You've probably noticed that there are a lot of algorithms about these days, doing everything from recommending a walking route to figuring out how to beat the world's best players at Go. But what are they, really, how do they work, and how will they change the world?...
I recently reviewed the excellent Factfulness (UK) (US) by the late Hans Rosling, his son Ola and his daughter-in-law Anna. It's an absolutely terrific, inspiring, and wise book, which among many other things is likely to make you feel better about the world. This is...
(Business seals; Rishengchang Museum.) Not long ago I was fortunate enough to visit the Rishengchang in Pingyao - which I tentatively understand to be the oldest "draft" bank in China, allowing merchants to send money across the nation. Pingyao is well worth a visit,...
I'm often asked which economics books I recommend to someone who wants to get a good introduction to the subject. There are some obvious choices - a good textbook, for example - and of course I wrote The Undercover Economist (UK) (US) and The Undercover Economist...
When I'm not writing about economics or talking about numbers, I'm having fun - which means playing games. Role-Playing The standout at the moment is Amazing Tales by Martin Lloyd - a wonderful role-playing game for parents and young children. I have, from time...
I wrote Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure (UK) (US) several years ago, but I’ve not stopped thinking and talking about the idea. So often we’re told to “learn from our mistakes” or “fail forward”, but the truth is that this advice isn’t easy to take:...
Congratulations to Richard Thaler, who has been awarded the Nobel memorial prize in economics "for his contributions to behavioural economics". Thaler is a worthy winner. In addition to his academic contributions, alongside the likes of Daniel Kahneman and Robert...
Walter Friedman has a fascinating history of economic forecasting in the early 20th century: Fortune Tellers (UK) (US). Well researched, full of interesting detail, and some of these guys (Irving Fisher, Roger Babson) were remarkable characters. For an insight into...
Over the past few weeks I've been reading some books about the holocaust. I never dreamed that all this would become so relevant. Art Spiegelman's graphic memoir Maus (UK) (US) is brilliant, devastating, and occasionally very funny. Spiegelman's father and mother,...