Arguing with Zombies
Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future
16 February 2021
Description
An accessible, compelling introduction to today’s major policy issues from columnist, best-selling author and Nobel Prize–winning economist Paul Krugman.
There is no better guide than Paul Krugman to basic economics, the ideas that animate much of our public policy. Likewise, there is no better foe of zombie economics, the misunderstandings that just won’t die. Arguing with Zombies is Krugman “the most hated and most admired columnist in the US” (Martin Wolf, Financial Times) at his best, turning readers into intelligent consumers of the daily news with quick, vivid sketches of the key concepts behind taxes, health care, international trade and more.
In this new book, in which he builds on and expands his The New York Times columns and other writings, “the most celebrated economist of his generation” (The Economist), offers short, accessible chapters on topics including the European Union and Brexit, the fight for national health care in the United States, the financial meltdown of 2007–2008, the attack on Social Security and the fraudulent argument—the ultimate zombie—that tax cuts for the rich will benefit all.
Reviews
"[Arguing with Zombies] is a timely reminder that actual knowledge and ordinary common sense are two of the rarest qualities in mainstream journalism today." — The Business Telegraph
"…Krugman’s book proves that he, a Nobel-prize winning economist, shares two rare qualities with George Orwell, the novelist who also wrote much of the best journalism of the 20th century: deep intelligence and genuine prescience." — Charles Kaiser, The Guardian
"... thoughtful, timely book…" — Nature
"... in terms of easy-to-read economic summaries of some of the biggest issues facing Western (particularly American) financial policy making, this book is a treasure-trove." — FT Advisor
"The gigantic scale of the $1.9 trillion Biden rescue plan, and now the proposed $2 trillion infrastructure investment programme, are testament to a rearrangement of the relationship between economic expertise and politics in the Democratic Party, a rearrangement which Krugman anticipated and for which Arguing with Zombies makes a powerful case." — Adam Tooze, London Review of Books
Also By: Paul Krugman 
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A New York Times best-selling call to arms from Nobel Prize–winning economist Paul Krugman.
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"Everything Mr. Krugman has to say is smart, important and even fun to read . . . he is one of a handful of very bright, relatively young economists who do everything well." — Peter Passell, New...
Fuzzy Math: The Essential Guide to the Bush Tax Plan
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Wielding his widely recognized powers of explanation, Paul Krugman lays bare the hidden facts behind the $2 trillion tax cut.
