Books like Economix by Michael Goodwin

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations was recognized as a landmark of human thought upon its publication in 1776. As the first scientific argument for the principles of political economy, it is the point of departure for all subsequent economic thought. Smith's theories of capital accumulation, growth, and secular change, among others, continue to be influential in modern economics. This reprint of Edwin Cannan's definitive 1904 edition of The Wealth of Nations includes Cannan's famous introduction, notes, and a full index, as well as a new preface written especially for this edition by the distinguished economist George J. Stigler. Mr. Stigler's preface will be of value for anyone wishing to see the contemporary relevance of Adam Smith's thought.

Critically acclaimed as one of the most successful economy books of all time, and a 'must-read' for those of us in the general public who want to understand how society works, but do not want this information to be conveyed in an Oxbridge multipolysyllabic tone, Tim Harford's book gives us an insight into the relevance of the economy to our everyday lives. It begins humbly with the author's relatable bemoaning of coffee and its prices, which is cleverly analogized in the simple, but brilliant and still-relevant ideas of nineteenth-century economist David Ricardo. Organized into clear chapters which target different aspects of the economy's impacts on our life, the book later progresses onto more developed concepts such as the reasons (sub-prime mortgages!) behind the banking collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Written in an aware style from an economist's perspective, this book is thoroughly worthwhile reading.

From the best-selling author of Fun Home, Time magazine’s No. 1 Book of the Year, a brilliantly told graphic memoir of Alison Bechdel becoming the artist her mother wanted to be. Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel's childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven. Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers concerning the mother-daughter gulf. It's a richly layered search that leads readers from the fascinating life and work of the iconic twentieth-century psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, to one explosively illuminating Dr. Seuss illustration, to Bechdel’s own (serially monogamous) adult love life. And, finally, back to Mother—to a truce, fragile and real-time, that will move and astonish all adult children of gifted mothers.

Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labor. But in The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. What's more, he reveals financial history as the essential backstory behind all history.Through Ferguson's expert lens familiar historical landmarks appear in a new and sharper financial focus. Suddenly, the civilization of the Renaissance looks very different: a boom in the market for art and architecture made possible when Italian bankers adopted Arabic mathematics. The rise of the Dutch republic is reinterpreted as the triumph of the world's first modern bond market over insolvent Habsburg absolutism. And the origins of the French Revolution are traced back to a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scot murderer.With the clarity and verve for which he is known, Ferguson elucidates key financial institutions and concepts by showing where they came from. What is money? What do banks do? What's the difference between a stock and a bond? Why buy insurance or real estate? And what exactly does a hedge fund do?This is history for the present. Ferguson travels to post-Katrina New Orleans to ask why the free market can't provide adequate protection against catastrophe. He delves into the origins of the subprime mortgage crisis.Perhaps most important, The Ascent of Money documents how a new financial revolution is propelling the world's biggest countries, India and China, from poverty to wealth in the space of a single generation—an economic transformation unprecedented in human history.Yet the central lesson of the financial history is that sooner or later every bubble bursts—sooner or later the bearish sellers outnumber the bullish buyers, sooner or later greed flips into fear. And that's why, whether you're scraping by or rolling in it, there's never been a better time to understand the ascent of money.

After developing his acclaimed style of firsthand reporting with his bestselling graphic novels Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea and Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China, Guy Delisle is back with Burma Chronicles. In this country notorious for its use of concealment and isolation as social control-where scissor-wielding censors monitor the papers, the leader of the opposition has spent twelve of the past eighteen years under house arrest, insurgent-controlled regions are effectively cut off from the world, and rumor is the most reliable source of current information-he turns his gaze to the everyday for a sense of the big picture. Delisle's deft and recognizable renderings take note of almsgiving rituals, daylong power outages, and rampant heroin use in outlying regions, in this place where catastrophic mismanagement and iron-handed rule come up against profound resilience of spirit, expatriate life ambles along, and nongovernmental organizations struggle with the risk of co-option by the military junta. Burma Chronicles is drawn with a minimal line, and interspersed with wordless vignettes and moments of Delisle's distinctive slapstick humor.

"Delisle explores the complexities of a city that represents so much to so many. He eloquently examines the impact of the conflict on the lives of people on both sides of the wall while drolly recounting the quotidian: checkpoints, traffic jams, and holidays. When observing the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim populations that call Jerusalem home, Delisle's drawn line is both sensitive and fair, assuming nothing and drawing everything" -- paper band on book.

Shortly before her thirtieth birthday, Ellen Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Flagrantly manic but terrified that medications would cause her to lose her creativity and livelihood, she began a years-long struggle to find mental stability without losing herself or her passion. Searching to make sense of the popular concept of the "crazy artist," Ellen found inspiration from the lives and work of other artist and writers who suffered from mood disorders, including Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, William Styron, and Sylvia Plath.

Using Rand's biography to illuminate the policies that led to the economic crash in the U.S. and in Europe and the global financial crisis of 2008, Cunningham shows how her philosophy continues to affect today's politics and policies, starting with her most noted disciple, economist Alan Greenspan (former chairman of the Federal Reserve). Cunningham also shows how right-wing conservatives, libertarians, and the Tea Party movement have co-opted Rand's teachings (and inherent contradictions) to promote personal gain and profit at the expense of the middle class.

"With her new spot on the cheerleading squad, Aunt Tanner's hoards of adoring fans, and Reggie's successful mission to mold young superheroes into productive--and cool--members of society, Amelia's sailing is remarkably smooth. But when Tanner disappears, humiliated by an ex-boyfriend's tell-all book, Amelia goes into full panic mode. And when she boards a bus on an epic journey to find Tanner--with frenemy Rhonda in tow, and a little help from a certain boy she never thought she'd see again--it quickly becomes clear that if Amelia has learned anything in her eleven years, it's that life is never through with surprises."--

Presents a biography in graphic novel format about the life of Tintin's creator, Georges Prosper Remi, from his childhood and meeting with the editor of "XXe Siècle" to the accusations about ties to the Nazis and his relationship with Fanny Vlamynck.

An introduction to free-market economics.

Through exquisite and haunting black and white art, Nina Bunjevac documents the immediate circumstances surrounding her father's death and provides a sweeping account of the former Yugoslavia under fascism and communism, telling an unforgettable true story of how the scars of history are borne by family and nation alike.

"Flashpoint has changed the DC Universe, and nothing is as it was before. Now Batman is Thomas Wayne, driven by the death of his son Bruce to punish criminals-- and in pursuit of a Joker whose twisted crimes will bring him to the brink of madness himself! ... Now, Dick Grayson travels with his parents and the death-defying Deadman across war-torn Europe, performing in their circus-- until an Amazon attack leads them to their true fate. In this world, Deathstroke is a pirate on the world's most dangerous waters, questing for the only treasure that really matters... And Shade the Changing Man leads a secret team of bizarre heroes-- but will he lead them to their deaths?" -- p. [4] of cover.