THE MEASURE OF PROGRESS Counting What Really Matters

Narrator Harrie Dobby has her hands full performing this important audiobook, full of academic references and economic formulas. Cambridge economist/public policy professor Diane Coyle says that common economic benchmarks like unemployment rates and gross domestic product are designed in arbitrary or misleading ways. She says these measures of societal progress, formulated before the digital age, are not only outdated but too often are drawn in ways that are manipulated to support various government, business, or political interests. In audio format, the frequency of these details interrupts the flow of the author's thinking. But Dobby's tone and phrasing connect perfectly with Coyle's message: We need to scrutinize the data we get from experts and the media so we can understand what the numbers actually represent. T.W. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2025]