Thirty Second Economics

Keynesian Economics, Free Market Capitalism, Monetarism, Game Theory and the Invisible Hand. Sure, you know what they mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about these economic theories to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your financial knowledge? 30 Second Economics takes the top 50 economic theories, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words and one picture. Economics will suddenly seem a lot more fun than the economy, and make a lot more sense, and along the way you'll meet founding fathers of modern economics such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Alfred Marshall. From Marxism to Mercantilism, plus everything in between, this is the ultimate 'crash' course in economic theory.

30-Second Economics takes the top 50 economic theories, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and one picture. Economics will suddenly seem a lot more fun than the economy, and make a lot more sense, and along the way you'll meet the founding fathers of modern economics such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Alfred Marshall. From Marxism to Mercantilism, plus everything in between, this is the ultimate "crash" course in economic theory.

"In these times of financial crisis, the economic consensus of the past 15 years has been destroyed. It's clear that there's a problem, but what's the solution? Once again, different economic theories are being debated and names such as Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes are being bandied about. What once seemed like an esoteric discipline relevant only to bankers and academics is now in our everyday lives and important to every one of us. Does a truly free market exist and, if it did, what effect would that have on society? Is it possible to spend your way out of recession? What are our choices? 30-Second Economics takes the 50 most significant economic theories of the past 120 years, and challenges financial high-flyers to explain them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and one picture. Economics will suddenly seem a lot more fun than the economy, and make a lot more sense, and along the way we'll meet the founding fathers of modern economics such as Adam Smith, J.S. Mills, David Ricardo, and Alfred Marshall. From neo-liberalism to Marxism, plus everything in between, this is the ultimate "Crash" course in economic theory."

Stock-market crashes show how the world of high finance can negatively impact our daily life, but smart money reveals a two-way street where those savvy to the science of finance can take their personal wealth up a gear. What is a hedge fund? How best to understand private equity? What are the principles of investment? 30 Second Money balances key features of personal finance with those of the financial markets and economic concepts, explaining how mass monetary systems relate to one’s own money management choices. From basic concepts like risk and return to types of borrowing, investment, and risk management, everything is explained without jargon or complexity. This is the handbook that gives the reader an edge in any business conversation.

Autobiographical accounts by Nobel laureates reflect the richness and diversity of contemporary economic thought and offer insights into the creative process; with six new laureates. Lives of the Laureates offers readers an informal history of modern economic thought as told through autobiographical essays by thirty-two Nobel Prize laureates in economics. The essays not only provide unique insights into major economic ideas of our time but also shed light on the processes of intellectual discovery and creativity. The accounts are accessible and engaging, achieving clarity without sacrificing inherently difficult content. This seventh edition adds six Nobelists to its pages: Roger B. Myerson (co-recipient in 2007) describes his evolution as a game theorist and his application of game theory to issues that ranged from electoral systems to perverse incentives; Thomas J. Sargent (co-recipient in 2011), recounts the development of the rational expectations model, which fundamentally changed the policy implications for macroeconomic models; Amartya Sen (recipient in 1998) reflects on his use of a bicycle (later donated to the Nobel Museum) to collect data early in his career; A. Michael Spence (co-recipient in 2001) describes, among other things, his whiplash-inducing first foray into teaching an undergraduate class; Christopher A. Sims (co-recipient in 2011) discusses his “non-Nobel” research; and Alvin E. Roth (co-recipient in 2012) chronicles the “three insurrections” he has witnessed in mainstream economics. Lives of the Laureates grows out of a continuing lecture series at Trinity University in San Antonio, which invites Nobelists from American universities to describe their evolution as economists in personal as well as technical terms. The Laureates W. Arthur Lewis, Lawrence R. Klein, Kenneth J. Arrow, Paul A. Samuelson, Milton Friedman, George J. Stigler, James Tobin, Franco Modigliani, James M. Buchanan, Robert M. Solow, William F. Sharpe, Ronald H. Coase, Douglass C. North, John C. Harsanyi, Myron S. Scholes, Gary S. Becker, Robert E. Lucas, Jr., Vernon L. Smith, Clive W. J. Granger, Edward C. Prescott, Thomas C. Schelling, Edmund S. Phelps, Eric S. Maskin, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, Peter A. Diamond, Roger B. Myerson, Thomas J. Sargent, Amartya Sen, A. Michael Spence, Christopher A. Sims, Alvin E. Roth

#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.