The Cartoon Introduction to Economics: Volume One: Microeconomics (Yoram Bauman, Grady Klein)

The Cartoon Introduction to Economics: Volume One: Microeconomics
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  • ISBN13: 9780809094813
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Product Description
The award-winning illustrator Grady Klein has paired up with the world’s only stand-up economist, Yoram Bauman, PhD, to take the dismal out of the dismal science. From the optimizing individual to game theory to price theory, The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is the most digestible, explicable, and humorous 200-page introduction to microeconomics you’ll ever read.
 
Bauman has put the “comedy” into “economy” at comedy clubs and universities around the country and around the world (his “Principles of Economics, Translated” is a YouTube cult classic). As an educator at both the university and high school levels, he has learned how to make economics relevant to today’s world and today’s students. As Google’s chief economist, Hal Varian, wrote, “You don’t need a brand-new economics. You just need to see the really cool stuff, the material they didn’t get to when you studied economics.” The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is all about integrating the really cool stuff into an overview of the entire discipline of microeconomics, from decision trees to game trees to taxes and thinking at the margin.
 
Rendering the cool stuff fun is the artistry of the illustrator and lauded graphic novelist Klein. Panel by panel, page by page, he puts comics into economics. So if the vertiginous economy or a dour professor’s 600-page econ textbook has you desperate for a fun, factual guide to economics, reach for The Cartoon Introduction to Economics and let the collaborative genius of the Klein-Bauman team walk you through an entire introductory microeconomics course.
An environmental economist at the University of Washington (and a part-time teacher at Seattle’s Lakeside High School), Yoram Bauman, PhD, is the world’s first and only stand-up economist. He has put the “comedy” into “economy” at comedy clubs and universities around the country and around the world (his “Principles of Economics, Translated” is a YouTube cult classic).

A freelance cartoonist, illustrator, and animator, Grady Klein is the creator of the Lost Colony series of graphic novels.
From the optimizing individual to game theory to price theory, The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is the most digestible, explicable, and humorous 200-page introduction to microeconomics ever published. The award-winning illustrator Grady Klein and the world’s only ‘stand-up economist,’ Yoram Bauman, Ph.D. conceived and created this guide to take the ‘dismal’ out of ‘the dismal science.’

As an educator at both the university and high school levels, Bauman has learned how to make economics relevant to today’s world and today’s students. He adopts the viewpoint of Google’s chief economist, Hal Varian, who wrote, “You don’t need a brand-new economics. You just need to see the really cool stuff, the material they didn’t get to when you studied economics.” The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is all about integrating ‘the really cool stuff’ into an overview of the entire discipline of microeconomics, from decision trees to game trees to taxes and thinking at the margin.
 
Illustrator and lauded graphic novelist Klein turns ‘the really cool’ economics into comics with artistry and clarity. This fun, factual guide can supplement a 600-page economics textbook or provide the basics for an introductory microeconomics course.
“Learning economics should be fun. Klein and Bauman make sure that it is.”—N. Gregory Mankiw, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and author of Principles of Economics
“Learning economics should be fun. Klein and Bauman make sure that it is.”—N. Gregory Mankiw, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and author of Principles of Economics

“Hilarity and economics are not often found together, but this book has a lot of both. It also does a great job of explaining important economic concepts simply, accurately, and entertainingly—quite a feat.”—Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics

“Bauman and Klein present solid basic economics in a brilliant cartoon wrapper. The authors successfully shine a happy light on the dismal science.”—Hugo Sonnenschein, Distinguished Service Professor and President Emeritus, University of Chicago

“This is a seriously funny book! Klein and Bauman offer an enlightening and entertaining look at why our day-to-day choices matter and how they all combine. Students will find this a great addition to their textbooks, and critics of the discipline will learn what economics is really about.”—Diane Coyle, author of The Soulful Science

“Had Art Spiegelman and John Maynard Keynes collaborated on a comic book on economics, they could only have dreamed of coming up with something this good.”—Jonathan A. Shayne, founder of Shayne & Co., LLC

“There’s a lot to like in Klein and Bauman’s The Cartoon Introduction to Economics.  It’s fun, it’s funny, and it teaches a lot of economics.”—Bryan Caplan, EconLog, The Library of Economics and Liberty
 
“This book is well organized and direct, using its overviews to deflate some of the pomposity that surrounds economic theory. While pro–free trade, the book regards the theories it presents with a slight grain of salt, giving the reader an even broader view of economic history, with the trends that worked short- and long-term . . . Those who are assigned a class in microeconomics might find some enjoyment in this book, a potential respite from their dry assignments.”—Publishers Weekly
Amazon.com Review

Book Description
The award-winning illustrator Grady Klein has paired up with the world’s only stand-up economist, Yoram Bauman, PhD, to take the dismal out of the dismal science. From the optimizing individual to game theory to price theory, The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is the most digestible, explicable, and humorous 200-page introduction to microeconomics you’ll ever read.

Bauman has put the “comedy” into “economy” at comedy clubs and universities around the country and around the world (his “Principles of Economics, Translated” is a YouTube cult classic). As an educator at both the university and high school levels, he has learned how to make economics relevant to today’s world and today’s students. As Google’s chief economist, Hal Varian, wrote, “You don’t need a brand-new economics. You just need to see the really cool stuff, the material they didn’t get to when you studied economics.” The Cartoon Introduction to Economics is all about integrating the really cool stuff into an overview of the entire discipline of microeconomics, from decision trees to game trees to taxes and thinking at the margin.

