"The great achievement of Sowell's book is its simplicity. His writing is easy and lucid,
an admirable trait considering the topic at hand.As a basic primer for the economically perplexed,
this volume serves very well."Publishers Weekly

"Thomas Sowell is one of the wonders of the American intellectual world."Peter Brimelow, author
of Alien Nation

This book is geared to the average citizen with little or no economics background who would like the
tools to think critically about economic issues. Many of today's economic issues are obscured by
their inherent complexity and the often confusing and conflicting views coming from political talking
heads. Sowell, a leading conservative economist and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, seeks to
alleviate this confusion.

He begins by elucidating the differences between politicians, who are often compelled by political
considerations to act for the short term, and economists, who are more concerned with long-term
ramifications. Sowell then focuses on the application of economics to major contemporary real-world
problemshousing, medical care, discrimination, and the economic development of nations.


Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the recipient of many awards and prizes. His previous books for Blackstone Audiobooks include: Ethnic America, Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality, A Personal Odyssey, The Economics and Politics of Race, Black Rednecks and White Liberals, and many others.