Download or read book Economics Through Everyday Stories from Around the World written by Elena Fernandez Prados and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-01-20 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An original and entertaining introduction to economics. This collection of stories from around the world provides an overview of economics 101 in a simple and appealing way which can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Download or read book The Armchair Economist written by Steven E. Landsburg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-10 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Air bags cause accidents, because well-protected drivers take more risks. This well-documented truth comes as a surprise to most people, but not to economists, who have learned to take seriously the proposition that people respond to incentives. In The Armchair Economist, Steven E. Landsburg shows how the laws of economics reveal themselves in everyday experience and illuminate the entire range of human behavior. Why does popcorn cost so much at the cinema? The 'obvious' answer is that the owner has a monopoly, but if that were the whole story, there would also be a monopoly price to use the toilet. When a sudden frost destroys much of the Florida orange crop and prices skyrocket, journalists point to the 'obvious' exercise of monopoly power. Economists see just the opposite: If growers had monopoly power, they'd have raised prices before the frost. Why don't concert promoters raise ticket prices even when they are sure they will sell out months in advance? Why are some goods sold at auction and others at pre-announced prices? Why do boxes at the football sell out before the standard seats do? Why are bank buildings fancier than supermarkets? Why do corporations confer huge pensions on failed executives? Why don't firms require workers to buy their jobs? Landsburg explains why the obvious answers are wrong, reveals better answers, and illuminates the fundamental laws of human behavior along the way. This is a book of surprises: a guided tour of the familiar, filtered through a decidedly unfamiliar lens. This is economics for the sheer intellectual joy of it.

Download or read book How We Compete written by Suzanne Berger and published by Crown Currency. This book was released on 2005-12-27 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Impressive... This is an evidence-based bottom-up account of the realities of globalisation. It is more varied, more subtle, and more substantial than many of the popular works available on the subject." -- Financial Times Based on a five-year study by the MIT Industrial Performance Center, How We Compete goes into the trenches of over 500 international companies to discover which practices are succeeding in today’s global economy, which are failing –and why. There is a rising fear in America that no job is safe. In industry after industry, jobs seem to be moving to low-wage countries in Asia, Central America, and Eastern Europe. Production once handled entirely in U.S. factories is now broken into pieces and farmed out to locations around the world. To discover whether our current fears about globalization are justified, Suzanne Berger and a group of MIT researchers went to the front lines, visiting workplaces and factories around the world. They conducted interviews with managers at more than 500 companies, asking questions about which parts of the manufacturing process are carried out in their own plants and which are outsourced, who their biggest competitors are, and how they plan to grow their businesses. How We Compete presents their fascinating, and often surprising, conclusions. Berger and her team examined businesses where technology changes rapidly–such as electronics and software–as well as more traditional sectors, like the automobile industry, clothing, and textile industries. They compared the strategies and success of high-tech companies like Intel and Sony, who manufacture their products in their own plants, and Cisco and Dell, who rely primarily on outsourcing. They looked closely at textile and clothing to uncover why some companies, including the Gap and Liz Claiborne, choose to outsource production to foreign countries, while others, such as Zara and Benetton, base most operations at home. What emerged was far more complicated than the black-and-white picture presented by promoters and opponents of globalization. Contrary to popular belief, cheap labor is not the answer, and the world is not flat, as Thomas Friedman would have it. How We Compete shows that there are many different ways to win in the global economy, and that the avenues open to American companies are much wider than we ever imagined. SUZANNE BERGER is the Raphael Dorman and Helen Starbuck Professor of Political Science at MIT and director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative. She was a member of the MIT Commission on Industrial Productivity, whose report Made in America analyzed weaknesses and strengths in U.S. industry in the 1980s. She lives in Boston , Massachusetts.

