03-01-2018, 09:35 PM
Today's article is sharing my opinions on Economics: A Very Short Introduction. I read this as part of an assignment at my University for my Development module. Having already studied Economics for 3 and a half years, I didn't expect much from this book that I didn't already know.
What is the book?
Economics: A Very Short Introduction aims to look at the reasons why two lives from different parts of the world can become so different. The book is written by Partha Dasgupta, a professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, and is published by the Oxford University Press.
What did I think?
The book itself was written in a very different direction than I expected. It is less to do with the explanation of Economics as a whole, as it is more narrowly associated with the topic of development economics. Having to read this book for my development course made me cautious before beginning that its account of Economics would be rather limited, and to a certain extent I think that proved to be the case.
The book starts with a rather limited and vague look at macroeconomic history. It does what it needs to do for those just wanting an introduction to a topic that they haven't experience before, but for anyone with a deeper interest in Economics, you will notice a lot of missing details and information.
It isn't a complete introduction to economics as a subject, and misses out many important aspects which you would associate with the introductory part of economics. However, what is discussed tends to be done so well in sufficient detail that I believe someone who is reading this without prior knowledge of economics can learn some basics and understand the subject a little bit. That is, if the maths doesn't confuse you first. The maths used to describe some concepts is, in my opinion, rather messy and confusing. It is hidden in a wall of text, whereas I believe it would be better to separate it into its own subsection. As a result it can often be confusing to follow and mean you have to reread pages to follow the maths. It can make understanding the topics rather hard, even for someone who has studied the topic for 3 years. But the topics discussed are often done so at a good length where you can sometimes forget that it is a short introduction.
The book itself also seems rather disconnected. The first few chapters seem to tie in well, but it seems to then lose its flow. The chapters on science and technology, households and firms, sustainable economic development and social well-being and democratic government seem out-of-place for the book and the previous four chapters before them. In fact, it seems at time that the final four chapters can sometimes contradict the points made in the first four chapters.
As usual there is a great list of further reading at the back of the book so you can review different topic areas in more depth if they take your fancy. Overall it is a decent read which touches on some interesting topics within the field of economics, but it isn't a complete introduction to economics and I would argue it is aimed more towards development from an economics perspective than it is teaching the actual fundamentals of economics as a whole.
What is the book?
Economics: A Very Short Introduction aims to look at the reasons why two lives from different parts of the world can become so different. The book is written by Partha Dasgupta, a professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, and is published by the Oxford University Press.
What did I think?
The book itself was written in a very different direction than I expected. It is less to do with the explanation of Economics as a whole, as it is more narrowly associated with the topic of development economics. Having to read this book for my development course made me cautious before beginning that its account of Economics would be rather limited, and to a certain extent I think that proved to be the case.
The book starts with a rather limited and vague look at macroeconomic history. It does what it needs to do for those just wanting an introduction to a topic that they haven't experience before, but for anyone with a deeper interest in Economics, you will notice a lot of missing details and information.
It isn't a complete introduction to economics as a subject, and misses out many important aspects which you would associate with the introductory part of economics. However, what is discussed tends to be done so well in sufficient detail that I believe someone who is reading this without prior knowledge of economics can learn some basics and understand the subject a little bit. That is, if the maths doesn't confuse you first. The maths used to describe some concepts is, in my opinion, rather messy and confusing. It is hidden in a wall of text, whereas I believe it would be better to separate it into its own subsection. As a result it can often be confusing to follow and mean you have to reread pages to follow the maths. It can make understanding the topics rather hard, even for someone who has studied the topic for 3 years. But the topics discussed are often done so at a good length where you can sometimes forget that it is a short introduction.
The book itself also seems rather disconnected. The first few chapters seem to tie in well, but it seems to then lose its flow. The chapters on science and technology, households and firms, sustainable economic development and social well-being and democratic government seem out-of-place for the book and the previous four chapters before them. In fact, it seems at time that the final four chapters can sometimes contradict the points made in the first four chapters.
As usual there is a great list of further reading at the back of the book so you can review different topic areas in more depth if they take your fancy. Overall it is a decent read which touches on some interesting topics within the field of economics, but it isn't a complete introduction to economics and I would argue it is aimed more towards development from an economics perspective than it is teaching the actual fundamentals of economics as a whole.
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