The Cost Disease Book Report

The Cost Disease by William Baumol is a collection of essays detailing the phenomenon in which the costs of certain services such as healthcare and education increase, while the costs of other goods such as technology and entertainment decrease. The book tackles the trend head-on and manages to provide a comprehensive picture of a society which is nearing the brink of collapse as a result of a combination of factors including toxic self sufficiency and nonrenewable resources. While the validity of the overall thesis of the book is debatable the work itself is a well-researched and written analysis of today 's society. The book is divided into several parts, each of which describe another aspect of the disease. He manages to effectively tie

The useage of language in the book also contributes to its overall quality. Baumol 's language is both descriptive and easily comprehensible, allowing the reader to grasp the subject matter regardless of the extent of their prior exposure to his field. Although the book is seemingly esoteric it manages to be relatable and easily understood. Baumol also manages to tie the themes of the book into the lives of the reader, succeeding in making it even more relatable.The book tackles subjects across multiple fields, however Baumol manages to integrate them, seemingly without effort, while maintaining his apparently casual writing style. It is possible to finish the book unconvinced of Baumol 's argument; however his skill at weaving together the threads of his evidence in order to create a coherent narrative is undeniable. Overall, The Cost Disease is solid work which succeeds in documenting and explaining a societal ill which could be easily solved. It goes so far as to prescribe possible solutions, which lends to a further immersion in the book for the reader. Baumol 's writing is clever and easily understood and his logic is nearly perfect. Aside from a few flaws The Cost Disease is a skillfully written and well-thought out