Download or read book Economics Through Everyday Life written by Anthony Clark and published by Zephyros Press. This book was released on 2016-06-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding economics in our everyday lives—simple explanations of complex ideas. Could the United States experience another Great Depression? Is the Social Security program doomed for future generations? What, exactly, do economists do anyway? Economics is not only for academics or Wall Street titans. If you’re curious about how the economy functions and don’t know where to start, Economics will guide you through the essentials, laying out the basic concepts and issues in the field of economics, from business cycles and free markets to social security and healthcare reform, and more. Packed with eye-opening information, key concepts, and need-to-know terms, this easy-to-read primer lets you explore economics at your own pace. Get a straightforward overview of the economy that’s stripped of overwhelming jargon, so you can gain a deeper understanding of economics as it applies to everyday life. You’ll review important background on differing economic schools of thought―from influential theories to the main thinkers driving them―so you can develop your own conclusions. Economics features: An overview of markets and how they operate A review of broad themes―like taxes, inequality, and jobs―as they apply to everyday life Explorations of business cycles covering what happens during a recession Useful timelines and real-world stories that help you travel the world of economics

Download or read book How Economics Can Save the World written by Erik Angner and published by Random House. This book was released on 2023-01-26 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economics has the power to make the world a better, happier and safer place: this book shows you how Our world is in a mess. The challenges of climate change, inequality, hunger and a global pandemic mean our way of life seems more imperilled and society more divided than ever; but economics can help! From parenting to organ donation, housing to anti-social behaviour, economics provides the tools we need to fix the biggest issues of today. Far from being a means to predict the stock market or enrich the elite, economics provides a lens through which we can better understand how things work, design clever solutions and create the conditions in which we can all flourish. With a healthy dose of optimism, and packed with stories of economics in everyday situations, Erik Angner demonstrates the methods he and his fellow economists use to help improve our lives and the society in which we live. He shows us that economics can be a powerful force for good, awakening the possibility of a happier, more just and more sustainable world.

Download or read book Beautiful Economics written by Howard Collinge and published by powerHouse Books. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A handbook for rebooting the world with a new economic narrative that combines ecological, philosophical and entrepreneurial wisdom. What if we could all become rich in Life Dollars , a currency that gives value to all the things that make life rich, sustainable and worth living. What if our economy measured success in terms of Gentle World Domination (GWD) instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), where clear blue skies, social harmony and spiritual and mental well-being were the measures of a nation’s true wealth. In Beautiful Economics: A guide to Gentle World Domination , author Howard Collinge challenges conventional economic theory while championing a new kind of cross-disciplinary economics that brings together anthropology, spirituality, science, philosophy, letter-writing, creativity and most importantly, the art of storytelling. A hybrid between a manifesto for a global economic reset and the most unusual Economics 101 book you'll ever read, Beautiful Economics: A guide to Gentle World Domination is a must-have for entrepreneurs, Corporate CEOs and the millions of Everyday Economists who want to shape a better world with a better economic story.

Download or read book Economies Around the World written by Gail Fay and published by Heinemann-Raintree Library. This book was released on 2011-07 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains the basic tenets behind free market, command, and socialist economies around the world.

Download or read book Let s Chat about Economics written by Michelle a Balconi and published by Gichigami Press. This book was released on 2014-09-26 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children are economists, it's time to chat about it! Economics is the study of choices people make to be happy. Kids do this each day when they decide which shirt to wear, which TV show to watch or what to eat for lunch. In making these choices, they are using the economic principles of scarcity, supply, demand, opportunity costs and diminishing returns. Now is the perfect time to chat with your child about economics and prominent economist Dr. Arthur Laffer shows you how to get started. Written for families of elementary-age children, Let's Chat About Economics identifies and illustrates basic economic principles through familiar scenarios. This book provides a framework for adults (parents, grandparents and teachers) to discuss economics with young children and continue these observations and conversations throughout life. Children will recognize economics in action through everyday examples like shopping for groceries, planning a family trip, saving allowance and buying the latest, must-have tech gadget. When children understand the basic economic principles, they have a solid foundation of how the world works and can apply the same reasoning to make choices that serve their goals and unique purpose. Don't waste another minute, start chatting about economics with the children in your life today!

