Swiftynomics - by Misty L Heggeness (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Taylor Swift and Beyoncâe aren't just pop megastars. They are working women, whose astounding accomplishments defy patriarchal norms. And while not all women can be Rihanna or Dolly Parton or Reese Witherspoon, their successes help us understand the central role of everyday women in today's economy. Swiftynomics assesses the complex economic lives of American women. Drawing insights from pathbreakers like Taylor Swift, Misty Heggeness digs into the data revealing women's hidden contributions and aspirations-the unexamined value they create by following their own ambitions. She confronts misconceptions about the roles women play in today's economy by highlighting the abundance of productive activity occurring in their daily lives and acknowledging the barriers they still face. Lighthearted but substantive, Swiftynomics explores critical reforms like paying caregivers for work on behalf of their families and collecting statistical documentation of gendered labor that currently goes unrecognized. Heggeness also offers advice for women so they can thrive in an economy that was not built for them"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Makes a simple but quietly radical point: you cannot understand the modern economy--or the future of work--without understanding what is happening in women's economic lives." -- Inc.com

A feminist romp through pop culture that illuminates how women influence and shape the economy.

Taylor Swift isn't just a pop megastar. She is a working woman whose astounding accomplishments defy patriarchal norms. And while not all women can be Beyoncé or Dolly Parton or Reese Witherspoon, the successes of these trailblazing stars help us understand the central role of women in today's economy.

Swiftynomics assesses the complex economic lives of everyday American women through the stories of groundbreakers like Taylor Swift, Misty L. Heggeness digs into the data, revealing women's hidden contributions and aspirations--the unexamined value they create by pursuing their own ambitions. She highlights the abundance of productive activity in their daily lives and acknowledges the barriers they still face.

Exploring critical reforms regarding caregiving and gendered labor, this book offers advice for women to thrive in an economy that was not built for them.

From the Back Cover

"Take a personal Eras tour with Swiftynomics and musically meander across the history of women in the economy, society, and family. Being a Swiftie has never been more meaningful."--Claudia Goldin, Harvard University, and Nobel Prize-winning author of Career and Family: Women's Century-Long Journey toward Equity

"Swiftynomics is the rallying cry we didn't know we needed. It's smart, fun, and asks exactly the right question: What happens when women own their economic power? Misty Heggeness shows us that whether you're filling stadiums or juggling three jobs while caregiving, you're part of a revolution. This book will leave you feeling seen--and ready to shake things up."--Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, and author of Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think)

"No one understands the Swift Effect quite like Misty Heggeness. With sharp analytical insight, she weaves together data and cultural lore to show how Taylor Swift and her contemporaries are rewriting the rules of the economy. Swiftynomics is a playbook for the rule breakers, the storytellers, and the dreamers determined to change the end game." --Cody Broadway, NBC Universal executive producer of The Swift Effect

"This upbeat and irreverent tribute to feminist economics shows what a can-do attitude can do: make big ideas sing."--Nancy Folbre, author of Making Care Work: Why Our Economy Should Put People First

"Reading Misty Heggeness is like talking to a smart, funny, deeply knowledgeable friend. She shows us how a path to an abundant, prosperous society runs through women: as producers, consumers, storytellers, entrepreneurs, professors, change artists, and moms. Our era is now!"--Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University

Review Quotes

"For decades, economists have struggled to explain a paradox at the heart of modern capitalism: women's educational attainment and labour-force participation have risen steadily, yet gender gaps in pay, power, and economic security remain stubbornly persistent. Much of the explanation lies not in markets alone, but in what markets fail to count. . . .Heggeness . . . has spent her career interrogating those blind spots."

-- "In-Sight Publishing"

"An inventive, entertaining, and genuinely accessible contribution to feminist economics, one that meets readers where they are. Swiftynomics is a great choice for a wide range of readers, but would be particularly well suited for courses in women's studies, labor economics, or sociology."

-- "Choice"

"Heggeness urged entrepreneurs to figure out their vision and long-term strategy for success, as well as assess whether there are any short-term, patriarchal barriers to achieving it."

-- "GOBankingRates"

"This book is perfect for feminists who need a boost to show how strong women are, and that we can do anything we set our minds to, even if we have to work a bit harder to get there. This book gave me hope that we're on the right path to women holding more leadership positions, and the changes we can make in this world."

-- "NetGalley"

"Don't be misled by the title. Swiftynomics is not a book about a pop star. It is a book about women -- the work we do, the value we create, and the ways economics has failed to account for any of it."

-- "KA Media"

"Economist and author Misty Heggeness has a clear mission behind her new book Swiftynomics: make economics more engaging, more accessible and more inviting for girls and women. . . . If economics were taught in a way that met young women where they were, more would stay."

-- "USA Today"

"Reinvention, masterminding, living your era - even if the Swiftie references elude you, Heggeness drives home the now established core principle of feminist economics - until we have greater equality in the home, and until society appropriately values the unpaid care labour that is overwhelmingly carried out by women, we will never be gender equal. . . . Offers a rich economics history and carries hefty political analysis that speaks to the entrenchment of these challenges, along with solid solutions."

-- "Irish Times"

"Respecting the intelligence and humanity of her audience, she centers this nonfiction narrative on the dynamic of spectacular women doing spectacular things for society as a whole."

-- "Reading Raccoons Ruminations Regurgitation Repository"

"Throughout, she shares robust data blended with pop culture and accessible anecdotes about women, both famous and not, who have left the old system behind to thrive economically on their own while building opportunities for others."

-- "KU News (University of Kansas)"

"In Swiftynomics, economist Misty L. Heggeness makes a simple but quietly radical point: you cannot understand the modern economy--or the future of work--without understanding what is happening in women's economic lives."

-- "Inc.com"

"Astute debut . . . both digestible and entertaining. Readers will appreciate this smart fusion of cultural analysis and feminist economics."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Misty L. Heggeness is co-director of the Kansas Population Center, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Kansas, and former Principal Economist and Senior Advisor at the US Census Bureau. She is also creator of The Care Board, a dashboard of economic statistics built by and for caregivers that brings their economic contributions into the fold.