see one’s blind spots. If it were possible, they would not be blind spots. And yet, this week’s readings pushed me to see the blind spots in the economic system that has been like what air—polluted air—is to my…
By: Henry Gwani on March 3, 2022
Perhaps more than anything else, The Great Transformation highlights the incredible power of human ideas, the need for these ideas to benefit all, and what could result when these ideas miss the mark. Polanyi argues that market liberalism, regardless of how good the intentions of Friedrich Hayek and other proponents may have been, is significantly…
By: Jonathan Lee on March 3, 2022
The Great transformation was written by Karl Polanyi who was an Austro-Hungarian economic historian and historical sociologist who lived from 1886-1964. This book was one of his best known works in which he argues against the self-regulating markets. Joseph Stiglitz summarized Polanyi’s central argument in self-regulating markets as “deficiencies, not only in their internal workings…
By: Nicole Richardson on March 3, 2022
In less than 2 hours I will tell the church I have been serving for five years I am resigning and moving to North Carolina to serve a new church. It would be nice if “The Great Transformation” referred to my mental and emotional clarity this week, but alas it does not. Instead, it is…
By: Roy Gruber on March 3, 2022
Decades ago, when our family prepared to move, and I was a teen, my mom went through my belongings and discarded some items. Among those things thrown away was a Nolan Ryan rookie card. In 2020, that same card sold for $500,000 in mint condition. I imagine my card deep down in a landfill and…
By: Andy Hale on March 3, 2022
Considered to be one of the leading economist historians of his day, Karl Polanyi gives readers insight into the rise, thriving, and downfall of the many iterations of the Industrial Revolution, a period from around 1733 to 1914, along with the post-war eras of the 1920s to 1930s. The Great Transformation cannot be read without…
By: Michael Simmons on March 2, 2022
I’m drawn to this idea of decommodification. Karl Polanyi cites land, labor, and money as the three natural entities, which the free market commodifies in order to attain self-regulation. “Self-regulation implies that all production is for sale on the market and that all income derives from such sales. Accordingly, there are markets for all elements…
By: Kayli Hillebrand on March 2, 2022
Karl Polanyi, author of The Great Transformation was credited for saying “my life is a ‘world’ life–I lived the life of the human world…. My work is for Asia, for Africa, for the new peoples.”[1] While much of this economic and historical book was beyond my basic understanding of economics, what struck me in both…
By: Troy Rappold on March 2, 2022
“The Great Transformation,” written by Karl Polanyi and published in 1944, traces the history of the free market economic system. It also criticizes its ideological foundation. Milton Friedman would use its pages either for starting a fire or to line the litter box. The best part of the book is the history lesson he takes…
By: Eric Basye on March 2, 2022
Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1886, Karl Polanyi had a colorful career that in and of itself is worthy of a sociological review. Having begun to write The Great Transformation in 1930, it was not until 1944, when Polanyi was living in the United States, that it was first published during WWII. However, remaining in…
By: Mary Kamau on February 28, 2022
Life will not always be easy and it’s very easy to give up when faced with tough challenges. There is an anonymous quote that says, ‘for success, persistence has no substitute,’ you have no choice but to persist in the face of adversity in order to succeed. Steven Pressfield in his book, The war on…
By: Henry Gwani on February 27, 2022
The Map that Changed the World is, among other things, a powerful reminder of the fact that success is possible regardless of constraints. In other words, if God calls someone to a certain task and that individual does their best to fulfil this calling, there is no telling what significant outcomes could result – even…
By: Elmarie Parker on February 24, 2022
Joseph Campbell wrote, “Not everyone has a destiny: only the hero who has plunged to touch it, and has come up again—with a ring.”[1] Simon Winchester, author, journalist, and broadcaster, might offer a paraphrase based on his book, The Map that Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology.[2] He…
By: Denise Johnson on February 24, 2022
Some people may say we experience peace and harmony in the world, or at least until recently. Although, I personally did not experience the Second World War, I have passionately engaged with the history of that time period. The books, the people, the places and the events have impact on my world view. In my…
By: Andy Hale on February 24, 2022
In his book, “The Map That Changed the World,” Winchester gives an in-depth geological and historical survey of William Smith’s strata map. Smith, an 18th and 19th century English geologist, began his career as a surveyor. Throughout his career of surveying canals, he begins to observe the depth of the strata or layers of sentiment…
By: Roy Gruber on February 24, 2022
I wonder if anyone ever traced the success rate of those voted “most likely to succeed” in their high school. Certain traits or advantages prepare some for the potential that may or may not be realized. I enjoy the true stories of those who succeeded without the outward signs indicating potential. For that reason, Forrest…
By: Nicole Richardson on February 24, 2022
Expanding my worldview continues to be a driving force behind working toward my doctorate. I recognize the need to have my core beliefs and assumptions excavated to strengthen my leadership. This is one reason why the meaning map making is engaging. Friedman applies the analogy of cartographers work in illustrating the impact of anxiety on…
By: Troy Rappold on February 23, 2022
In Simon Winchester’s 2001 bestselling book, The Map That Changed the World, the true story is told of the world’s first geographical map and the man who created it. Such a mundane description however belies the fascinating tale that lies behind the man and his achievement. With a novelist’s touch, the author Simon Winchester details…
