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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “One of those rare books where the plaudits on the jacket are well deserved. |
Didn’t Like It “Well, I've finally finished this book. Yup, it took some time. I usually like books like this but couldn't find enough to really keep me involved. The concepts of economic conditions which can make one item more profitable than another are here, but not in any particularly interesting way. The...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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0 of 65535 members found this review helpful
“for anybody who would like to know what all the fuss is about. Tim Hartford breaks down the science for the coffee shop. Well worth it.”
John W wrote this review Saturday, October 20 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is the easiest to grasp explanation of economics that I have read. It also explains why certain goods and services are best as capitalist ventures and others, such as healthcare, should not be for profit and why. ”
mohavehiker wrote this review Sunday, November 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Well, I've finally finished this book. Yup, it took some time. I usually like books like this but couldn't find enough to really keep me involved. The concepts of economic conditions which can make one item more profitable than another are here, but not in any particularly interesting way. The opening, which is where you really want to get readers on board with a book on economics, was tiresome. Too bad because the idea sounds good. (Harford writes about why some coffee locations perform better than others and what the price point is needed to achieve continued success. See? Sounds good, but wasn't. At least for me.)
Mr. L wrote this review Sunday, October 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Apparently, I'm wrong on the interest level to Hartford's work because he's got another Undercover book on the market. Sorry Harford, but it's one-and-done for your work. ”
“Synopsis: The economics correspondent for the Financial Times writes a pop economics textbook illustrating economic principles in accessible and engaging examples.
Tim W wrote this review Thursday, September 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
My Take: Should be required reading for all high-school students. Clearly articulated, widely accessible and practically illustrated explanations of the fundamentals of economics.
Highlight: A great chapter highlighting the benefits of sweatshops as a transitional industry in countries like South Korea and India. They might be unappealing to Western minds, but in the short-term sweatshops are often the best of a bad set of choices in developing countries and in the long run a path out of poverty for those lucky enough to work in them:
Hours are long. Wages are pitiful. But sweatshops are the symptom, not the cause, of shocking global poverty. Workers go there voluntarily, which means—hard as it is to believe—that whatever their alternatives are, they are worse. They stay there, too; turnover rates of multinational-owned factories are low, because conditions and pay, while bad, are better than those in factories run by local firms. And even a local company is likely to pay better than trying to earn money without a job: running an illegal street stall, working as a prostitute, or combing reeking landfills in cities like Manila to find recyclable goods.
… [NYC's resolution banning sweatshop-made products] can only harm sweatshop laborers: they’ll be out of a job and—literally, for those in Manila—back on the trash heap. Of course, it will be good news for textile workers in rich countries, who’ll get the business instead….
We need to understand that narrowly focused initiatives on “fair trade coffee” or “sweatshop-free clothes” will never make a substantial improvement to the lives of millions. Some, like the campaign to prevent New York City from buying uniforms from poor countries, will actively cause damage. Others, like the numerous brands of fair trade coffee, are likely to improve the income of a few coffee producers without causing a great deal of harm. But they cannot fix the basic problem: too much coffee is being produced. At the slightest hint that coffee farming will become an attractive profession, it will always be swamped with desperate people who have no alternative. The truth of the matter is that only broad-based development of poor countries will ever lift the living standards of the very poor, increase coffee prices, and improve wages and labor standards in shoe factories.”
“Thanks to Freakonomics, I now occasionally pick up these books by economists ! This one is well written, the author has an engaging style, and like most Brit authors (and unlike most Americans !), does not belabour the same point chapter after chapter.
raji wrote this review Sunday, August 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“Interesting peek into the complex economic theories that shape and influence our markets”
siddheshb wrote this review Sunday, August 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is informative, but only mildly interesting. It reads like a textbook. Harford is good at explaining complicated theories in such a way that the reader can understand them. The Undercover Economist is well-informed and well-researched, and uses examples from all over the globe. So the book would be useful for someone who really wants to learn the basics of economics. But if you want to be entertained - read Freakonomics instead.
ghost of a rose wrote this review Tuesday, June 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
(276 pages)”
“I less impressive version of freakonomics. Read that first and if you're hungry for more maybe try it but I warn you it's not up to the same standard.”
Scott C wrote this review Saturday, May 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Great introduction to economics. Great writing style and easy to read - thoroughly enjoyed.”
Jon S wrote this review Thursday, May 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this book in order to write an essay on it for my senior economics class. Despite the fact that economics is my absolute least favorite subject, Harford was able to carry me through the topic with little resistance. This book is a great guide for non-economically inclined individuals.”
Campbell M. Stuart wrote this review Saturday, April 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
