Deficit, Emma Holten
Deficit, Emma Holten
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Deficit
The Hidden Value of Care

Author: Emma Holten, Sherilyn Nicolette Hellberg

Narrator: Emma Holten

Unabridged: 5 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Virgin Digital

Published: 03/06/2025


Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

How can we create a better future – one that truly prioritises health and happiness?

For too long, economic thinkers have left out acts of care - written off as 'women's work' for centuries - from their calculations. The result? Terrible real-world consequences today: crumbling public services, struggling schools and care systems on the brink of collapse.

In Deficit, prominent Danish feminist Emma Holten reveals how and why this happened, and argues that the things that matter – doing homework with your child, checking in on loved ones, talking to a
colleague who doesn’t seem well – might seem inconsequential, but are in fact the building blocks of the economy. Urgent and incisive, this is a call to rethink the economic value of care.

'Brilliantly rewrites the history of economic thought to place 'her story' at its heart - while combining sharp analysis with piercing wit and deep care. A must-read' - Kate Raworth, author of DOUGHNUT ECONOMICS

'One of the most important feminist voices of the 21st century . . . The book about capitalism we didn't know we needed' - Sofie Hagen

© Emma Holten 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nene on July 11, 2024

Det er, som ventet, en virkelig god bog. Jeg har læst flere økonomers indvendinger, senest et indlæg fra Jeppe Druedahl i Information. Jeg er sikker på, at han har ret i de konkrete nedslag, han kommer med, om citatfejl og misforståelser. Men, og det skriver han retfærdigvis også selv, det er ikke d......more

Goodreads review by Elina on October 30, 2025

Kuluerä tässä, terve! Kyllä nyt kolahti. Tanskalainen Emma Holten selvittää, miten julkisten alojen työntekijöistä, eli naisista, on tullut yhteiskunnan kuluerä. Hän myös esittelee uusintavan talouden periaatteita, joilla naisten työkin saisi arvoisensa huomion ja palkan. Varmaa on, että jos hoivan j......more

Goodreads review by Lucca on August 21, 2024

3,5 Jeg har egentlig ret blandede følser omkring denne. Grundlæggende set føler jeg nok, at den er lidt for kort til at have nogen reel virkning. Der bliver fremlagt rigtig gode pointer og synspunkter, men det virker mere som en forlænget eksamensopgave på uni eller som noget, der blot bør være et f......more

Goodreads review by Jane on May 27, 2024

Jeg var helt opslugt af, hvor præcis en analyse af vores samfund Emma Holten har skrevet. Bogen er et "must read" for alle, som indimellem tænker, at det kunne være interessant at gentænke vores samfund, så det ikke er økonomien, der egenhændigt styrer det.......more

Goodreads review by Katrine on July 12, 2025

God, velskrevet og letlæst bog om økonomiske magtstrukturer og deres betydning for synet på omsorgsarbejde. Til tider trækkes analysen nok en smule for langt som for eksempel når forfatteren argumenterer for at oplysningstidens økonomer bevidst har skrevet kvinders omsorgsarbejde ud af historien. Ma......more


Quotes

This book brilliantly rewrites the history of economic thought to place 'her story' at its heart - while combining sharp analysis with piercing wit and deep care. It's a must read

Emma is one of the most important feminist voices of the 21st century. Emma Holten is going to change the world and you better get on board now, by reading this book. This book will make everything make sense. The book about capitalism we didn't know we needed

At once poignant and accessible, Deficit deftly exposes how our existing economic institutions fail to value care in our societies and are incapable of understanding why relationships between people matter. A truly impressive book

A triumph . . . Like all the great classics of economics, Holten’s DEFICIT is at heart about how we care for ourselves and other people. DEFICIT punches a great hole through history and our thinking about the care crisis that defines all of our lives. Holten is immensely readable, crystal clear, informative and best of all laugh-out-loud funny. So entertained and engrossed was I by Holten’s distinctive voice, it was only after I put down the book that I realised the impact of this subtle, informative history lesson in four hundred years of western economics, and how feminist thinking has the capacity to change it