A couple of months ago, I noted that I had been approached by a major publisher who asked me to write a book. That one is not going to happen now. I presented two ideas to them, both of which they liked, but in neither case was I willing to deliver a text in the style that Owen Jones, Grace Blakeley, and Nick Shaxson use. They write as journalists who interview people to develop a thesis based on what others might say. As is apparent from the way I write here, for better or worse, I build my own ideas and write about them. The result is a very different type of output. So, these two ideas have been set aside for the time being.
There are some other things to also note on the book front.
Wiley
One is that some people are still being misled by statements made by Wiley that I have a book coming out this month. This book was in progress when I had Covid for the second time in 2022, which episode took me about eight months to recover from. When I had done so, the book in question no longer felt like the thing that I wanted to write, and it was abandoned with about seven chapters written. I am not currently planning to return to it because my thinking has moved on quite a long way since then, most particularly as a consequence of writing the Taxing Wealth Report. So, please do not try to order that book as it does not exist. That said, Wiley is a publisher who is keen to have a book from me, but this admin failure has not filled me with confidence.
The greatest hits collection
There is another dimension to this issue as well. A comment was made on this blog yesterday, suggesting that if I had not got a book in progress, a good one would be a collected work of my best blog posts, plus some of the best comments on those from some of the more regular commentators. I have, occasionally, been told this over time, but I have always had reservations because the style used for blogging is not necessarily that required in a book, precisely because blog writing is part of a continuing narrative, and that is not true with regard to book writing, which is a discrete exercise.
I also do not know which blog posts I consider my best on any subject, or what comments might be included. In practice, I think that an independent editor would have to review my writing to find these. Even then, I think that this would be more like an e-book, rather than a book for sale in a bookshop. I would, anyway, rather keep that space clear for something more substantial that I still have in mind.
That said, is there anyone interested in researching what those blog posts might be for a collection to be produced as background reading for those new to this blog, in particular? I am not suggesting that there's any funding for this. It would be a labour of love, and at the end of the day, would still require a fair amount of cooperation with me. However, if there is someone interested in pursuing this project and can suggest a viable methodology, including post-selection and comment selection, I am open to discussing it. Please start by commenting below, and we will see what happens from there.
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Perhaps the first thing to do, Richard, would be for you to identify which particular topics are closest to your heart? That might narrow the field a bit!
I am working on that.
Actually I wrote a chatgpt prompt and it groaned at the amount of work (the prompt itself was rather long). I used my long form promot telling what role it had to play (the editor) and setting out the tasks to be undertaken. The result is interesting.
I might use this for a while.
You recently mentioned using ChatGPT as an aid for your work on this blog and the videos etc.
Presumably it would be reasonably easy to ask ChatGPT to analyse this site and establish which of your posts had the most engagement by different (or combined) criteria – total number of views/impressions, total number of likes, total number of comments etc.
I realise that you might then end up finding that people despairing about Trump being elected or something was more “engaging” than some deep seated insight into economics – but it could at least provide some sort of indication.
Thanks, Simon.
ChatGPT has groaned at the scale of the task, but I did write a very long prompt and we are now negotiating the task in stages. Yes, you can do that with ChatGPT.
I have downloaded a few articles since October.That gave me the idea of a book based on the blog.
One of the best sports books I have read was a “Guardian” publication based on their live over by over blog of the Ashes 2010. Readers comments made it extra memorable .
Your forte is tax and economics which would be the obvious narrative in a traditional book but this blog allows you to explore other areas,eg: universities,sugar in food ,critical thinking and my personal favourite-people and hobbies.
It’s 12 months of Labour and making the starting point just before the election might be good as your Starmer predictions were so accurate.
Thanks
Noted
FWIW – and I’m really busy at work, but the central pillars of your output for me are:
Taxation (and sovereignty of it, the unnecessary negativity towards it, encapsulating the Wealth Report, which points out that the tax system for the wealthy is more like a state club card reward system, mostly tax foregone by the state; also a crossover here with money production (see below) – fake narratives about money as finite – money is not finite as it is fiat in nature (the supply can be said to be finite/curbed by its effects – such as inflation – but it can be constrained by taxation (conflicts though with the bad rap tax gets), but not an inability to create it, which I do not think exists in government at all)) – the ability to put it to work is finite and more constrained by real resources (which means more longer term planning which we sadly lack, so money tends to go into short term returns via markets)).
