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{{short description|Canadian economist}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{BLP primary sources|date=June 2014}}
}}
{{Infobox economist
{{Infobox economist
| name = Reuven Brenner
| name = Reuven Brenner
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| alma_mater = [[Hebrew University]]
| alma_mater = [[Hebrew University]]
}}
}}
'''Reuven Brenner''' (born 1947) is a [[Romania]]n-born [[Israel]]i-[[Canada|Canadian]] [[economics]] professor, holding the REPAP Chair of Economics at [[McGill University]]'s [[Desautels Faculty of Management]].<ref name="McGill website">{{cite web | title= Reuven Brenner| url= http://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/reuven-brenner| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->| website= http://www.mcgill.ca | accessdate= 18 March 2015}}</ref>
'''Reuven Brenner''' (born 1947) is a [[Romania]]n-born [[Israeli people|Israeli]]-[[Canadians|Canadian]] [[economics]] professor, holding the REPAP Chair of Economics at [[McGill University]]'s [[Desautels Faculty of Management]].<ref name="McGill website">{{cite web | title= Reuven Brenner| url= https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/reuven-brenner| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->| work=mcgill.ca | access-date= 18 March 2015}}</ref>


==Notability==
==Notability==
Line 21: Line 20:


==Career==
==Career==
Over the last thirty years he has consulted for companies including Bank of America, Knowledge Universe, Bell Canada.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} The son of concentration camp survivors, he was born in 1947 in Romania, and immigrated to Israel where he served in the Israeli Army during both the [[Six Day War]] and [[Yom Kippur War]].{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}
Over the last thirty years he has consulted for companies including Bank of America, Knowledge Universe, Bell Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iedm.org/fr/32439-reuven-brenner/|title=Reuven Brenner &#124; Institut Économique de Montréal}}</ref> The son of concentration camp survivors, he was born in 1947 in Romania, and immigrated to Israel where he served in the Israeli Army during both the [[Six-Day War]] and [[Yom Kippur War]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/leapfrogging/#4f04e1a07d9b|title = Reuven Brenner - Leapfrogging| website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>


At the core of his economic model is the view that the metaphysical trumps the physical, with human capital the source of true wealth creation around the world. Physical wealth, as in wealth that comes from the ground is not portable, which means it can easily be taxed, or worse, expropriated. His most recent book, ''A World of Chance''<ref name="World">Reuven Brenner, Gabrielle A. Brenner and [[Aaron Brown (financial author)|Aaron Brown]], A World of Chance: Betting on Religion, Games, Wall Street. Cambridge University Press (2008). ISBN 978-0-521-71157-9</ref> argues that at one time [[gambling]] fulfilled roles performed by [[venture capital]] and [[bank]]ing do today, and that modern financial institutions retain a strong [[gambling]] core. The book shows how people dealt with uncertainty and risk since antiquity; how they rationalized a variety of beliefs and institutions that made it appear that decisions had some solid backing; and how people in fact made decisions on a variety of issues linked to finance, gambling, insurance, religion and politics.
At the core of his economic model is the view that the metaphysical trumps the physical, with human capital the source of true wealth creation around the world. Physical wealth, as in wealth that comes from the ground is not portable, which means it can easily be taxed, or worse, expropriated. His most recent book, ''A World of Chance''<ref name="World">Reuven Brenner, Gabrielle A. Brenner and [[Aaron Brown (financial author)|Aaron Brown]], ''A World of Chance: Betting on Religion, Games, Wall Street''. Cambridge University Press (2008). {{ISBN|978-0-521-71157-9}}</ref> argues that at one time [[gambling]] fulfilled roles performed by [[venture capital]] and [[bank]]ing today, and that modern financial institutions retain a strong [[gambling]] core. The book shows how people dealt with uncertainty and risk since antiquity; how they rationalized a variety of beliefs and institutions that made it appear that decisions had some solid backing; and how people in fact made decisions on a variety of issues linked to finance, gambling, insurance, religion and politics.


