Announcing: Economics for Busy People
Starting September 29th, I'm sharing the insights that shape how I see our world.
Economics gets a bad rap. To most people, it's a boring subject filled with complicated words, confusing charts, and debates that don't seem to matter in everyday life.
But here's the truth: economics is everywhere. It shows up in the decisions you make, the prices you pay, the policies you vote on, and the opportunities you work hard for.
When we decide whether to take a job offer, where to live, or whether to start that crazy business idea, we're making economic decisions.
But most of us make these decisions without understanding the principles that shape whether they'll work out the way we hope.
That's the gap I want to close.
From Experiencing to Understanding
Whether you like it or not, you're experiencing economics every day. But experiencing something and understanding it are completely different things.
Most people go through life as passive participants in the economy. They react to what happens around them without knowing why it's happening or how they might influence it.
Economics for Busy People is about changing that. It's about taking you from just experiencing economics to actually understanding it.
Why I Wrote This Series
Economics is often stripped of its humanity. It gets reduced to mechanical models that assume we are all cogs in a predictable machine.
This book is different. It focuses on simplicity without sacrificing depth. You don't need to memorize terms or master complicated theories. Understanding a few key ideas (like scarcity, value, trade, and the cost of time) can help you understand how our world works better than any equation.
Economics for Busy People treats you as a real person with real limits, not as a calculating machine. It explains how the world actually works, not how economists wish it worked.
You're busy with work, family, errands, bills, health, and trying to find time to relax. But the reason you're busy is because you care deeply about your life. You work hard to provide for and take care of your loved ones.
That care and love for your family and community is exactly why understanding economics matters so much. Economics affects everything you value: your job security, your family's opportunities, your community's prosperity, your country's future.
What You'll Discover
I'll be sharing one chapter each week from Economics for Busy People. Each chapter is written for your busy schedule and only takes 5 minutes to read. They're clear, short, and practical. Every chapter has a "One Takeaway" and a "Bottom Line" that capture the key ideas.
You'll learn:
Why People Act, Choose, and Change
We always act for a reason (even when it doesn't seem obvious)
We don't like the same things, and that's actually good for everyone
We can't have everything, so we have to choose what matters most
How We Make Decisions in the Real World
We rank what matters most when everything seems important
We get nothing for free (even "free" things have costs)
We decide one step at a time, not all at once
How Millions of Strangers Cooperate
We try to make what other people want (because that's how we get what we want)
We discover prices through trial and error
We pay for value, not necessarily effort
What Makes Cooperation So Valuable
We can do anything, but we can't do everything
We are best off when we all play to our strengths
We make order without orders
Why This Matters Now
We live in a world where change feels like it's happening faster and faster. Where things feel more complex than ever before. The people who understand how cooperation works, how individuals act and choose, and how to navigate uncertainty (a.k.a., people who understand economics) have a significant advantage.
The people who understand these ideas can make better career decisions. They can build stronger businesses. They can create more resilient communities. They can avoid predictable mistakes that cost time, money, and relationships.
Most importantly, they stop feeling like victims of economic forces they don't understand and start becoming active participants in making the world work better.
What's Next
Next week, we'll start with the first article "We Are the Subjects of Economics." You'll discover and get clarity on what economics studies and what part of the world economics tries to make sense of.
Each week, we'll build on the previous insights. By the end you'll have a complete framework for understanding how people cooperate, compete, and create value in the real world.
Whether you're building a business, leading a team, raising a family, or just trying to make better decisions, these insights will change how you see the world around you.
Economics isn't boring when you realize it's the study of how people like you make the world work.
Welcome to Economics for Busy People. Let's get busy.
Economics for Busy People will be published as a complete book later this year. Subscribers to EconomicsFor get early access to every chapter, plus insights on how these principles apply to organizational challenges and policy decisions.