A Pelican Introduction

Economics: The User's Guide

What is economics? 
What can - and can't - it explain about the world? 
Why does it matter? 
 
Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University, and writes a column for the Guardian. The Observer called his book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which was a no.1 bestseller, 'a witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy.' He won the Wassily Leontief Prize for advancing the frontiers of economic thought, and is a vocal critic of the failures of our current economic system.

Page turning... A fascinating, hurtling explanation of everything... You could use it as a primer, a reference book, a brief history; it is all these things... It reflects the urgent generosity of a thinker whose depth of understanding is matched by a desire to see us all understand... Ha-Joon Chang's wealth is in his knowledge, perceptiveness, insight and vision. And he can't give it away fast enough. It flies off him like the seeds of a dandelion

Brilliant... Chang's lightness of touch makes often dry subject matter very readable... The first section is a page-turning history, the second a call to arms about how to apply economics in the real world using simple, everyday examples

Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University. His book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism was a no.1 bestseller and was called by the Observer 'a witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy.' He is a popular columnist at the Guardian, and a vocal critic of the failures of our economic system.

What is economics? 
How does the global economy work? 
What do different economic theories tell us about the world? 
 
In Economics: The User's Guide, bestselling author Ha-Joon Chang explains how the global economy works, and why anyone can understand the dismal science. Unlike many economists who claim there is only one way of 'doing economics', he introduces readers to a wide range of economic theories, from classical to Keynesian, revealing how they all have their strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. By ignoring the received wisdom, and exposing the myriad forces that shape our financial fate, Chang provides the tools that every responsible citizen needs to understand - and address - our current economic woes.

23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism

Ha-Joon Chang's 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism turns received economic wisdom on its head to show you how the world really works. 
 
 In this revelatory book, Ha-Joon Chang destroys the biggest myths of our times and shows us an alternative view of the world, including: 
 
There's no such thing as a 'free' market 
Globalization isn't making the world richer 
We don't live in a digital world - the washing machine has changed lives more than the internet 
Poor countries are more entrepreneurial than rich ones 
Higher paid managers don't produce better results 
 
 We don't have to accept things as they are any longer. Ha-Joon Chang is here to show us there's a better way. 
 
 'Lively, accessible and provocative ... read this book' - Sunday Times 
 
 'A witty and timely debunking of some of the biggest myths surrounding the global economy' - Observer 
 
 'The new kid on the economics block ... Chang's iconoclastic attitude has won him fans' - Independent on Sunday 
 
 'Lucid ... audacious ... increasingly influential ... will provoke physical symptoms of revulsion if you are in any way involved in high finance' - Guardian 
 
 'Important ... persuasive ... an engaging case for a more caring era of globalization' - Financial Times 
 
 'A must-read ... incisive and entertaining' - New Statesman Books of the Year 
 
Ha-Joon Chang is a Reader in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge. He is author of Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective, which won the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize, and Bad Samaritans: Rich Nations, Poor Policies and the Threat to the Developing World. Since the beginning of the 2008 economic crisis, he has been a regular contributor to the Guardian, and a vocal critic of the failures of our economic system.

A masterful debunking of some of the myths of capitalism ... Witty, iconoclastic and uncommonly commonsensical ... this book will be invaluable

Important .. persuasive . [an] engaging case for a more cautious and caring era of globalisation

Myth-busting and nicely-written . the best economists are those who look around at our man-made world and ask themselves "why?". Chang is one

In 23 lucid, sometimes breezily didactic chapters, Chang takes apart the stricken ideology of neoliberalism. Chang's method is not to engage with the neoliberals but to knock them down with assertions.

Paul Mason, Economics Editor, BBC Newsnight

Ha-Joon Chang is a formidable critic...and a true exponent of the art of political economy

Chang's...iconoclastic attitude has won him fans such as Bob Geldof and Noam Chomsky.

For anyone who wants to understand capitalism not as economists or politicians have pictured it, but as it actually operates, this book will be invaluable.

Born in South Korea, No 1 International Bestselling Author Ha-Joon Chang is a specialist in development economics and Reader in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge. In 2005, Chang was awarded the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He is author of Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective (2002), which won the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize, and Bad Samaritans: Rich Nations, Poor Policies and the Threat to the Developing World (2007). Since the beginning of the 2008 economic crisis, he has been a regular contributor to the Guardian, and a vocal critic of the failures of our economic system.

In 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism one of today's most iconoclastic thinkers destroys the biggest myths about the world we live in. 
There's no such thing as a 'free' market 
Globalization isn't making the world richer 
We don't live in a digital world - the washing machine has changed lives more than the internet 
Poor countries are more entrepreneurial than rich ones 
Higher paid managers don't produce better results 
This galvanizing, fact-packed book about money, equality, freedom and greed proves that the free market isn't just bad for people - it's an inefficient way of running economies too. Here Chang lays out the alternatives, and shows there's a better way.

