Economics Books

There is much left to be understood about how economies work, but an increasing number of popular books means you no longer have to be a professional economist to get a good grasp of the subject. The distinguished British economist, Diane Coyle, recommends this year's best economics books.

Economic orthodoxy in no way equips for the challenges of the 21st century, the 'renegade economist' Kate Raworth tells Five Books. It's time to rethink basic concepts and paradigms, and redraw the boundaries.

It's important to understand social aspects of economic behaviour, particularly when times of crisis reveal the shortcomings of traditional economic theory, says sociologist Neil Fligstein.

It’s a discipline in vogue with the Nobel prize committee and mysterious to most of the rest of us. So we asked econometrician Mark Thoma to explain what he does, and why there’s such a battle of ideas (and models) in economics. He recommends his favourite econometrics books.

Harvard economist Edward Glaeser chooses the best books on the economics of cities, from Chicago’s life story to how urban transport shaped New York.

Former UNESCO Professor of Maths and Economics at Columbia University selects five intriguing books on catastophic risks, making statistical decisions and reasoned gambling

British economist Diane Coyle argues that economics is not a dismal science, but a soulful one. She recommends a wide range of books illustrating how the discipline has flourished over the past two decades.

Despite having slightly higher education levels, women working full-time in the US still only earn 79% of what men do. Stanford economist and author of Sharing the Work, Myra Strober, picks the best books—and one article—that explain the gender wage gap, and, more importantly, show us what we can do about it.

You can find economics lessons in the most unlikely places, including the virtual world of computer games, says Tim Harford, author of a number of economics books aimed at the general public. He recommends five books that you wouldn't necessarily expect on a list of popular economics books, but nonetheless contain important lessons.

Economics need not be dry or didactic. Here’s a suggested reading list of novels with economic themes to appeal to young teenagers.