Short description:

"I predict that Jean Tirole's Economics for the Common Good will join Thomas Piketty?s Capital in the Twenty-First Century as the two most widely read and important books by economists yet to be published in this century. With Tirole?s terrific, wisdom-filled book, the world will be a better place."--Glenn Loury, Brown University

"Jean Tirole is that rare exception, a Nobel laureate who believes he has a responsibility to talk clearly about the concerns of noneconomists. This exceptional book shows the value of careful economic thinking on issues ranging from unemployment to global warming. It should be required reading for policymakers, but also for anybody else who wants to understand today's economy."--Olivier Blanchard, former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund

"Jean Tirole puts at center stage the essential contribution of economics, and economists, to our shared hopes and aspirations for the societies we live in. This is an essential book with a hopeful message for anyone concerned about the key economic challenges we all face today."--Diane Coyle, author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History

"Economics for the Common Good is a delightfully written and deeply insightful book, offering striking and illuminating paradoxes about economic behavior."--Harold James, Princeton University

Long description:

When Jean Tirole won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Economics, he suddenly found himself being stopped in the street by complete strangers and asked to comment on issues of the day, no matter how distant from his own areas of research. His transformation from academic economist to public intellectual prompted him to reflect further on the role economists and their discipline play in society. The result is Economics for the Common Good, a passionate manifesto for a world in which economics, far from being a "dismal science," is a positive force for the common good. To show how economics can help us realize the common good, Tirole shares his insights on a broad array of questions affecting our everyday lives and the future of our society, including global warming, unemployment, the post-2008 global financial order, the Euro crisis, the digital revolution, innovation, and the proper balance between the free market and regulation. Providing a rich account of how economics can benefit everyone, Economics for the Common Good sets a new agenda for the role of economics in society.

"Jean Tirole is that rare exception, a Nobel laureate who believes he has a social responsibility to talk clearly and responsibly about the topics on the minds of noneconomists. This is an exceptional book. It shows the value of careful economic thinking on topics from unemployment to global warming. Required reading for policymakers, but also for anybody else who wants to understand today's economy." - Olivier Blanchard, former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund