Reading suggestions for aspiring young economists

I have quite often been asked at Open Days and on other similar occasions what reading material would be suitable for aspiring young economists who are currently working on their A levels and who are hoping soon to start an Economics degree at university. (Actually it is usually the parents rather than the A level students who ask this question!).

Of course students will have text books to work on for their course but I think it may be helpful also to read other stuff that is lighter and more friendly.

"Pop" economics books There are now quite a few of these around. Here are details of four of my favourites.

1 Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

2 The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

3 The Logic of Life by Tim Harford

4 The Economic Naturalist – Why Economics Explains Almost Everything by Robert H Frank

There are also two very good economics comic books by Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman

The Cartoon Introduction to Economics – Volume 1 Microeconomics

and

2 The Cartoon Introduction to Economics – Volume 2 Macroeconomics

http://www.standupeconomist.com/books/

Yoram Bauman is also known as the World’s Only Stand-Up economist!

You really can learn quite a lot of economics from these books.

Blogs You might also want to keep up to date by reading economic and business blogs. Here are some of my favourites

1 Stephanomics – the blog of the BBC’s Economics Editors, Stephanie Flanders

2 Robert Peston – the blog of the BBC’s Business Editor (usually first on breaking finance and banking stories)

3 Gavin Davies - FT blogger on macroeconomics, economic policy making and financial markets

4 Martin Wolf - chief economics commentator at the FT

5 Economists’ Forum - guest blog contributors at the FT

6 Tim Harford – The Undercover economist - author, FT columnist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s “More or Less” programme

7 Free exchange – a blog at The Economist magazine

8 Not the Treasury View – blog of Jonathan Portes of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research

9 Economix – New York Times economics blog

10 The Conscience of a Liberal – Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman at the New York Times

11 Freakonomics – Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

12 Marginal Revolution - Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok

So good luck to all aspiring young economists. There is plenty of work for you to do!