A Crash Course in the Study of Production and Consumption! Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy details of economics into tedious discourse that would put even Joseph Stiglitz to sleep. Economics 101 cuts out the boring explanations, and instead provides a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you explore how societies allocate their resources for maximum benefit. From quantitative easing to marginal utility, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts that you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you're looking to master the major principles of finance, or just want to learn more about why money matters, Economics 101 has all the answers--even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.

Discover the ins and outs of the economy with this engaging, informative, and easy-to-navigate 2nd edition guide with all-new entries and updates. Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy details of economics into tedious discourse that would put even Joseph Stiglitz to sleep. This new edition of Economics 101 cuts out the boring explanations and instead provides a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you explore how societies allocate their resources for maximum benefit. From quantitative easing to marginal utility, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. You’ll learn the basics on terms such as monopolies and oligopolies, game theory, inflation, price ceilings, and so much more. Have you ever wondered about the origin of banking or how banks create money? This book has all the answers. Whether you’re looking to master major principles of finance or just want to learn more about why money matters, Economics 101 has all the answers—even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.

Here is a bracing deconstruction of the framework for understanding the world that is learned as gospel in Economics 101, regardless of its imaginary assumptions and misleading half-truths. Economism: an ideology that distorts the valid principles and tools of introductory college economics, propagated by self-styled experts, zealous lobbyists, clueless politicians, and ignorant pundits. In order to illuminate the fallacies of economism, James Kwak first offers a primer on supply and demand, market equilibrium, and social welfare: the underpinnings of most popular economic arguments. Then he provides a historical account of how economism became a prevalent mode of thought in the United States—focusing on the people who packaged Econ 101 into sound bites that were then repeated until they took on the aura of truth. He shows us how issues of moment in contemporary American society—labor markets, taxes, finance, health care, and international trade, among others—are shaped by economism, demonstrating in each case with clarity and élan how, because of its failure to reflect the complexities of our world, economism has had a deleterious influence on policies that affect hundreds of millions of Americans.

#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.

What is the first thing that all freshmen students should know about Economics? They should first know what freedom is, especially political and economics freedom. Then, they should know how to fight for such freedom. This book describes some live examples taught and experienced by an ancient Chinese philosopher, Mencius. Then, they can proceed to learn some basic economics contents: the consumer, the firm, macroeconomics, and general equilibrium. But, they should also be critical to old thinkings, and be receptive to new ideas.

It's easy to see that Tom Donelson loves to learn. His chief interests are political science and economics. But he also delves into biography, boxing and rock ‘n’ roll. Sometimes, he mixes what he gleans from different disciplines to support certain central ideas: Freedom is good. Free markets are good. People can prosper if government stays out of their way. So here it is, as Donelson says, a synopsis of his thoughts, some of which have been offered in publications ranging from an alternative paper in Kansas City, to daily newspapers (including The Gazette, of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, for which I work on the opinion page), to the National Review. As he observes, it's self-evident that he is a conservative. But he provides plenty of evidence to back taking that point of view. Kurt Rogahn, Cedar Rapid Gazette

"Make Economics Matter. A part of the most successful introductory economics series in the last twenty years, Essentials of Economics features inclusive, relatable examples, consistent problem-solving pedagogy, and innovative teaching support. For the Second Edition, the text has a new example driven approach to teaching what economists do, answers the "life" and personal finance questions on students' minds, and now provides a complete set of digital learning tools including Inquizitive and Smartwork"--