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2024 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister

Written by The NZIER Team | December 3, 2024

New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (Inc)
Media Release

For immediate release

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), in partnership with BusinessDesk, has released its Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister for 2024.

The Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister is an annual event that NZIER undertakes as part of its Public Good Programme. “The kaupapa of our Public Good Programme is to educate and encourage debate on significant policy and economic issues confronting Aotearoa New Zealand. This reading list is provided in the hope that the Prime Minister, his advisers, and anyone interested in business and public policy will find both informative and thought provoking when considering these issues, as well as being enjoyable to read over the summer break,” says Jason Shoebridge, Chief Executive of NZIER .

Selection panel chair Deputy Chief Executive & Principal Economist Sarah Hogan says, “In 2024, we have a new government that faces a wide range of challenges and with a broad set of priorities, from adaptation to climate change to social investment, economic growth and social cohesion – issues that governments around the world are also facing. This year’s reading list provides important insights across all these themes.”

Fellow selection panel members included BusinessDesk founding editor Pattrick Smellie and from NZIER Thomas Hughes, Adrian Katz, Daniel Hamill and Jason Shoebridge.
The list recommends books we hope the Prime Minister, his advisers, and anyone interested in business and public policy will find both informative and enjoyable. 

NZIER’s Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister 2024:
  • The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
  •  May Contain Lies: How stories, statistics, and studies exploit our biases – and what we can do about it by Alex Edmans
  • The Spirit of Green by William D. Nordhaus
  • Innovation for the masses: How to share benefits of the High-Tech Economy by Neil Lee
  • The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism by Martin Wolf
  •  A radically different world: Preparing for Climate Change by Jonathan Boston

For further information, please contact:
Sarah Hogan, 021 145 6159,  sarah.hogan@nzier.org.nz

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