MMT (and sovereignty of it – money production AND its allocation/misallocation as a resource by markets when the state withdraws from allocating its own sovereign resource – it’s not about one or the other, its about being complementary and ‘best fit’ for real democracy and efficacy).
Resource accounting (which reveals the real cost of capitalism which is hidden, and also explains the huge profits that can be made when you essentially get stuff for free from the planet and society).
Others may well have seen other things, but these are the big revelations you have provided to me over the years. Anyhow, I hope this makes sense.
Thank you.
Thanks
Noted
“That said, is there anyone interested in researching what those blog posts might be for a collection to be produced as background reading for those new to this blog, in particular?”
You are making this way too difficult.
Just do a coffee table book with the Flora & Fauna of East Anglia, through in some great pictures of birds enjoying Ely Cathedral then put a James Audubon style portrait of the Water Buffalos on the cover. If you have time, open write a preface essay on how to fund the Green New Deal and close with an epilogue essay on why politicians are purposely failing the Green New Deal.
Have Wee Ginger Dug write the blurb on the back cover under his picture.
🙂
Print on demand….total sales, three
I would buy a copy!!!!
You were in my count…
in the news today – the Bayeux Tapestry – personally I would find it a difficult task to choose my favourite scene from it’s almost 69 meter length – equally I would find it a difficult task to collate your ‘greatest hits’ from your numerous blogs, and indeed from some of your regular commentators – like ChatGPT I would groan at the scale of the task – I am sure others will guide you and you will, as always, have your own views – and, whatever, I know that you will choose wisely.
I played with this idea this afternoon, and then decided there are bettr things to do.
I also re-read my proposal submitted in May, and still like it. It is forward looking, and that is much more useful.
From experience all projects, even those we are deeply committed to, have dark days.
They can become a hard slog and other things easily distract.
At these times a deep inner conviction for the purpose of or need for the end result is vital. You need to pursue something you genuinely believe in and, ideally, any collaborators need to share that vision.
Ask yourself what is the purpose of the project, is this a good way of achieving it and am I well placed to do this?
If so, you owe it to yourself, and those who will ultimatly
benefit from the results, to give it a go. You may well regret it if you don’t.
That sald, you asked for ideas so here is mine.
You quite rightly want to write a forward looking book which presents ideas and ways forward to move us beyond our current failing neoliberal selfish society. You have a desire for a different world. One which is compassionate and better serves human wellbeing for all people. You have many suggestions for how to achieve this, or at least make the first steps towards it. I assume thls was why you where involved with Tax Justice and why you wrote the TWR. Your ideas reach into many areas of domestic and foreign policy. You call yourself a political economist campaigning for economic justice. This would appear to be your real passion and where your experience and expertise are focused. The real engine of the blog is this passion and it is this that drives the posts and discussion. The archive is a treasure trove of information and analysis critiquing how we have arrived at this point in history and why “business as usual” is not an option if we want all human beings to flourish now and for generations to come. Our current politicians and much of the MSM have failed us in this.
An appropriately curated selection of this extensive body of material here that tells this story would be invaluable.
If this is something that you think would be of value It would be a priviledge to assist with such a project.
Hi
Thank you for this comment, and your offer of support.
I am still thinking how to do this, because it remains unclear to me how to identify what the priorities are with regard to any such publication. Until I’ve worked that out I’ve decided not to go further forward at present, but that does not mean that this idea is dead.
Thanks again
Richard
Forgive this off-thread intervention; but when the blood reaches boiling point……
The first part of the Post Office Inquiry has been published today. Post Office Inquiry chair Sir Wyn Williams made 19 recommendations in the report.
When Sir Wyn refers to the “department”, it means the government department for business and trade.
1) Government and/or the Department and where appropriate the Post Office and Fujitsu shall provide written responses to recommendations by 10 October 2025.
2) The Minister and/or the Department in conjunction with the Post Office shall make a public announcement explaining what is meant by the phrase “full and fair financial redress”.
