Yale University Press

Francis J. Gavin · Yale University Press · 2025

It seems obvious that we should use history to improve policy. If we have a good understanding of the past, it should enable better decisions in the present, especially in the highly consequential worlds of statecraft and strategy. But how do we gain that knowledge? How should history be used? In this book, Gavin explains the many ways historical knowledge can help us understand and navigate the complex, often confusing world around us.

Yasheng Huang · Yale University Press · 2023

According to Huang, the world is seeing a repeat of Chinese history during which restrictions on economic and political freedom created economic stagnation. The bottom line: "Without academic collaboration, without business collaboration, without technological collaborations, the pace of Chinese technological progress is going to slow down dramatically."

Carlo Ratti · Yale University Press · 2023

This book explores how the growth of digital mapping, spurred by sensing technologies, is affecting cities and daily lives. It examines how new cartographic possibilities aid urban planners, technicians, politicians, and administrators; how digitally mapped cities could reveal ways to make cities smarter and more efficient; how monitoring urbanites has political and social repercussions; and how the proliferation of open-source maps and collaborative platforms can aid activists and vulnerable populations.

Kristel Smentek · Yale University Press · 2022

Are volcanoes punishment from God? During the Enlightenment, questions such as this were brought to life through an astonishing array of prints and drawings, helping shape public opinion and stir political change. This book overturns common assumptions about the Age of Enlightenment, using the era's proliferation of works on paper to tell a more nuanced story. With a multidisciplinary approach, the book probes developments in the natural sciences, technology, economics, and more - all through the lens of the graphic arts.

Amy Finkelstein · Yale University Press · 2022

Why is dental insurance so crummy? Why is pet insurance so expensive? Why does your auto insurer ask for your credit score? The answer to these questions lies in understanding how insurance works. Unraveling the mysteries of insurance markets, the authors explore such issues as why insurers want to know so much about us and whether we should let them obtain this information; why insurance entrepreneurs often fail (and some tricks that may help them succeed); and whether we'd be better off with government-mandated health insurance instead of letting businesses, customers, and markets decide who gets coverage and at what price.