Sandra Navidi - The Superhubs: How the Financial Elite and Their Networks Rule Our World

PRAISE FOR$UPERHUBS

In $uperHubs,Ms. Navidi skillfully applies network science to the global financial system and the human networks that underpin it. $uperHubsis a topical and relevant book that should be read by anyone seeking a fresh perspective on the human endeavor that is our financial system.

PROFESSOR LAWRENCE H. SUMMERS, Harvard; former US Secretary of the Treasury, former Director of the US National Economic Council, former president of Harvard University, and author

Sandra Navidis book $uperHubsis beautifully and effectively done. Not only is it a fascinating description of the power wielded by elite networks over the financial sector, it is also a meditation on the consequences of this system for the economy and the society. In recent times, we have seen extraordinary rupturesnotably Britains vote to break away from the European Union and the intensified sense of exclusion felt by much of Americas working class. The last chapter of $uperHubsproposes that this ruling system's monoculture, its isolation from the rest of society, and its seeming unawareness of the fragility of what it has built are largely responsible for these ruptures, and that the system may lead to a major crisis in the future.

PROFESSOR EDMUND S. PHELPS, Columbia University, 2006 Nobel Prize in Economics; Director, Center on Capitalism and Society, and author

$uperHubsis a book written with great style but also containing a lot of important substance. The style is so engaging, a real page turner, that I finished it in one non-stop session. But the substance of Navidis text is no less compelling. Unlike many, she does not see the global economy as a predictable machine in the competent hands of policymakers, but rather as a complex, adaptive system prone to catastrophic breakdowns and rising inequality. Further, she situates the financial system at the very core of this economy where a concentrated number of real human beingsthe superhubsexercise an unrecognized degree of economic and political power. The values of these people, the networks they maintain, and their resistance to constructive change are crucial components threatening the future stability of the economy and even our democratic political systems. By identifying these systemic problems, Navidi brings us one step closer to appropriate solutions. A must read, and a pleasure to do so.

WILLIAM R. WHITE, Chairman of the Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC) at the OECD; former Executive Committee Member, Head of the Monetary and Economic Department, and Economic Adviser at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS); former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, and author

In $uperHubs,Sandra Navidi provides exceedingly illuminating professional and personal insights into the global financial system. She illustrates its structures, interconnections, and inner workings with great expertise and consistent logic. Her analysis is balanced. She critically examines the implications of the increasing interconnections of decision-makers in the financial system and their concentration of power. Of particular benefit is that the book is easy to understand, making it also enjoyable to readers without any prior knowledge. Numerous references allow for further immersion. The thought-provoking impulses make $uperHubshighly recommended reading.

PROFESSOR JRGEN STARK, former Chief Economist and former Executive Board Member of the European Central Bank and former Vice President of the Bundesbank

Superhubswhat a clever concept! In $uperHubs,Sandra Navidi impresses with a masterful piece of both reporting and analysis.

PROFESSOR KLAUS SCHWAB, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and author

How are we governed? By whom and how? These are the classic questions to which globalization and the financial markets have given a new urgency. $uperHubsprovides a front row seat in the theater of fundamental change.

OLAFUR RAGNAR GRIMSSON, President of Iceland 19962016

Todays complex and challenging environment requires a fresh approach towards addressing key issues. In her book $uperHubs,Sandra has pointed out the interplay between economic, geopolitical, financial, and human development challenges. She highlights the linkages between key elements of change, whichif well managed and coordinatedcan be powerful drivers for growth, and profitability. $uperHubsis an analytical, engaging, and insightful guide for business leaders in markets which are global, dynamic, and complex. It is a must-read for all who are striving for growth and excellence!