Jason Furman's Reviews > How Economics Explains the World: A Short History of Humanity

Claudia Goldin's blurb pretty much nails it, "If you read just one book about economics, make it Andrew Leigh's clear, insightful, and remarkable work."

Leigh's book sets out to "tell the story about how capitalism and the market system emerged; discuss the key ideas and people who shaped the discipline of economics; and outline how economic forces have affected world history" and succeeds at all three.

It is relatively short and easy reading, proceeding chronologically from the advent of agriculture to the present day. Underlying it is an immense wealth of scholarship and economic ideas about economic history, the process of growth, and economic concepts like opportunity cost and thinking on the margin that are almost invisibly woven into the fabric throughout the book.

The overarching theme is enthusiasm for the enormous progress we have made economically, the importance of economics in helping foster that progress, but also enthusiasm for a more robust social safety and appreciation of the role of government in addressing myriad market failures.

Most economists would benefit a little from the links it makes between different topics (and could read it quickly) but it is mostly written for--and I would guess enjoyable for--non specialists.