Have you ever wondered why there is a light in your fridge but not in your freezer? Or why 24-hour shops bother having locks on their doors? Or why soft drink cans are cylindrical, but milk cartons are square? The answer is simple: economics. For years, economist Robert Frank has been encouraging his students to ask questions about the conundrums and strange occurrences they encounter in everyday life and to try to explain them using economics. Now in this bestselling book, he shares the most intriguing - and bizarre - questions and the economic principles that answer them to reveal why many of the most puzzling parts of everyday life actually make perfect (economic) sense.

Why do some countries succeed while others fail? What causes boom or bust? The World Trade Editor of the FT explains how the world really works. Why do oil and diamonds lead to economic disaster more often than boom? Why doesn't Africa grow cocaine? Why might believing in God be good for your balance-sheet? Botswana and Sierra Leone are both blessed with abundant diamonds. Why did Botswana became the world's fastest-growing economy while Sierra Leone suffered a decade of brutal civil war? For the past two hundred years Argentina had enjoyed a vista of economic opportunity almost identical to that of the USA but in 2001 Argentina's government bankrupted itself. Why did the USA succeed while Argentina stalled? Time and again, world leaders have failed to learn the lessons of economic history, and their mistakes continue to have surprising and catastrophic consequences. The path to prosperity is rarely obvious and the sources of success are often unexpected. In False Economy, Alan Beattie uses extraordinary stories of economic triumph and disaster to explain how some countries went wrong while others went right, and why it's so difficult to change course once you're on the path to ruin.

All your complicated economic questions and theories explained by world experts. Economics is a broad topic and if you're not an economist by profession, your knowledge might be limited - until now! The Economics Book is your jargon-free, visual guide to understanding the production and distribution of wealth. Using a combination of authoritative, clear text, and bold graphics, this encyclopedia explores and explains big questions and issues that affect us all - everything from taxation, to recession, to the housing market and much more! By following an innovative visual approach, The Economics Book demystifies and untangles complicated theories. Make sense of abstract concepts through colourful graphics, fun facts, and step-by-step flow diagrams. Satisfy Your Hunger for Knowledge Dive deeper into the history of economics with this page-turning book! From the ancient Greeks to today, you'll discover over 100 key ideas from the world's greatest theorists, such as Thomas Malthus, John Maynard Keynes, and Milton Friedman. Fortunately, you don't need a degree in economics to gain this type of understanding. The Economics Book is your accessible guide to gaining tonnes of invaluable economic knowledge and learning how the economy shapes our world!

Understanding economics has never been easier! Want to learn more about Economics but simply don't know where to start? Don't worry - DK has got you covered! Simply Economics is the perfect introduction to the subject for those who are short of time but hungry for knowledge. Covering more than 120 key economic terms and ideas from scarcity to stocks and shares, this excellent economics books explains the key concept more clearly than ever before. Organized by major themes - Foundations of economics, Economies in action, Choices and Consequences, Markets, International Trade, and Finance - entries demystify the groundbreaking ideas of famous economists from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, Joseph Schumpeter to Milton Friedman, explaining the essentials of each key economics school and theory. Dive straight in to discover: - All of the basic covering all of the different schools of economics - Simple, easy-to-understand graphics help to explain more than 120 key economics concepts - An easy-to-read accessible approach to economics perfect for complete beginners A stylish addition to any bookshelf, with playful designs and informative text, this is is a must-have volume for anyone interested in economics, business, finance, or politics as well as economic students who want a quick and easy reference to the subject. So whether you are studying economics at school or college, or simply want a jargon-free overview of the subject, this essential guide is packed with everything you need to understand the basics quickly and easily

A leading economist shows why current economic thinking doesn't work - and what should take its place Economics is broken, and the planet is paying the price. Unforeseen financial crises. Extreme wealth inequality. Relentless pressure on the environment. Can we go on like this? Is there an alternative? In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth lays out the seven deadly mistakes of economics and offers a radical re-envisioning of the system that has brought us to the point of ruin. Moving beyond the myths of 'rational economic man' and unlimited growth, Doughnut Economics zeroes in on the sweet spot: a system that meets all our needs without exhausting the planet. The demands of the 21st century require a new shape of economics. This might just be it.