In his 2002 book, ''Force of Finance'',<ref name="Force">Reuven Brenner, Force of Finance: Triumph of the Capital Markets. Texere (2002). ISBN 978-1-58799-130-1</ref> Brenner notes that economic success in certain countries often results from "political blunders of other nations," that lead "to the rapid outflow of both capital and talented people." The book also discusses the various monetary policy options, pointing out the flaws in inflation rate targeting and floating exchange rates, and suggests that economists have misunderstood the proper role of gold. Brenner also integrates his views about democratization of capital markets and entrepreneurship with issues such as nationalism and tolerance, as well as with details about political institutions that can best maintain accountability, illustrating the latter with Swiss' unique "direct democracy."
In his 2002 book, ''Force of Finance'',<ref name="Force">Reuven Brenner, ''Force of Finance: Triumph of the Capital Markets''. Texere (2002). {{ISBN|978-1-58799-130-1}}</ref> Brenner notes that economic success in certain countries often results from "political blunders of other nations," that lead "to the rapid outflow of both capital and talented people." The book also discusses the various monetary policy options, pointing out the flaws in inflation rate targeting and floating exchange rates, and suggests that economists have misunderstood the proper role of gold. Brenner also integrates his views about democratization of capital markets and entrepreneurship with issues such as nationalism and tolerance, as well as with details about political institutions that can best maintain accountability, illustrating the latter with Swiss' unique "direct democracy."


In addition to ''Force of Finance'', Reuven Brenner is the author of seven other books. ''Labyrinths of Prosperity''<ref name="Labyrinth">Reuven Brenner, Labyrinths of Prosperity: Economic Follies, Democratic Remedies. University of Michigan Press (1994). ISBN 978-0-472-06556-1</ref> helps to explain among other things why the [[Dutch people|Dutch]] are seen as [[frugality|frugal]], why [[education]] spending rose in the [[United States]] after 1958, and why [[Russian people|Russians]] refrained from buying apartments there after the U.S.S.R.'s collapse. For the macro-focused, he points out that statistics such as [[GDP]] sustain "the illusion that prosperity is necessarily linked with territory, national units, and government spending in general."
In addition to ''Force of Finance'', Reuven Brenner is the author of seven other books. ''Labyrinths of Prosperity''<ref name="Labyrinth">Reuven Brenner, ''Labyrinths of Prosperity: Economic Follies, Democratic Remedies''. University of Michigan Press (1994). {{ISBN|978-0-472-06556-1}}</ref> helps to explain among other things why the [[Dutch people|Dutch]] are seen as [[frugality|frugal]], why [[education]] spending rose in the [[United States]] after 1958, and why [[Russian people|Russians]] refrained from buying apartments there after the U.S.S.R.'s collapse. For the macro-focused, he points out that statistics such as [[GDP]] sustain "the illusion that prosperity is necessarily linked with territory, national units, and government spending in general."


In ''Gambling and Speculation''<ref name="Gambling">Reuven Brenner and Gabrielle A. Brenner, Gambling and Speculation: A Theory, a History, and a Future of some Human Decisions. Cambridge University Press (1990). ISBN 978-0-521-38180-2</ref> Brenner makes a cogent argument for gambling legalization. He uses history and theory to cover all measures of risk taking, noting that risk-taking that is a daily part our lives.
In ''Gambling and Speculation''<ref name="Gambling">Reuven Brenner and Gabrielle A. Brenner, ''Gambling and Speculation: A Theory, a History, and a Future of some Human Decisions''. Cambridge University Press (1990). {{ISBN|978-0-521-38180-2}}</ref> Brenner makes an argument for gambling legalization. He uses history and theory to cover measures of risk taking, noting that risk-taking that is a daily part our lives.


In ''Educating Economists'',<ref name="Educating">David Colander and Reuven Brenner, Educating Economists. University of Michigan Press (1992). ISBN 978-0-472-06486-1</ref> Brenner and co-author David Colander discuss ways to improve the training of future economists. In the chapter Making Sense out of Nonsense, Brenner discusses what's wrong with the social sciences and academia today, and in two other chapters focusing on the main courses being taught in economics either being empty of content, or wrong. ''Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations''<ref name="Rivalry">Reuven Brenner, Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations. Cambridge University Press (1990). ISBN 978-0-521-38584-8</ref> posits a theory of business enterprise that suggests risks are taken as a way to be outranked by one's peers in the hierarchical sense. The book also deals with antitrust, state owned enterprises, and advertising, showing how the latter saves significant search costs, and how recommendations of family and friends (the non-digital ones of the 1980s) were a good substitute for advertising.
In ''Educating Economists'',<ref name="Educating">David Colander and Reuven Brenner, ''Educating Economists''. University of Michigan Press (1992). {{ISBN|978-0-472-06486-1}}</ref> Brenner and co-author David Colander discuss ways to improve the training of future economists. In the chapter Making Sense out of Nonsense, Brenner discusses what's wrong with the social sciences and academia today, and in two other chapters focusing on the main courses being taught in economics either being empty of content, or wrong. ''Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations''<ref name="Rivalry">Reuven Brenner, ''Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations''. Cambridge University Press (1990). {{ISBN|978-0-521-38584-8}}</ref> posits a theory of business enterprise that suggests risks are taken as a way to be outranked by one's peers in the hierarchical sense. The book also deals with antitrust, state owned enterprises, and advertising, showing how the latter saves significant search costs, and how recommendations of family and friends (the non-digital ones of the 1980s) were a good substitute for advertising.


