Synopsis: The greatest economics writer in the blogosphere switches medium to offer an extended treatise on the use of economic principles to improve the non-economic aspects of your life. Utility is maximised.
My Take: Tyler Cowen’s blog, Marginal Revolution, is hands down one of the best blogs on the ‘net. Not because he is the best [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Economics'
“Discover Your Inner Economist: Use Incentives to Fall in Love, Survive Your Next Meeting, and Motivate Your Dentist”, Tyler Cowen
August 24th, 2009 · No Comments · Economics, Non-Fiction
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“McMafia”, Misha Glenny
August 6th, 2009 · No Comments · Crime, Economics, Non-Fiction
Synopsis: Guns, Drugs and Women – Misha Glenny travels from Eastern Europe to South America, Africa, Israel, India, Dubai, Canada, China and Japan tracing the globalisation of crime since the early 1990s. The globalised economy may well be ‘Flat’, but it also casts one hell of a shadow.
My Take: Misha Glenny is probably the only [...]
Tags:Misha Glenny
"The Undercover Economist", Tim Harford
July 11th, 2009 · No Comments · Economics, English, Non-Fiction, Policy
Synopsis: The economics correspondent for the Financial Times writes a pop economics textbook illustrating economic principles in accessible and engaging examples.
My Take: Should be required reading for all high-school students. Clearly articulated, widely accessible and practically illustrated explanations of the fundamentals of economics.
Highlight: A great chapter highlighting the benefits of sweatshops as a transitional industry [...]
Tags:Tim Harford
"The Tiger That Isn't", Michael Blastland and Andrew Dillnot
July 8th, 2009 · No Comments · Economics, Non-Fiction, Policy
Synopsis: Two stats geeks methodically unpick common statistical misrepresentations while giving readers a tool kit to allow them to test statistical claims that they come across themselves.
My Take: “The Tiger That Isn’t” really should be compulsory reading for anyone involved in public policy – advisers, politicians, activists and in particular, journalists. In their capacity as [...]
"Super Crunchers: How Anything Can Be Predicted", Ian Ayres
July 6th, 2009 · No Comments · American, Economics, ICT, Non-Fiction, Policy
Synopsis: Technological advances that dramatically reduce the costs of collecting and storing data combined with vast increases in computer processing power has made data driven decision making both more powerful and more feasible.
My Take: Ian Ayres is a great advocate. Perhaps the reason for this is that he divides his time and expertise between the [...]
Tags:Ian Ayres
"The World is Flat", Thomas Friedman
June 6th, 2009 · No Comments · American, Economics, Non-Fiction, Policy
Synopsis: Cheap, ubiquitous telecommunications have reshaped the globe into a ‘flat world’ in which individuals compete on an equal footing regardless of their geographical location.
My Take: Um, yeah Thomas – where have you been for the past 7 years??
A shallow (excuse the pun)conceptual analysis stretched into a 500(!) page book. Friedman is sometimes an ok [...]
Tags:Thomas Friedman
"On the Wealth of Nations", P.J. O'Rourke
May 29th, 2009 · No Comments · American, Economics, History, Non-Fiction, Policy
Synopsis: Libertarian polemicist digests Adam Smith’s ‘Theory of Moral Sentiments’ and ‘The Wealth of Nations’ and then regurgitates them along with satirical commentary.
My Take: I love the concept of this book – the first in a series on “Books That Changed the World” read and paraphrased by prominent authors “so you don’t have to.” Just the [...]
Tags:P.J. O'Rourke