Begin the new year with a fresh perspective on economics, capitalism, and the society we live in. Yanis Varoufakis, world renowned economist, writes to his daughter to teach her the hazards of capitalism. 'Why is there so much inequality?' asked Xenia to her father. Answering her questions in a series of accessible and tender letters, Varoufakis educates her to what economics and capitalism is and why it is so dangerous. Taking from memories of her childhood and a variety of well-known tales - from Oedipus and Faust to Frankenstein and The Matrix - Varoufakis turns Talking To My Daughter into an enjoyable and engaging read, without ever shying from the harder truths. Greece's former finance minister explains everything you need to know to understand why economics is the most important drama of our times. In answering his daughter's deceptively simple questions, Varoufakis disentangles our troubling world with remarkable clarity and child-like honesty, as well as inspiring us to make it a better one.

A succinct, expert Pelican history of the most contentious issue of our time After all the debates, manoeuvrings, recriminations and exaltations, Brexit is upon us. But, as Kevin O'Rourke writes, Brexit did not emerge out of nowhere: it is the culmination of events that have been under way for decades and have historical roots stretching back well beyond that. Brexit has a history. O'Rourke, one of the leading economic historians of his generation, explains not only how British attitudes to Europe have evolved, but also how the EU's history explains why it operates as it does today - and how that history has shaped the ways in which it has responded to Brexit. Why are the economics, the politics and the history so tightly woven together? Crucially, he also explains why the question of the Irish border is not just one of customs and trade, but for the EU goes to the heart of what it is about. The way in which British, Irish and European histories continue to interact with each other will shape the future of Brexit - and of the continent. Calm and lucid, A Short History of Brexit rises above the usual fray of discussions to provide fresh perspectives and understanding of the most momentous political and economic change in Britain and the EU for decades.

All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to economics. Bring economics to life with The Economics Book, an essential guide to more that 100 of the big ideas in economic theory and practice covering everything from ancient theories right up to cutting-edge modern developments. From Aristotle to John Maynard Keynes and beyond, all the greatest economists and their theories are featured and the innovative graphics, step-by-step summaries and mind maps help clarify hard-to-grasp concepts. The Economics Book is perfect for economic students and anyone who has an interest in how economies work.

All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to economics. Bring economics to life with The Economics Book, an essential guide to more that 100 of the big ideas in economic theory and practice covering everything from ancient theories right up to cutting-edge modern developments. From Aristotle to John Maynard Keynes and beyond, all the greatest economists and their theories are featured and the innovative graphics, step-by-step summaries and mind maps help clarify hard-to-grasp concepts. The Economics Book is perfect for economic students and anyone who has an interest in how economies work.

What is economics? What can - and can't - it explain about the world? Why does it matter? Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University, and writes a column for the Guardian. The Observer called his book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which was a no.1 bestseller, 'a witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy.' He won the Wassily Leontief Prize for advancing the frontiers of economic thought, and is a vocal critic of the failures of our current economic system.

The Penguin Dictionary of Economics explains a host of economic terms, from acceleration principle to venture capital, Euro to X-efficiency, globalisation to zero-sum game. The eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to include those terms that have become so familiar since the global recession begun ('quantitative easing' and 'sub-prime' among them), but whose meanings escape most of us. Wide-ranging and accessible, this detailed practical and international guide will be indispensable for students of economics and professionals (in business, finance or the public sector), and for anyone wishing to follow economic discussions in the media today.

