On My Radar: The Undercover Economist

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
Oxford University Press
Hardcover

From the publisher website:

With over one million copies sold, The Undercover Economist has been hailed worldwide as a fantastic guide to the fundamental principles of economics. An economist's version of The Way Things Work, this engaging volume is part Economics 101 and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything from traffic jams to high coffee prices.

This revised edition, newly updated to consider the banking crisis and economic turbulence of the last four years, is essential for anyone who has wondered why the gap between rich and poor nations is so great, or why they can't seem to find a decent second-hand car, or how to outwit Starbucks. Senior columnist for the Financial Times Tim Harford brings his experience and insight to bear as he ranges from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States to reveal how supermarkets, airlines, and coffee chains--to name just a few--are vacuuming money from our wallets. Harford punctures the myths surrounding some of today's biggest controversies, including the high cost of health-care; he reveals why certain environmental laws can put a smile on a landlord's face; and he explains why some industries can have high profits for innocent reasons, while in other industries something sinister is going on. Covering an array of economic concepts including scarce resources, market power, efficiency, price gouging, market failure, inside information, and game theory, Harford sheds light on how these forces shape our day-to-day lives, often without our knowing it.

Showing us the world through the eyes of an economist, Tim Harford reveals that everyday events are intricate games of negotiations, contests of strength, and battles of wits. Written with a light touch and sly wit, The Undercover Economist turns "the dismal science" into a true delight.

Features

• The first edition has sold over one million copies and been translated into 30 languages
• Author is a senior columnist for the Financial Times, writing in an easy, engaging style
• Complex ideas are laid out in easy to understand examples relevant to our daily lives
• Author has large web presence on Twitter and his website, timharford.com.

Reviews

"This is a book to savor." --The New York Times
"Harford is smart. Scary smart. So smart he can illuminate, in clear, entertaining English, ideas and forces of mind-boggling complexity." --BusinessWeek


"The Undercover Economist is a rare specimen: 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 for every elected official, business leader, and university student." --Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics

"For anyone schooled in blackboard economics, The Undercover Economist succeeds in taking the chalkdust out of the subject."--The Economist


"Distinguishes itself from the pack... lively and insightful." --The Wall Street Journal

Product Details

304 pages; 5 line illustrations; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-992651-0ISBN10: 0-19-992651-4

About the Author(s)

Tim Harford is a senior columnist for the Financial Times and author of several books. He is a visiting fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, a senior visiting fellow at Cass Business School, and he lives in Oxford with his wife and three children.