I want to learn more about economics, but I'm a) 15 and b) low on free time.
What's a good book that can explain economics, but theoretically rather than with numbers? My boyfriend reads a lot of Mises and has told me a lot about economics, but I don't know where to start.
2007-05-02 07:13:52 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Economics
Freakonomics FTW!
Creative empirical work, although generally not closely related to what economists actually do....
2007-05-04 03:32:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your boyfriend is sophisticated enough to be reading a lot of von Mises, then you're not going to be able to follow his discussions merely from having read Levitt's "Freakonomics," as entertaining as that book is.
Samuelson's "Introduction to Economics" would certainly do the job, but it can be tedious going, as it is a college textbook, and you did request a "layman's" book.
Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson" is too smarmy and superficial to be of much lasting assistance.
One book that I think is a fantastic, entertaining, and highly readable introduction to economics is the yellow "Economics for Dummies." I would love to use it in my economics classes, as it's much better written than the text we're currently using, except that the principal would probably take a dim view of dozens of students walking around campus with "Economics for Dummies" tucked under their arms.
The book also contains some charts and graphs, but nothing too difficult. But really, they did a good job with that particular volume. In sum, it is my vote for the most all-around useful introduction to economics for someone who needs more than a popular "who-woulda-thought"-type introduction to economics, but does not want to do some serious math work.
Incidentally, if you're just looking to read a popular book on economics, probably the most useful and most entertaining that I've read is Charles Wheelan's "Naked Economics." That will certainly get you started if nothing else will. It will also help you understand why people like your boyfriend delight in the counter-intuitive explanations that economists love so much.
2007-05-03 01:15:32 · answer #2 · answered by Zowzooma, the Angry Deity 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many good books. For a large selection go to Bookyards Economics Section. They have hundreds of free ebooks on economics ranging for the layman to the academic. The link is located at http://www.bookyards.com/categories.html?type=books&category_id=50
Bookyards is a free online library located at http://www.bookyards.com
2007-05-06 12:03:57 · answer #3 · answered by victorlamparski 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get hold of a copy of Paul Samuelson's Introduction to Economics - even an used copy of 5/ 10 years back edition will do.
2007-05-02 16:13:20 · answer #4 · answered by sensekonomikx 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To get yourself into economics a little bit I'd try "Freakonomics." It presents a lot of cool uses of econometric research and some theory - but uses "real life" scenarios. It's a fun book to read not an academic book, but can definitely spark some interest in econ! I'm sure you can find it at your library.
2007-05-02 14:33:06 · answer #5 · answered by G_Elisabeth 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Anything by Thomas Sowell.
Maybe start with his book "Basic Economics". Try your local library.
2007-05-02 15:09:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try the book the Fatal Equlibrium...it is actually a murder mystery that uses economics to solve the murder...it is an easy read...I think the author's last name is Jevons
2007-05-02 14:38:52 · answer #7 · answered by monkey 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A fun book to read on the subject is "Freakonomics" by Levitt and Dubner
2007-05-02 17:41:03 · answer #8 · answered by Existentialist 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