3) The Post Office, the Department and the Minister shall ensure that all decision makers apply the meaning to be given to the words “full and fair” when assessing the amounts to be awarded to individual claimants.
4) All claimants in Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) shall be entitled to obtain legal advice funded by the Department prior to choosing between accepting the Fixed Sum Offer or seeking financial redress which is assessed.
5) Any claimant who opts to have a claim assessed may decide to accept the Fixed Sum Offer at any time thereafter up to and including the date which is three calendar months following the receipt by the claimant of a first assessed offer.
6) A suitably qualified senior lawyer shall be appointed to HSS as soon as is practicable.
7) The appointed person shall be given appropriate powers to ensure that these tasks can be performed and carried into effect.
8) Post Office shall be obliged to make a first offer to a claimant which is no less than the sum recommended by the Independent Advisory Panel.
9) Urgent consideration to whether claimants who have accepted the Fixed Sum Offer in HSS should be afforded the opportunity to appeal against their acceptance of such an offer if they are granted permission so to do.
10) The Department shall issue a supplementary document/announcement clarifying the meaning and intent of the “best offer” principle in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeal (“HSSA”) process.
11) The “best offer” principle which will apply in HSSA, as explained in response to Recommendation 10, shall be equally applicable in GLOS (group litigation order scheme).
12) The scheme documents governing GLOS should be amended so that a right is conferred upon claimants to make oral submissions in support of their claim at the hearing convened by an independent panel.
13) The current Dispute Resolution Procedure in HSS should be closed once all claimants currently within the Procedure have either (a) settled their claims or (b) transferred to HSSA.
14) During the nine-month period, the Post Office shall engage in negotiations and/or mediation with any claimants who notify the Post Office of a desire to seek a negotiated or mediated settlement of their claim.
15) No claims for financial redress under HSS shall be entertained after midnight on 27 November 2025.
16) The Department shall make a public announcement in which (a) it clarifies whether there will be any differences in the process for assessing financial redress and the process currently operating and if so, (b) it explains what those differences in the process will be.
17) Government shall establish a standing public body which shall, when called upon to do so, devise, administer and deliver schemes for providing financial redress to persons who have been wronged by public bodies.
18) The Department shall devise a process for providing financial redress to close family members of those most adversely affected by Horizon.
19) By 31 October 2025, the Department, Fujitsu and the Post Office shall publish, either separately or together, a report outlining any agreed programme of restorative justice and/or any actions taken by that date to produce such a programme. (Sky News Website today).
The 19 recommendations are an appalling indictment of Government, and its grotesque foot-dragging, even now, and in full view in the UK the government refuses to take full responsibility for the failure that ultimately lies at its door.
The Government is not protecting its own citizens from its own wretched and despicable failures of governance.
Starmer is a lawyer with vast experience; he didn’t need all this to see what had happened.
The Government has wantonly ducked its responsibilities to the victims and the wider public. There but for the Grace of God go us all is the real lesson of everyone of the governed here. British government relies on the vital principle: “rex non potest peccare, – the king can do no wrong”: especially when money, reputation or direct responsibility is involved.
John
Many thanks
I edited this, very lightly, for clarity. Might I use it on the blog?
Richard
Certainly. There is no better insight into the absence of values in Government; and the triumph of hypocrisy than this Post Office National Disgrace. Shame on every single MP in this and the previous Governments that brought us to this indignity.
Thanks
See the blog in the morning
So too be clear no one is interested in publishing your book..why not just say that?
Because three publishers are
One way might be to organise it around real problems that ordinary people have in the real economy, do a bit of research on the top 5 problems that keep people awake at night,
Like do we need wealthy people, the new series – Iam looking forward to this,
Other questions to explore
why is there a housing crisis ?
Why has living got so will
Can we afford to stop environmental destruction?
Are you worried about how your children and grandkids will afford to live, how did this happen and what we can do
With a ‘and what can we do about this’ section for every question
This way would tap into the real issues close to people’s hearts
This is the forward looking book I still plan…
Grea, look forward to it
it would be be a brilliant book, and you are the person to write it 🙂
Not a serious suggestion, but it occurred to me.
Why not: “How to Recognise, Confront, and Eliminate Trolls” ?
Your front cover could be a picture of Westminster bridge….
🙂
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