I just finished reading (well, listening to) The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford. I haven’t much to offer by way of review, except to say I thought it was fantastic.

The book is essentially a layman’s guide to economics and how it affects every aspect of our lives. I’ve always known enough about economics to get by in a pub argument, but Tim Harford’s refreshingly simple explanations of complicated concepts really get the points across simply and effectively, and his easy and amusing language makes the book extremely enjoyable.

Through a series of entertaining examples, you learn why coffee costs more in trains stations (and, crucially, who actually gets the extra money you pay), why road pricing is the most effective way of reducing congestion, why the American health insurance system is so royally atrocious, and why Cameroon is so poor, but China is the fastest growing economy in the world.

Naturally, there are things in there that I don’t necessarily agree with, and there are many similar books which deal with the same subject matter, quite possibly in a similar style. Tim Harford’s book, though, is definitely one I would recommended reading, if you’re interested in understanding a bit more about economics. Tim Harford also has a blog which I’ve just started reading, but it’s not been in my feed reader for long enough me to really give an opinion on yet…