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*Globalization*, by Don Boudreaux
It's just out. This is the best popular book explaining the benefits of international trade. Imagine Bastiat for 2008, or a Cajun updating of Henry George's Protection or Free Trade. Sadly it is expensive but I'd sooner give a student this book than say Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on January 13, 2008 at 09:24 PM in Books | Permalink
Comments
As a disclaimer I should add that Don is a colleague and longstanding friend of mine. But I like him (in part) because he writes books like this!
Posted by: Tyler Cowen at Jan 13, 2008 9:33:45 PM
why so much money??
Posted by: John V at Jan 13, 2008 9:39:32 PM
I love, love, love that "the best popular" book on the benefits of "free trade" will get a much-smaller-than-possible audience on account of its frightfully expensive price, a price only possible because of a monopoly provided to the author by the government.
Posted by: candid at Jan 13, 2008 10:14:19 PM
Tyler,
Could you elaborate on why this book on globalization is better than other free-trade books out there?
Your other colleague, Russ Roberts, has a pretty good book on the subject (The Choice). How is this book different and why is it better?
Posted by: Student at Jan 13, 2008 10:34:37 PM
What's the problem with Economics in One Lesson (except that it's old)?
Posted by: Michael G.R. at Jan 14, 2008 12:03:30 AM
Popular book? At $55.00 for 184 pages? Why the price premium? I realize that there's not a monotonic relationship between length and value, but comparable books (Freakonomics, Myth of the Rational Voter) offer 50% more content for 1/3rd of the price. I'm a big fan of Boudreaux's blog, but this seems priced for the library/academic market, not the popular market.
Posted by: Christopher Rasch at Jan 14, 2008 2:08:15 AM
At that price, it had better be four or five times better than Economics in One Lesson. That's a stiff hurdle to overcome.
Posted by: Russell Nelson at Jan 14, 2008 2:49:26 AM
I sure hope it comes out as a $15 paperback.
David Henderson's Joy of Freedom is an excellent book. I ran a colloquium and we provided it to students. They loved it. But it too is only in expensive hardback. Without a cheap edition it is hard for such a book to get momentum.
Posted by: Daniel Klein at Jan 14, 2008 3:41:21 AM
It is expensive for a "popular" book. I am sure it is a good book but my value of it doesn;t extend to $55.
Posted by: Nile at Jan 14, 2008 3:48:10 AM
How much does the Indian edition cost? Maybe I can get it for 55 rupees :)
Posted by: Foobarista at Jan 14, 2008 4:00:11 AM
I just started an MBA class on globalization, thanks for the heads-up! But I'll agree w/ the others, that's a lot of money for a 184 page book. I would also be interested in your criticism of the Hazlitt text.
Chris
Posted by: Chris Meisenzahl at Jan 14, 2008 7:19:48 AM
I just finished that one and read Economics in One Lesson a few months ago. The comparison is not completely fair--EIOL covers more ground than international trade. But Globalization was very good. It was concise, on point, and one of those books that easily knocks down the common fallacies floated around on global trade.
Here may be a reason for the expense: this book is part of a series, the Greenwood Guide to Business and Economics. I'm not sure of the business plan for the series, but I imagine that the price fits the expectations for the type and quantity of its customers.
Posted by: JH at Jan 14, 2008 8:51:19 AM
Or wait for the paperback and buy the hardcover then-- usually 'used hardcovers' are cheaper on Amazon (anybody care to make a guess) than the paperback.
Posted by: MJ at Jan 14, 2008 12:23:23 PM
Johan Norberg's "In Defense of Global Capitalism" is another popular book on the question of globalization. Its price is half that of Don Boudreaux's new book. Can't specualte on the quality difference however, since I haven't read both.
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