His first two books, ''History - the Human Gamble'' <ref name="History">Reuven Brenner, History - The Human Gamble. University of Chicago Press (1983). ISBN 978-0-226-07402-3</ref> and ''Betting on Ideas'' <ref name="Betting">Reuven Brenner, Betting on Ideas: Wars, Invention, Inflation. University of Chicago Press (1985). ISBN 978-0-226-07401-6</ref> present his views on "history," by looking at facts and sequence of events that other historians and social scientists have not, and integrates Brenner's views of human nature, of experimenting with innovations in business, science, politics, with demographic changes.
His first two books, ''History: The Human Gamble'' <ref name="History">Reuven Brenner, ''History: The Human Gamble''. University of Chicago Press (1983). {{ISBN|978-0-226-07402-3}}</ref> and ''Betting on Ideas''<ref name="Betting">Reuven Brenner, ''Betting on Ideas: Wars, Invention, Inflation''. University of Chicago Press (1985). {{ISBN|978-0-226-07401-6}}</ref> present his views on "history," by looking at facts and sequence of events that other historians and social scientists have not, and integrates Brenner's views of human nature, of experimenting with innovations in business, science, politics, with demographic changes.


In addition to his books, Brenner's articles have been published in [[The Wall Street Journal]], [[Forbes]], [[National Post]] (Canada), [[Financial Times]], [[The Straits Times]] (Singapore), [[Asia Times]], [[Dow Jones]] and [[Le Figaro]] (Paris). He also has a column at [[Forbes]].{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}
In addition to his books, Brenner's articles have been published in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[Forbes]]'', ''[[American Affairs]]'', ''[[National Post]]'' (Canada), ''[[Financial Times]]'', ''[[The Straits Times]]'' (Singapore), ''[[Asia Times]]'', [[Dow Jones & Company|Dow Jones]] and ''[[Le Figaro]]'' (Paris). He also has a column at ''Forbes''.

== Controversial Views ==

In 2006, Brenner took issue with the credentials of 90 Canadian climate science leaders who signed "An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada on Climate Change Science"<ref name="ClimateLetter">An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada on Climate Change Science. Austin, P.H., et.al. 18 April 2006</ref>, falsely claiming that the signatories were "not scientists" and that "their approach is not scientific at all", and calling for the scientists to be put on a government "watch list"<ref name="Elshof">Can Education Overcome Climate Change Inactivism? Elshof, L. (2011). Journal for Activism in Science & Technology Education, 3(1)</ref>.


== References ==
== References ==
Line 46: Line 41:


{{reflist|refs=
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|title=6 Economists Every Entrepreneur Should Know|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/cedricmuhammad/2014/01/07/6-economists-every-entrepreneur-should-know-about/|publisher=Forbes|accessdate=6 June 2014|date=2014-01-07}}</ref>
<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|title=6 Economists Every Entrepreneur Should Know|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cedricmuhammad/2014/01/07/6-economists-every-entrepreneur-should-know-about/|work=Forbes|access-date=6 June 2014|date=7 January 2014}}</ref>
<ref name=AsiaTimes>{{cite web|title=Gambling, economic growth and imagination|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JJ15Dj08.html|accessdate=6 June 2014|date=Oct 15, 2008}}</ref>
<ref name=AsiaTimes>{{cite web|title=Gambling, economic growth and imagination|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JJ15Dj08.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016143515/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JJ15Dj08.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=16 October 2008|access-date=6 June 2014|date=15 October 2008}}</ref>
<ref name=ClimateLetter>{{cite web|title=An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada on Climate Change Science|url=http://www.climateforum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LettertoPM19apr06e.pdf|publisher=Austin, P.H. et.al.|accessdate=9 March 2017|date=2006-04-18}}</ref>
<ref name=Elshof, L.>{{cite web|title=Can Education Overcome Climate Change Inactivism?|url=http://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/jaste/article/view/21197|accessdate=9 March 2017|date=May 2014}}</ref>
}}
}}

