Where's Tim???

Good introduction to Macro Economics - just what you'd expect of Tim Hartford. However, why not have him actually read the book? You have an author who is brilliant on the radio and then have someone else on the audiobook?? Why? The narration is not bad - annoying that the 'instructor' voice is more posh than the 'student' but would have been better with Hartford.

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2 people found this helpful

Good content, dodgy narration

If you are familiar with Tim Harford from Radio 4's "More or Less" then you will almost certainly find the content of this book to be of his usual high standard. Unfortunately, you'll then almost certainly be really disturbed by the bizarre choice of narrator to play his part in the audio book. The content is great - a sweeping overview of macro economics for those of us who are interested in the big picture but weren't totally sure about the difference between fiscal and monetary policy or why money printing might sometimes be a good thing. But the narration jarred so much it detracted significantly from my enjoyment. Why the publisher decided someone sounding like a poor pastiche of Geoffrey Palmer at his poshest and most patronising was the ideal voice replacement for Tim was a good idea is totally beyond me. The stilted, contrived conversation between the overbearing narrator and the middle-class and modern "you" is beyond irritating and spoiled my listening quite dramatically. I finished the book (because the content is excellent) but I doubt I'll be able to listen to it again.

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1 person found this helpful

Simple explanation of todays Macroeconomic problem

If you could sum up The Undercover Economist Strikes Back in three words, what would they be?

Simple, interesting, controversial
As always, Harford has interesting way of explaining economics in human lingo, and despite his controversial views, his writing style is very interesting

Which character – as performed by Cameron Stewart and Gavin Osborne – was your favourite?

Not applicable

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Mindblowingly Complex Subject Distilled

Would you consider the audio edition of The Undercover Economist Strikes Back to be better than the print version?

This works as audio book with the back and forth between two narrators. It is difficult to see how this could have the same impact in printed format.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Undercover Economist Strikes Back?

Digging for chocolate, how does this relate to a modern economy. In fact what really is money, how much is it worth, and what is the impact on your life - so what has chocolate got to do with it all - Tim Harford spills the coins.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The story of a small island that used stones for currency, and a stone of about 2ft wide was about the price of a pig. So what happens when it is too big to move the stone, you trade notes as to where you left your stones. Sounds absurd right? But that's what we do now....!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Left confused, bewildered, mind blown by the complex web of interactions and implications.

Any additional comments?

I generally choose books by what I can learn to apply in life somewhere, the insights. Whilst it may be about macro economics, you can definitely learn to cut through the chaff and rhetoric that is in the media each and every day and used by those who manage our governments.

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1 person found this helpful

entertainingly insightful

accessible to all as well as digging a bit deeper, this was a thouroughly entertaining listen.

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Awful posh narrator spoils excellent content

The book gives a great overview of macroeconomic theories. The mangled, posh voice of the narrator enormously detracts from the enjoyment, which is made even worse by the instructor/student idiom where the patronising instructor talks down to the student in that conceited tone. If only Tom Hartford had read his own book!

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The Only Thing Missing is Tim's Delivery

This is a truly wonderful book.
It is funny, yet clear. It breaks up complicated ideas, and makes them understandable- with the clever use of ridiculous analogies and preposterous scenarios.

My only gripe is this- why didn't Tim Harford read it himself? I love his delivery in 'More or Less'- his radio show on Radio 4. He has great comic timing, and is a wizard at the straight faced presentation of the absurd. Cameron Stewart was not bad, but Tim H would have excelled, and I couldn't help subconsciously translating the lines spoken by the CS into TH's voice.

But if that's my only complaint, then you haven't got much to worry about. Do yourself a favour- get this, and be entertained and educated at the same time.
Highly recommended!

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5 people found this helpful

An Entertaining Jaunt through Macro-Economics

Tim Harford's brilliance is in the ability to take what many consider to be a dry and boring subject and shed an interesting light - explaining not only the main concepts but how and why they came to be in a fun and engaging way.

The narration is brilliant - Cameron Stewart (who I believe narrated Harford's original book) captures the tone perfectly.

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thought provoking with clear explanations

A thought provoking read with a number of good clear explanations, real world examples, nice quotes and stories.

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Macroeconomics for a general audience taught entertainingly by an ideology free economist

Loved this book as much as the Microeconomics book "The undercover economist" by the same author.

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