Economics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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Liberal markets" mean markets where capitalist needs (profits/rent/financing/infrastructure/bailouts/waste disposal/security) dominate over social needs, where finance capital can traverse the globe in nanoseconds while labour (humans) struggle to keep up (esp.

I am now reading Global Economic History also from the Very Short Introductions series and I highly recommend both. Overall it's an awful, awful book and a very poor reflection on the Very Short Introductions series. Secondly, and this goes in conjunction with the first point, is that it is generally a difficult read for what the title alludes to. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. It has been said (by an economist) that economists really don't know anything; they try their techniques on problems in fields and areas of enquiry without bothering to put in the required time to learn about the subjects first.Sadly, this book does not shed much light even on the subject of the supposedly ignorant economists, but it does dab in a variety of asides on its way to nowhere. Raccomanderei però la lettura a chi è interessato a rinfrescarsi la memoria sui problemi dei paesi sottosviluppati e a comprendere perché le politiche tradizionali di aiuto hanno fallito (e continuano a fallire).

But then, I have a degree in economics, a Masters in economic history, and work as an economist professionally.The descriptions of markets and communities are probably the highlight of the book and show excellently that methods from the discipline can be versatile and illuminating. It is clear that the author favors state intervention in terms of economic policies and possibly deliberately leaves out certain economic schools of thought. He makes a case for how economic models can not only help us interpret the conditions that determine society but improve it, proposing ways to integrate environmental concerns and social well-being which are all too often neglected in the literature. Dasgupta was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his work in economics and has written many important books and studies.

Dasgupta helped me see different ways of thinking about important matters, which is a worthwhile accomplishment and the goal of a "very short introduction". Dasgupta tries to show why the circumstances in which Becky and Desta find themselves differ so markedly. I don't necessarily agree or disagree with her viewpoints, but books that are supposed to be references to technical subjects like economics shouldn't have the facts clouded with opinion and rhetoric.He begins with the concept of "trust" in economic activities between people which he develops using game theory modeling. The author tells us in his introduction that he wants to convey how economists think and how they approach problems and this is achieved to a degree. On the other hand, the overall effect of this book is to suggest that economics is confused and confusing - not so much an informative, coherent body of knowledge as a collection of attempts to analyse society. Last time I checked, most people have little idea of the structural mechanisms of US dollar hegemony, World Bank/IMF structural adjustment programs/debt traps, WTO intellectual property (TRIPS), etc. Going from the machinery to the applications and back again to refine what he's set up obviously makes a great deal of sense and gives Dasgupta more mileage to handle the social issues he delves into, particularly in the last two chapters (since, after all, economics is a social science that requires models to align with an informed view of human affairs).