The Undercover Economist

蒂姆·哈福德：《金融时报》“亲爱的经济学家”的专栏作家。在这个专栏中，他用最新的经济理论，为好奇心十足的读者提供轻松诙谐、深入浅出的答案。他同时还在世界银行工作，担任国际金融公司首席经济学家的主笔。之前，哈福德不但做过《金融时报》的经济学社评作家，还曾担任一家大型石油公司的经济学家、牛津大学的经济学教授。他现居华盛顿。可以从http://www.timharford.com/deareconomist/上阅读到哈福德的精彩评论。

出版者:Oxford University Press

作者:Tim Harford

页数:288

出版时间:2005-11-1

价格:CAD 28.95

装帧:Hardcover

isbn号码:9780195189773

图书标签:经济学economics经济原版finance科普哈福德economy

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An economist's version of The Way Things Work, this engaging volume is part field guide to economics and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything from traffic jams to high coffee prices. The Undercover Economist is for anyone who's wondered why the gap between rich and poor nations is so great, or why they can't seem to find a decent second-hand car, or how to outwit Starbucks. This book offers the hidden story behind these and other questions, as economist Tim Harford ranges from Africa, Asia, Europe, and of course the United States to reveal how supermarkets, airlines, and coffee chains--to name just a few--are vacuuming money from our wallets. Harford punctures the myths surrounding some of today's biggest controversies, including the high cost of health-care; he reveals why certain environmental laws can put a smile on a landlord's face; and he explains why some industries can have high profits for innocent reasons, while in other industries something sinister is going on. Covering an array of economic concepts including scarce resources, market power, efficiency, price gouging, market failure, inside information, and game theory, Harford sheds light on how these forces shape our day-to-day lives, often without our knowing it. Showing us the world through the eyes of an economist, Tim Harford reveals that everyday events are intricate games of negotiations, contests of strength, and battles of wits. Written with a light touch and sly wit, The Undercover Economist turns "the dismal science" into a true delight.

读后感

作者的前言取了個言簡意賅的題目：「全世界沒有人能獨力煮出一杯卡布奇諾」。聽起來像是廢話，但請相信我，真的很多人不知道這件事情。 怎麼說呢？我是個外食主義者，當然最重要的原因是我不擅於烹飪，講難聽點就是，我做的東西沒人要吃……ok，這不是重點，重點在於我太習慣...  

物以稀为贵 现在以经济学的名义，就是稀缺 我的理解：也是一个护城河 也就是核心竞争力 同一杯咖啡 因为地点，环境有不同的价格 这个咖啡的成本，与咖啡的本身关联已不是很大 很大的部分是房租、人工、装修还有投入利润 因为咖啡的产地，产能与种咖啡的技术最没有门槛 在一杯...  

只看了一点，原著写的挺好，翻译的不好。不用看英文原文，只根据上下文就能看出不少地方翻译错了。译者似乎没有去理解他在翻译，只是把自己当个比“google translate"水平高的翻译机器… *free* speech 还是 *free* beer都翻译错了，唉…  

用户评价

reading listed

写得简直太好：经济学就是关于每一个人的自由选择。

The last two chapters are a little bit sketchy, but overall the book is very informative. Start to feel that economics is more meaningful than what I previously thought.

文笔很平和，深入浅出。有的地方有些浅，而且还是新自由资本主义那些论调，无甚新意。但有的点选的很好，原来都没有想到。还有就是学而时习之也不错，至少看起来很娱乐。

写得简直太好：经济学就是关于每一个人的自由选择。