"In How Economics Explains the World, Harvard-trained economist Andrew Leigh presents a new way to understand humanity. From the dawn of agriculture to AI, here is the tale of how ingenuity, greed, generosity, and desire for betterment have, to an astounding degree, determined our past, present, and future. This small book indeed tells a big story. It is the story of capitalism--of how our market system developed. It is the story of the discipline of economics and some of the key figures who formed it. And it is the story of how economic forces have shaped world history. Why didn't Africa colonize Europe instead of the other way around? What happened when countries erected trade and immigration barriers in the 1930s? Why did the Allies win World War II? Why did inequality in many advanced countries fall during the 1950s and 1960s? How did property rights drive China's growth surge in the 1980s? How does climate change threaten our future prosperity? You'll find answers to these questions and more in How Economics Explains the World"--Provided by publisher.

"Originally published as The shortest history of economics in Australia in 2024 by Black Inc., an imprint of Schwartz Books Pty Ltd."--Title page verso. Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Out of Africa and into Agriculture -- The Grand Canal, the Printing Press and the Plague -- The Age of Sail -- the Industrial Revolution and the Wealth of Nations -- Trade, Travel and Technology Take Off -- Economic Models and the Modern Factory -- World War I and the Depression -- World War II and Bretton Woods -- The Glorious Thirty? -- Markets, Markets Everywhere -- Inflation Targeting and Inequality -- Hot Markets and a Hotter Planet -- The Pandemic and Beyond -- Economics: Past, Present and Future -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- Image Credits -- Index.