Table 1; Best written books about Economics for the general reader
(chronological order)
Title, author and date |
Comment |
Almost
Everyone’s Guide to Economics; JK Galbraith and N Salinger (1978) |
One of the world’s best non-fiction
writers and economists is quizzed by a Frenchwoman. Superb |
Short
Circuit – strengthening local economies in an unstable world” -
Ronald Douthwaite (1996) |
Very practical insight
into local economic development by an Irishman – but also inspirational….24
years on, it hasn’t really been bettered. |
Debunking
Economics – the naked emperor dethroned; Steve Keen (2001 and 2011) |
Written before the crash,
it might be called the first alternative textbook (except it’s much greater
fun to read!). By an Australian |
Economics
for Everyone – a short guide to the economics of capitalism”;
Jim Stanford (2008) |
a very user-friendly
book commissioned by Canadian trade unions with excellent graphics and “further
reading” list ….for full version see table 2 ….. |
Zombie
Economics - how dead ideas still walk among us; by John Quiggin (2010) |
is a great read – with a
self-explanatory title. He is also an Australian |
23
Things they didn’t tell you about capitalism; Ha Joon-Chang (2010) |
superbly-written
demolition job on the myths perpetrated on us by economists. By a Cambridge
economist educated in South Korea |
"The End of Progress - how modern economics has
failed us"; Graham Maxton
(2011) |
a
highly readable book by an ex-Director-General of the Club of Rome |
Austerity
– the history of a dangerous ides; Mark Blyth (2013) |
written by a Scottish
political scientist/political economist (now working at Brown Uni in US) , it
shows how old theories still affect the contemporary world profoundly |
Economics
of the 1% - how mainstream economics serves the rich, obscures reality and
distorts policy; John F Weeks (2014 |
One of the best
introductions to the subject - which can't be faulted for being
over-diplomatic! By a US economist who
worked in London from the 2000s |
Credo
– economic beliefs in a world of crisis; Brian Davey (2015) |
An alternative approach
to economics which situates it in its cultural and historical context. It may
be long (at 500 pages) but is definitely worth persevering with.... |
Economics
Rules – the rights and wrongs of the dismal science; Dani Rodrik (2016) |
Rodrik is from Turkey and
is one of the few economists prepared to challenge the mainstream. This is a
balanced rather than critical analysis |
The
Econocracy – the perils of leaving economics to the experts; Earle, Moran
and Ward-Perkins (2017) |
This is a highly readable
little book from those who took part in the protests about the irrelevance of
economic teaching and set out the deficiencies they experienced. This is one
of the few which is not freely downloadable |
Vampire
Capitalism – fractured societies and alternative futures; Paul Kennedy
(2017) |
A sociologist’s treatment
which earns high points by stating in the very first sentence that it has
“stood on the shoulders of so many giants that he is dizzy” and then proves
the point by having an extensive bibliography with lots of hyperlinks… |
Doughnut
economics – 7 ways to think like a 21st century economist; Kate
Raworth (2017). |
This Oxford economist’s
book is advertised as a new perspective on the subject. One of the few not
downloadable |
Economics
for the common good; Jean Tirole (2017) A French Nobel-prize winning
economist |
|
Economics
in Two Lessons; John Quiggin (2019) Google excerpts only |
Quiggin wrote this book
on his website, seeking feedback as he went . You may therefore be able to
see a fair amount of the
content here |
“What’s wrong with
economics – a primer for the perplexed”; Robert Skidelsky (2020) |
Skidelsky is a stylish
writer – historian and biographer of Keynes – I’ve
long admired. I’ve not had a chance to read the book yet – although Diana
Coyle’s not impressed |
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