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The Undercover Economist, Revised and Updated Edition: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor - and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car! Hardcover – August 15, 2012

by Tim Harford (Author)

86 ratings

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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 expos� of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything from traffic jams to high coffee prices.

New to this edition: 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 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.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

August 15, 2012
Dimensions

9.4 x 0.9 x 6.3 inches
ISBN-10

0199926514
ISBN-13

978-0199926510
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

About the Author

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.

Product details

Publisher : Oxford University Press; Revised edition (August 15, 2012)
Language : English
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0199926514
ISBN-13 : 978-0199926510
Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
Dimensions : 9.4 x 0.9 x 6.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #441,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #113 in Econometrics & Statistics
- #1,249 in Economic Conditions (Books)
- #1,274 in Economic History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
86 ratings

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4 star		34%
3 star		3%
2 star		4%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Skip the economics courses and read this

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

Tim does a fantastic job explaining important economic concepts and without the confusing charts, graphs and formulas you usually see in an economics course. You get some fascinating anecdotes about how economics plays out in everyday life. You will never look at a supermarket or Starbucks quite the same away again. Tim delivers on every provocative question he asks in this book and answers the all important question of what the major difference is between rich countries and poor countries.

5 people found this helpful

You will get a different view of economics

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Despite its age, this book is a must read for those that have an interest in economy and how the world really works. Very easy to read with no technical language that will challenge many preconceived ideas.

Extremely relevant, good quality

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

My book came in quickly and the hardcover was in top condition. I bought this book for my economics class, as we had an assignment regarding content in the book that relates to the subject matter we've covered in lecture. This book is very relevant to everything, and the way the material is presented makes it easy to comprehend. There are many "Aha!"moments throughout the book, and I can say I thoroughly enjoy it.

3 people found this helpful

History and Science Craig

Good writing, simplifies complex questions

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book. The author explains complex economonic concepts in simple terms with (often funny, always interesting) examples. He does gloss over some details for the sake of clarity, which sometimes made me think he was leaving out some important issues, but he is honest about doing this.

I would recommend this book to the general reader who is not an economics expert. Good stuff.

One person found this helpful

It's Tim Harford. I mean, come on.

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2018

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A very interesting read, but I'm a biased fan of Tim Harford's work. Still, if you're at all curious about the economic forces that invisibly influence you, this is the book for you.

Real World Economics

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

Like applied math, this is applied economics. Gets at real world problems with real world conclusions. Solution to health care financing is as close as we can hope to get to a bipartisan solution. Too bad right wing ideologues and their paymasters won't let this happen.

One person found this helpful

Book arrived just fine.

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

great book,decent shipping time,all good. Thanks

Awesome revision of Economical concepts, with actual examples!

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

Having previously studied Econs in University, this book was a damn good recap of what i studied. Talked about Asymmetric information, Adverse selection, Moral hazard and such! It's such a good read! However, although the earlier chapters are easier to follow along, the latter might be hard to grasp. But i love this book.

2 people found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

sfwalsh

One of my favorite books.

Reviewed in Canada on April 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

One of my favorite books, especially in the current political environment. Explains many nuances in every day shopping, as well as some of the fallacies perpetuated in today's rhetoric.

Nima

Recommended book to start on economics

Reviewed in Canada on October 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

I found this a very useful introduction to the various branches of economics. It is well written and presents good examples. While informative, the author's writing is also fun to read.

Client d'Amazon

Two Stars

Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

some page is missing. For example page 36

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