Good Economics for Hard Times

Name: Good Economics for Hard Times
Author: Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo

Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo

Cut through economic myths with evidence and human stories that reveal practical paths toward fairer, more resilient societies.

15 min6 Chapters

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Outline

What's it about?

Good Economics for Hard Times (2019) applies careful economic research to some of today’s most debated issues, including immigration, trade, economic growth, inequality, and climate change. Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo show that many popular beliefs about these topics are not supported by evidence, and offer practical, humane ideas for policies that could improve people’s lives and restore trust.

Key ideas

Careful economic research can be applied to heated public debates such as immigration, trade, growth, inequality, and climate change.
Many popular beliefs about these topics are not supported by the evidence once it is examined closely.
The authors, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, offer practical and humane policy ideas aimed at improving people's lives.
Policies grounded in evidence can help restore trust, which is a central concern of the book.

About the author

Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo are economists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who shared the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019 for their experimental approach to reducing global poverty. Banerjee is an Indian-American economist, and Duflo is a French-American economist. Together they founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab and wrote Poor Economics and Good Economics for Hard Times.

Questions people ask

What is Good Economics for Hard Times about?

It applies careful economic research to issues like immigration, trade, economic growth, inequality, and climate change. The authors show that many popular beliefs about them are not backed by evidence.

Who is Good Economics for Hard Times for?

It suits readers who want evidence-based answers to today's most debated economic and social questions. No background in economics is required to follow the main ideas.

How long is the Durar summary of Good Economics for Hard Times?

The Durar summary takes about 15 minutes to read or listen to. It covers the book's main arguments from Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo in a short, clear form.