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Title details for The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford - Available

The Undercover Economist

Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor—and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

by Tim Harford
Robert Ian Mackenzie
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Author of the extremely popular "Dear Economist" column in Financial Times, Tim Harford reveals the economics behind everyday phenomena in this highly entertaining and informative book. Can a book about economics be fun to read? It can when Harford takes the reins, using his trademark wit to explain why it costs an arm and a leg to buy a cappuccino and why it's nearly impossible to purchase a decent used car. Supermarkets, coffee houses, airlines, insurance companies and more are sucking money from our wallets. To protect ourselves and our bank accounts, we must better understand why companies do what they do. Hailed by Publishers Weekly as "unequaled in its accessibility," The Undercover Economist is a sheer delight-and the one book on economics that every American should read.". a book on economics that will enthrall its readers. Beautifully written and argued, it brings the power of economics to life. This book should be required reading ."-Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 13, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781449896102
      • File size: 292290 KB
      • Duration: 10:08:56

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This delightful behind-the-scenes look at basic economics should be required listening for anyone who's looked up at a Starbucks menu and asked, "Why am I paying four dollars for a cup of coffee?" Robert Ian Mackenzie reads with an educated English accent that entertains as well as enchants, and he makes a point to be both clear and challenging in his delivery. The author's take on money is laugh-out-loud funny, and listeners who tune in for the entertainment value will find themselves educated in the ways of the economic world. Magnificently written and read, this book solves some of the mysteries of everyday life with wit and style. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 31, 2005
      Nattily packaged-the cover sports a Roy Lichtensteinesque image of an economist in Dick Tracy garb-and cleverly written, this book applies basic economic theory to such modern phenomena as Starbucks' pricing system and Microsoft's stock values. While the concepts explored are those encountered in Microeconomics 101, Harford gracefully explains abstruse ideas like pricing along the demand curve and game theory using real world examples without relying on graphs or jargon. The book addresses free market economic theory, but Harford is not a complete apologist for capitalism; he shows how companies from Amazon.com to Whole Foods to Starbucks have gouged consumers through guerrilla pricing techniques and explains the high rents in London (it has more to do with agriculture than one might think). Harford comes down soft on Chinese sweatshops, acknowledging "conditions in factories are terrible," but "sweatshops are better than the horrors that came before them, and a step on the road to something better." Perhaps, but Harford doesn't question whether communism or a capitalist-style industrial revolution are the only two choices available in modern economies. That aside, the book is unequaled in its accessibility and ability to show how free market economic forces affect readers' day-to-day.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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