Reviews
"This remarkable book asks some deceptively simple questions: With what norms should we judge the use of incentives? How can we compare incentives to coercion and persuasion? With characteristically lucid prose and a productive blend of theory and case studies, Ruth Grant illuminates an often neglected arena of inquiry. At a time when philosophers advocate 'libertarian paternalism' as an alternative to coercion and governments deploy 'conditional cash transfers' as instruments of social policy, Grant's reflections could hardly be more relevant."—William Galston, The Brookings Institution"Strings Attached does a great job of exploring what needs to be considered when thinking about the ethics of incentives. Grant argues that choice and volition are not enough to answer ethical objections to the use of incentives, because not all choice and volition reflect the freedom and autonomy we aspire to. Policymakers and social scientists need to pay attention to this significant work. Thorough and accessible, it will be widely discussed and have a big impact."—Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of ChoiceWe're used to relying on incentives. Academics face an incentive to publish papers, hedge fund managers have incentives to earn money for their clients, and if we don't pay our taxes we face the threat of sanctions, fines, and jail. The contribution of Ruth W. Grant in Strings Attached is to question the morality of these arrangements and their ubiquity in our lives.---Tyler Cowen, ScienceIn Strings Attached, Ruth W. Grant examines the history, language, and ethics of incentives, both in the workplace and the realm of public policy. Grant, a professor at Duke, considers incentives to be a form of power, right alongside force and persuasion as methods people can use to get someone else to do what they want.One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2012Increasingly, authorities mistake freedom for choice, Prof. Grant believes. They manipulate, demean and corrupt in the name of a 'freedom' that is no freedom at all. Her ideas may or may not result in better public policy. But they ought to give us a richer idea of freedom.---Christopher Caldwell, Financial TimesI regard the book as illuminating. It may not give us all the right answers, but shows us how to ask all the right questions.---Jason Brennan, Public ChoiceStrings Attached makes you think . . . and above all, [it is] timely. [It] contribute[s] something substantial . . . and serve[s] as a reminder that the morality of markets and incentives is never a settled matter.---Raphael Calel, Economics and PhilosophyIncreasingly, authorities mistake freedom for choice. . . . They manipulate, demean and corrupt in the name of a 'freedom' that is no freedom at all. [Grant's] ideas may or may not result in better public policy. But they ought to give us a richer idea of freedom.---Christopher Caldwell, Financial TimesStrings Attached is a thoughtful . . . look at the encroaching power of the market and its mechanisms in a range of human activity. What does it mean to see life as a series of transactions? The question is relevant far beyond the book's specific examples.---Nancy F. Koehn, New York Times[This book] ought to appeal to . . . everyone who wants a say over his or her own life and possesses a healthy skepticism towards schemes of stealthy power.---Andrew Sabl, Society[I]n its assault on economic perspectives, it packs a powerful punch. And from start to finish, the lucidity and grace of the exposition are unconditionally admirable: I never fear that I can't figure out what Grant is saying, and these days too many theory books make me fearful in just that way. This clarity means the book would be a complete winner in the classroom.---Don Herzog, Political TheoryGrant examines the ethical implications of incentives, which she sees as a form of power. . . . Grant's conclusion is an excellent summary of the deeper democratic values threatened by unanalyzed use of incentives in public policy. This is an important contribution to both ethics and public policy."Moving comfortably from Plato, modern philosophy, and organizational science to plea bargaining, medical research, and IMF loans, this impressive book lays bare some of the ethical complexities raised by the use of incentives in various social and political contexts. A comprehensive look at an underanalyzed topic, this book is a pleasure to read."—Alan Wertheimer, National Institutes of HealthThis book offers useful guidance about how to devise better incentives that direct people toward good choices without manipulating them.---Robert Mayer, EthicsIn a very interesting, helpful new book, Strings Attached, author Ruth W. Grant deals with incentives in all kinds of situations."Strings Attached offers a fascinating tour of the history, morality, and unintended consequences of the modern obsession with using incentives to change behavior. Exploring cases from plea bargaining in criminal courts to paying students to earn good grades, Grant compellingly argues that using material incentives to get people to do things they otherwise would not raises important and previously unexamined questions about ethics, power, and character."—Lynn Stout, University of California, Los AngelesIn Strings Attached, Grant provides a rich and nuanced analysis of the issue of incentives, while still being accessible for a general public interested in the subject. Not specifically aimed at a specialized academic readership, the book nonetheless provides a thorough historical, ethical, and political perspective on incentives that should prove of interest to scholars in bioethics.---Maude Laliberté, Bioethical Inquiry
