Keynesian Economics, Free Market Capitalism, Monetarism, Game Theory and the Invisible Hand. Sure, you know what they mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about these economic theories to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your financial knowledge? 30 Second Economics takes the top 50 economic theories, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words and one picture. Economics will suddenly seem a lot more fun than the economy, and make a lot more sense, and along the way you'll meet founding fathers of modern economics such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Alfred Marshall. From Marxism to Mercantilism, plus everything in between, this is the ultimate 'crash' course in economic theory.

When it comes to big science, very few things are conclusively known. From Quantum Mechanics to Natural Selection, what we have instead are theories - ideas explain why things happen the way they do. We don't know for certain these are correct - no one ever saw the Big Bang - but with them we can paint beautiful, breathtaking pictures of everything from human behaviour to what the future may hold. Profiling the key scientists behind each theory, "30-Second Theories" presents each entry in a unique, eye-catching full-colour design, with thought-provoking extras and stylish illustrations. It is essential for anyone keen on expanding their mind with science's most thrilling ideas.

Stock-market crashes show how the world of high finance can negatively impact our daily life, but smart money reveals a two-way street where those savvy to the science of finance can take their personal wealth up a gear. What is a hedge fund? How best to understand private equity? What are the principles of investment? 30 Second Money balances key features of personal finance with those of the financial markets and economic concepts, explaining how mass monetary systems relate to one’s own money management choices. From basic concepts like risk and return to types of borrowing, investment, and risk management, everything is explained without jargon or complexity. This is the handbook that gives the reader an edge in any business conversation.

The key ideas in Psychology explained, with colour illustrations, in half a minute. Pavlov's Dogs, Psychoanalysis, Milgram's Obedience Study, and Beck's Cognitive Therapy? Sure, you know what they all mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about these psychology theories to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your knowledge? 30-Second Psychology takes the top 50 strands of thinking in this fascinating field, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and one picture. The inner workings of the human mind will suddenly seem a lot more fun, and along the way we meet many of the luminaries in the field, including William James, Aaron Beck, and (of course) Sigmund Freud. From Behaviorism to Cognitivism, what better way to get a handle on your inner demons?

A full-colour illustrated tour through philosophy's most famous – and most mind-bending – ideas I Think Therefore I Am, Existentialism, Dialectical Materialism? The Socratic Method and Deconstruction? Sure, you know what they all mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about them to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your knowledge? 30-SECOND PHILOSOPHIES takes a revolutionary approach to getting a grip on the 50 most significant schools of philosophy. The book challenges leading thinkers to quit fretting about the meaning of meaning for a while and explain the most complex philosophical ideas – using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and a metaphorical image. Here, in one unique volume, you have the chance to pick the potted brains of our leading philosophers and understand complex concepts such as Kant's Categorical Imperative without ending up in a darkened room with an ice pack on your head.

Others might have called this book Micro Theory or Price Theory. Becker's choice of Economic Theory as the title for his book reflects his deep belief that there is only one kind of economic theory, not separate theories for micro problems, macro problems, non-market decisions, and so on. Indeed, as he notes, the most promising development in recent years in the literature on large scale economic problems such as unemployment has been the increasing reliance on utility maximization, a concept generally identified with microeconomics. Microeconomics is the subject matter of this volume, but it is emphatically not confined to microeconomics in the literal sense of micro units like firms or households. Becker's main interest is in market behavior of aggregations of firms and households. Although important inferences are drawn about individual firms and households, the author tries to understand aggregate responses to changes in basic economic parameters like tax rates, tariff schedules, technology, or antitrust provisions. His discussion is related to the market sector in industrialized economies, but the principles developed are applied to other sectors and different kinds of choices. Becker argues that economic analysis is essential to understand much of the behavior traditionally studied by sociologists, anthropologists, and other social scientists. The broad definition of economics in terms of scarce means and competing ends is taken seriously and should be a source of pride to economists since it provides insights into a wide variety of problems. Practically all statements proved mathematically are also provided geometrically or verbally in the body of the text.

Now in its second edition, John Harvey’s rigorous textbook provides an accessible and engaging introduction to various competing schools of thought in economics. This revised and extended edition will continue to open readers’ minds, leading them towards new and productive directions. Chapters study numerous schools of thought including Neoclassical, Marxist, Austrian, Post Keynesian, Institutionalist, New Institutionalist, Feminist and Ecological. Unique features and criticisms of each approach are highlighted through discussions of methodology, world views, popular themes, and current activities.