Download or read book An Economist Gets Lunch written by Tyler Cowen and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-04-12 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most influential economists of the decade-and the New York Times bestselling author of The Great Stagnation-boldly argues that just about everything you've heard about food is wrong. Food snobbery is killing entrepreneurship and innovation, says economist, preeminent social commentator, and maverick dining guide blogger Tyler Cowen. Americans are becoming angry that our agricultural practices have led to global warming-but while food snobs are right that local food tastes better, they're wrong that it is better for the environment, and they are wrong that cheap food is bad food. The food world needs to know that you don't have to spend more to eat healthy, green, exciting meals. At last, some good news from an economist! Tyler Cowen discusses everything from slow food to fast food, from agriculture to gourmet culture, from modernist cuisine to how to pick the best street vendor. He shows why airplane food is bad but airport food is good; why restaurants full of happy, attractive people serve mediocre meals; and why American food has improved as Americans drink more wine. And most important of all, he shows how to get good, cheap eats just about anywhere. Just as The Great Stagnation was Cowen's response to all the fashionable thinking about the economic crisis, An Economist Gets Lunch is his response to all the fashionable thinking about food. Provocative, incisive, and as enjoyable as a juicy, grass-fed burger, it will influence what you'll choose to eat today and how we're going to feed the world tomorrow.

Download or read book Economics Through Everyday Life written by Anthony Clark PhD and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-06-21 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding economics in our everyday lives—simple explanations of complex ideas. Could the United States experience another Great Depression? Is the Social Security program doomed for future generations? What, exactly, do economists do anyway? Economics is not only for academics or Wall Street titans. If you're curious about how the economy functions and don't know where to start, Economics will guide you through the essentials, laying out the basic concepts and issues in the field of economics, from business cycles and free markets to social security and healthcare reform, and more. Packed with eye-opening information, key concepts, and need-to-know terms, this easy-to-read primer lets you explore economics at your own pace. Get a straightforward overview of the economy that's stripped of overwhelming jargon, so you can gain a deeper understanding of economics as it applies to everyday life. You'll review important background on differing economic schools of thought—from influential theories to the main thinkers driving them—so you can develop your own conclusions. Economics features: An overview of markets and how they operate A review of broad themes—like taxes, inequality, and jobs—as they apply to everyday life Explorations of business cycles covering what happens during a recession Useful timelines and real-world stories that help you travel the world of economics

Download or read book Edible Economics written by Ha-Joon Chang and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2023-01-17 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edible Economics brings the sort of creative fusion that spices up a great kitchen to the often too-disciplined subject of economics For decades, a single, free-market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this intellectual monoculture is bland and unhealthy. Bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang makes challenging economic ideas delicious by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world, using the diverse histories behind familiar food items to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a lifelong addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into postindustrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism’s entangled relationship with freedom. Myth-busting, witty, and thought-provoking, Edible Economics serves up a feast of bold ideas about globalization, climate change, immigration, austerity, automation, and why carrots need not be orange. It shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: when we understand it, we can adapt and improve it—and better understand our world.

Download or read book Economics in Christian Perspective written by Victor V. Claar and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-04-21 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Victor Claar and Robin Klay introduce students to the basic principles of economics and then evaluate the principles and issues as seen from a Christian perspective. This textbook places the economic life in the context of Christian discipleship and stewardship. This text is for use in any course needing a survey of the principles of economics.

Download or read book The Undercover Economist Strikes Back written by Tim Harford and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-01-06 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative and lively exploration of the increasingly important world of macroeconomics, by the author of the bestselling The Undercover Economist. Thanks to the worldwide financial upheaval, economics is no longer a topic we can ignore. From politicians to hedge fund managers to middle-class IRA holders, everyone must pay attention to how and why the global economy works the way it does. Enter Financial Times columnist and bestselling author Tim Harford. In this new book that demystifies macroeconomics, Harford strips away the spin, the hype, and the jargon to reveal the truth about how the world’s economy actually works. With the wit of a raconteur and the clear grasp of an expert, Harford explains what’s really happening beyond today’s headlines, why all of us should care, and what we can do about it to understand it better.

Download or read book Identity Economics written by George A. Akerlof and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2010-01-21 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How identity influences the economic choices we make Identity Economics provides an important and compelling new way to understand human behavior, revealing how our identities—and not just economic incentives—influence our decisions. In 1995, economist Rachel Kranton wrote future Nobel Prize-winner George Akerlof a letter insisting that his most recent paper was wrong. Identity, she argued, was the missing element that would help to explain why people—facing the same economic circumstances—would make different choices. This was the beginning of a fourteen-year collaboration—and of Identity Economics. The authors explain how our conception of who we are and who we want to be may shape our economic lives more than any other factor, affecting how hard we work, and how we learn, spend, and save. Identity economics is a new way to understand people's decisions—at work, at school, and at home. With it, we can better appreciate why incentives like stock options work or don't; why some schools succeed and others don't; why some cities and towns don't invest in their futures—and much, much more. Identity Economics bridges a critical gap in the social sciences. It brings identity and norms to economics. People's notions of what is proper, and what is forbidden, and for whom, are fundamental to how hard they work, and how they learn, spend, and save. Thus people's identity—their conception of who they are, and of who they choose to be—may be the most important factor affecting their economic lives. And the limits placed by society on people's identity can also be crucial determinants of their economic well-being.

