Economics in Two Lessons: Why Markets Work So Well, and Why They Can Fail So Badly

Description

A masterful introduction to the key ideas behind the successes-and failures-of free-market economics Since 1946, Henry Hazlitt's bestselling Economics in One Lesson has popularized the belief that economics can be boiled down to one simple lesson: market prices represent the true cost of everything. But one-lesson economics tells only half the s

John Quiggin is the President's Senior Fellow in Economics at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. His previous book, Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk among Us (Princeton), has been translated into eight languages. He has written for the New York Times and the Economist, among other publications, and is a frequent blogger for Crooked Timber and on his own website: www.johnquiggin.com. Twitter @JohnQuiggin

"There is little doubt that Quiggin's Economics in Two Lessons will be an instant classic and feature on university reading lists around the world. It should also be compulsory reading for policymakers and public commentators, who all too often lack a framework for thinking clearly about the costs and benefits of markets. The good news is that Quiggin has one-and he's happy to share."---Richard Holden, Inside Story "This is a highly readable introduction to the intellectual framework of modern policy economics, with plenty of lively examples."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "His book would be a useful supplement to a principles of economics course, with the advantage of avoiding resort to any graphs or equations . . . . [It] provides an essential completion of the basic story . . . . It is essential reading for anyone interested in the practical side of economic policymaking."---Max B. Sawicky, Jacobin "The themes are complex, but the writing is clear, and the journey is rewarding." * BizEd * "Quiggin writes well and [this] book is full of useful erudite information."---Warwick Lightfoot, Financial World "Many economists consider 'opp cost' to be the single most important and fundamental concept in economics, and the discipline's most useful contribution to the betterment of mankind. Indeed, that's the view Professor John Quiggin, of the University of Queensland, takes in his book Economics in Two Lessons, which I recommend as the best book to introduce you to economics."---Ross Gittins, Sydney Morning Herald "Quiggin reckons with the incoherence of markets-only thinking in his masterful 2019 book Economics in Two Lessons, which explores the power, limitations and dangers of using markets to solve our problems in a thoughtful and clear way."---Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing