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Economics » World Economies

Browse book recommendations:

Economics

  • Behavioural Economics
  • Development Economics
  • Economic History
  • Economics Textbooks
  • Fiction Recommended by Economists
  • Finance
  • Financial Crisis
  • Globalization Books
  • Inequality Books
  • New Books
  • World Economies

Driving around the outskirts of almost any city for the first time and spotting yet another IKEA, or walking down its main shopping street and spotting another H&M, you might wonder if every economy in the world is going to end up looking exactly the same. But these apparent similarities also mask big differences in the way economies in different countries are set up. This section of our site aims to look at some of the world’s different economies and some of the economic challenges individual countries are facing.

Larry Summers recommends his best books on globalisation and Jennifer M Harris her best books on geoeconomics.  Kaushik Basu recommends his best books for understanding the Indian economy and Victor Shih does the same for the Chinese economy.  The Ghanaian economist, Ayittey discusses the challenges of African development and Barry Eichengreen choses his best books on the Euro.  Jonathan Portes looks at Brexit.

We still have some way to go, but if you’re an economist from a country whose economy hasn’t been covered yet, please write to us: editor@fivebooks.com. And if you could make a reader list for us, explaining which books to read and why they’re important that would be even better!

    The best books on Market Competition, recommended by Jason Furman

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    The best books on Market Competition - Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists by Luigi Zingales & Raghuram G Rajan

    1

    Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists
    by Luigi Zingales & Raghuram G Rajan

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    The best books on Market Competition - Exit, Voice, and Loyalty by Albert Hirschman

    2

    Exit, Voice, and Loyalty
    by Albert Hirschman

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    The best books on Market Competition - Antitrust Paradox by Robert H. Bork

    3

    Antitrust Paradox
    by Robert H. Bork

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    The best books on Market Competition - Lectures on Antitrust Economics by Michael D. Whinston

    4

    Lectures on Antitrust Economics
    by Michael D. Whinston

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    The best books on Market Competition - Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society by E. Glen Weyl & Eric A. Posner

    5

    Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society
    by E. Glen Weyl & Eric A. Posner

The best books on Market Competition, recommended by Jason Furman

Despite the large number of brands, most Americans buy their beer from just two companies. Consumer choice in the new digital economy is hardly better. Economist Jason Furman, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama and now a professor at Harvard, recommends books to better understand market competition.

    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit

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    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit - What Next: How to get the best from Brexit by Daniel Hannan

    1

    What Next: How to get the best from Brexit
    by Daniel Hannan

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    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit - Brexit Beckons: Thinking ahead by leading economists by Richard Baldwin (ed)

    2

    Brexit Beckons: Thinking ahead by leading economists
    by Richard Baldwin (ed)

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    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit - Branching histories of the 2016 referendum and ‘the frogs before the storm’ by Dominic Cummings

    3

    Branching histories of the 2016 referendum and ‘the frogs before the storm’
    by Dominic Cummings

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    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit - Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union by Harold Clarke, Matthew Goodwin & Paul Whiteley

    4

    Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union
    by Harold Clarke, Matthew Goodwin & Paul Whiteley

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    Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit - Autumn by Ali Smith

    5

    Autumn
    by Ali Smith

Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit

Why did Brexit happen? What does the future hold for Britain outside the European Union? Can trade economists help? The economist and former head of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, a non-partisan think tank, recommends the best books (and one blogpost) on Brexit.

    The best books on Globalization, recommended by Larry Summers

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    The best books on Globalization - The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes

    1

    The Economic Consequences of the Peace
    by John Maynard Keynes

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    The best books on Globalization - Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises by Charles Kindleberger

    2

    Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises
    by Charles Kindleberger

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    The best books on Globalization - Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph E Stiglitz

    3

    Globalization and Its Discontents
    by Joseph E Stiglitz

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    The best books on Globalization - Why Globalization Works by Martin Wolf

    4

    Why Globalization Works
    by Martin Wolf

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    The best books on Globalization - The Great Convergence by Richard Baldwin

    5

    The Great Convergence
    by Richard Baldwin

The best books on Globalization, recommended by Larry Summers

Globalization benefits mankind and we are learning how better to deal with the disruption it causes. But one thing is for sure, the laws of economics are no more escapable than the laws of physics. Harvard professor and former US Treasury secretary, Larry Summers, recommends the best books on globalization.

    The best books on Geoeconomics, recommended by Jennifer M Harris

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    The best books on Geoeconomics - Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

    1

    Super Sad True Love Story
    by Gary Shteyngart

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    The best books on Geoeconomics - China's Superbank: Debt, Oil and Influence - How China Development Bank is Rewriting the Rules of Finance by Henry Sanderson & Michael Forsythe

    2

    China's Superbank: Debt, Oil and Influence - How China Development Bank is Rewriting the Rules of Finance
    by Henry Sanderson & Michael Forsythe

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    The best books on Geoeconomics - Economic Statecraft by David Allen Baldwin

    3

    Economic Statecraft
    by David Allen Baldwin

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    The best books on Geoeconomics - Network Power: The Social Dynamics of Globalization

    4

    Network Power: The Social Dynamics of Globalization

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    The best books on Geoeconomics - Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 by Adam Hochschild

    5

    Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
    by Adam Hochschild

The best books on Geoeconomics, recommended by Jennifer M Harris

With its passion for neoliberal ideology, the US uses its economic weight clumsily in terms of foreign policy, says former state department official and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Jennifer M. Harris. Here she picks the best books for understanding the vital area of geoeconomics.

