Sinposis

THIS BOOK HELPS READERS MASTER ECONOMIC CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES BY TACKLING FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL QUESTIONS THROUGH A SERIES OF MODELS. IT IS ORGANIZED AROUND A SEQUENCE OF "BIG QUESTIONS," AMONG THEM: WHEN DO MARKETS HELP TRANSLATE INDIVIDUALS' UNCOORDINATED, SELFISH ACTIONS INTO OUTCOMES THAT ARE BEST FOR ALL? DO MARKETS CHANGE PEOPLE, AND, IF SO, FOR WORSE OR BETTER? TRANSLATED INTO THE LANGUAGE OF MODERN ECONOMICS, DO MARX'S IDEAS HAVE MERIT? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH INCOME INEQUALITY? OR IS THERE TOO LITTLE? THE ARGUMENTS ARE IN THE THEOREM-PROOF FORMAT, DISTINGUISHING RESULTS DERIVED IN THE CONTEXT OF FULLY SPECIFIED MODELS FROM EDUCATED SPECULATION. READERS WILL LEARN HOW TO POSE A QUESTION RIGOROUSLY AND HOW TO WORK TOWARD AN ANSWER, AND TO APPRECIATE THAT EVEN (ESPECIALLY!) THE BROADEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS QUESTIONS CALL FOR A MODEL. THE GOAL OF THE BOOK IS NOT TO INDOCTRINATE BUT TO SHOW READERS HOW TO REASON TOWARD THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.