Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$13.30

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Hardcover
$9.56 - $18.09

Paperback
$7.05 - $15.74

$18.09 with 48 percent savings

List Price: $35.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$18.09 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

SAGUAROS STORE

Sold by

SAGUAROS STORE

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$9.56

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

The book may have minor cosmetic wear like creased spine, cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent. The book may have some highlights, notes, underlined pages. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included . Safe and Secure Mailer. No Hassle Return The book may have minor cosmetic wear like creased spine, cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent. The book may have some highlights, notes, underlined pages. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included . Safe and Secure Mailer. No Hassle Return See less

FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$18.09 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by The BAP Goods and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (66) from $6.02 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

Tim Harford

+ Follow

More books from this author

The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car! 56255th Edition

by Tim Harford (Author)

4.4 1,619 ratings

See all formats and editions

There is a newer edition of this item:

The Undercover Economist, Revised and Updated Edition: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor - and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!
$27.89
(219)
In Stock

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.09","priceAmount":18.09,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"09","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IhSiMPVs7f1PhNUma4lNJlIcrzDcFG%2B%2B1Pyu9I3UzPHk9ZLi56AFYQhINzF3pcvYnWjkn9dy8xuL8f9x13HP1gZlzPMzLAfRCtHnoHeEsBjklSv8e1F9LR28T18gnYj6cc3QPYfk2q%2BM8CVFRpxjXYXzOsAyEcqDXAGNR5fSMZZa3IhNAczschChbNUWuyZf","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.56","priceAmount":9.56,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"56","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IhSiMPVs7f1PhNUma4lNJlIcrzDcFG%2B%2BtlHTuI%2BT2StHcDjAEHl8bWyHCBzXyt7MLhRkvBFNp2UySROqDxK4r4mmpNVqMnUriB%2F3FSYF%2BSP6eF5teVWJ6deJmlbzrH4QdUXX%2F76KrvYxqkPI3tnw9%2FPsKzKnP7atqgY3kYGwv1jfZ9PFN3LXPhdX%2BsoA7sMw","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

An economist's version of The Way Things Work, this engaging volume is part field guide to economics and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything from traffic jams to high coffee prices.
The Undercover Economist is for anyone who's wondered why the gap between rich and poor nations is so great, or why they can't seem to find a decent second-hand car, or how to outwit Starbucks. This book offers the hidden story behind these and other questions, as economist Tim Harford ranges from Africa, Asia, Europe, and of course the United States to reveal how supermarkets, airlines, and coffee chains--to name just a few--are vacuuming money from our wallets. Harford punctures the myths surrounding some of today's biggest controversies, including the high cost of health-care; he reveals why certain environmental laws can put a smile on a landlord's face; and he explains why some industries can have high profits for innocent reasons, while in other industries something sinister is going on. Covering an array of economic concepts including scarce resources, market power, efficiency, price gouging, market failure, inside information, and game theory, Harford sheds light on how these forces shape our day-to-day lives, often without our knowing it.
Showing us the world through the eyes of an economist, Tim Harford reveals that everyday events are intricate games of negotiations, contests of strength, and battles of wits. Written with a light touch and sly wit, The Undercover Economist turns "the dismal science" into a true delight.

Frequently bought together

The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

$18.09

Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

Sold by SAGUAROS STORE and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.

+

Freakonomics Revised and Expanded Edition

$11.73

Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

The Armchair Economist: Economics and Everyday Life

$12.69

Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Steven Levitt
10,512
Paperback
96 offers from $2.24
Tim Harford
219
Hardcover
50 offers from $2.91
Steven E. Landsburg
471
Paperback
79 offers from $3.06
Henry Hazlitt
4,497
Paperback
240 offers from $1.91
Daron Acemoglu
8,448
Paperback
112 offers from $0.27
Robert L. Heilbroner
825
Paperback
155 offers from $1.99

Editorial Reviews

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 © 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 Levitts and Stephen J. Dubners 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 Harfords 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 studiessome entertaining, others indicative of times to comewill make you think twice about that cup of coffee.

