How Economics Can Save the World: Simple Ideas to Solve Our Biggest Problems

Economics has the power to make the world a better, happier and safer place: this book shows you how

Our world is in a mess. The challenges of climate change, inequality, hunger and a global pandemic mean our way of life seems more imperilled and society more divided than ever; but economics can help!

From parenting to organ donation, housing to anti-social behaviour, economics provides the tools we need to fix the biggest issues of today. Far from being a means to predict the stock market or enrich the elite, economics provides a lens through which we can better understand how things work, design clever solutions and create the conditions in which we can all flourish.

With a healthy dose of optimism, and packed with stories of economics in everyday situations, Erik Angner demonstrates the methods he and his fellow economists use to help improve our lives and the society in which we live. He shows us that economics can be a powerful force for good, awakening the possibility of a happier, more just and more sustainable world.

Erik Angner is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University, where he directs the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Program. As a result of serious mission creep, he is both an economist and a philosopher. He holds two PhDs from the University of Pittsburgh: one in Economics and one in History and Philosophy of Science. He has taught economics and philosophy at multiple universities for some 25 years, and is an appreciated lecturer and keynote speaker. He is the author of two previous books as well as multiple journal articles and book chapters on topics in the intersection of philosophy and economics. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and their three children.