Here are 100 books that Risky Business fans have personally recommended if you like Risky Business. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Who Shall Live? Health, Economics And Social Choice

Joseph P. Newhouse Author Of Pricing the Priceless: A Health Care Conundrum

From my list on the economics and history of American health insurance.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother wanted me to be a physician, but as a child I was very squeamish about human biology and knew that wasn't for me. In college I was exposed to economics and found it, and the policy debates about national health insurance, fascinating. So, maybe with my mother’s wishes in the back of my mind, I became a health economist. I was privileged to direct a large randomized trial called the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which varied the cost of medical care to families. This project lasted more than a decade and got me so deep into the economics of health and medical care that I became a professor of health policy and management.


Joseph's book list on the economics and history of American health insurance

Joseph P. Newhouse Why Joseph loves this book

Eminently readable, this is a classic book by the doyen of American health economics that explains in non-technical terms the economics of health and medical care. It has been updated with several essays that Fuchs has published in the almost five decades since the book was first published.  

By Victor R Fuchs ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Who Shall Live? Health, Economics And Social Choice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Since the first edition of Who Shall Live? (1974), over 100,000 students, teachers, physicians, and general readers from more than a dozen fields have found this book to be a reader-friendly, authoritative introduction to economic concepts applied to health and medical care.Health care is by far the largest industry in the United States. It is three times larger than education and five times as large as national defense. In 2001, Americans spent over $12,500 per person for hospitals, physicians, drugs and other health care services and goods. Other high-income democracies spend one third less, enjoy three more years of life…


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Book cover of Social Security for Future Generations

Social Security for Future Generations by John A. Turner,

This book provides new options for reform of the Social Security (OASI) program. Some options are inspired by the U.S. pension system, while others are inspired by the literature on financial literacy or the social security systems in other countries.

An example of our proposals inspired by the U.S. pension…

Book cover of The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry

Joseph P. Newhouse Author Of Pricing the Priceless: A Health Care Conundrum

From my list on the economics and history of American health insurance.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother wanted me to be a physician, but as a child I was very squeamish about human biology and knew that wasn't for me. In college I was exposed to economics and found it, and the policy debates about national health insurance, fascinating. So, maybe with my mother’s wishes in the back of my mind, I became a health economist. I was privileged to direct a large randomized trial called the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which varied the cost of medical care to families. This project lasted more than a decade and got me so deep into the economics of health and medical care that I became a professor of health policy and management.


Joseph's book list on the economics and history of American health insurance

Joseph P. Newhouse Why Joseph loves this book

Another classic book that describes the history of American medicine and organized medicine’s interactions with the political process. 

It is necessary background to understand the predominance of employment-based health insurance and why the 2010 Affordable Care Act was such a breakthrough. Starr is a Princeton sociologist who participated in the 1990s debate on the failed Clinton health insurance plan.

By Paul Starr ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Social Transformation of American Medicine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize in American History, The Social Transformation of American Medicine is a landmark history of the American health care system, examining how the roles of doctors, hospitals, health plans, and government programs has evolved over the last two centuries. Beginning in 1730 and coming up to the present day, renowned sociologist Paul Starr traces the transformation of our national health care system into a private corporate medical institution that dominates the field and threatens the sovereignty of the medical profession. In this new and revised edition, Paul Starr will bring his research…


Book cover of The Heart of Power: Health and Politics in the Oval Office

Joseph P. Newhouse Author Of Pricing the Priceless: A Health Care Conundrum

From my list on the economics and history of American health insurance.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother wanted me to be a physician, but as a child I was very squeamish about human biology and knew that wasn't for me. In college I was exposed to economics and found it, and the policy debates about national health insurance, fascinating. So, maybe with my mother’s wishes in the back of my mind, I became a health economist. I was privileged to direct a large randomized trial called the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which varied the cost of medical care to families. This project lasted more than a decade and got me so deep into the economics of health and medical care that I became a professor of health policy and management.


Joseph's book list on the economics and history of American health insurance

Joseph P. Newhouse Why Joseph loves this book

In individual chapters, this book describes every American President’s approach to health policy from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush (it omits Gerald Ford). 

It describes their personal and familial interactions with health and medical care as well as their foibles and habits. It is a fascinating read, especially for those of an age who personally lived through some of these Presidents.

By David Blumenthal , James Morone ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Heart of Power as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Even the most powerful men in the world are human - they get sick, take dubious drugs, drink too much, contemplate suicide, fret about ailing parents, and bury people they love. Young Richard Nixon watched two brothers die of tuberculosis, even while doctors monitored a suspicious shadow on his own lungs. John Kennedy received last rites four times as an adult, and Lyndon Johnson suffered a 'belly buster' of a heart attack. David Blumenthal and James A. Morone explore how modern presidents have wrestled with their own mortality - and how they have taken this most human experience to heart…


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Book cover of Social Security for Future Generations

Social Security for Future Generations by John A. Turner,

This book provides new options for reform of the Social Security (OASI) program. Some options are inspired by the U.S. pension system, while others are inspired by the literature on financial literacy or the social security systems in other countries.

An example of our proposals inspired by the U.S. pension…

Book cover of The Quality Cure: How Focusing on Health Care Quality Can Save Your Life and Lower Spending Too

Joseph P. Newhouse Author Of Pricing the Priceless: A Health Care Conundrum

From my list on the economics and history of American health insurance.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother wanted me to be a physician, but as a child I was very squeamish about human biology and knew that wasn't for me. In college I was exposed to economics and found it, and the policy debates about national health insurance, fascinating. So, maybe with my mother’s wishes in the back of my mind, I became a health economist. I was privileged to direct a large randomized trial called the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which varied the cost of medical care to families. This project lasted more than a decade and got me so deep into the economics of health and medical care that I became a professor of health policy and management.


Joseph's book list on the economics and history of American health insurance

Joseph P. Newhouse Why Joseph loves this book

Almost all Americans think the high cost of health care is a major problem and a large number think access to services is also a problem. 

Many, however, think that if a person has access to medical care and good insurance, quality of care is excellent. That’s sometimes true, but often not as this book describes.

By David Cutler ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Quality Cure as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the United States, the soaring cost of health care has become an economic drag and a political flashpoint. Moreover, although the country's medical spending is higher than that of any other nation, health outcomes are no better than elsewhere, and in some cases are even worse. In The Quality Cure, renowned health care economist and former Obama advisor David Cutler offers an accessible and incisive account of the issues and their causes, as well as a road map for the future of health care reform--one that shows how information technology, realigned payment systems, and value-focused organizations together have the…


Book cover of The Billionaire's Secret Marriage

Laura Wolf Author Of The Billionaire's Regret

From my list on sweet romances to make you swoon.

Why am I passionate about this?

Known for my sweet billionaire romance novels, I am a purveyor of book boyfriends and happy endings. I absolutely love romance stories as you know exactly what you’re in for when you pick them up. You know there will be a Happily Ever After no matter how dire things get at any given point in the story so you can really just sit back and enjoy the ride. As an author I always write epilogues and I’ve built up a growing universe where characters pop in and out of each other’s books. It’s my happy place and as an author I love sharing that world with others.

Laura's book list on sweet romances to make you swoon

Laura Wolf Why Laura loves this book

I found this entire series a refreshing and original set of Billionaire trope romances, as each of the heroes lives with a permanent disability. One really important thing I think Tamie does really well with her books is that they don’t come across as shallow or exoticized – the characters are never magically healed for their happily ever afters – they have their challenges and it makes them who they are, but they don’t need those things to be fixed to be happy and whole. She has a lot of personal insight into this as well, as she covers in her Author’s Note that she wrote these books out of a personal desire to bring representation to this community out of love for her grandson who also – like Bran – happens to be blind.

By Tamie Dearen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Billionaire's Secret Marriage as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stephanie Caldwell fell in love with her boss, but he's too clueless to notice. And being blind is no excuse!

Steph doesn’t care that Bran is blind—at least he’ll never see the longing looks she gives him. If only she could warn him about the lack of love on his conniving fiancée’s face. But Steph has to keep her mouth shut, or she could lose her job, along with the health insurance that keeps her daughter alive.

Billionaire Branson Knight knows women regard him as a pitiful blind man, his wealth his only attraction. So his engagement is merely a…


Book cover of Code Blue

Edward G. Rogoff Author Of Scary Diagnosis

From my list on dealing with a scary health diagnosis.