==Selected additional articles==
{{external links|section|date=January 2021}}
*Brenner, Reuven. "Leapfrogging". ''Forbes column.''https://www.forbes.com/sites/leapfrogging/archive/#618e168f7d9b
*Brenner, Reuven (2003). "Oiling the Wheels of a Tribal Society". ''Asia Times.''https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/168/36893.html
*Brenner, Reuven (2004). "Unsettled Civilizations". ''Asia Times.''https://www.iedm.org/fr/2413-unsettled-civilizations-how-the-us-can-handle-iraq/11/
*Brenner, Reuven (2012). "Eurozone Bonds: Learning from Pre-Nuptial Agreements". ''AEI.'' https://www.aei.org/articles/eurozone-bonds-learning-from-pre-nuptial-agreements/
*Brenner, Reuven (2012). "The 1930s All Over Again?". ''AEI.'' https://www.aei.org/articles/the-1930s-all-over-again/
*Brenner, Reuven (2013). "Accelerated Learning Would Add Trillions of Dollars in Wealth". ''AEI.'' https://www.aei.org/articles/accelerated-learning-would-add-trillions-of-dollars-in-wealth/
*Brenner, Reuven (2016). "Prohibiting the Pursuit of Happiness". ''John Paul II Institute.'' https://www.kas.de/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=542727e1-3a64-b018-8b70-2c11a660be48&groupId=252038
*Brenner, Reuven (2016). "How to Make an Innovation Policy Effective?” ". ''Speech at Presidential Palace, Warsaw 7 June 2016, reprinted by Konrad Adenauer Center '' https://www.kas.de/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=79998627-4ba9-c59a-e956-f0065793af8f&groupId=252038
*Brenner, Reuven (2017). "Dismiss Macroeconomic Myths and Restore Accountability". ''American Affairs''. https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/02/dismiss-macroeconomic-myths-restore-accountability/
*Brenner, Reuven (2017). "Toward a New Bretton Woods Agreement". ''American Affairs''. https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/05/toward-new-bretton-woods-agreement/
*Brenner, Reuven (2017). "Accelerated Education". ''American Affairs''. https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/11/accelerate-education/
*Brenner, Reuven (2019). "How to Relink Seven Billion People?". ''American Affairs.'' https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2019/11/how-to-relink-seven-billion-people/
*Brenner, Reuven (2019). "The Financial Crisis Ten Years Later". ''American Affairs.'' https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/05/toward-new-bretton-woods-agreement/
*Brenner, Reuven (2018). "The Roots of Anti Semitism". ''Wall Street Journal.''https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-roots-of-anti-semitism-1525992673


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/reuven-brenner] faculty at McGill
*[https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/reuven-brenner Faculty at McGill]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Israeli economists]]
[[Category:Israeli economists]]
[[Category:Canadian economists]]
[[Category:Canadian economists]]
[[Category:McGill University faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of McGill University]]

Latest revision as of 00:48, 29 December 2023

Reuven Brenner
Born
Romania
Academic career
InstitutionMcGill University
Alma materHebrew University

Reuven Brenner (born 1947) is a Romanian-born Israeli-Canadian economics professor, holding the REPAP Chair of Economics at McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management.[1]

Notability

[edit]

Forbes magazine has called the professor one of "six economists every entrepreneur should Know".[2] Additionally, Asia Times praised him for creating a model that makes real world sense.[3]

Career

[edit]

Over the last thirty years he has consulted for companies including Bank of America, Knowledge Universe, Bell Canada.[4] The son of concentration camp survivors, he was born in 1947 in Romania, and immigrated to Israel where he served in the Israeli Army during both the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War[5]

At the core of his economic model is the view that the metaphysical trumps the physical, with human capital the source of true wealth creation around the world. Physical wealth, as in wealth that comes from the ground is not portable, which means it can easily be taxed, or worse, expropriated. His most recent book, A World of Chance[6] argues that at one time gambling fulfilled roles performed by venture capital and banking today, and that modern financial institutions retain a strong gambling core. The book shows how people dealt with uncertainty and risk since antiquity; how they rationalized a variety of beliefs and institutions that made it appear that decisions had some solid backing; and how people in fact made decisions on a variety of issues linked to finance, gambling, insurance, religion and politics.

