Burr encourage readers to check the facts - while Goodwin does insert himself into the comic book in certain places to offer up his own opinion or understanding of the topic being covered, it’s not frequent enough to feel that the book is simply his take on the subject.)Īnd Goodwin doesn’t shy away from controversy - I was glad to see that he spared no politician from a frank and honest assessment. (And by the way, author Michael Goodwin and illustrator Dan. And the little bit of history I was taught in school didn’t give me the big picture about early 20th century robber barons and titans of industry and the presidents who were more often than not hindering rather than helping their country by either bad decisions or complete indecision. I always thought I understood the gold standard, but I REALLY understand it now. This is a book that moves way beyond the simple Supply/Demand model that every kid is taught and gets into the nitty-gritty stuff behind the creation of financial organizations such as the World Bank, the Social Security Administration, and the Federal Reserve. I gained valuable insight into key decisions made by US presidents, understood better the real causes behind a few wars, and my mind began to grasp the larger picture that doesn’t just include the US economy, but the world’s. Understand the fundamentals introduced early on, and the later chapters really shine as you begin to realize just how well you are understanding this complex subject.įor me, I absolutely loved the build-up that explained why some countries prospered while other countries suffered due to decisions made by their leaders. Later chapters build on previous chapters’ content, so there’s a real benefit to going slow and not trying to read the entire thing in one or two days. You read a chapter (typically about 20 pages of 4-6 panels) and then you really need to put the book down and let it sink in. It’s easy to follow, but a little goes a long way. I’ve completed the entire book - took me over a week to read it because this is dense stuff! I don’t mean dense as in unfathomable… it’s completely the opposite. It’s a 300 page comic book that does what it promises - it gives readers a visual explanation of this very complex subject, complete with fun little bits of history and quotes from famous people (you’ll look at some past presidents in a completely different light when you’re done with this book) and non-technical explanations that avoid complex math and instead use subtle visual clues to keep your brain focused on a specific concept or theory. (Okay, not true - Thermodynamics beat me up pretty bad - B+ and I was doing cartwheels down the hall when I got my grade.)Īnyway… Economix. I was not a fan of the topic in high school, and the Introduction to Engineering Economics I had in college was painful - I made an A, but I think I read more, did more homework, and sweated more over that class than any other engineering class I took. And it’s flat-out awesome! I can honestly say I never thought I’d write something like that about… economics. As you can tell from the title, it’s a comic book… about economics. While I tend to get my education from non-comic books, I am currently raving to my friends about a new book I’ve just completed called Economix. And I have to admit that I let my statistics skills slip since college, so the Manga Guide to Statistics was pretty slick!
If you’re familiar with the Manga Guides from No Starch, you should definitely check them out! I’ve read most of them, and I absolutely loved the Manga Guide to Physics and the Manga Guide to Relativity. It would be almost three decades later before I’d discover that given the right artist, writer, and subject matter, comics could indeed be useful for making complex topics more enjoyable, and easier to understand. (Anyone else remember those in comic book form?) There were a few comic books that were a bit more entertaining, such as versions of classics like War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man, but those were rare and usually frowned upon by the librarian or teacher. It was in the seventh grade, it was about the Civil War, and it was as boring and bland as any history book I’d ever encountered. I remember the first time I read a comic book whose purpose was to teach and entertain.
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