Rendering the cool stuff fun is the artistry of the illustrator and lauded graphic novelist Klein. Panel by panel, page by page, he puts comics into economics. So if the vertiginous economy or a dour professor’s 600-page econ textbook has you desperate for a fun, factual guide to economics, reach for The Cartoon Introduction to Economics and let the collaborative genius of the Klein-Bauman team walk you through an entire introductory microeconomics course.

Take a Look Inside The Cartoon Introduction to Economics
In the panels below, Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman illustrate economist Adam Smith’s principle of the invisible hand. This priciple suggests that individuals unwittingly benefit society by pursuing their own self interest. (Click on any image to enlarge)
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Item added on Mon, Jul 26, 2010

Category: Economics, Microeconomics

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5 reviews for this item

  1. Ramulin Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
    I just finished this book and was surprised by how naturally Bauman and Grady link various topics together with a balance of serious focus and light humor.

    Once I started, I found it hard to put down, since each chapter leads comfortably into the next, as if it were woven into a single, coherent story. At surprisingly frequent intervals, Bauman and Grady decorate the discussion with humorous comments about economics and economists which also tends to keep reading fun, even when discussing serious topics.

    Another interesting feature is the way the book boils down the work of recent Nobel laureates in economics: the book visually demonstrates the idea. You’ll soon find yourself comfortable with the new “big ideas” of economics in ways that allow you to see the world with additional insights (not to mention being able to discuss adverse selection in casual conversation with your friends…).

    A final feature I found useful was a visual glossary that explains key concepts and echo the visual treatment of the concept in the book. Throughout the glossary are images that convey the meaning of economic concepts. If you’re a visual learner, you will really enjoy this book.

    For those who want to make sure that serious economics concepts are truly covered in this book, I’ve included a short list below. The book is organized into 3 main sections:

    - The Optimizing Individual (one person)

    This section covers decision trees, the time value of money and it’s use in decision making, decision making under risk (diversification, expected value, adverse selection, etc), and trade (efficient market hypothesis, Coase Theorem, etc).

    - Strategic Interactions (one person to some people)

    This section covers cake cutting, Pareto efficiency, simultaneous-move games, auctions, and larger markets (competition and monopolies).

    - Market Interactions (some people to many people)

    This section covers supply and demand, taxes, margins, elasticity, competitive markets and externalities.

    The table of contents I’ve listed above doesn’t adequately convey the manner in which the content is covered. For example, imagine pirates discussing “maarrhginal analysis” or two siblings working on cake cutting. The topics are surprisingly full of opportunities for humor.

    Bauman and Grady have found a way to make learning economics easy and fun.

    Rating: 5 / 5
  2. Mark Harrison Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
    I preordered my copy, and was happy to find out that Amazon had shipped it early enough so that it would arrive at my home on the release date.

    I have quite enjoyed reading it, and if you’re looking for an easy-to-digest introduction to the topic, this might be the book for you. One thing that makes it a nice introduction is that

    Yoram Bauman is definitely a funny guy: search for “stand up economist” on youtube, or enjoy this presentation where he translates the 10 Principles of Economics into layman’s terminology. If you like this presentation you will like the book.

    [...]

    Rating: 5 / 5
  3. Mon Wulff Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
    This book is amazing and hilarious! I first came across Yoram Bauman on […]

    and I have visited his blog regularly ever since. I pre-ordered the book because I knew from seeing his stand-up that it would not dissappoint and it’s hasn’t.

    I’m a Economics undergraduate student in Sydney Australia. The content in this book summarises the basic information I learnt in my first year at university but, it’s done in a really smart, easy to understand and funny way.

    I recommend this book to who ever enjoys economic theory or any parent who has a child who is struggling with micro-economic theory.

    I can’t wait for Volume 2!!!!

    Mon

    Sydney, Australia

    Rating: 5 / 5
  4. Hans de Grys Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Cartoon Introduction to Economics. The fundamental ideas in Microeconomics are presented in a clear and intelligent manner, with many humorous but thoughtful examples and analogies. The organization of the book is clean and logical, moving from the “optimizing individual” to “strategic interactions” of small groups to “market interactions” involving many people. A wide variety of topics are distilled down to their essence (decision trees, risk, pareto efficiency, auctions, trade, supply and demand, taxes, elasticity, etc.). Klein’s whimsical and funny illustrations add a great deal to the text, and hold the reader’s interest while at the same time helping to explain the various concepts and examples. This book is appropriate for many different ages and backgrounds, from high school or college students studying econ to the average adult seeking a little more knowledge and understanding of basic economic principles. I’ve read parts of it several times, and find that I get a deeper understanding of some of the more complicated and nuanced concepts the second time through. My one (minor) complaint is that this otherwise quick read bogs down a bit in some of the later chapters (e.g. margins and elasticity) with too much theory (and not enough jokes?). But this is a minor issue, and on the whole I enthusiastically recommend this book for both econ students and for people who just want to learn more about the topic (and have fun doing it).
    Rating: 5 / 5
  5. R. G McFadden Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
    So you have a friend who thinks he/she takes econ, he/she’ll be up to his/her alligators in graphs and calculus. This book is a great way to reassure ‘em.

    And it’s a pretty good microecon refresher.

    Had I written this, I think *I* would have been a whole lot more impolite with people who structure their economic world around the fallacy of wishful thinking (“x” is true because I want it to be true). But, WTH, maybe I’ll write my one book some day!

    Rating: 5 / 5

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