Download or read book An Economist Walks into a Brothel written by Allison Schrager and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Financial Times Book of the Month pick for April! Is it worth swimming in shark-infested waters to surf a 50-foot, career-record wave? Is it riskier to make an action movie or a horror movie? Should sex workers forfeit 50 percent of their income for added security or take a chance and keep the extra money? Most people wouldn't expect an economist to have an answer to these questions--or to other questions of daily life, such as who to date or how early to leave for the airport. But those people haven't met Allison Schrager, an economist and award-winning journalist who has spent her career examining how people manage risk in their lives and careers. Whether we realize it or not, we all take risks large and small every day. Even the most cautious among us cannot opt out--the question is always which risks to take, not whether to take them at all. What most of us don't know is how to measure those risks and maximize the chances of getting what we want out of life. In An Economist Walks into a Brothel, Schrager equips readers with five principles for dealing with risk, principles used by some of the world's most interesting risk takers. For instance, she interviews a professional poker player about how to stay rational when the stakes are high, a paparazzo in Manhattan about how to spot different kinds of risk, horse breeders in Kentucky about how to diversify risk and minimize losses, and a war general who led troops in Iraq about how to prepare for what we don't see coming. When you start to look at risky decisions through Schrager's new framework, you can increase the upside to any situation and better mitigate the downside.

Download or read book Contemporary Film and Economics written by Samuel R. Staley and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2018-07-04 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does the movie Lion tell us about why some societies grow rich and others remain poor? What can the global box office juggernaut, Jurassic World tell us about entrepreneurs and the ethics of business? Can the movie Passengers give us insight into human motivation and decision making? This book surveys more than 40 movies to answer these questions and much more. Movies do more than entertain. They project important insights, often unintentional, into the way the world works and the values society cares about. Indeed, their stories are often grounded in the real-world experiences of everyday people. As part of this, movies also provide a window into understanding and evaluating economic behavior. Economics is, after all, the study of how scarce resources like labor, capital, and technology are used to improve (or reduce) our welfare. It also helps us to more fully understand the consequences in our lives that result from those choices and decisions. Through exploring a wide range of films from Passengers to Victoria and Abdul, this book delves into economic concepts such as opportunity costs, profit maximization, greed, business ethics, monopoly, economic growth, and entrepreneurship. Contemporary Film and Economics is a must read for anyone interested in how movies project and interpret economic ideas, craft popular narratives for how economies operate, and explore motivations for economic behavior. Economists will find it useful in starting discussions on key concepts, while filmmakers will find the discussions of economic concepts a provocative way of thinking about how to craft engaging stories that are grounded in practical experience.

Download or read book The Economic Naturalist written by Robert H. Frank and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2018-07-03 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do the keypads on drive-up cash machines have Braille dots? Why are round-trip fares from Orlando to Kansas City higher than those from Kansas City to Orlando? For decades, Robert Frank has been asking his economics students to pose and answer questions like these as a way of learning how economic principles operate in the real world-which they do everywhere, all the time. Once you learn to think like an economist, all kinds of puzzling observations start to make sense. Drive-up ATM keypads have Braille dots because it's cheaper to make the same machine for both drive-up and walk-up locations. Travelers from Kansas City to Orlando pay less because they are usually price-sensitive tourists with many choices of destination, whereas travelers originating from Orlando typically choose Kansas City for specific family or business reasons. The Economic Naturalist employs basic economic principles to answer scores of intriguing questions from everyday life, and, along the way, introduces key ideas such as the cost-benefit principle, the “no cash on the table” principle, and the law of one price. This is as delightful and painless a way to learn fundamental economics as there is.