This small book tells a huge tale. From prehistory to the present day, Andrew Leigh unearths the hidden economic forces behind war, innovation and social change – always remembering that human beings rather than numbers are at the heart of the story.

From how the invention of the plough led to gender inequality to how certain diseases determined the patterns of colonialism and even how New York’s robber barons inspired the board game Monopoly, this is a fascinating journey from hunter-gatherers to the high tech world of today.

Always accessible, expertly written and highly illuminating, The Shortest History of Economics is a perfect introduction to the subject.
Never has economics seemed less dismal.