The Dismal Science

he Dismal Science tells of a middle-aged vice president at the World Bank, Vincenzo D'Orsi, who publicly quits his job over a seemingly minor argument with a colleague. A scandal inevitably ensues, and he systematically burns every bridge to his former life. After abandoning his career, Vincenzo, a recent widower, is at a complete loss as to what to do with himself. The story follows his efforts to rebuild his identity without a vocation or the company of his wife. An exploration of the fragile nature of identity, The Dismal Science reveals the terrifying speed with which a person's sense of self can be annihilated. It is at once a study of a man attempting to apply his reason to the muddle of life and a book about how that same ostensible rationality, and the mathematics of finance in particular, operates--with similarly dubious results--in our world.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Tin House Books
Published: 01/28/2014
ISBN: 9781935639725
Pages: 230
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.70h x 4.60w x 1.00d
Award: Washington State Book Award - Finalist

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 09/16/2013
Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2013
Booklist 02/01/2014 pg. 20
Shelf Awareness 02/21/2014
New York Times Book Review 04/13/2014 pg. 18
New York Times Book Review 04/20/2014 pg. 26