Thinking of majoring in economics?

Economics Rules by Dani Rodik. It is a superb book on the strengthens and weaknesses of economics, including whether economics is a science, the meaning of economic models and how they should be used, and similar issues.

Economics for the Common Good by Jean Tirole. He touches on a variety of issues – from regulation to climate change to the European Union. The unifying theme is that economic agents react to incentives, and he uses this as basis to provide some sensible solutions.

The Accidental Theorist by Paul Krugman. The book gathers 20+ short essays on a series of conventional topics: economic growth, financial crises, trade surpluses, and many others. Throughout, he exposes logical inconsistencies in politicians’ arguments and journalists’ writings. Brilliant!

Mastering Metrics by Josh Angrist and Jorn-Steffen Pischke. The authors present five popular statistical methods that economists use to disentangle cause and effect in human affairs. A really great introduction to modern empirical methods for applied microeconomics.

The Why Axis by Uri Gneezy and John List. They draw on 20 years of randomized experiments that examine people’s behaviour in the real world to explain individuals’ response to incentives in areas such as education, racial discrimination and gender equity.