Economics was described by the English economist Lionel Robbins in 1935 as 'the science of scarcit' but these days economics is everywhere, and it's never been more popular - as bestselling books such as Freakonomics attest.
But what is economics really all about? What do the great economists think, and what can economics do for us today?
David Orrell, author of Economyths, explains all in Introducing's trademark intelligent but witty style, accompanied by brilliant illustrations from the legendary Borin van Loon.
David Orrell is a Canadian mathematician who lives in Oxford, where he also obtained his doctorate. His work in the prediction of complex systems such as the weather, genetics, and the economy has been featured in New Scientist, the Financial Times, BBC Radio and CBC TV. His previous book was Economyths (Icon, 2010).
Borin Van Loon has worked on numerous Introducing titles. He is a freelance illustrator, surrealist painter and collagist who produces the comic strip 'The Severed Head' for The Chap magazine.