The Armchair Economist: Economics and Everyday Life
About this product
The extensively revised and updated edition of Steven Landsburg’s hugely popular book, The Armchair Economist —“a delightful compendium of quotidian examples illustrating important economic and financial theories” ( The Journal of Finance ).
In this revised and updated edition of Steven Landsburg’s hugely popular book, he applies economic theory to today’s most pressing concerns, answering a diverse range of daring questions, such as:
Why are seat belts deadly?
Why do celebrity endorsements sell products?
Why are failed executives paid so much?
Who should bear the cost of oil spills?
Do government deficits matter?
How is workplace safety bad for workers?
What’s wrong with the local foods movement?
Which rich people can’t be taxed?
Why is rising unemployment sometimes good?
Why do women pay more at the dry cleaner?
Why is life full of disappointments?
Whether these are nagging questions you’ve always had, or ones you never even thought to ask, this new edition of The Armchair Economist turns the eternal ideas of economic theory into concrete answers that you can use to navigate the challenges of contemporary life. Read more
Editor's Take
Amazon reviewers and Goodreads readers generally describe The Armchair Economist as clever, provocative, and easy to read, with many praising the book’s use of everyday examples to explain economic ideas. Some readers say it is thought-provoking and fun, while others find it overly contrarian or a bit glib. A nonpartisan review and a math/education review both call it interesting and worth reading, though not universally persuasive. Kirkus also characterizes it as a sometimes charming, sometimes glib counterintuitive guide to daily-life economics.
- Amazon reviewers say it has strong ideas and broad appeal.
- Goodreads users often call it engaging, insightful, and worth revisiting.
- Forum and review-site commentary highlights its witty, contrarian style.
- Some readers criticize the tone as too confident or ideological.
Price History
Specifications
| Publisher | Free Press |
| Publication date | May 1, 2012 |
| Edition | Reissue |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1451651732 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1451651737 |
| Item Weight | 9.9 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.44 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #122,358 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #115 in Theory of Economics #171 in Economic Conditions (Books) #337 in Business Decision Making |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (509) |