Review

"This is a book to savor."--Richard Lowenstein, New York Times

"A worthy and often entertaining attempt to render 'the dismal science' considerably less dismal."--Warren Bass, Washington Post Book World

"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.... Harford does not take himself too seriously. He is at his best illuminating the economics of small things.... In general, as befits a covert operative, his tone is quizzical and low-key, rather than bombastic and judgmental. For anyone schooled in blackboard economics, The Undercover Economist succeeds in taking the chalkdust out of the subject."--The Economist

"The Undercover Economist is a rare specimen: a book on economics that will enthrall its readers. Beautifully written and argued, it brings the power of economics to life. This book should be required reading for every elected official, business leader, and university student."--Steven D. Levitt, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, and author of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

"Beautifully written.... An Economics 101 class, taught by the most popular professor on campus. Harford shows readers how to think like an economist, demonstrating how theories like David Ricardo's 1817 treatise on farm rents can be applied to coffee shop locations and the cost of oil.... If the ideas are allowed to penetrate, to sink into the arid topsoil of a mind too long out of school, they can change the way a reader sees the world. Once you understand that a 'green belt' of undeveloped land around a city drives up rents, you start seeing green belts everywhere."--Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Sun-Times

"Harford writes like a dream--and is also one of the leading economic thinkers of his generation. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner, what Bob Geldof needs to learn to make development aid work properly, 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 E=mc2 and Electric Universe

"Informative and engaging.... Readers will find out why organic tomatoes are almost never found next to regular tomatoes at the supermarket, who really benefits from tariffs, and how China became an overnight economic success. A great choice for all public libraries."--Library Journal

"Harford's fetching book is part a field guide to economics in action and part an expose of Economics 101 principles lurking beneath the action.... He is out to convert his reader into a more savvy consumer, no matter how hard advertising puffs, and into a more savvy voter able to dig out the truth behind the tall stories that politicians may tell."--William H. Peterson, Washington Times

"If you need to be convinced of the ever-relevant and fascinating nature of economics, read this insightful and witty book by Tim Harford. Using one interesting example after another, The Undercover Economist demonstrates how economic reasoning--often esoteric and dull, but totally accessible in Harford's hands--helps illuminate the world around us. Indeed, Harford's book is a tour de force." --Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor of Economics, Columbia University, and author of In Defense of Globalization

"As Tim Harford demonstrates brilliantly in this enjoyable book, the powerful underlying ideas of economics can, in the hands of the right person, illuminate every aspect of the world we inhabit."--Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times, and author of Why Globalization Works

"Most people think economists are boring, opinionated and wrong. Tim Harford is often right, always opinionated, but never boring. He shows how economics can be used to illuminate our everyday lives. Whether you want an explanation of the price of a cup of coffee or of poverty in the third world, Harford has it all."--John Kay, author of The Truth About Markets

Book Description

A wonderfully readable tour of the economics of everyday life

From the Back Cover

"The Undercover Economist is a rare specimen: a book on economics that will enthrall its readers. Beautifully written and argued, it brings the power of economics to life. This book should be required reading for every elected official, business leader, and university student." --Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

"Harford writes like a dream--and is also one of the leading economic thinkers of his generation. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner, what Bob Geldof needs to learn to make development aid work properly, 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 E=mc2 and Electric Universe

"If you need to be convinced of the ever-relevant and fascinating nature of economics, read this insightful and witty book by Tim Harford. Using one interesting example after another, The Undercover Economist demonstrates how economic reasoning -- often esoteric and dull, but totally accessible in Harford's hands -- helps illuminate the world around us. Indeed, Harford's book is a tour de force." --Jagdish Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization

"As Tim Harford demonstrates brilliantly in this enjoyable book, the powerful underlying ideas of economics can, in the hands of the right person, illuminate every aspect of the world we inhabit." --Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times, and author of Why Globalization Works

"Most people think economists are boring, opinionated and wrong. Tim Harford is often right, always opinionated, but never boring. He shows how economics can be used to illuminate our everyday lives. Whether you want an explanation of the price of a cup of coffee or of poverty in the third world, Harford has it all." --John Kay, author of Culture and Prosperity: The Truth About Markets