Why am I passionate about this?

Healthcare and the system that delivers it have been central to my life since I was a child. I was born with hemophilia and experienced many complications and hospitalizations. I received a liver transplant thirteen years ago because a blood transfusion-acquired Hepatitis C damaged it. I have been active in advocacy organizations, including being President of the Hemophilia Association of New York, being on the Board of LiveOnNY, and being the founder and President of the Hemophilia Services Consortium. I have interacted with many patients and their families and strongly felt the need to offer a book that informs, inspires, and helps them manage the challenges of a scary diagnosis.

Edward's book list on dealing with a scary health diagnosis

Edward G. Rogoff Why Edward loves this book

I learned so much from this book.

Dr. Magee had a career that spanned everything from working as a primary care doctor to working for the government to working for big pharma. He is very open about all his experiences and in explaining why the healthcare system is so complex and dysfunctional.

He shares individual stories that take place in each of these venues that are entertaining and informative, and I very much liked. 

By Mike Magee ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Code Blue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Code Blue" is the phrase customarily announced over hospital public address systems to alert staff to an urgent medical emergency requiring immediate attention.

How has the United States, with more resources than any nation, developed a healthcare system that delivers much poorer results, at near double the cost of any other developed country-such that legendary seer Warren Buffett calls the Medical Industrial Complex "the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness"? Mike Magee, M.D., who worked for years inside the Medical Industrial Complex administering a hospital and then as a senior executive at the giant pharmaceutical company Pfizer, has spent the last…


Book cover of Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win

Hunter N. Schultz Author Of Expat Health Guide: Five steps to securing outstanding expat healthcare

From my list on being an expat taught me to loathe America’s healthcare.

Why am I passionate about this?

Born and raised in the Chicago area, I worked in the automotive industry as a car salesperson and racing team manager, financial services as a Registered Representative, and a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. An expat in Panama since 2004, I worked in business development for several healthcare products and co-founded an air medical transport service. Over the last decade, I’ve represented two businesses delivering protective medical care to high-net-worth individuals where I learned care’s gold standard from former White House physicians. My research included the books I recommend here and inspired me to write the Expat Health Guide for current and future expats. 

Hunter's book list on being an expat taught me to loathe America’s healthcare

Hunter N. Schultz Why Hunter loves this book

Ever hear of MLR or Medical Loss Ratio? I had, but it didn’t click why it was a cruel joke on American healthcare consumers until I read Marshall’s book. His give a kid a bowl of ice cream analogy is so spot on that I asked for and received his permission to quote it in my book. My dad used to say that a sure sign of genius is making a complex subject understandable to an eighth grader. Marshall’s a genius. His insights stem from over 15 years of investigative reporting on the healthcare industry are critical to combatting a downright evil billing system. Whenever a friend mentions they’ve been in the hospital, or will be, I tell them to read this book. 

By Marshall Allen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Never Pay the First Bill as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From award-winning ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen, a primer for anyone who wants to fight the predatory health care system--and win.

Every year, millions of Americans are overcharged and underserved while the health care industry makes record profits. We know something is wrong, but the layers of bureaucracy designed to discourage complaints make pushing back seem impossible. At least, this is what the health care power players want you to think.

Never Pay the First Bill is the guerilla guide to health care the American people and employers need. Drawing on 15 years of investigating the health care industry, reporter Marshall…


Book cover of Life After Deaf: My Misadventures in Hearing Loss and Recovery

Claudia Marseille Author Of But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World

From my list on living with a severe hearing loss.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had a severe hearing loss since birth and grew up dependent on lipreading and hearing aids. I’ve witnessed profound change in technology, from the large primitive hearing aid I had as a child, to digital and assistive listening technologies and the availability of cochlear implants. I’ve painfully navigated my way through public schools, and later at jobs, with an invisible disability. Today I am grateful for connectivity to the phone, captioning for movies and Zoom which enables me to lipread! I finally found my way to a life of creativity as a painter and writer. 

Claudia's book list on living with a severe hearing loss

Claudia Marseille Why Claudia loves this book

Holston, a journalist and musician, went to bed one night and woke up the next morning virtually completely deaf.

His book is a fascinating account of how he clawed his way back to the hearing world through various misdiagnoses, a failed cochlear implant, and finally, after extensive rehabilitative therapy, a successful cochlear implant. I learned so much about the pros and cons and risks of cochlear implants, and how they have improved greatly over the years.

I loved the way he communicates his profound frustrations and fears through this painful process with a self-deprecating humor that makes the book, despite its serious subject matter, an entertaining as well as educational read.

By Noel Holston ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Life After Deaf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From a renowned media critic to a man with sudden and full hearing loss, Noel Holston ran the gauntlet of diagnoses, health insurance, and cochlear implant surgery. On a spring night in 2010, Noel Holston, a journalist, songwriter, and storyteller, went to bed with reasonably intact hearing. By dawn, it was gone, thus beginning a long process of h


Book cover of The Great Economists: Ten Economists Whose Thinking Changed the Way We Live

Panayotis G. Michaelides Author Of History of Economic Ideas: From Adam Smith to Paul Krugman

From my list on the evolution of economics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Full Professor and Lab Director in Economics. My interest in this field began when I traveled abroad and observed the differences in prices, goods, and quality of life. In order to gain a deeper understanding, I decided to switch from my previous academic background in Engineering, Mathematics & Physics to Economics, Finance & Data Science. Today, I am dedicated to expanding my knowledge and sharing my insights through teaching, academic publications, and LinkedIn posts. According to the latest rankings, I am humbled to be among the top 3% most productive economists worldwide (IDEAS-RePec, 2023), as well as being ranked among the top 4% researchers in Financial Economics, and the top 5% in Econometrics (Researchgate, 2023).

Panayotis' book list on the evolution of economics

Panayotis G. Michaelides Why Panayotis loves this book

For anyone interested in a comfortable tour through some of the greatest economists, this book is a must-read.

It is like having a personal conversation with the world's leading economic masterminds, as it explores their beliefs, backgrounds, and legacies. This book is well-written and easy to follow, making it an excellent choice for anyone.

Economics is not only concerned with fiscal policies and national economies. And this book does a good job of illustrating the fact that Economics plays a role in almost every aspect of human life.

Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the inclusion of Daniel Kahneman in the book, an Israeli-American psychologist and Nobel Prize winner whose empirical findings challenged the assumption of human rationality, i.e. the foundation of modern Economics.

By Phil Thornton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Great Economists as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Great Economists succinctly and accurately describes the thinking of the world's leading economic thinkers. It captures their key beliefs, explores their backgrounds, assesses their thinking and evaluates their legacy. It explains the schools of thought named after them and clearly shows how they influence our everyday lives.


Book cover of Returns to Education: An International Comparison

Walter W. McMahon Author Of Higher Learning, Greater Good: The Private and Social Benefits of Higher Education

From my list on the returns of higher education.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always been interested in trying to make the world a better place, increasing the well-being of families and nations, and not just in making private profit for myself or for some employer. In working as a consultant on education and development in 22 different countries, many of them poor and developing such as Nepal, Malawi, and Indonesia, I've seen a lot of poverty and inequality, and have also come to see how education, including its effects on fertility rates, health, longevity, the survival of democratic institutions and so forth and especially its financing is at the heart of making lives better, especially for children who are the future of each family and each nation.

Walter's book list on the returns of higher education

Walter W. McMahon Why Walter loves this book

I strongly recommend this book because it is clearly written, explains the methods of estimation, and provides an excellent overview of the extensive worldwide research on the returns to education based on earnings.

It certainly influenced me. It had a massive impact on World Bank lending policies in support of economic development in developing countries. It replaced the kinds of Bank physical capital investment policies such as those supporting dam construction, projects that included educating only for a few people on how to operate dams, with education sector-wide loans that support primary and junior secondary education of the labor force.

Some of these dams later washed out, and forests were destroyed in support of development. The book shows how the returns to investment in primary and secondary education are higher in developing countries where the labor force is often nearly illiterate than they are to investing in other higher levels…

By George Psacharopoulos ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Returns to Education as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hardback. Jacket a little sunned, worn, with several small nicks along top edge. Boards a little worn at edges only. Previous owner's name label on front endpaper; contents otherwise clean and sound throughout. TPW


Book cover of Who Shall Live? Health, Economics And Social Choice
Book cover of The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry
Book cover of The Heart of Power: Health and Politics in the Oval Office

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