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Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy
Basic Economics is a citizen's guide to economics-for those who want to understand how the economy works but have no interest in jargon or equations. Sowell reveals the general principles behind any kind of economy-capitalist, socialist, feudal, and so on. In readable language, he shows how to critique economic policies in terms of the incentives they create, rather than the goals they proclaim. With clear explanations of the entire field, from rent control and the rise and fall of businesses to the international balance of payments, this is the first book for anyone who wishes to understand how the economy functions.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Thomas Sowell
110 books5,791 followersThomas Sowell is an American economist, social philosopher, and political commentator. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. With widely published commentary and books—and as a guest on TV and radio—he became a well-known voice in the American conservative movement as a prominent black conservative. He was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush in 2002.
Sowell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and grew up in Harlem, New York City. Due to poverty and difficulties at home, he dropped out of Stuyvesant High School and worked various odd jobs, eventually serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Afterward, he took night classes at Howard University and then attended Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1958. He earned a master's degree in economics from Columbia University the next year and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1968. In his academic career, he held professorships at Cornell University, Brandeis University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has also worked at think tanks including the Urban Institute. Since 1977, he has worked at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy.
Sowell was an important figure to the conservative movement during the Reagan era, influencing fellow economist Walter E. Williams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He was offered a position as Federal Trade Commissioner in the Ford administration, and was considered for posts including U.S. Secretary of Education in the Reagan administration, but declined both times.
Sowell is the author of more than 45 books (including revised and new editions) on a variety of subjects including politics, economics, education and race, and he has been a syndicated columnist in more than 150 newspapers. His views are described as conservative, especially on social issues; libertarian, especially on economics; or libertarian-conservative. He has said he may be best labeled as a libertarian, though he disagrees with the "libertarian movement" on some issues, such as national defense.
Sowell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and grew up in Harlem, New York City. Due to poverty and difficulties at home, he dropped out of Stuyvesant High School and worked various odd jobs, eventually serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Afterward, he took night classes at Howard University and then attended Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1958. He earned a master's degree in economics from Columbia University the next year and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1968. In his academic career, he held professorships at Cornell University, Brandeis University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has also worked at think tanks including the Urban Institute. Since 1977, he has worked at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy.
Sowell was an important figure to the conservative movement during the Reagan era, influencing fellow economist Walter E. Williams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He was offered a position as Federal Trade Commissioner in the Ford administration, and was considered for posts including U.S. Secretary of Education in the Reagan administration, but declined both times.
Sowell is the author of more than 45 books (including revised and new editions) on a variety of subjects including politics, economics, education and race, and he has been a syndicated columnist in more than 150 newspapers. His views are described as conservative, especially on social issues; libertarian, especially on economics; or libertarian-conservative. He has said he may be best labeled as a libertarian, though he disagrees with the "libertarian movement" on some issues, such as national defense.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 14, 2021
کتاب ساده و راحتیه.
کانسپت های پیچیده ای نداره.
پر از مثاله.
ولی این مثال ها از یه جایی به بعد تکراری میشه که هم میتونه به فهم بهتر کمک کنه و هم میتونه حوصله آدم رو سر ببره.
هم چنین به نظر میرسه این کتاب خیلی جانب بازار آزادو میگیره و همه مثال های موفقیت از آمریکاست و همه مثالهای شکستش از شوری. البته شاید هم همین طور باشه و اقتصاد آزاد عالی باشه و کمونیسم بد... ولی دیگه فک نمیکنم اینقدر یک طرفه باشه.
کتاب تمامی حوزه های اقتصاد هم بررسی می کنه و یه دید از بالای خوبی برای کسانی که دانش تخصصی ندارن و وقت کسب کردنشو ندارن میده.
کانسپت های پیچیده ای نداره.
پر از مثاله.
ولی این مثال ها از یه جایی به بعد تکراری میشه که هم میتونه به فهم بهتر کمک کنه و هم میتونه حوصله آدم رو سر ببره.
هم چنین به نظر میرسه این کتاب خیلی جانب بازار آزادو میگیره و همه مثال های موفقیت از آمریکاست و همه مثالهای شکستش از شوری. البته شاید هم همین طور باشه و اقتصاد آزاد عالی باشه و کمونیسم بد... ولی دیگه فک نمیکنم اینقدر یک طرفه باشه.
کتاب تمامی حوزه های اقتصاد هم بررسی می کنه و یه دید از بالای خوبی برای کسانی که دانش تخصصی ندارن و وقت کسب کردنشو ندارن میده.
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August 9, 2026شاید مشهورترین تورم قرن بیستم در دهه ی 1920 در آلمان اتفاق افتاد. در ژوییهٔ 1920، یک دلار برابر 40 مارک بود، اما تا نوامبر 1923، یک دلار معادل 4 تریلیون مارک شد. مردم متوجه شدند که پس انداز تمام عمرشان برای خرید یک بسته سیگار کافی نیست. در واقع، دولت آلمان با این فرایند ساده که 1700 چاپخانه را واداشت شب و روز پول چاپ کنند، عملاً آنچه را مردم داشتند، از آنها دزدید.
در خلال بدترین تورم در اکتبر 1923، قیمت ها روزی 41 درصد افزایش می یافت. کارگران روزی دوبار دستمزد می گرفتند و به بعضی کارگران در وسط روز ساعتی مرخصی می دادند تا بتوانند شتابان به مغازه ها بروند و قبل از ترقی مجدد قیمت ها، خرید کنند. در موارد دیگر، همسران در مواقع ناهار، به محل کار شوهرشان می آمدند تا دستمزد شوهرشان را بگیرند و قبل از کاهش ارزش پول، شتابان آنرا خرج کنند.
ص276
در خلال بدترین تورم در اکتبر 1923، قیمت ها روزی 41 درصد افزایش می یافت. کارگران روزی دوبار دستمزد می گرفتند و به بعضی کارگران در وسط روز ساعتی مرخصی می دادند تا بتوانند شتابان به مغازه ها بروند و قبل از ترقی مجدد قیمت ها، خرید کنند. در موارد دیگر، همسران در مواقع ناهار، به محل کار شوهرشان می آمدند تا دستمزد شوهرشان را بگیرند و قبل از کاهش ارزش پول، شتابان آنرا خرج کنند.
ص276
December 30, 2022
گمان نمیکنم در زمانه فعلی این چنین دفاعی از اقتصاد بازار هم وجهی داشته باشه. تقریبا کتاب دفاع تمام عیاری از اقتصاد بازار هست. البته داخلش بسیار نکات ظریفی هست. خواننده گمان نمیکنم نیاز به پیش زمینه ی اقتصادی برای خواندن این کتاب داشته باشه
نسخه ای که من پیرینت گرفتم و خواندم ۳۶۰صفحه بود سال ۲۰۰۰ هم چاپش بود. گمان میکنم فارسی هم چاپ شده باشه
نسخه ای که من پیرینت گرفتم و خواندم ۳۶۰صفحه بود سال ۲۰۰۰ هم چاپش بود. گمان میکنم فارسی هم چاپ شده باشه
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews