Overwritten and One-sided...

Thoms Sowell's Basic Economics, Fourth Edition: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy was a greatly disappointing and annoying purchase for me. What I had hoped for was a clear and unbiased explanation of economic theory with some real world examples for clarification. What I got was a longwinded, one sided, and repetitious treatise on the superiority of unobstructed free market capitalism, using economic theory as its evidentiary platform.

There is a direct correlation between prices, supply and demand... Great! I get it. I do not wish to listen to an additional 45 minutes of questionable examples, of how minimum wage laws destroy jobs, or how rent control is the cause of homelessness in New York City. These aren't facts, they are conservative positions, demanding certain assumptions that may or may not be correct.

Nevertheless, I cannot deny that Sowell's Basic Economics is packed with information, and for this I give it two stars instead of one. Indeed if you find yourself aligned with its philosophy, you will no doubt enjoy your time with this audio book. If on the other hand you do not completely agree with the premise, or if you are one who likes to hear both sides, you may end up feeling like a participant in a brainwashing experiment, as you are inundated with endless examples of Sowell using economic theory as leverage in his argument for laissez-faire capitalism.

68 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

misleading

Any additional comments?

i didn't enjoy this book, but it does give an overview of basic economic concepts. unfortunately, despite its length the book did not teach me anything i didn't already know, and as the book goes on, it becomes increasingly focused on the evils of government intervention, and less so on explaining economic concepts. i could have done without the extensive libertarian diatribes. i'm a believer in free-market economics and the global economy, but the agenda was so clear and tone was often so biased and closed-minded that the experience was simply not fruitful for me. it's a shame because when sowell sticks to economics, he explains things quite effectively, but i'd have rather purchased a less partisan book.

37 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Myth Buster

Dr. Sowell presents economics in such clear and concise terms. Concepts, truths and fallacies all made crystal clear by detailed examples from economic history. Economics comes alive in this presentation.
The narration was so superb, He could make tax code interesting!

33 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

This Must-Read will inoculate you against fraud

Sowell covers so many economic fallacies (fallacies we have heard propagated daily in the news, for all of our lives), and explains why they are wrong. He uses inventive illustrative scenarios to make clear difficult concepts. He takes you well-past a limited concept or idea, to the full consequences of that idea, and makes the case using real-world historical examples from around the world. This will inoculate you against future fraud for the rest of your life. My only critique: the reader, while clear and understandable, is a bit dry and devoid of expression. Still worth it though. I have "re-read" many chapters since I bought it.

26 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Objective and just what most people need to hear

I spend hours on the road so this was a great way for me to take a refresher course on economics while I drive. I liked how he teaches a theory or principle then supports it using one or more examples. I think this is just what most people need to hear and understand, especially at a time when many people around the world seem to be leaning toward socialism to answer all the problems of societies. Great book. I'm going to buy the book in hard cover just so I can reference it from time to time. If you're looking for a short simple "Economics for Dummies" then this is not for you. This book is very, very long and gives highly detailed descriptions of the basic principles. Highly recommended for real thinkers.

17 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A lost story...........

The "story" of economics, sadly, is not part of the basic education fabric in this country. One would think, a country built on a free-enterprise/captialism model would do a better job of informing it's citizens about what all of that means. Mr Sowell does a fine job of unpacking the baggage, talking about each piece along the way in understandable words and anecdotes, for the "interested" reader. What a great refresher or primer, depending on where you are when you pick it up.

14 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Mildly interesting

Was Basic Economics, Fourth Edition worth the listening time?

The author discusses the law of supply and demand and other basic economic laws. It is mildly interesting, but nothing out of the ordinary. The author is obviously a fierce capitalist, but really does not give other points of view a fair review.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Fantastic introduction to economics

Thomas Sowell does a fantastic job of explaining economics in simple non-technical terms that anyone can understand. He points out the many misconceptions about economics and helps the reader / listener understand events attributed to economics in a better context.

This should be required reading for every high school student. Certainly this offers the level of understanding every voting of our society must have before they can make informed decisions.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Great Summary of Economics!

I really enjoyed this book. Thomas Sowell introduces economic concepts that really broadened my understanding of how the economy works. This is narrated very well. Listened to this on trips to work.

Highly recommend!!

9 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Excellent Primer on Economics

This book covered basic economic concepts very well, as well as giving background on some famous economists. I had taken macro and micro economics in college, but still learned new things from this book. I got a little bored towards the end on the topic of international economy and how other countries' economic policies can have a global effect. However, the size and depth of information from this book more than makes up for a few topics that I found dull.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile