Undressing the Dismal Science (Fully Revised and Updated)

The many quotations from people who are familiar from recent history, from Kennedy to Bernanke, make this book extremely interesting to read. At the same time it is witty. You learn practical things, for example, why are tickets for a round trip flight cheaper when there is a weekend in between.
I have just started reading the book and am looking forward to hours of pleasure and insight and learning.
I recommend the book to everybody who is not an expert in economy him- or her-self.

George Knorr

Charles Wheelan does a fantastic job making dry topics exciting through his witty and intuitive examples and comparisons. I find myself constantly citing the means he used to to formalize the relativity of western perspectives when rationalizing such hot button issues like globalization. Great read!! Loved it.

The best part about reading books by journalists is the readability. In a book on economics, which I neglected to study in college, this is the most important factor. Wheelan breezes through developmental economics, monetary policy and the various aspects of the stock market in about 8 hours of reading. My understanding of economics has been greatly enhanced by this quick read, great in clips of about 60 pages at a time. I've wanted to read a book like this for about 3 years and have truly benefitted from the experience. I highly recommend this book.

I'm a masters student in Economic Development and found this book very useful in complementing my econ courses. Mr. Wheelan's book makes very complicated and dense material very easy to understand and follow. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand economics without the graphs and complicated math. In conclusion, this was a very fun read and a very good book. Good job, Mr. Wheelan!

I would recommend this to anyone as an excellent Economics primer. It is an enjoyable read and gives insight into why we need to problem solve problems by understanding tradeoffs, and not just with a zero sum mentality.

Even though I disagree on certain points, I still find the book interesting specially the author's giving examples.
In some cases he assumes scenarios with such theoretical figures just to prove his point of view. On the whole I get an impression that he is trying to prove republican's views.
He quotes Abraham Lincoln saying why should we not manufacture steel for rail tracks and import from Europe. He says Abraham was wrong. I feel Abraham was very far sighted on this point. Rail track construction was not a few months project.
With all this said, it is very interesting book. One of few books I ensured to read till the end.
Muhammad Taimur tareen

I am taking a graduate level Economics for managers, as part of an MBA program. My professor recommended this book as an intuitive view of economics. I really enjoyed reading this book. I even laughed out loud at parts. This is not your parents' economics book. He discusses the concepts thoroughly, with plenty of examples and not lacking in humor. I really enjoyed this book. Definitely worth reading. And, no, I'm NOT related to the author.

Finally a book that makes economics not only understandable, but dare I say... ENJOYABLE! I found myself laughing out loud several times a chapter. I completely understood the economic concepts the way they were presented. And I will remember them better thanks to this book. Fantastic!

Of course it is only January 5th today -- so Naked Economics is actually the best book I've read in over a year!

I generally only post the store reviews if a book is either terrible or outstanding -- this book is definitely the latter. Outstanding, excellent, educational, informative, entertaining, funny, and impossible-to-put-down are just a few adjectives for it. It has opened my eyes and sparked my interest in a field I had heretofore thought boring, esoteric, and irrelevant. Charles Wheelan has masterfully showed how wrong I was. It is rare -- perhaps once a year or so -- that I read a book that alters the course and direction and outlook of my life... that every so slightly deviates my life line a bit in a new and refreshing way. A few I can recall are Rich Dad,Poor Dad, How to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of Wealth, and Complete Guide to Verbal Manipulation.

Don't think: Read this book!

If you want to understand more about Economics, some examples (both recent and distant) of economic issues that the United States has faced, then this book will do it in an entertaining and informative manner.

Great book for people who think Economics is very dry. This book presents it in a more casual fashion with real world examples. Don't look for formulas and fancy equations. If you are just starting into the study of economics this would be a fine first read. I bought this for an intro to economics class but the professor did not teach from the text. I read it a few months later for my own enjoyment.

I read Naked Economics and Freakonomics around the same time. Naked Economics is much better in explaining the real economics and much more coherent than Freakonomics. At the end of each chapter, you would learn something, of which Freakonomics failed to do. Freakonomics is nothing but a bunch of incoherent stories. It tries makes the comparison and contrast internesting, but that's about it, making the stories interesting. But you learn nothing. If I were to choose again, I'm picking Naked Economics.

Wheelan presents fundamental economic principles in a way that is both interesting and easy for casual readers to understand. And for those more familiar with economics, this book provides a better understanding by framing the real world applications of common textbook principles.

This book is excellent! My economic professor assigned it for my masters level international economics course, and by only reading this book, I got an A. Very easy to read, Naked Economics clearly and basically explained economic principals and illustrated them with helpful examples in a way that gave context. If you are tired of fighting through economics books with all of its charts and graphs that at times are incomprehensible, you have to read this book!

Very well written, clever examples with some humor to make the material fun but not so much humor that the author forgets the purpose of educating the reader. If you enjoy the freakonomics books you'll enjoy this one too.

I had to purchase this book for school. However, I chose to keep it even after the semester ended. This is one of the only books I felt would provide value in coming years. It touches on economic issues in the most easy-to-understand format imaginable. Highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about economics.

A nice meandering stroll through a discussion of the main economic concessus. Well worth the read for anyone with a casual interest in econ. No math required.

Covers things like
Why boycotting sweatshops harms third world workers

As an econ 101 professor, Wheelan is brilliant. But, like a professor that wants to be liked, or a politician that wants a job, Wheelan dodges the big questions to the end, failing to predict anything substantive or provide solutions to any hard problems. Perhaps peer to peer economic relationships will cut governments and corporations out of the equation, subverting their corrupt regulatory systems. Just as cell phones have enabled farmers in Africa to get by despite inept governments, perhaps peer insurance will do an end run around our broken medical insurance industry. Perhaps Bitcoin will make national debt and trade balances irrelevant. Perhaps gloabalization and will gradually reduce the severity and frequency of wars. At least books like this remind us to vote against protectionist politicians and abdicate our membership in special interest groups.

I really enjoyed the insights I received from this book. It was delivered in 'new' condition in a timely manner. Anyone who is looking for an educated and entertaining spin on economics should most definitely read this book! Aside from giving you detailed explanations, this book will make you think for yourself and strive to understand its content. Way better than sitting in class!

Easy to understand Economics. This book made it possible for me to understand many of the economic issues that the country is facing now. The information is presented in a down to earth entertaining manner.

In my opinion, economics tends to be a snobbish academic area in that the practitioners tend to take a fairly straightforward, common sense topic and make it complicated through the use of charts, graphs and jargon. Mr. Wheelan has used plain words to explain several broad areas of economics as well as using statistics to show what we believe is true is not, in many cases.

After reading economic books by Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell, I find Naked Economics to be a more balanced explaination of economics. Though I believe good economic sense are more relevant to the conservative viewpoint. This book makes you ponder as too how much we as a society are willing to let the 'creative destruction' victims fall behind in the name of progress.
I really hope more people would read into economics, because in the long run, it's the greater poor population will benefit more through capatilistic methods. Though it will be harsh for some groups who loses their jobs. Whether it's through replacing human hands with robotics or outsourcing for cheaper labor, it ultimately advances our productivity.
This book answers a lot of questions very relevant to today's current events. All the outcry about US outsourcing jobs. The author puts forward a great question, "Whould it be better for the US if trade weren't allow across the Mississippi River?" I think you could even go further on that question, "Would it be better if each state weren't allow to trade across it's border?" Many would realize the answer is no, but yet, there is such an outcry on outsourcing? It's call lobbying by special interest.
Great book, and very easy read.

It seems everyone wants to argue politics lately much the way TV wants to "report" it through 15 second soundbites and single variable arguments. Naked Economics gives a solid foundation to begin intelligent discussions that consider the interrelationship between multiple economic/political/sociological factors.

I have always been a strong advocate of economic literacy. If I had to recommend one book to the average American to get them to think in ways they never did before, this would be it. The writing style is clear, accessible, and even humurous. But what really stands out, as reviewers have mentioned, are the examples - tons and tons of them that people can relate to.

I cannot say enough about this gem. Freakonomics was interesting and enlightening. But Naked Economics is potentially paradigm altering.