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

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

虽然是一本通俗读物，不过作者并没有为了讨好读者而过分简化内容或者为了通俗有趣而写一些低俗而无聊的故事。整本书基于作者认为比较基础且重要的经济学理论，配以大量在各个国家发生的真实的、生动的、贴切的实例，阐释了市场失灵的3个原因和具体的解决方法。 我一直认为，一...  

想写点什么评价的 不然是不是对不起这么一本好书 但是发现都被前面的人写过了…… 一本像小说一样的经济学 用非常轻松的心情读完了发现好像没有一句废话（非常难得了）用简单的办法来阐述深刻的道理 这就完全够得上好书了  

虽然经济学本身是一种客观的分析工具，但这样并不能表明经济学家总是客观的，经济学家研究权力问题、贫困问题、增长问题、发展问题，但在运用这些模型分析以上问题时，很难对模型背后的现实世界无动于衷。所以经济学家经常超越自己的角色，去担当经济政策的工程师，成为某...  

在书城看的，会看的原因是《魔鬼经济学》的作者推荐了本书。 站着看这种费脑筋的书，多少有些不容易看进。而且论有趣，也远不如《魔鬼经济学》。唯一让我印象深刻的是，书的最后提到了上海、中国的电影。看来作者对中国还是有些了解的，除此之外可以说别无任何收获。 引进此...  

一个同学在聊天时说，要是能找到一个年薪60万的工作就舒服了，上海这样的职位应该有很多。我知道有些难，因为和他能力相差不多的人比相应的职位要多很多。本书的作者首先就讲到稀缺产生力量，没有空气和水就会死亡，因为空气和水不稀缺，不仅便宜而且可以污染；去年的地价上涨...  

用户评价

brings the power of economics to life。从细节出发，确实比较有意思

reading listed

啰里吧嗦，说来说去，就讲了那么粗浅的东西，无语

http://78am.com/attachment.php?aid=1314

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.