Product Description: In its fourth edition, Economics Explained continues its announced purpose -- to explain that mysterious thing called economics. But there is a new urgency to the book. It is announced in the first sentence of the introduction: "Just in case the reader-to-be hasn't noticed, disturbing things are going on in the American economy these days...read more

Discusses historical economic writings including Bernard Mandeville, Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Jeremy Bentham, Thorstein Veblen, and John Maynard Keynes.

Citing key differences between the human species of the past and present, a study on the emergence of the future-driven society examines the Stone and Bronze Ages, the Egyptian and Roman periods, and the past two centuries (view table of contents)

Speculating on the future of capitalism, the author addresses such issues as the hardiness of the varieties of capitalism, job security, and the role of government and the private sector

Explains the national debt and deficit, and outlines the good and bad sides of deficit spending