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Book review: The Undercover Economist Strikes Back

The Undercover Economist Strikes Back by Tim Harford
Hachette, $39.99

book review the undercover economist strikes back tim harford - idealog?He’s back and better than ever. Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, returns for another round in The Undercover Economist Strikes Back. Harford sold more than a million copies of The Undercover Economist, which gave readers the lowdown on how economics works on a small scale, in our everyday lives. 

This follow-up book looks to go bigger, seeking to explain how the large-scale economy works. How do you create a job? Why can’t we just cancel everyone’s debt? And when am I going to win Lotto? 

OK, maybe not that last one. But Harford shoots from the hip in explaining what’s really going on and what it means for us all. The entire book is done in an informal Q&A style, so you get the feeling you’re sitting down with a friend over a beer (or a tequila – hey, we don’t judge) and chatting about Really Smart Stuff. 

Harford, a senior columnist for the FT in the UK, clearly knows his onions and manages to deliver information and analysis in a way that is anything but Fifth Form Econ.

And you’ll definitely be able to trot some of this stuff out at parties and impress your mates.

Review overview