Understand the economic and historical forces behind markets and the companies that shaped them.
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Economics made approachable, and the inventions behind the modern economy.
Tim Harford uses everyday settings, such as coffee shops and supermarkets, to explain ideas like scarcity, pricing, market power and why some markets work better than others. It is an accessible introduction to economics for readers with no prior background.
Fifty inventions and ideas, from the everyday to the abstract, are used to show how modern economic life took shape. Tim Harford tells the story behind each, making the book a good fit for general readers interested in innovation and economic history.
Why nations succeed or fail and how finance developed.
Differences in national prosperity come down mainly to whether institutions are inclusive or extractive, argue Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, who reject explanations based on geography or culture. They back the case with historical comparisons from many countries.
Niall Ferguson tells the financial history of the modern world through its building blocks: money, credit, bonds, stock markets, insurance and property. The book links these to booms, busts and crises, and suits readers wanting a narrative introduction to finance.
Courses introducing economics.
Courses on microeconomics and how markets behave.
Browse Microeconomics coursesCompany and industry stories that show these forces at work.
Chris Miller explains why semiconductors have become central to economic strength and national security, tracing the industry's growth and the rivalry between the United States and China over chip technology. It also covers the supply chain's dependence on a few firms and places such as Taiwan.
The rise of Jeff Bezos's online retail business, from a start-up selling books to a sprawling enterprise, is traced here by Brad Stone, with attention to Bezos's management style and the firm's competitive tactics. A case study for entrepreneurs and managers.
Walter Isaacson traces the development of computers and the internet as the product of collaboration across generations, starting with Ada Lovelace and moving through the engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs who followed. It argues that teamwork often mattered more than lone genius.
Courses on macroeconomics, money and the business cycle.
Browse Macroeconomics coursesAsk which economic or historical pattern helps explain a market or decision in front of you.
This week: Ask which economic or historical pattern helps explain a decision or market you are dealing with now.