The Guilty Secrets of Rich Nations and the Threat to Global Prosperity

Bad Samaritans

A radical look by a leading economist at the issues surrounding the future of globalization.

A smart, lively and provocative book that offers us compelling new ways to look at globalization

Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel laureate in Economics, 2001

Every orthodoxy needs effective critics. Ha-Joon Chang is probably the world's most effective critic of globalization. He does not deny the benefits to developing countries of integration into the world economy. But he draws on the lessons of history to argue that they must be allowed to integrate on their own terms

Martin Wolf, Financial Times, author of 'Why Globalization Works'

This is a marvellous book. Well researched, panoramic in its scope and beautifully written, Bad Samaritans, is the perfect riposte to devotees of a one-size-fits-all model of growth and globalization. I strongly urge you to read it

Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, Guardian

In this more polemical tract, [Chang] adds the spark of personal reflection ... and some mischievous rhetorical set-pieces.

This is an excellent book...deploys the logical discipline of economics and its engagement with quantitative evidence, but does so in jargon-free prose that sparkles with anecdotes and practical observations.

... probably the world's most effective critic of globalization

'Lucid, deeply informed and enlivened with striking illustrations, this penetrating study could be entitled "economics in the real world"

Ha-Joon Chang is a Cambridge economist who, for the past two decades, has taught and researched issues related to economic development and globalisation. He has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, various UN agencies and for the governments of Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Africa, the UK, and Venezuela. He has published numerous articles and books, including Kicking Away the Ladder - Development Strategy in Historical Perspective, which won the 2003 Myrdal Prize and has been translated into seven languages . In 2005, he and Richard Nelson of Columbia University received the Leontief Prize. He has been on the editorial board of the Cambridge Journal of Economics since 1992.

It's rare that a book appears with a fresh perspective on world affairs, but renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang has some startlingly original things to say about the future of globalization. In theory, he argues, the world's wealthiest countries and supra-national institutions like the IMF, World Bank and WTO want to see all nations developing into modern industrial societies. In practice, though, those at the top are 'kicking away the ladder' to wealth that they themselves climbed. 
 
Why? Self-interest certainly plays a part. But, more often, rich and powerful governments and institutions are actually being 'Bad Samaritans': their intentions are worthy but their simplistic free-market ideology and poor understanding of history leads them to inflict policy errors on others. Chang demonstrates this by contrasting the route to success of economically vibrant countries with the very different route now being dictated to the world's poorer nations. In the course of this, he shows just how muddled the thinking is in such key areas as trade and foreign investment. He shows that the case for privatisation and against state involvement is far from proven. And he explores the ways in which attitudes to national cultures and political ideologies are obscuring clear thinking and creating bad policy. Finally, he argues the case for new strategies for a more prosperous world that may appall the 'Bad Samaritans'.

An Alternative History of Capitalism

Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at SOAS University of London, and is one of the world's leading economists. His books include Economics: The User's Guide, Bad Samaritans and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which was a no.1 bestseller.

Ha-Joon Chang

Excellent... Chang has been working hard at providing an alternative to neoliberalism for two decades... Now he's reached the summit of the profession

Chang has a rare gift for explaining complex ideas... whether he is dealing with food or economics, Chang is a delightful writer

The only book I've ever read that made me laugh, salivate and re-evaluate my thoughts about economics - all at the same time. A funny, profound and appetising volume

A brilliant riposte to the myth that policymakers can survive on plain neoliberal fare. Edible Economics is a moveable feast of alternative economic ideas wrapped up in witty stories about food from around the world. Ha-Joon Chang proves yet again that he is one of the most exciting economists at work today

A fascinating stew of food, history and economics

Ha-Joon Chang has done it again. His prose delights and nourishes in equal measure. Somehow he manages to smuggle an urgent discussion of the relevance of economics to our daily lives into stories about food and cooking that are charming, funny and sweet (but never sour). In taking on the economic establishment, Chang is like a teddy bear savaging a rottweiler

Ha-Joon Chang blends culinary facts and economic expertise in this rollicking guide... Chang infuses the survey with food-related trivia, covers an impressive swatch of economics, and concludes with a call that readers scrutinize, think imaginatively, and be open-minded in their quest for economic knowledge

The World in 17 Dishes

For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as eating a wide range of cuisines contributes to a more interesting and balanced diet, so too is it essential we listen to a variety of economic perspectives. 
 
In Edible Economics, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. He uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a life-long addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into post-industrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism's entangled relationship with freedom and unfreedom. Explaining everything from the hidden cost of care work to the misleading language of the free market as he cooks dishes like anchovy and egg toast, Gambas al Ajillo and Korean dotori mook, Ha-Joon Chang serves up an easy-to-digest feast of bold ideas. 
 
Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world.

Ha-Joon Chang

Books by Ha-Joon Chang

Series by Ha-Joon Chang

Pelican Archive

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Can we solve the cost of living crisis? | Big Questions with Ha-Joon Chang

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