Review by Dentarthurdent -- Restore Trust by Werner NEFF

[Dentarthurdent]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Restore Trust" by Werner NEFF.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Restore Trust is Werner Neff’s take on the issues that strongly influence economic decision-making in the United States of America; employment, budget deficit, and taxes. One can hardly refute that there are distinct challenges faced by the citizens of the United States, especially the poor, and more so now. Poverty is rampant in the land of the free, and Neff argues that such a state is perpetuated by institutional mechanisms. In this read, these culpable mechanisms have been fittingly dubbed ‘poverty traps’. Poverty proceeds to contribute to the over-taxation of the middle-class so as to support hefty welfare funding. This, plus many other linkages, is expounded upon in great detail, definitely helping the curious reader understand how the three aforementioned issues influence each other.

There are six parts to this book, titled Economic Thinking Errors, Institutional Poverty Traps, American Economy, The Broken Democracy, American Democracy Unveiled and Restore Trust, respectively. Each of these parts is thoroughly explained using American history, sports and culture to give the reader a holistic picture of the situation. An example of this is where, so as to fully explain welfare programs and services, the reader is also informed that food stamps were first introduced due to the Great Depression in 1929, and that this program was eventually closed in 1943 due to the economy’s recovery. This provision of extra information is what I appreciated most, as it gives the reader interesting topics to research further. This makes Restore Trust fitting for readers who are new to American history, politics and economic policies, but would like to gain in-depth knowledge.

Neff provides logical solutions to all the problems he expounds upon, and explains them in a way that ensures the reader fully follows his thought process. Knowing that he is not only an economist by profession, but also a PhD holder in Political Science adds more credibility to the solutions he provides. Additionally, all the included concepts are broken down and explained in a manner that is friendly to beginners, even using images where necessary. In fact, Neff’s explanation of several concepts, like gerrymandering, was the best I have ever read.

Seeing as I have no complaints to warrant the subtraction of a star, I rate Restore Trust 4 out of 4 stars. The aim of this book is to educate people on the forces behind the country’s economic challenges and their origins, as well as to provide feasible solutions for the same. All of these goals are achieved admirably, and in addition to this, the work is professionally edited and barely has any errors. Furthermore, all pertinent additional information is made available through footnotes that hold definitions, references, links, as well as further reading material. These reasons are why I felt a perfect rating was in order. This is the book for you if you are interested in politics or economics in general, or specifically regarding the United States. On the other hand, this book is the wrong fit for you if you’re not interested in politics, or if you prefer fictional narratives.

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Restore Trust
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[Ellylion]

Sounds like a great and educational read for a large audience interested in economics and other related questions. Thank you for this insightful review!

[Prisallen]

Although this book seems intriguing and well written, I don't usually enjoy reading books about politics. I may have to take a look at it, though. Thanks for a great review!

[Dentarthurdent]

Sounds like a great and educational read for a large audience interested in economics and other related questions. Thank you for this insightful review!

It was quite an insightful read. Thanks so much for stopping by!

[Dentarthurdent]

Although this book seems intriguing and well written, I don't usually enjoy reading books about politics. I may have to take a look at it, though. Thanks for a great review!

I get that. I don't read about politics and economics much either, but that's part of the reason why I enjoyed the book. It was basically a crash course on the topic. Thanks for commenting!