Best of 2023

A roundup

As 2023 came to a close, I was gratified to see How Economics Can Save the World mentioned among the best books of the year. Here’s a brief roundup.

We got off to an early start in July as The Irish Times named it one of “the best books of 2023 so far.” Reviewer Pascal Donohoe, who moonlights as Minister for Public Expenditure, wrote:

How Economics Can Save the World by Erik Angner is not a read for the pool or by the beachside. But as the holidays wind down, and as the mind warms up again, this a fun and highly informative read.

The more conventional time for best-of-the-year lists generated more attention.

The online magazine Behavioral Scientist listed How Economics Can Save the World as one of their “Notable Books of 2023.” These are books, the editors write, that “stretch our thinking, surprise us, delight us, and help us better understand ourselves and our world.” The magazine had previously published an excerpt from the book.

Economist

Jadrian Wooten

, author of the fabulous free newsletter Monday Morning Economist, said How Economics Can Save the World was his “favorite nonfiction book this year.” Here’s why:

Angner approaches [some of the most pressing issues of our time] through an economist’s lens. He doesn’t just throw data and research at us; he’s weaving in stories, from the intimate scale of parenting decisions to the complex world of organ donations. Throughout the book, he paints a picture of economics not just as a discipline, but as a force for change. There’s this quote from the book jacket that resonates with me because it also describes Angner as a public intellectual: "Economics can be a powerful force for good, awakening the possibility of a happier, more just, and more sustainable world."

Meanwhile, the book was nominated for a Best Book of the Year Award by the newsletter Habit Weekly. The winner will be announced in early 2024.

The book made waves in other parts of the world as well.

The Indian financial and business daily Mint included How Economics Can Save the World among “the 10 books of 2023 you cannot miss.” Their reviewer explains:

Angner, in his trademark style, which does not talk down to the audience, writes about everything from the macro of how to eliminate poverty and how to fix climate change to the micro of how to be happy and how to raise happy children and remain sane. In fact, the chapter on how to be happy is probably the best chapter of the book.

The Swedish magazine Aktuell Hållbarhet called the translation En bättre värld är möjlig “one of the best books of the year in the areas of environment, climate, and sustainability.”

The Finnish daily newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet mentioned it as one of 20 books that would make for excellent Christmas gifts.

Right now Christmas gifts are either a little late or extremely early, but How Economics Can Save the World would make for an excellent gift any time of the year!