Dear Undercover Economist: Priceless Advice on Money, Work, Sex, Kids, and Life's Other Challenges [Paperback]

Tim Harford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

Throughout history, great philosophers have been answering profound questions about life. But do they know why your socks keep disappearing from the dryer, or how to choose the quickest line at the supermarket? Probably not, but Tim Harford does. . . .

In Dear Undercover Economist, the first collection of his wildly popular Financial Times columns, Tim Harford offers witty, charming, and at times caustic answers to our most pressing concerns–all through the lens of economics. Does money buy happiness? Is “the one” really out there? Can cities be greener than farms? Can you really “dress for success”? When’s the best time to settle down? Harford provides brilliant, hilarious, unexpected, and wise answers to these and other questions. Arranged by topic, easy to read, and hard to put down, Dear Undercover Economist lends an outrageous, compassionate, and indispensable perspective on anything that may irk or ail you–a book well worth the investment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Harford writes like a dream–and is also one of the leading economic thinkers of his generation.”—David Bodanis, author of Electric Universe

About the Author

Tim Harford is the author of the bestseller The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life and a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times, where he also writes the “Dear Economist” column. He is a regular contributor to Slate, Forbes, and NPR’s Marketplace. He was the host of the BBC TV series Trust Me, I’m an Economist and now presents the BBC series More or Less. Harford has been an economist at the World Bank and an economics tutor at Oxford University. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812980107
• ISBN-13: 978-0812980103
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim Harford is the author of the bestseller The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life and a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times, where he also writes the "Dear Economist" column. He is a regular contributor to Slate, Forbes, and NPR's Marketplace. He was the host of the BBC TV series Trust Me, I'm an Economist and now presents the BBC series More or Less. Harford has been an economist at the World Bank and an economics tutor at Oxford University. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A rare miss for Tim Harford, February 3, 2010

By 

Aaron Schlafly (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dear Undercover Economist: Priceless Advice on Money, Work, Sex, Kids, and Life's Other Challenges (Paperback)

Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Tim Harford's books; The Undercover Economist and Logic of Life were really interesting, in a vein similar to Freakonomics (to cite a more famous but not-necessarily-better book#. What I enjoyed about those books was that he explained economic and behavioral topics in an informal but entertaining way.

This book is compiled from letters and responses to his articles in the Financial Times, so intersting topics are touched on ("so-and-so showed that people are more likely to ..."), but the format is too cramped to elaborate.

If it is advice you are looking for, do yourself a favor: instead of getting this book, make sure to pick up his other two books instead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, Informative Read - I laughed Out Loud Alot, January 30, 2010

By 

Scott A., Smith (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dear Undercover Economist: Priceless Advice on Money, Work, Sex, Kids, and Life's Other Challenges (Paperback)

After sitting bleary eyed through many economics classes - I would have bet my life savings that a professional could never have written a fun and informative book. I was wrong.

This is a thinking persons book. Lots of humor interlaced with economic concepts at a pretty deep level

You wont be disappointed

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant!, April 23, 2010

By 

Tony J. Ridley "Consultant, speaker, author, ... (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dear Undercover Economist: Priceless Advice on Money, Work, Sex, Kids, and Life's Other Challenges (Paperback)

"Absolutely brilliant!

Despite the rather gaudy US cover depicted here, this book is a real gem.

Much like Sun Tzu's Art of War that has found multiple uses within the corporate and social stratas of the modern world, this book is as equally relevant.

While many of Tim's references/extracts are comical or abstract at first glance, there are many brilliant observations and relevant concepts that has the potential to help executives and laymen alike. You just need to be open to the lessons he is teaching.

Many a true word said in jest."