Edible Economics

Long-awaited follow-up from a perennial bestselling author: 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which has sold over 200,000 copies, was a no. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and is a backlist gem, and Economics: The User's Guide, has sold over 65,000 copies to dateQuirky concept: approaching economic theory through entertaining stories about recipes and ingredients is accessible, intellectually illuminating and great fun to readPopular public figure: Chang's widely read Guardian columns and much-loved books have established him as a trusted voice in the media, and his followers, from students to politics buffs to fans like Brian Eno to Owen Jones, will love his most personal book to dateA passionately international book: from his explanations of South Korean cuisine to his passion for Bangladeshi food to his dissection of the Swiss economic prosperity and Chilean free-market policies, Edible Economics is wonderfully worldly Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at SOAS University of London, and is one of the world's leading economists. His books include Economics: The User's Guide, Bad Samaritans and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, which was a no.1 bestseller.Excellent... Chang has been working hard at providing an alternative to neoliberalism for two decades... Now he's reached the summit of the professionChang has a rare gift for explaining complex ideas... whether he is dealing with food or economics, Chang is a delightful writerThe only book I've ever read that made me laugh, salivate and re-evaluate my thoughts about economics - all at the same time. A funny, profound and appetising volumeA brilliant riposte to the myth that policymakers can survive on plain neoliberal fare. Edible Economics is a moveable feast of alternative economic ideas wrapped up in witty stories about food from around the world. Ha-Joon Chang proves yet again that he is one of the most exciting economists at work todayA fascinating stew of food, history and economicsHa-Joon Chang has done it again. His prose delights and nourishes in equal measure. Somehow he manages to smuggle an urgent discussion of the relevance of economics to our daily lives into stories about food and cooking that are charming, funny and sweet (but never sour). In taking on the economic establishment, Chang is like a teddy bear savaging a rottweilerHa-Joon Chang blends culinary facts and economic expertise in this rollicking guide... Chang infuses the survey with food-related trivia, covers an impressive swatch of economics, and concludes with a call that readers scrutinize, think imaginatively, and be open-minded in their quest for economic knowledge

RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

Economic thinking - about globalisation, climate change, immigration, austerity, automation and much more - in its most digestible form

For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as eating a wide range of cuisines contributes to a more interesting and balanced diet, so too is it essential we listen to a variety of economic perspectives.

In Edible Economics, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. He uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a life-long addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into post-industrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism's entangled relationship with freedom and unfreedom. Explaining everything from the hidden cost of care work to the misleading language of the free market as he cooks dishes like anchovy and egg toast, Gambas al Ajillo and Korean dotori mook, Ha-Joon Chang serves up an easy-to-digest feast of bold ideas.

Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world.