The Economics of Life: From Baseball to Affirmative Action to Immigration, How Real-World Issues Affect Our Everyday Life

by Gary S. Becker and Guity Nashat Becker

Book Overview

From economics Nobel Laureate Gary Becker and historian Guity Nashat Becker comes this collection of the economist's popular BusinessWeek columns. These 138 essays have fueled numerous debates, touching on hot-button issues from crime to organization of sports. The Beckers' surprising--and uncompromising--positions on drugs ("legalize them"), immigration ("auction off immigration slots"), welfare ("curtail it sharply"), and other topics provide a...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070067090
• ISBN13: 9780070067097
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Very readable, very practical

This book brings economic theories down to earth. The Beckers are excellent writers and the book is easy to read because it is broken down into short segments. The book would be great as supplementary reading for a principles of economics class.

Becker for everyone

This works provides great insight into the economic thinking and reasoning of one of the greatest living economists. It is simple enought for someone without a economics background to understand, yet complex enough for advanced students of economics to study and debate. A great work.

Practical Discussion of many complicated issues

An interesting read for all those individuals who claim that economists are too abstract. Each article offers practicle, and simple, solutions for many of today's social, and political, problems. The writing style of the authors is fairly simple and is not heavy on economic jargon. I especially enjoyed the Becker's ability to cram so much relevant info into small articles. I really enjoyed the collection of artlicles and would highly recommend the book to any person interested in economics.

Becker defines social problems and offers solutions

No other economist (or writer) identifies social issues,illuminates the core problem, and offers rational solutions better than Gary Becker. Becker has the unique ability to take the most complex Chicago-style economic thought and explain it in terms that non-Ph.D's can easily understand. The list of topics that Becker covers is so diverse, I gaurantee that you will find a subject that you can relate to personally. Becker cuts through the misleading information that politicians and the popular press routinely disseminate by identifying why certain parties take positions on issues. (Usually because they have a vested interest in the outcome, but their interest may not be in the best interest of the public) The book is a compilation of articles (30-40) on numerous topics . The articles are easy to read and will leave you thinking about the subjects in a completely different way. A must read for people that have a desire to better understand human and social behavior.

SEVEN STAR REVIEW!

No praise will do justice to this gem of a books. It capture Becker in full cry. Unlike most theorists, who hide behind veils of dense mathematics, Becker never allows math to cloud his logic...a wonderful,thought provoking read for anyone, even those with minimal knowledge of economics...a jewel from the world's greatest living economist...