“Mortgage”, “Inflation”, “Cost of living” are terms that all children today hear bandied about, but how well are they understood? At last there is a book which can explain what economics is all about and how it affects the lives of each and every one of us. Written by a graphic designer, its colourful pages include apposite illustrations, diagrams and information in bite size chunks. Forty topics are explored from what is economics, through capitalism, investing and the stock exchange. It has been thoughtfully structured so that knowledge is built up logically and cross-referencing was useful. We are taken back to basics with scenarios like shepherds selling goats’ cheese to begin to understand how wealth can be unequal, surpluses can occur and how a society’s needs become more complex. Similarly simple, but in no way simplistic, examples help explain how banks can use people’s investments to lend money and create profit almost from nothing, or how markets work. I understand the need to be selective in information, but occasionally I was left with questions like, why won’t it be possible to create any more coins in crypto-currency one day? Overall this is a very even-handed remarkably informative book for such a slim volume and refreshingly does not patronise its young readership (9-12 years). It is also one of a similarly useful series.
Sue Barrett
Economics by Eduard Altarriba
Button Books
ISBN:9781787081406
£9.99
Published 2024
