Good content, dodgy narration

If you are familiar with Tim Harford from Radio 4's "More or Less" then you will almost certainly find the content of this book to be of his usual high standard. Unfortunately, you'll then almost certainly be really disturbed by the bizarre choice of narrator to play his part in the audio book. The content is great - a sweeping overview of macro economics for those of us who are interested in the big picture but weren't totally sure about the difference between fiscal and monetary policy or why money printing might sometimes be a good thing. But the narration jarred so much it detracted significantly from my enjoyment. Why the publisher decided someone sounding like a poor pastiche of Geoffrey Palmer at his poshest and most patronising was the ideal voice replacement for Tim was a good idea is totally beyond me. The stilted, contrived conversation between the overbearing narrator and the middle-class and modern "you" is beyond irritating and spoiled my listening quite dramatically. I finished the book (because the content is excellent) but I doubt I'll be able to listen to it again.

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1 person found this helpful

Simple explanation of todays Macroeconomic problem

If you could sum up The Undercover Economist Strikes Back in three words, what would they be?

Simple, interesting, controversial
As always, Harford has interesting way of explaining economics in human lingo, and despite his controversial views, his writing style is very interesting

Which character – as performed by Cameron Stewart and Gavin Osborne – was your favourite?

Not applicable

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Where's Tim???

Good introduction to Macro Economics - just what you'd expect of Tim Hartford. However, why not have him actually read the book? You have an author who is brilliant on the radio and then have someone else on the audiobook?? Why? The narration is not bad - annoying that the 'instructor' voice is more posh than the 'student' but would have been better with Hartford.

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Mindblowingly Complex Subject Distilled

Would you consider the audio edition of The Undercover Economist Strikes Back to be better than the print version?

This works as audio book with the back and forth between two narrators. It is difficult to see how this could have the same impact in printed format.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Undercover Economist Strikes Back?

Digging for chocolate, how does this relate to a modern economy. In fact what really is money, how much is it worth, and what is the impact on your life - so what has chocolate got to do with it all - Tim Harford spills the coins.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The story of a small island that used stones for currency, and a stone of about 2ft wide was about the price of a pig. So what happens when it is too big to move the stone, you trade notes as to where you left your stones. Sounds absurd right? But that's what we do now....!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Left confused, bewildered, mind blown by the complex web of interactions and implications.

Any additional comments?

I generally choose books by what I can learn to apply in life somewhere, the insights. Whilst it may be about macro economics, you can definitely learn to cut through the chaff and rhetoric that is in the media each and every day and used by those who manage our governments.

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entertainingly insightful

accessible to all as well as digging a bit deeper, this was a thouroughly entertaining listen.

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Awful posh narrator spoils excellent content

The book gives a great overview of macroeconomic theories. The mangled, posh voice of the narrator enormously detracts from the enjoyment, which is made even worse by the instructor/student idiom where the patronising instructor talks down to the student in that conceited tone. If only Tom Hartford had read his own book!

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Bill Phillips bio alone was worth the cost

like the original it's not a bad start and the detail is useful, but I don't want run an economy...I would like to understand something about inequality in a free market and some ideas about how we do a better job, but not to be.

Much like the undercover economist the end is rushed. There is work to do, but perhaps the author is bored?

re' performance, the double act doesn't work, but it's just an observation.

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Great book

Very good book and great performance by the reader...they make economics sound easy and palatable to an ordinary mind.

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really interesting

could do with a short summary of key concepts top go with it so the listener can refer back to it later

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The book I was looking for.

TL;DR This is by far the best guide I have seen (and I've tried tons) for the layperson and was so full of "Aha" moments that I can't thank the author enough. So many things macroeconomists and commentators say make so much more sense now to me now.

Longer version: After the financial crisis and subsequent recession and then the coronavirus and Ukraine shocks, I've been desperate to read more about economics and economic history, but these books are full of economics jargon and clearly I needed to educate myself a bit before approaching them; but the only people who seemed to explain things plainly for beginners were comitted evangelical free marketeers on the right and full-blown marxists on the left. Nothing wrong with that (I respect both traditions and lean quite left myself), but it's not what I needed. I tried so many books purporting to explain macroeconomics for beginners with less ideological skin in the game, but they all assume the reader has knowledge of precisely those things that confused me in the first place. At some point, I remembered enjoying 'The Undercover Economist and thought I'd give this a go. It was exactly what I had been looking for and I can't praise it enough.

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