In his 2002 book, Force of Finance,[7] Brenner notes that economic success in certain countries often results from "political blunders of other nations," that lead "to the rapid outflow of both capital and talented people." The book also discusses the various monetary policy options, pointing out the flaws in inflation rate targeting and floating exchange rates, and suggests that economists have misunderstood the proper role of gold. Brenner also integrates his views about democratization of capital markets and entrepreneurship with issues such as nationalism and tolerance, as well as with details about political institutions that can best maintain accountability, illustrating the latter with Swiss' unique "direct democracy."

In addition to Force of Finance, Reuven Brenner is the author of seven other books. Labyrinths of Prosperity[8] helps to explain among other things why the Dutch are seen as frugal, why education spending rose in the United States after 1958, and why Russians refrained from buying apartments there after the U.S.S.R.'s collapse. For the macro-focused, he points out that statistics such as GDP sustain "the illusion that prosperity is necessarily linked with territory, national units, and government spending in general."

In Gambling and Speculation[9] Brenner makes an argument for gambling legalization. He uses history and theory to cover measures of risk taking, noting that risk-taking that is a daily part our lives.

In Educating Economists,[10] Brenner and co-author David Colander discuss ways to improve the training of future economists. In the chapter Making Sense out of Nonsense, Brenner discusses what's wrong with the social sciences and academia today, and in two other chapters focusing on the main courses being taught in economics either being empty of content, or wrong. Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations[11] posits a theory of business enterprise that suggests risks are taken as a way to be outranked by one's peers in the hierarchical sense. The book also deals with antitrust, state owned enterprises, and advertising, showing how the latter saves significant search costs, and how recommendations of family and friends (the non-digital ones of the 1980s) were a good substitute for advertising.

His first two books, History: The Human Gamble [12] and Betting on Ideas[13] present his views on "history," by looking at facts and sequence of events that other historians and social scientists have not, and integrates Brenner's views of human nature, of experimenting with innovations in business, science, politics, with demographic changes.

In addition to his books, Brenner's articles have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, American Affairs, National Post (Canada), Financial Times, The Straits Times (Singapore), Asia Times, Dow Jones and Le Figaro (Paris). He also has a column at Forbes.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Reuven Brenner". mcgill.ca. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  2. ^ "6 Economists Every Entrepreneur Should Know". Forbes. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Gambling, economic growth and imagination". 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "Reuven Brenner | Institut Économique de Montréal".
  5. ^ "Reuven Brenner - Leapfrogging". Forbes.
  6. ^ Reuven Brenner, Gabrielle A. Brenner and Aaron Brown, A World of Chance: Betting on Religion, Games, Wall Street. Cambridge University Press (2008). ISBN 978-0-521-71157-9
  7. ^ Reuven Brenner, Force of Finance: Triumph of the Capital Markets. Texere (2002). ISBN 978-1-58799-130-1
  8. ^ Reuven Brenner, Labyrinths of Prosperity: Economic Follies, Democratic Remedies. University of Michigan Press (1994). ISBN 978-0-472-06556-1
  9. ^ Reuven Brenner and Gabrielle A. Brenner, Gambling and Speculation: A Theory, a History, and a Future of some Human Decisions. Cambridge University Press (1990). ISBN 978-0-521-38180-2
  10. ^ David Colander and Reuven Brenner, Educating Economists. University of Michigan Press (1992). ISBN 978-0-472-06486-1
  11. ^ Reuven Brenner, Rivalry: In Business, Science, Among Nations. Cambridge University Press (1990). ISBN 978-0-521-38584-8
  12. ^ Reuven Brenner, History: The Human Gamble. University of Chicago Press (1983). ISBN 978-0-226-07402-3
  13. ^ Reuven Brenner, Betting on Ideas: Wars, Invention, Inflation. University of Chicago Press (1985). ISBN 978-0-226-07401-6

Selected additional articles

[edit]
[edit]
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