About the Author

Tim Harford writes the "Dear Economist" column in the Financial Times Magazine, in which he draws upon the latest economic theories to provide tongue-in-cheek answers to readers' personal dilemmas. Formerly an economics editorial writer at the Financial Times, Harford has worked at the International Finance Corporation, for a major oil company, and as an economics tutor at Oxford University. He lives in Washington DC.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 56255th edition (November 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195189779
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195189773
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.2 x 1.1 x 6.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #887,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #150 in Econometrics & Statistics
- #1,353 in Economic Conditions (Books)
- #1,730 in Economic History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 1,619 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Tim Harford

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Tim is an economist, journalist and broadcaster.

He is the author of nine books including “How To Make The World Add Up”, “Messy”, and the million-selling “The Undercover Economist”. Tim is a senior columnist at the Financial Times, and the presenter of Radio 4’s “More or Less”, “Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy”, and the new podcast “Cautionary Tales”.

Tim has spoken at TED, PopTech and the Sydney Opera House. He is an associate member of Nuffield College, Oxford and an honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. Tim was made an OBE for services to improving economic understanding in the New Year honours of 2019.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

1,619 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Emc2

An extraordinary primer on the basics of economics written for the general public: Tim Harford is the Carl Sagan of economics

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2009

Verified Purchase

Mr. Harford is a renowned economist and a gifted writer and communicator, who successfully achieved in this short and well written book the difficult task of explaining to the general public the complexities of key economic principles in very simple terms. However, do not be confused, this book, though equally entertaining, is no Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything . The author's 2008 book, The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World , is actually more Freakonomics style.

Have you heard of price elasticity and price signals, scarcity power, market failures, marginal cost, externalities, asymmetric and imperfect information, moral hazard, stock prices and random walk, and game theory?

Mr. Harford manages to explain the concepts behind this jargon in simple words with everyday life examples, allowing you to understand why the production cost of the cheapest oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait is just around $2 a barrel but we ended paying $50 (or up to $140 last year); why we pay $3 for a cappuccino but coffee growers in the third world just get a few cents for each cup; the rationale behind congestion pricing (the entire Chapter 4 is devoted to this controversial policy and how it also applies for curbing pollution); the economic reasons behind the failures of the US health insurance system; and the predictability of the stock market (the current financial crises proves Harford's point, who wrote about the "rational fools" in March 2005, and within the context of the dot-com bubble). In general terms, the first seven chapters provide the reader an opportunity to grasp key concepts and principles in the field of microeconomics.

The three last chapters of the book take a different approach as the book turns more into the territory of macroeconomics, exploring equally interesting and up-to-date issues regarding economic growth, international trade, competition, the theory of comparative advantage, and of course, globalization. The reader is introduced to these concepts with a chapter on Cameroon, used as a case study to explain the reasons for poor countries being poor, and highlighting the role corruption, weak institutions, and trade barriers. The last chapter in contrast, presents how China was able to achieve explosive growth rates during the last three decades, growing faster than any country in history, rising from Mao's disastrous economic experiments through the power of market and prices. Chapter 9 is a must read, as he discusses the main issues regarding globalization in a nutshell. Here Mr. Harford courageously debunks several myths regarding the alleged negative environmental impacts and other associated evils of globalization. Not surprisingly he wisely chose the examples of Cameroon and China to support his point of view.

This book comes very handy for the layman especially during these days of global economic crisis. I have a background on economics, and I do highly recommend it for anyone planning or having second thoughts about studying economics, the book will provide you with quite a general picture of what economics is really about. I also recommend it for those citizens interested in understanding a bit more about key economic principles, its everyday application, and who do not want to be easily fooled by politicians, interest groups, the media, nor even by many of the so-called "experts" and "gurus". The world would be a better place if every voter in the planet could grasp the basic concepts presented in this book.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bama Fan

Relevant even 15 years later!

