Hi everyone, Does anyone have any good recomendations for some books on economics. I came across one topical book called "The Gods That Failed" which is about the current economic situation. Has anyone read it, and if so, was it any good? Thanks, Sam
One of my students who was silly enough to turn down an actuarial training contract and got a job packaging up mortgages for UBS in Jan 07, asked me this question and I gave him this list Credit expansions/monetary theory http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Mone...r_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201734727&sr=8-6 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Serfdo..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201734843&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiger-Tail-...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201734915&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stabilizing...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736223&sr=8-1 Business Cycles and the Kondratieff Wave http://www.amazon.co.uk/Capitalism-..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201734971&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Cy...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735048&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kondratieff...r_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735112&sr=8-5 Speculative Manias http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manias-Pani..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735241&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Extraordina..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735358&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crashes-The...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735441&sr=8-1 The depression http://www.amazon.co.uk/Americas-Gr...1_24?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735659&sr=8-24 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Depre...1_28?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735659&sr=8-28 Hyperinflation http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hyperinflat...r_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735742&sr=8-2 Banking Crises http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secondary-B...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735933&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Banking-Pan...1_25?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736444&sr=8-25 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panic-1907-..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736547&sr=8-1 Debt crises http://www.amazon.co.uk/Century-Deb...r_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201735542&sr=8-7 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Overexposed...r_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736608&sr=8-2 Risk, kurtosis and black swans http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Swan-..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736696&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fooled-Rand..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736743&sr=8-1 Great investors http://www.amazon.co.uk/Around-Worl...bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736815&sr=8-4 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventure-C..._sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736815&sr=8-5 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Templeton-T...bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736864&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Market-Wiza..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736913&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Market-...bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736913&sr=8-2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Money-Maste..._sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201736954&sr=8-1
Thanks Cardano, Those books on the great depression look interesting. I actually found a pdf version of "America's Great Depression" online. I'm 99% sure it's not copyright theft, since it's on the website of an academic institution. I wonder if it would be appropriate to post the link here? I would do, but I don't know if ActEd would appreciate it. Sam
Sam, I originally put that list together quickly last December. There are probably better books on certain parts and I only put up Amazon links as that was easiest for me. I certainly wasn't suggesting anyone went wholesale to amazon and bought the lot.
Don't worry - I uderstood that you weren't suggesting that we go and buy the lot from Amazon. I was just looking for something useful on Economics. I liked the look of "America's Great Depression" because it seemed relevant to what's going on in the markets at the moment, and because it would be nice to see some economic theories applied in detail to an actual historical event like this. I had a look for it on amazon and it was £35 or so. I did a google-search to look for somewhere cheaper to buy it, and ended up finding a pdf version. Sadly, I don't think I have access to a library that would have these kinds of books - perhaps I could try a local uni. I'll probably only be able to read a few chapters before I need to start on ST2 anyway.
economics books I'm reading George Soros - new paradigm for financial markets. its a wide ranging approach to explain behaviour of markets - bit of philosophy, politics thrown in. Fairly readable but can be involved in parts. I particularly like his evaluation of some aspects of conventional economics - I always thought some of the assumptions underlying this were simplified to the point where the theory became irrelevant!!
Sam, don't be too disparaging of your local library - give it a shot first. Mine had a few of these books (although not all). The uni library seems to have more (even that Kondratieff!). You may also be able to get your local library to request the book from another library; but they might charge.
Funnily enough Kondratieff got a mention in a recent Times article on "People who predicted the financial meltdown" - Number 6 btw http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/10/10-people-who-p.html
