What are the best "grand theory" books and essays purporting to explain generally how the world works - at the macro, economic/political/historical/sociological/foreign policy scale - written in or after the 20th century?
posted by shivohum on May 12, 2009 - 24 answers

I'm going to be starting a Master's degree in economics in September and I've never taken an economics course in my life. My undergraduate degree was in pure mathematics. I've been given a few economics textbooks to help get me up to speed. I was wondering if anyone could suggest to me any light reading that would help introduce me to economics and more financially based mathematics. Thanks.
posted by jplank on Jun 18, 2006 - 17 answers

I'd like some good business (commodities, economics, markets, etc.) book to read. I'm tired of all the, excuse my French, BS books I've come across. I don't want a get-rich quick or anything motivational. I've read the summer reading standard Freakonomics and The World is Flat as of late, feeling the same way level of beach book dissapointment I did when I broke down and read The DaVinci Code. The former was entertaining, though somewhat useless and the latter just was boring and repetitive after say -- chapter 2. I've been paticularly interested in game theory lately and how it can be applied... [more inside]
posted by geoff. on Oct 1, 2005 - 16 answers

Can anyone recommend a good read on Modern Economics? Preferably on a macro stage and not a text-book. [more inside]
posted by Dr_Octavius on Jun 24, 2004 - 5 answers