With over a million copies sold, Economics in One Lesson is an essential guide to the basics of economic theory. A fundamental influence on modern libertarianism, Hazlitt defends capitalism and the free market from economic myths that persist to this day. Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the "Austrian School," which includes Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich (F.A.) Hayek, and others, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993), was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman magazine, an influential libertarian publication. Hazlitt wrote Economics in One Lesson, his seminal work, in 1946. Concise and instructive, it is also deceptively prescient and far-reaching in its efforts to dissemble economic fallacies that are so prevalent they have almost become a new orthodoxy. Economic commentators across the political spectrum have credited Hazlitt with foreseeing the collapse of the global economy which occurred more than 50 years after the initial publication of Economics in One Lesson. Hazlitts focus on non-governmental solutions, strong -- and strongly reasoned -- anti-deficit position, and general emphasis on free markets, economic liberty of individuals, and the dangers of government intervention make Economics in One Lesson every bit as relevant and valuable today as it has been since publication.

With over a million copies sold, Economics in One Lesson is an essential guide to the basics of economic theory. A fundamental influence on modern libertarianism, Hazlitt defends capitalism and the free market from economic myths that persist to this day. Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the "Austrian School," which includes Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich (F.A.) Hayek, and others, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993), was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman magazine, an influential libertarian publication. Hazlitt wrote Economics in One Lesson, his seminal work, in 1946. Concise and instructive, it is also deceptively prescient and far-reaching in its efforts to dissemble economic fallacies that are so prevalent they have almost become a new orthodoxy. Economic commentators across the political spectrum have credited Hazlitt with foreseeing the collapse of the global economy which occurred more than 50 years after the initial publication of Economics in One Lesson. Hazlitts focus on non-governmental solutions, strong -- and strongly reasoned -- anti-deficit position, and general emphasis on free markets, economic liberty of individuals, and the dangers of government intervention make Economics in One Lesson every bit as relevant and valuable today as it has been since publication.

Often regarded as a backlash against abstract expressionism, Minimalism was characterized by simplified, stripped-down forms and materials used to express ideas in a direct and impersonal manner. By presenting artworks as simple objects, minimalist artists sought to communicate esthetic ideals without reference to expressive or historical themes. This critical movement, which began in the 1960s and branched out into land art, performance art, and conceptual art, is still a major influence today. This book explains the how, why, where and when of Minimal Art, and the artists who helped define it. Featured artists: Carl Andre, Stephen Antonakos, Jo Baer, Larry Bell, Ronald Bladen, Walter De Maria, Dan Flavin, Robert Grosvenor, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Gary Kuehn, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, John McCracken, Robert Morris, Robert Ryman, Fred Sandback, Richard Serra, Tony Smith, Frank Stella, Robert Smithson, Anne Truitt.

John Kenneth Galbraith's international bestseller The Affluent Society is a witty, graceful and devastating attack on some of our most cherished economic myths. As relevant today as when it was first published over forty years ago, this newly updated edition of Galbraith's classic text on the 'economics of abundance', lays bare the hazards of individual and social complacency about economic inequality. Why worship work and productivity if many of the goods we produce are superfluous - artificial 'needs' created by high-pressure advertising? Why begrudge expenditure on vital public works while ignoring waste and extravagance in the private sector of the economy? Classical economics was born in a harsh world of mass poverty, and has left us with a set of preconceptions ill-adapted to the realities of our own richer age. And so, too often, 'the bland lead the bland'. Our unfamiliar problems need a new approach, and the reception given to this famous book has shown the value of its fresh, lively ideas.

This book is the perfect introduction to the subject of economics and economic ideas through history. From the earliest forms of currency to the Industrial Revolution, and from the birth of the stock market to free-market capitalism and globalized trade, The Little Book of Economics brings economic theory and the work of key economists to life. Journeying through centuries of economic thought, it is the perfect pocket-sized guide to the subject. Packed with infographics and flowcharts that explain complex concepts clearly and simply, The Little Book of Economics offers you a combination of clear text and hard-working infographics in a portable format that is perfect for reading on the go.