Economics: Making sense of the Modern Economy

The Economist

By: Saguao Datta - editor

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The real-world realities of the far from dismal science.

A radically revised new edition of this highly readable, popular guide aimed at everyone from students to statesmen who want to make sense of the modern economy and grasp how economic theory works in practice.

It starts with the basics: what economics is about; the sources of economic growth such as people and investment; the role of central banks and fiscal policy in setting the macroeconomic framework; and the economics of everything - microeconomics.

From the underlying theory it moves to the specifics of the world economy: the developed world and the rise of emerging economies; the issues of global imbalances and the runaway world of finance; and the recent "great" recession - why it happened, how it was dealt with, its effects, its legacy and the way ahead.

The closing part puts the usefulness and the failings of economics under the spotlight, and looks at the innovative approaches being developed to make what has been called the "dismal science" fit for the modern world.

©2011 Ed. Saguao Datta (P)2013 Audible Ltd

SPELLBINDING?

This may not be a spellbinding subject but it offers insight to the “dismal science” based on improved big data collection and better data analysis. This book of essays contains information that may be used to argue with or against Keynesian' or Hayekian' economic theory. Keynes' followers argue for government intervention in economic crises while Hayek’ s argue for market-force corrections (reorganization, or bankruptcy).

Many things have happened since the 2010 economic information offered in this book. One comes away from listening to "Economics" with previously held biases mostly intact. A nagging feeling remains that rational economic theory makes sense on paper but skitters out of control when acted upon in real life.

A smorgasbord of old Economist articles.

What disappointed you about Economics: Making sense of the Modern Economy?

This is a collection of articles that had originally appeared on the pages of The Economist (a British financial magazine). The chapters in the book are edited versions of those articles and they do not blend well together. Yes, it's one of those make-a-book-out-of-a-magazine's-back-catalog efforts. In this case, the back catalog is at least 5 years old and woefully out of date.

Economic theories tend to go bad after a few years, and so to the theories put forward in this tome. On the plus side, the actual writing is structurally excellent.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The one saving grace about this audiobook is David Thorpe. There are times that I want to listen to a book not for it's content, but as background noise while I work. Mr. Thorpe is excellent in that role. He takes what is dry and boring in this book and reads it in almost a musical manor. Whether that is sufficient weight to overcome the book's shortcomings is debatable.

This is opinion

Seems to cherry pick factual data to come to a biased conclusion . This is entertainment not educational

Low class

What disappointed you about Economics: Making sense of the Modern Economy?

I can't believe why this book like to Prostitute Industry to explain the concept of the economics! The author of the book must be addicted that trade!

Poorly organized and difficult to enjoy

This collection of audio that incidentally is free to all subscribers of the electronic version is devoid of even modest organization. No real point it feels like a random collection of magazine articles. Which I guess it is, but it is not enjoyable.