The Undercover Economist

別懷疑，經濟學真的可以解決所有問題！
從FACEBOOK到劈腿，150個生活難題爆笑拆解！

　　★好酷的經濟學－英國《泰晤士報》
　　★生活經濟學的第一把交椅！－經濟學泰斗Tyler Cowen

　　別說你不曾煩惱過以下問題：

　　「忙到快死了，怎樣辦？」、「要不要劈腿？」、「兒子的FACEBOOK朋友比我多……」、　　「為什麼要燙衣服啊？」、「約會時，究竟誰該付錢？」、「兒子很皮，該不該揍？」

　　如果你得問個人來解決這些生活上的難題，還有比他更好的人選嗎？
　　不過別期待他跟其他主持讀者信箱的夫人們一樣有同情心
　　他講話有點直、有點沒禮貌，但卻中肯得令人爆笑
　　他不會提供肩膀借你哭泣，但會為你獻上最實在的理性線索與生活建議
　　他是隱藏在你身邊的臥底經濟學家

　　＊精選答客問：
　　Q：忙到快死了，怎樣解脫？──倫敦的一個著名的經濟學家
　　A：為自己訂一個「價格」吧，低於這個價錢，寧可休息。──能說會道的臥底經濟學家

　　Q：孩子很皮，該揍嗎？──切爾西的吉兒．杭斯利
　　A：不要揍他，扣他零用錢即可。──非暴力的臥底經濟學家

　　Q：人幹嘛燙衣服？──新加坡的茱蒂絲．奧利佛
　　A：因為我們缺乏其他更有效的指標，來判斷一個人的能力。──不修邊幅的臥底經濟學家

　　Q：要不要在乎童貞？──紐約的葛蘿麗亞
　　A：看你的性別。女人失去童貞，是一種投資；男人失去童貞，只是一種消費。──不浪漫的臥底經濟學家

　　Q：真愛，很難找嗎？──巴塞隆納的露絲
　　A：放心，人總是很快就降低標準的。──務實的臥底經濟學家

　　本書中譯版《親愛的臥底經濟學家》由早安財經出版。

"The economy isn't] a bunch of rather dull statistics with names like GDP (gross domestic product)," notes Tim Harford, columnist and regular guest on NPR's Marketplace, "economics is about who gets what and why." In this acclaimed and riveting book-part expos , part user's manual-the astute and entertaining columnist from the Financial Times demystifies the ways in which money works in the world. From why the coffee in your cup costs so much to why efficiency is not necessarily the answer to ensuring a fair society, from improving health care to curing crosstown traffic-all the dirty little secrets of dollars and cents are delightfully revealed by The Undercover Economist.

"A rare specimen: a book on economics that will enthrall its readers . . . It brings the power of economics to life."
-Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics

"A playful guide to the economics of everyday life, and as such is something of an elder sibling to Steven Levitt's wild child, the hugely successful Freakonomics."
-The Economist

"A tour de force . . . If you need to be convinced of the everrelevant and fascinating nature of economics, read this insightful and witty book."
-Jagdish Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization

"This is a book to savor."
-The New York Times

"Harford writes like a dream. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner and] how not to get duped in an auction. Reading The Undercover Economist is like spending an ordinary day wearing X-ray goggles."
-David Bodanis, author of Electric Universe

"Much wit and wisdom."
-The Houston Chronicle
From Publishers Weekly
Nattily packaged-the cover sports a Roy Lichtensteinesque image of an economist in Dick Tracy garb-and cleverly written, this book applies basic economic theory to such modern phenomena as Starbucks' pricing system and Microsoft's stock values. While the concepts explored are those encountered in Microeconomics 101, Harford gracefully explains abstruse ideas like pricing along the demand curve and game theory using real world examples without relying on graphs or jargon. The book addresses free market economic theory, but Harford is not a complete apologist for capitalism; he shows how companies from Amazon.com to Whole Foods to Starbucks have gouged consumers through guerrilla pricing techniques and explains the high rents in London (it has more to do with agriculture than one might think). Harford comes down soft on Chinese sweatshops, acknowledging "conditions in factories are terrible," but "sweatshops are better than the horrors that came before them, and a step on the road to something better." Perhaps, but Harford doesn't question whether communism or a capitalist-style industrial revolution are the only two choices available in modern economies. That aside, the book is unequaled in its accessibility and ability to show how free market economic forces affect readers' day-to-day.
Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Harford exposes the dark underbelly of capitalism in Undercover Economist. Compared with Steven Levitt's and Stephen J. Dubner's popular Freakonomics (*** July/Aug 2005), the book uses simple, playful examples (written in plain English) to elucidate complex economic theories. Critics agree that the book will grip readers interested in understanding free-market forces but disagree about Harford's approach. Some thought the author mastered the small ideas while keeping in sight the larger context of globalization; others faulted Harford for failing to criticize certain economic theories and to ground his arguments in political, organizational structures. Either way, his case studies--some entertaining, others indicative of times to come--will make you think twice about that cup of coffee.
Copyright (c) 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

作者簡介

提姆．哈福特（Tim Harford）

　　知名英國《金融時報》（Financial Times）主筆。在該報撰寫、並供稿全球的專欄「臥底經濟學家」，揭示日常生活經驗背後的種種經濟觀念。他同時也是全球唯一開設答客問專欄「親愛的經濟學家」的經濟學家。他曾擔任BBC電視節目《聽我的，我是經濟學家》（Trust Me, I’m an Economist）的主持人，現主持BBC廣播節目《多或少》（More or Less）。文章散見《君子》（Esquire）、《富比士》（Forbes）、《紐約》（New York）雜誌、《華盛頓郵報》（Washington Post），及《紐約時報》（New York Times）。二○○六年獲得專門針對新聞從業者所頒發的巴斯夏獎（Bastiat Prize），廣電節目也曾獲獎。現與妻子和兩個女兒居住在倫敦。

　　著有暢銷書《誰賺走了你的咖啡錢》（The Undercover Economist，早安財經出版）。

Tim Harford is an editorial writer at the Financial Times, where he also writes the newspaper’s ＂Dear Economist＂ column and ＂The Undercover Economist＂ column, which also appears in Slate. He lives in London.