In his books, Paul specializes in writing about complex economic issues and institutions using journalistic narratives and behind-the-scenes reporting, with the aim of making the material illuminating for both expert and non-expert readers. His books are especially popular with professors and students; a sample list of syllabi for college and university courses in which the books were used can be found below.

PUBLISHED MARCH 18, 2025, FROM

READ THE REVIEW IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES

READ THE REUTERS COMMENTARY

"Impressively extensive and highly instructive (a stellar example of "all you wanted to know about the dollar" in stripped-down form). Nevertheless, Blustein wears his learning lightly, capably dissecting and deftly explaining complex issues....enthusiastically recommended" -- Society of Professional Economists  FULL REVIEW

READ THE EXCERPT IN THE MILKEN INSTITUTE REVIEW, with editor Peter Passell writing that the book "reads like the wind."

READ THE EXCERPT IN FORTUNE

     PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2019

READ THE REVIEW IN THE ECONOMIST

READ THE ECONOMIST'S CAPSULE REVIEW IN ITS "BOOKS OF THE YEAR" LIST FOR 2019

LISTEN TO MARTIN WOLF'S "ECONOMICS READING LIST" PODCAST FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES

An excerpt:

"The most important book [on trade] is Paul Blustein's. He's done the work we need on the origins of, history of, and current state of the US-China trade relationship. He's done, as he always does, a wonderful journalistic job of telling you what's behind this, and doing analysis of how it happened...a very important book on a very important subject."

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2016

"Authoritative and detailed...Blustein marshals impressive research." --Foreign Affairs

"Blustein is a terrific story-teller, with rare access to key players at the IMF and elsewhere. Although we followed the European debt crisis closely, much of what's in Laid Low was new to us." --Mark Weidemaier (Univ. of NC Law)

and Mitu Gulati (Duke Law), on "Credit Slips"

[Blustein's] storytelling is highly engaging, and his reporting is superb. Not only does he bring together an astonishing variety of sources (journalistic, policy, academic); he also adds a number of scoops of his own." --Nicholas Véron, on the Bruegel blog 

“Using confidential documents, interviews and financial forensics, Mr. Blustein reveals — in often unflattering detail — the efforts of the world’s financial leaders as they scramble to repair the badly-broken global economy.” -- The Wall Street Journal

"Blustein has thoroughly mastered the craft of breathing life into intrinsically dull material with compelling thematic narrative and delicious character studies. . . .A shimmering, essential read for those seeking a deeper and more nuanced perspective on the modern commerce of nations."  --The Washington Post FULL REVIEW

"A richly nuanced analysis . . . . Blustein's even-handed mastery of his subject does justice to every important perspective, not just those of advanced economies. . . .His thoroughly reported account will be must reading for those who wonder how and why global trade policy is made."         --USA Today FULL REVIEW

"Useful and enjoyable....Mr. Blustein has mined a wealth of material....his book is lively enough to engage even those with only a passing interest in the intricacies of global trade talks. But he is also an able guide to the details of such negotiations. That he is able to do so without inundating readers with a flood of incomprehensible acronyms is no mean feat." --The Economist    FULL REVIEW

"An engrossing inside account. . . .The arguments surrounding Argentina's collapse are complex and technical. It is Mr. Blustein's considerable achievement to have fashioned them into such a page-turner."

--The Economist FULL REVIEW

"The book could have been titled 'CSI Buenos Aires' because what Blustein expertly investigates is undoubtedly an economic crime scene." --The Washington Post  FULL REVIEW

"The definitive account of what went horribly, horribly wrong in Argentina"--NPR's "Planet Money" FULL PROGRAM

"An absorbing tale of hope, folly, and betrayal [and] an authoritative account of the nation's unraveling" --The Los Angeles Times FULL REVIEW

"Gripping, often frightening . . . . should be read by anyone wanting to understand, from the inside, how the international financial system really works." --The Economist FULL REVIEW

"A superbly reported and skillfully woven story documenting an incredible number of costly and dangerous IMF mistakes." --The Wall Street Journal FULL REVIEW

"Applies the craft of great storytelling to a highly deserving subject that is normally the province of technocrats, academics and financial wizards. The result is an accessible account of one of the most significant financial episodes of our generation....The IMF and financial authorities around the world would be well advised to make The Chastening required reading within their organizations." -- Foreign Affairs  FULL REVIEW

A sample list of syllabi for courses that have used Paul's books:

Harvard University 

University of Pennsylvania

Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)

University of California-Santa Cruz

Stanford University

University of Nebraska

Williams College

Carnegie Mellon University

Wesleyan University

University of Tokyo

Universitė catholique de Louvain

University of Texas

Pennsylvania State University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Pomona College

New Economic School (Moscow)

Seoul National University

College of Charleston

University of Rochester

George Mason University

Washington College of Law (American University)