    The best books on The Indian Economy, recommended by Kaushik Basu

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    The best books on The Indian Economy - The Stiglitz Report by Joseph E Stiglitz

    1

    The Stiglitz Report
    by Joseph E Stiglitz

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    The best books on The Indian Economy - The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen

    2

    The Argumentative Indian
    by Amartya Sen

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    The best books on The Indian Economy - Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani

    3

    Imagining India
    by Nandan Nilekani

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    The best books on The Indian Economy - Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi by Katherine Frank

    4

    Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi
    by Katherine Frank

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    The best books on The Indian Economy - India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha

    5

    India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy
    by Ramachandra Guha

The best books on The Indian Economy, recommended by Kaushik Basu

Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics at Cornell and former Chief Economist of the World Bank (2012-2016), says there’s a Gandhian way of evaluating society that takes account of both growth and inequality, and tells us why his job is an anthropologist’s dream come true. He picks the best books to understand India’s economy.

    The best books on The Euro, recommended by Barry Eichengreen

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    The best books on The Euro - Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt

    1

    Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945
    by Tony Judt

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    The best books on The Euro - The Euro by David Marsh

    2

    The Euro
    by David Marsh

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    The best books on The Euro - Varieties of Capitalism by Peter Hall and David Soskice

    3

    Varieties of Capitalism
    by Peter Hall and David Soskice

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    The best books on The Euro - The Euro by Marco Buti

    4

    The Euro
    by Marco Buti

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    The best books on The Euro - Europe and the Euro by Alberto Alesina and Francesco Giavazzi

    5

    Europe and the Euro
    by Alberto Alesina and Francesco Giavazzi

The best books on The Euro, recommended by Barry Eichengreen

With hindsight, was the euro a good idea? Will it come through the present crisis intact or will any country decide to leave? And what happens if they do? Economist Barry Eichengreen recommends the best books on the euro.

    The best books on Africa through African Eyes, recommended by George Ayittey

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    The best books on Africa through African Eyes - Awakening Giant Africa by Charles Nhova

    1

    Awakening Giant Africa
    by Charles Nhova

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    The best books on Africa through African Eyes - Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo

    2

    Dead Aid
    by Dambisa Moyo

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    The best books on Africa through African Eyes - Precolonial Black Africa by Cheikh Anta Diop

    3

    Precolonial Black Africa
    by Cheikh Anta Diop

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    The best books on Africa through African Eyes - Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs by Moky Makura

    4

    Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs
    by Moky Makura

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    The best books on Africa through African Eyes - Defeating Dictators by George Ayittey

    5

    Defeating Dictators
    by George Ayittey

The best books on Africa through African Eyes, recommended by George Ayittey

The Ghanaian economist George Ayittey denounces the failure of leadership and Western policy in Africa and explains what “African solutions to African problems” would mean in practice.

    The best books on The Chinese Economy, recommended by Victor Shih

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    The best books on The Chinese Economy - Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics by Yasheng Huang

    1

    Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics
    by Yasheng Huang

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    The best books on The Chinese Economy - Red Capitalism by Carl Walter and Fraser Howie

    2

    Red Capitalism
    by Carl Walter and Fraser Howie

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    The best books on The Chinese Economy - The Chinese Economy by Barry Naughton

    3

    The Chinese Economy
    by Barry Naughton

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    The best books on The Chinese Economy - The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China by Susan Shirk

    4

    The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China
    by Susan Shirk

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    The best books on The Chinese Economy - Analysing Chinese Grey Income by Wang Xiaolu

    5

    Analysing Chinese Grey Income
    by Wang Xiaolu

The best books on The Chinese Economy, recommended by Victor Shih

Victor Shih's selection highlights rising inequality, economic irregularity and political heavy-handedness at the heart of modern China. As its economy blazes on, uncertain times may be looming

    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy, recommended by Sean Turnell

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    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy - The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S Landes

    1

    The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
    by David S Landes

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    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy - The Curse of Independence by Shelby Tucker

    2

    The Curse of Independence
    by Shelby Tucker

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    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy - The Coins and Banknotes of Burma by M Robinson and L Shaw

    3

    The Coins and Banknotes of Burma
    by M Robinson and L Shaw

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    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy - Colonial Policy and Practice by J S Furnivall

    4

    Colonial Policy and Practice
    by J S Furnivall

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    The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy - Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

    5

    Freedom from Fear
    by Aung San Suu Kyi

The best books on Understanding the Burmese Economy, recommended by Sean Turnell

Sean Turnell, a renowned expert on the Burmese economy, says Burma is more like Zimbabwe than Vietnam or China

    The best books on China in the World Economy, recommended by Kent Deng

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    The best books on China in the World Economy - Growth Recurring by E L Jones

    1

    Growth Recurring
    by E L Jones

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    The best books on China in the World Economy - China Transformed by R Bin Wong

    2

    China Transformed
    by R Bin Wong

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    The best books on China in the World Economy - The Great Divergence by Kenneth Pomeranz

    3

    The Great Divergence
    by Kenneth Pomeranz

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    The best books on China in the World Economy - ReORIENT by Andre Gunder Frank

    4

    ReORIENT
    by Andre Gunder Frank

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    The best books on China in the World Economy - The Eastern Origins of Western Civilisation by John M Hobson

    5

    The Eastern Origins of Western Civilisation
    by John M Hobson

The best books on China in the World Economy, recommended by Kent Deng

Professor Kent Deng says there are no grounds for Eurocentricism in explaining the world history of economic growth. Intensive growth of the modern type was first recorded in Song dynasty China

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