For a plain-English start, Can’t We Just Print More Money?, written by Rupal Patel and Jack Meaning at the Bank of England, explains economics through ten simple questions, and Economics: The User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang introduces a wide range of economic theories, from classical to Keynesian. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell is a citizen's guide written for readers who want no jargon or equations.
This guide is for readers who want to understand prices, pay, interest rates and growth, and why economists disagree about them. It covers plain-English introductions, books on interest rates and money, and books from different schools of thought.
For complete beginners who want to understand money, prices and pay. Written by two economists at the Bank of England, it is a crash course in economics built around ten simple questions, from why so many clothes are made in Asia to what money actually is.
For readers who want to know what economics can and can't explain. Ha-Joon Chang introduces a wide range of economic theories, from classical to Keynesian, and sets out the strengths, weaknesses and blind spots of each.
For readers who want economics explained through everyday life. Tim Harford explains the fundamental principles of the modern economy without textbook jargon or equations, through questions such as who makes the most money from early-morning cappuccinos at Waterloo Station and why it is so hard to get a foot on the property ladder.
For readers who want a thorough, 704-page reference without jargon or equations. Sowell explains the principles behind different economic systems and covers topics from rent control to the international balance of payments, showing how to judge policies by the incentives they create rather than the goals they proclaim.
For readers who want the free-market case in a concise book. Written in 1946 by Henry Hazlitt, who is counted among the thinkers of the Austrian School, it defends capitalism and the free market and warns against the dangers of government intervention.
For readers who think the economy should be judged by more than growth. Oxford academic Kate Raworth sets out seven ways mainstream economics has led us astray, from the idea of 'rational economic man' to the focus on growth at all costs, and proposes a model that meets everyone's needs within the planet's means.
For a conversational introduction. Greece's former finance minister answers his daughter's questions about inequality, economics and capitalism in a series of letters, drawing on stories from Oedipus and Faust to Frankenstein and The Matrix.
For readers who want to understand what interest rates do. Financial commentator Edward Chancellor traces the history of interest from ancient Mesopotamia to the low and negative rates of recent years, and argues that when money is too easy, financial markets become unstable.
For readers curious about why people don't act like the rational individuals in economic models. Behavioural economist Richard Thaler tells how the study of human error became part of economics, with examples from buying an alarm clock to applying for a mortgage.
Can’t We Just Print More Money? is a crash course built around ten simple questions. The Undercover Economist explains economic principles through everyday examples. Economics: A Very Short Introduction by Partha Dasgupta is a brief guide, written for newcomers, to ideas such as efficiency, markets and public goods.
Can’t We Just Print More Money? was written by two economists at the Bank of England, the UK's central bank, which sets interest rates. The Price of Time is a history of interest rates that argues very low rates feed asset price inflation and financial instability.
Some do. Economics in One Lesson defends capitalism and the free market. Doughnut Economics argues that mainstream economics has led us astray, and Talking to My Daughter sets out what its author sees as the hazards of capitalism. Economics: The User's Guide sets out several schools of thought and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Basic Economics is written for readers who have no interest in jargon or equations. Can’t We Just Print More Money? uses everyday examples, from financial crises to the price of a Freddo.
Selected by Fox & Fable from books in stock. Last updated 30 September 2026.
