Publisher Description

'Truly eye-opening... There is almost no situation that Harford cannot dissect with his sharp economist s tools...economics has never been this cool NEW STATESMANIf humans are so clever, why do we smoke and gamble, or take drugs, or fall in love? Is this really rational behaviour? And how come your idiot boss is so overpaid? In fact, the behaviour of even the unlikeliest of individuals - prostitutes, drug addicts, racists and revolutionaries - complies with economic logic, taking into account future costs and benefits, even if we don t quite realise it. We are rational beings after all.

Notes

Shows how the new economics of rational choice theory can explain rationality and injustice. Starts with the most basic decisions, such as whether to take drugs, then deals with the wider picture, looking at the logic of large corporations and cities. From the author of The Undercover Economist, which sold 200,000 copies.

Author Biography

Tim Harford writes the Dear Economist column for the FT Saturday magazine. An award winning public speaker, Tim has been an economist for a major oil company and an economics tutor at Oxford University.

Review

The chapter "Why is Your Boss Overpaid?" is in itself worth the price of this book - Sunday TELEGRAPHThis is no minor thesis . . . If you loved [The Tipping Point and Freakonomics] you'll love this - FINANCIAL TIMES

Promotional

A dazzling application of new economic theories to the world around us - by the author of THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST

Long Description

'Truly eye-opening... There is almost no situation that Harford cannot dissect with his sharp economist s tools...economics has never been this cool NEW STATESMANIf humans are so clever, why do we smoke and gamble, or take drugs, or fall in love? Is this really rational behaviour? And how come your idiot boss is so overpaid? In fact, the behaviour of even the unlikeliest of individuals - prostitutes, drug addicts, racists and revolutionaries - complies with economic logic, taking into account future costs and benefits, even if we don t quite realise it. We are rational beings after all.

Review Quote

This is no minor thesis . . . If you loved [The Tipping Point and Freakonomics] you'll love this

Promotional "Headline"

A dazzling application of new economic theories to the world around us - by the author of THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST

Description for Sales People

THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST has sold nearly 200,000 copies in HB, C and B

Details