Igor
BARENBOIM

“The study of how human beings make decisions in general and financial decisions in particular can help us all improve our decision making. For example: when buying a car, do you take insurance, annual tax and maintenance into account? When you buy an apartment, do you think about the property tax, the association fees and the asset liquidity? We like to decide quickly and not take all the elements into account – this is inherent to human beings. But reading this book can help you get to know yourself, your biases and your emotions better, and from there make better decisions.” […] The behaviorist critique discussed in this book argues that markets do not necessarily produce an efficient allocation of resources and that, in general, it is possible to improve the economic position of some individuals without harming that of others. Supporters of this criticism claim that, due to market malfunctions, asset prices may not reflect their real value. Cases of financial bubbles are an example. Even simple finance ideas were put to the test by behaviorists: they found examples where identical assets traded for long periods at different prices. It is difficult to rationalize the empirical finding using traditional finance models.” It is on these facts and potential explanations that the book sheds light.

Regarding economics and politics, there are countless issues to discuss and questions to answer: What to do if the most humble do not prioritize education at the polls? How to correct the pension and housing deficits? Is Bolsa Família the basis of social assistance, or can we emancipate our population with more effective programs? Does the country’s tax arrangement make sense? In tax policy, what is federal could not be state or municipal, and vice versa? What should be taxed: income, consumption or investment? Should we have a district voting system or a closed list system? How can we optimize our labor market and job creation? What about Brazilian foreign policy? Does Mercosur make sense? Should we act in situations like Haiti? How should we behave, considering cultural globalization and axé-music? Are we behind in the fight against global warming? The answers to these questions constitute the skeleton of an action plan capable of changing the current scenario in Brazil and promoting the country’s development.