A Little History of Economics by Niall Kishtainy Summary
Overview of A Little History of Economics
Journey through 40 captivating chapters of economic thought - from money's invention to behavioral economics. A New York Times audio bestseller that transformed "economics fear" into fascination. What complex theory could this little book make crystal clear for you?
Similar books to A Little History of Economics
通过作者的声音感受这本书
将知识转化为引人入胜、富含实例的见解
快速捕捉核心观点，高效学习
以有趣互动的方式享受这本书
核心要点
When Gold Ruled the World and Monks Counted Coins
What if the greatest economic revolution wasn't the internet or industrialization, but the moment our ancestors planted a seed instead of searching for one? Around 10,000 years ago, agriculture transformed everything. Suddenly, people could produce more food than they immediately needed. That surplus became the foundation for cities, writing, and eventually, economic thought itself. In ancient Mesopotamia, the earliest writing systems emerged not for poetry or history, but to track who owned what-the first balance sheets carved in clay. The Greeks took this further. Plato imagined a perfect society where philosopher-kings ruled and commerce was minimized, fearing that wealth pursuit would corrupt the soul. His student Aristotle disagreed, noting that people take better care of what they personally own-an insight that would echo through centuries. He distinguished between natural exchange (selling your surplus) and unnatural profit-seeking, condemning moneylending as the worst economic sin. Money breeding money, he argued, violated the natural order. Yet despite philosophical warnings, trade flourished across Alexander's empire and Roman territories. When Rome fell, economic thinking found an unlikely home: Christian monasteries, where monks would wrestle with questions of fairness, profit, and God's will in commerce. Medieval Europe faced a profound tension: How could Christians engage in commerce without losing their souls? The Bible portrayed work as punishment for original sin, and Jesus warned that pursuing wealth could lead people away from God. Thomas Aquinas, the era's most influential thinker, developed the concept of the "just price"-not the highest amount a desperate buyer would pay, but what was normally charged without deception. This wasn't naive idealism but practical ethics for functioning markets. Aquinas condemned usury with theological precision: money was "barren" and couldn't reproduce like livestock or crops. When you lend $100 and demand $110 back, where does that extra $10 come from? To medieval thinkers, it represented an unnatural extraction from the borrower's labor. But as Venice and Florence flourished through international trade, reality pressed against doctrine. Merchants stored coins with money-changers who facilitated transfers and provided loans-becoming the first bankers. Insurance emerged to manage shipping risks. The church gradually softened its stance, recognizing that reasonable interest rates were necessary for banking to function. By the late medieval period, merchants increasingly believed they could serve both "God and profit." This wasn't abandoning morality but adapting it to economic complexity-a shift that would open the door to modern capitalism while maintaining ethical constraints on ruthless behavior.
The Invisible Hand and the Birth of Modern Economics
When Progress Created Misery and Revolution Seemed Inevitable
The Hidden Failures of Free Markets and Status-Seeking Consumption
The Bathtub Economy: How Keynes Saved Capitalism from Itself
The Fog in Our Minds: Why We're All Irrational Economists
Economics That Serves Humanity: From Theory to Human Flourishing
快速摘要模式 - 10分钟阅读或收听《A Little History of Economics》摘要
将《A Little History of Economics》的核心观点拆解为易于理解的要点，了解创新团队如何创造、协作和成长。
闪卡模式 - 《A Little History of Economics》精华：10条核心见解
将《A Little History of Economics》提炼为快速记忆要点，突出坦诚、团队合作和创造力的关键原则。
趣味模式 - 《A Little History of Economics》的启示 - 25分钟故事
通过生动的故事体验《A Little History of Economics》，将创新经验转化为令人难忘且可应用的精彩时刻。
个性化模式 - 0分钟阅读或收听《A Little History of Economics》摘要
随心提问，选择声音，共同创造真正与你产生共鸣的见解。
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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