This is a purely didactic novel, and as such it consists of lengthy passages of dialogue that expound on principles of economics - most particularly how supply, demand, and prices work, why markets are important, and why it's a bad idea for the government to control prices. As such, it's not much of a story. It lacks tension, and because the characters are largely props, it's not possible to become attached to them. It has a forced feel to it.

The economic lessons are well explored and illustrated with examples, and this book might be a good introduction for anyone who lacks a basic understanding of economics. It's the sort of thing I'd hope anyone who thinks price controls are a good idea would read and consider. The author uses the dialogue between the characters to communicate some of his moral philosophy as well, and he attempts to instill in the reader a sense of awe for how things work out efficiently through the economic system.

However, if I were new to economics, I think I would much prefer to read a 20-page essay explaining these things than a 200-page novel. It dragged quite a bit.

This is a great book which has made me fall in love with economics . The novel is brilliantly spun weaving history sports and economics in one.

A simple economic primer on how prices help to balance supply and demand, how they impact the allocation of resources, and how they are a prime motivator in our societal advancement. I recommend this book to EVERYONE, as I find most people are economically illiterate. The neat little thing is the author, Russell Roberts, has put the economics lessons into a novel. This is not his first effort in economic fiction having also written The Choice, and The Invisible Heart, both of which I also recommend.

The story itself was just ok, but the concept of putting Austrian economic theory into a novel is pretty good. It was at least a good attempt at economics communicating with the layperson.

The fiction isn't anything outstanding, but then again it isn't the point. The lessons here are invaluable.

Good "further reading" section at the end. (See my shelf "_price-of-everything" for some of the books mentioned.)

I really like the way that the author tells the economics concept in this form as a conversation. The best way to learn economics is through examples, but simply giving examples one by one won't make the book that interesting. Now, I will definitely go back and read more books that are written by Robert.

When I started this book, I thought it might be interesting. The opening telling about the past created an interest in me to see how the author would weave this into the narrative. Rather than weave this bifurcated narrative together, Roberts forges ahead with complex discussions about economics. These discussions form the bulk of the narrative, with primarily one character talking. The ending could be seen a mile off and feels a bit fairy tale. Roberts attempted to set that up early in the book but the choices the economics professor character makes, not only do not make sense for the character, they also do not make sense at all, especially with the sense of grandeur Roberts attempts to imbue these choices with.
The only reason I finished the book (or picked it up at all in the first place) is because it is required for the economics class I am taking.

I do not recommend this book.

Even though there's kind of a twist ending, this is still basically an extended economics lecture on prices.

Very well done--nearly as good as The Invisible Heart and I thought much more engaging than The Choice. Very good explanation of the information conveyed in prices and why relying on prices for allocation of resources is not such a bad evil idea.