10 Books from Kilkenomics to Expand Your Brain
In some ways, I’ve always viewed economics the way I viewed sex. Those who insist on continuously talking about it hypothetically are the least likely to understand its practicalities.
Here at 42courses, we’re off to enjoy 4 days of the world’s first economics and comedy festival. If you’re unable to make it to scenic Kilkenny, here are 10 books discussed there that will enlighten and enrich you.
1. Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
This book shines a light on human desires and the role, or lack thereof, that reason plays in them. As Rory wisely observes, to be brilliant you have to be irrational. It’s an endlessly quotable joy from one of our favourites at 42courses.
2. Authenticity by Alice Sherwood
As Alice Sherwood argues, our world is full of people and products advertising “authenticity” that are not what they seem. Sometimes, we no longer know whether we are talking to a person or a machine. But we can fight back and this book shows you how.
3. Chums by Simon Kuper
Whatever political affiliation you have, this book is a compelling argument against the homogeny of education and experience that seems to afflict British politics.
4. Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
From one of the most brilliant thinkers of our age, this book examines the true meaning of skin in the game. As Taleb says himself "Never trust anyone who doesn't have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will benefit, and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them."
5. Popping the Crypto Bubble by Stephen Diehl, Jan Akalin and Darren Tseng
This book asks how can we decode crypto, learn from its mistakes, and predict what the future holds for this new currency.
6. Another Now by Yanis Varoufakis
The highly charismatic Yanis Varoufakis asks draws on everyone from Plato to Marx to pose the question of what a better world could look like in “Another Now”.
7. The World for Sale by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
Two journalists have written a riveting history of the modern commodities trade. It will shed a whole new light on how you view the world’s resources and the people who trade them.
8. Edible Economics by Ha-Joon Chang
In one of the aptest analogies of our time, Ha-Joon Chang compares the single free-market philosophy that has dominated global economics to British food in the 80s. Just as eating a wider variety of foods is better for us nutritionally, so too is a variety of economic perspectives helpful to economics,
9. Supercharge Me: Net Zero Faster by Eric Lonergan and Corinne Sawers
Supercharge me asks one of the most important questions of our time. How do we get to net zero? And how do we get there more quickly? In a world where people talk about climate change, but do not act books like these are vital to the survival of our planet.
10. The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism by Thomas Frank
If there’s one term bandied about in the news - it’s populism. Yet have you ever stopped and thought about what it actually means? Thomas Frank provides a necessary and often entertaining history of populism in this great book.
If you enjoyed these recommendations, you’ll love What Tinder Tells You About Behavioural Science and Our Top 5 Books On Problem Solving.
