Undercover Economist, Revised and Updated Edition

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 expose 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.

Cu peste un milion de exemplare vandute, The Undercover Economist a fost apreciat in intreaga lume ca un ghid fantastic pentru principiile fundamentale ale economiei. O versiune a economistului a The Way Things Work, acest volum atragator face parte din Economics 101 si expune principiile economice care se ascund in spatele evenimentelor zilnice, explicand totul, de la blocajele de trafic pana la preturile ridicate ale cafelei. Nou la aceasta editie criza bancara si turbulentele economice din ultimii patru ani sunt esentiale pentru oricine s-a intrebat de ce decalajul dintre natiunile bogate si cele sarace este atat de mare sau de ce nu pare sa gaseasca o masina decenta la mana a doua pacaleste Starbucks.