In this lecture, drawing on his latest best-selling book, Economics: The User's Guide, Chang argues how economics is not a science, as many economists claim it to be. He will emphasise how economics is an inherently political subject, as its early name, political economy, suggest. This implies, he argues, that there is a need - or even a duty - on the part of any responsible citizen to learn some economics and engage with debates on economic issues.
Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at the University of Cambridge. In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, he has published 15 authored books (four co-authored) and 10 edited books. His main books include The Political Economy of Industrial Policy, Kicking Away the Ladder, Bad Samaritans, 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism, and Economics: The User’s Guide. By the end of 2014, his writings will have been translated and published in 36 languages and 39 countries. Worldwide, his books have sold around 1.5 million copies. He is the winner of the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize and the 2005 Wassily Leontief Prize. He was ranked no. 9 in the Prospect magazine’s World Thinkers 2014 poll.