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book covers a wide range of topics and looks at them from a fresh perspective. Harford can go from how the operators of coffee shops decide to set up and price their items to comparing his writing abilities to E.O. Wilson to the structure of the government of Cameroon and how it affects the global economy and it still comes out being very interesting! This book is one that will certainly bring up some topics that are more timely for when it was initially published, however the concepts that are brought up are still relevant and interesting. Harford is someone who is curious, perceptive and utilizes a style that is easy for anyone to follow. I learned several things I hadn't heard about that were very intriguing and the book overall was well written and applicable even today for a good understanding of various things. It's a good one!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

A Reader from Chicago

CD verson was very insightful and great fun!

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2007

Verified Purchase

First I will point out that I never had a course in econ, so that may be part of the reason I found this work to be so wonderful. In the CD version Robert Ian MacKenzie reads the book so that you think some devilish man is taking great delight in revealing to you the wicked ways of how the world works. Trickery and trust issues are a big part of this. The author, through MacKenzie, points out that the difference in a few cents worth of ingredients differentiates a product sold for about one dollar from one, more special, sold for three dollars.

I do agree with another reviewer that the used car argument made by the author is not that tight. But an important concept is being advanced nonetheless.

One of the many good takeaways for me is the economists' notion of truth, wherein the truth is determined by what people do and not what they say. What is important to people is shown by what they freely choose when they have the chance, and may have little to do with what they want their government to do or provide for them.

It clearly is pro-capitalist, and well defends that view. E.g., while not being in favor of harsh conditions, it notes that sweatshops are not the problem but rather a symptom of worse alternatives the workers in a sweatshop have available to them. Sweatshops didn't cause terrible poverty, but even sweatshops make the lives of workers better.

Overall I found this to be great fun to listen to. Intellectually, it is a powerful source of information and ideas to anyone who is not familiar with economics (I can't speak for those who are).

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2006

Verified Purchase

This book really helped sharpen my thinking on vital, everday economic realities. As you read and explore various situations that effect us all, you feel like a lot of foggy misconceptions are being shaved away and a laser clarity is put in their place. I wish everyone would read this book. We would have a lot smarter voting populace if they did.

A lot of topics are covered, but none are removed from situations that intimately effect all of us. You get a lot of insight on how various retailers struggle to set the highest price (this chapter alone paid for the price of the book, because it has made me a smarter, better armed shopper.) You learn how the concept of "missing information" makes it hard to buy a good used car as well as for a free market system to create afforable health insurance (the relationship between used cars and health insurance was as eye opening as it was fascinating.) You also learn that ecnonomists have some very good solutions to handling traffic congestion and pollution, if only the politicians would learn and listen.

This is just a sample of what is available, all written in a friendly, accessible style. No math, no graphs. Just a lot of clear reasoning and mind expanding information. Reading it was well worth my time. Hats off to the author.

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

ISBN not the same

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

I ordered this book thinking it was the book required for my government class. Imthe ISBN matched and everything. But I received a newer edition of this book, and the ISBN numbers are not the same. Anyone who’s taken a college course knows the editions/ISBN means everything.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Gerardo Simon

Buen servicio de entrega

Reviewed in Spain on July 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

Era para regalar. Gustó mucho

Translate review to English

Farzad Abdolhosseini

Awesome book

Reviewed in Canada on September 4, 2020

Verified Purchase

Great book, easy to read and insightful.

Vincenzo Asaro

AMAZING BOOK

Reviewed in Italy on October 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

Wether you're an economics student, or an economic graduate, this book helps you to widen your view of the economy and to take back some concepts that you maybe forgot during the years.
Absolutely recommended.

If English isn't your native language you can still go for it, it's pretty comprehensible.

3 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Scott Leal

Great writing

Reviewed in Australia on January 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

Hard work at times but great book

Nikhil Kardale

Changes your basic view about the world, one concept at a time

Reviewed in India on October 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

Absolutely wonderful read. Not too boring with the included examples, which are full of common sense. Makes reading about economics fun. You end up with a very different sense of the world around you once you finish reading this book.

One person found this helpful

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Follow the author

Image Unavailable