Customer Reviews

Sex, Drugs and Economics: An Unconventional Intro to Economics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very solid, serviceable, non-technical introduction to some of the more popular principles of macro- and microeconomics, designed for the general reader. There are no graphs, and no math required.

The subject matter is frequently surprising and Coyle's writing style is engaging.

Each chapter tackles a different subject: infrasructure, inflation, defense spending, etc., and throughout each chapter, critical terms such as "liquidity trap," "rational expecatations," "human capital," etc. are boldfaced and defined in the back of the book.

Meaning that, despite is salacious title, the book would serve nicely as ancillary reading for a basic survey class on economics -- something to breathe a little life into those charts and graphs.

I should warn you about two things:

1. The title is misleading, at best. Presumably this was a directive on the part of the publisher, in a bid to sell more copies? The title seems to promise all sorts of lurid delights inside, but such aren't really delivered on. The closest you come is chapter 1, which analyzes the economic motives behind the prostitution industry, and chapter 2, which does likewise for the illegal drug trade. The overwhelming remainder of the book is quite mainstream and non-controversial.

2. The woman writing this is British, so most of her examples (about monopolies, laws, failed companies, etc.) come from United Kingdom examples that North American readers might not be familiar with.

Coyle's book offers a realistic look of how econ works. It's a great read to see how many of the popular government programs are in fact pork barrelling and not, in fact, in the best interest of society. I find the info contained in the novel useful and valid and the utilization of common themes (i.e. farm subsidies, national defence, sports teams, etc) help the reader understand.

While it isn't the most fascinating book I've ever read, this lives up to its title. It is an unusual, but very effective, introduction to basic economic concepts for people who would rather die than crack open an economics textbook. The choice of real-world examples and the generally humorous tone make the learning painless. I skimmed the glossary before I started and was intimidated by the quantity and complexity of some of the terms that were used, but by the time I had finished reading the book and took another look at the glossary, I found I was comfortable with the terms and concepts. Highly recommended.

I am enjoying this book as part of a class at college and it makes Economics fun and interesting through real world examples that grab one's attention.

Why we make decisions? Because we have limited resources! If you want to understand everything that happened or will happen, read this book.