Product Description

The Economic Naturalist is back with a whole batch of intriguing new questions and answers, drawn from his "New York Times" columns, that reveal how we really behave when confronted with economic choices. Do tax cuts for business owners really stimulate employment? Why shouldn't we just leave everything to the market? And why do we all save so little? Discover the answers to these and many more questions. With his trademark plain-speaking wit and insight, Robert Frank shows through dozens of examples how our personal choices about everything from paying for food and housing to large-scale policy decisions about taxation and the regulation of markets all boil down to the same simple economic principles, often resulting in the same wasteful mistakes. He shows that while our desires may be boundless, the resources necessary to satisfy them remain limited and argues that choices are always best made pragmatically - by carefully weighing the costs and benefits of competing options. This is a fascinating, entertaining and revealing collection full of insights that have more bearing than ever on our bank balances and our personal happiness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83362 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
'In The Return of the Economic Naturalist Robert Frank guides us skilfully and elegantly through our complex, and sometimes strange, economic environment -- helping us to see more clearly the essence of our world.'
--Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational

From the Back Cover
DISCOVER HOW ECONOMICS EXPLAINS SOME OF LIFE'S MOST PUZZLING PROBLEMS

Should we just leave everything to the market?
Why do we all save so little?
Do nice guys always finish last?

The Economic Naturalist is back with a whole batch of intriguing new questions and answers that reveal how we really behave when confronted with economic choices.

Through dozens of examples drawn from his newspaper column, Robert H Frank shows how our choices about everything from the birthday presents we buy to large-scale government policies all boil down to the same simple economic principles, often resulting in the same wasteful mistakes. He demonstrates why choices are always best made by carefully weighing the costs and benefits of competing options.

This is a fascinating and entertaining collection that reveals how the principles of economics have more bearing than ever on our bank balances and our personal happiness.

Praise for The Economic Naturalist

'Fascinating ... provides the answers to some of life's quirkiest conundrums' Daily Mail

‘Can be returned to again and again like one of those all-you-can-eat buffets’ New York Times

'Fascinating, mind-expanding, and lots of fun' Steven Pinker, author of Blank Slate

‘Don't miss this addictive book’ Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life

About the Author
Robert H. Frank is the author of The Sunday Times bestseller The Economic Naturalist. He is the Henrietta Louis Johnson Professor of Management and Professor of Economics at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management and is a regular economics columnist in The New York Times. His previous books include The Winner-Takes-All Society (with Philip Cook), Luxury Fever and Principles of Economics (with Ben Bernanke). Frank's many awards include the Apple Distinguished Teaching Award and the Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. www.robert-h-frank.com

Customer Reviews

The Return of the Economic Naturalist is a disappointment
I much enjoyed Robert H Frank's earlier book "The Economic Naturalist". Unfortunately this sequel fails to live up to expectations. It consists of a series of often very similar articles linked together with some recent commentary and explanation. The content is very repetitive and many of the examples and analogies are used in multiple articles. While this would not be such a problem if the articles were read over the long period of time during which they were originally written, once they are condensed into a single book the lack of variety becomes all too obvious.

Also, the book is very focussed on US domestic issues, which while no doubt relevant for US readers may well detract from the enjoyment of those from outside the US.

Overall, there is simply not enough variety and originality to sustain the 250 or so pages and one is left wondering whether re-printing a series of existing newspaper articles was not simply an easy way to produce a sequel.

Repetitive drivel
The Return of the Economic Naturalist isn't a 'return' at all. Frank's first book, the Economic Naturalist, was a collection of essays written by the author's economics students; while the sequel is a collection of the author's own newspaper articles.

However, the articles rarely teach the casual reader anything about economics. They repetitively convey the author's own political agenda regarding US issues. The author makes it quite clear, for example, that he would like to see more money spent on US port security. Port security gets a mention in most chapters.

I gave up halfway through the book. Bored of the repetition and inane commentary between outdated articles.