



Economix
How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures
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4.3 • 34 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Economix is an essential and accessible guide to understanding the economy and economic practices. This New York Times bestseller is a must-read for every citizen and every voter.
With clear, witty writing and quirky, accessible art, this important and timely graphic novel transforms “the dismal science” of economics into a fun, fact-filled story about human nature and our attempts to make the most of what we’ve got . . . and sometimes what our neighbors have.
Economix explains it all, from the beginning of Western economic thought; to markets free and otherwise; to economic failures, successes, limitations, and future possibilities.
Everybody’s talking about the economy, but how can we, the people, make sense of what Wall Street or Washington say they know? Read the New York Times bestselling Economix, from author Michael Goodwin and illustrator Dan E. Burr.
“Goodwin brilliantly contextualizes economic theories with historical narrative, while Burr’s simple but elegant illustration employs classical techniques like caricaturing politicians and symbolizing big businesses (as a gleeful factory) to help the reader visualize difficult concepts.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This witty and elegant volume takes on a number of complex issues—in this case, economics, history and finance—and makes them comprehensible for mere mortals.” —Miami Herald
“Michael Goodwin hasn’t just written a great graphic novel—he’s written one that should be required for every school, newsroom, and library in the United States.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune



PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Economics is terrifying. Even if one doesn't consider the bleak state of the current world economy, just attempting to create a mental picture of the complex systems of market forces, government agencies, and human psychologies that drive the economy can be like trying to visualize a map of the universe. But Goodwin and illustrator Burr argue that the economy is easy enough to understand if you break it down into bite-sized chunks, roughly the dimensions of a comic panel. They tell the story of the economy starting with its first documented examination by Adam Smith and working their way up to 2011. That devotion to thoroughness makes this a dense yet quite accessible read. Goodwin brilliantly contextualize economic theories with historical narrative, while Burr's simple but elegant illustration employs classical techniques like caricaturing politicians and symbolizing big businesses (as a gleeful factory) to help the reader visualize difficult concepts. If the book has a prime message, it's that the economy is quite understandable and when things go wrong, the effort and thinking of a whole society must be applied to bring everything back into line.
Customer Reviews
A Must Read for Everyone
I don't review anything but after reading this book I just had to!
Mr Goodwin broke economics down to a form where a 10 year old could understand. This book is needed in the school system and may lead in the efforts in changing our way of thinking about life and the economy. Keep up the great work in help to inform.
Impossible to put down!
You will not want to put this book down! I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about history and economics separately, but this book did so much to connect the two, in an entertaining and informative way, that I wanted to read it through in one sitting!
I've long felt that the comic book/graphic novel style is the best way to tell stories about history. From Larry Gonick's "A Cartoon History of the Universe" to the comic version of the 9/11 Commission Report, the comic format seems to do wonders to help audiences see the connections between different parts of history with one another, and with the present. But Goodwin and Barr add economics -- a truly "dismal" science -- to the mix, and make it not just interesting, but totally engaging.
This book should be required reading in middle school or high school. It's easily better than either the history or the economics education that most of our nation's students are getting, and fun reading to boot. Even those whose personal biases are challenged in this book will both learn things they may not have known, and reconsider their simplistic dogmas. This book presents, in black-and-white images, a topic that is never black-and-white!
Really Excellent
Everyone should read this book. Entertaining yet thoughtful, I laughed out loud in spots and ended up feeling hopeful. Loved the entire experience.