If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that the way we view money today was shaped by a 2,000-year-old debate between philosophers, revolutionaries, and mathematicians?
- Have you ever wondered why some of history's greatest minds believed that the very pursuit of profit could actually lead to a fairer society for everyone?
- Are you curious about how the battle between government control and free markets has dictated the rise and fall of civilizations across the centuries?
Listen to A Little History of Economics — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from A Little History of Economics
- Discover how early thinkers like Aristotle viewed profit-seeking as unnatural, and why the Catholic Church eventually embraced moneylending to support the rise of European merchants.
- Understand the birth of mercantilism, a pivotal era where the alliance between European rulers and merchant-explorers shifted society's focus from religion to wealth accumulation.
- Learn the radical origins of 'laissez-faire' economics from François Quesnay, who advocated for removing government controls on agriculture and taxing wealthy aristocrats instead of peasants.
- Grasp how Adam Smith's concepts of the 'invisible hand' and the 'division of labor' revealed that self-interest and job specialization lower consumer prices, even as they increase wealth inequality.
- Explore how nineteenth-century economists tackled severe wealth inequality, from David Ricardo's push for free trade to early socialist demands for communal ownership.
A Little History of Economics — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Early economists first questioned the proper role of money and merchants in society
Chapter 3: With the Industrial Age emerging, economists devised radical new ideas to better make sense of reality
Chapter 4: Nineteenth-century economic thought focused on addressing problems of wealth inequality
Chapter 5: As Europe debated government–economy relations, the extent of America’s great wealth became obvious to many
Chapter 6: Mid-twentieth-century political events spurred economists to develop theories about government involvement in economic life
Chapter 7: After World War II, economists refocused on new problems, both big and small alike
Chapter 8: The popularity of Keynesian economics rose and fell during the decades after World War II
Chapter 9: At the close of the twentieth century, risky financial behavior caused catastrophic losses worldwide
Chapter 10: Inequality remains the most urgent topic confronting today’s economists
A Little History of Economics Summary & Overview
A Little History of Economics (2017) is a whistle-stop tour of the major questions posed by economists through the centuries, from Aristotle to Thomas Piketty. It examines questions of inequality, selfishness, and the role government should play in economies.
Who Should Listen to A Little History of Economics?
- The econo-curious
- Those looking for a bird’s eye view of economics
- Students of broad-scope history
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