Funny (at times) and informative. ( )

P'J's very funny take on economics through observations ranging from a visit to the trading floor of NYSE to travels to Sweden, Russia, Tanzania, Cuba and Hong Kong in the late 90s.

P'J's very funny take on economics through observations ranging from a visit to the trading floor of NYSE to travels to Sweden, Russia, Tanzania, Cuba and Hong Kong in the late 90s.

Essentially a long Douglass North article or short Acemoglu & Robinson book, O'Rourke's message is 'institutions matter'. This is the book I'd suggest if someone asked me 'Which one economics book should I read?' ( )

Insightful and ironic journey on economics. The author travels to many countries in order to see by himself why some countries are rich and some are poor. The book was written before China big growth and the recent wars in the old Yugoslavia region. Many comments are attached to the reality of that time, however the overall analysis is still valid, and several insights at that time were almost prophecies. Reading the book now demands more of the reader that should know world history of 1990's and also some personalities, companies, products and trends of that time. I recommend as a good entertainment and also as a way to get a better understanding of the recent world history. ( )