- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (Dec 24 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0465081452
- ISBN-13: 978-0465081455
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.4 x 0.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 136 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #397,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A well-known conservative columnist, author and economist, Sowell (A Personal Odyssey, etc.) presents an introductory course in economics with an emphasis on public policy. Forgoing jargon, equations, graphs and complicated exposition, he's produced a book that's easy to read and understand, though it tends to be superficial and is written in an angry tone, often accusing others of economic ignorance, as if that is the only possible explanation for disagreement with the author's views. Sowell is at his best discussing microeconomics in the first two-thirds of the book. Unlike most accounts, which cover the subject from the point of view of business or investment, Sowell concentrates on government action, in an effort to prepare the reader for civic participation. He addresses price controls and subsidies in detail, both as important political issues in their own right and to demonstrate how prices work by showing what happens when they are constrained. In the final third of the book, he wades into more complex and controversial territory--macroeconomics, international economics and popular fallacies--and his effort to cover them at the elementary level results in a muddled treatment. Overall, his defense of certain conservative tenets is wielded with a sledgehammer rather than a rapier. Agent, Carol Mann. (Feb. 15)Forecast: Sowell's many fans will appreciate this book (which is supported by a radio satellite tour), though it is probably most appropriate as a gift to junior high school relatives, accompanied by a bribe to read it. General readers can--and some of them will--find better written, more sophisticated introductions to economics, including such middle-of-the-road overviews as From Here to Economy: A Short Cut to Economic Literacy by Todd G. Buchholz or New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Economic Thought by Todd G. Buchholz and Martin Feldstein. For a conservative viewpoint, Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman has yet to be topped.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From Library Journal
Syndicated columnist Sowell (economics, Hoover Inst.) is the author of 31 books and monographs on a broad range of topics, including race, culture, education, social policy, philosophy, and economics. In this groundbreaking work, he explains the basics of economics without resorting to the graphs, equations, and jargon that typically fill the textbooks and literature in the field. Along the way, he explains exactly what economics is and what its guiding principles are. Sowell covers a broad range of topics, from scarcity, the balance of trade, and price controls to minimum-wage laws, competition, profits and losses, and the role of government. Intended as a primer for the citizen not trained in the basics of economic theory, this book is flawed only in a somewhat confusing organization that leads to repetition. Recommended for public libraries. Norm Hutcherson, California State Univ., Bakersfield
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Vital Primer to Economics,
By Agnes Araujo (Alert Bay, B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Basic Economics 1st Ed: A Citizen's Guide To The Economy (Hardcover)
This is a superb book for those who wish to inform themselves about economics from an articulate professional. He expresses himself clearly,simply, and elegantly with touches of humour along the way. Dr. Sowell is a superb writer and teacher. One of the great advantages of his book is that you can read any chapter without having to read all earlier chapters. You will want to read them all,though, as time permits. The book is written for the busy person, with just snatches of time to devote to reading. The scholar will find a great deal of repetition when he reads from cover to cover, but this repetition is systemic. Dr. Sowell intended his book to be just that way. The repetition drives home his points, and when you finish reading, you will have acquired a considerable amount of KNOWLEDGE from a scholar with awsome erudition, ethics, and compassion for mankind. I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Thomas Sowell for writing this book in particular. (I have read some other ones of his.)I was startled to discover that I had a number of fears around money and economics as I read this book. I was shocked to learn this, but relieved that I had at last found the bits of data I was looking for, but didn't know particularly that I was looking for them, thanks to Dr. Thomas Sowell. After reading this work, I know that we can do something to improve things in our communities, and I no longer feel powerless to do so. You can do something too: read this book,and you'll know what I mean. Basic Economics is a VITAL book. Reading it means the difference between freedom and enslavement. It also means the difference between prosperity and poverty. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Thomas Sowell for having written this book and for reaching out to the person on the street. Thank you very, very much.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great stuff!,
By
This review is from: Basic Economics 2nd Ed: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy, Revised and Expanded Edition (Hardcover)
Dont listen to the 3 star and below reviews... liberals have a problem facing reality and it shows in their reviews.Read the book. And ask thoughtfully if there is anything he says (well almost anything to be completely honest) that is untrue. You'll come away with a lot of misconceptions cleared, concepts understood - and a lot of fascinating factoids absorbed to boot! This book will give you a good solid foundation into the basics and how and why it is important to know economics - because it uses tons of real world examples. From Sweden and the former Soviet Union to the good old USA. Its all there. Will really whet your appetite for economics. And very little sensationalism or off the wall content (compared to the popular 'economics' books like Levitts Freakonomics etc). Get one and get another for your children! P.S Yes the only problem, as mentioned in other reviews - is a few too many typos for my taste (but not enough for me to lower the rating)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A primer of economic principles,
By A Customer
This review is from: Basic Economics 2nd Ed: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy, Revised and Expanded Edition (Hardcover)
This book is an outstanding contribution to anyone who wishes to understand the principles of economics, and an example of brilliant reasoning.However,just as power trumps knowledge, so do idees fixes, pet peeves, peccadilloes in the area of economics and careless reading, trump appreciation of this tour de force by Mr. Sowell.
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