CEPR Press Release: What If We Took Economics Seriously? Dean Baker

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PRESS RELEASE:

What if We Took Economics Seriously?
Dean Baker's new book strips away the ideology and applies the basics of economics to some of the most pressing issues of the day.

For Immediate Release: April 30, 2010
Contact: Alan Barber 202-293-5380 x115

Washington, D.C.- What would policy look like if we took basic principles of mainstream economics and applied them consistently? What if we looked past ideology and tried to find the policies that make the most sense and work towards an economy for everyone? These are the questions answered in Dean Baker's latest book, "Taking Economics Seriously."

Baker takes three issues - the free market, malpractice, and the big banks - and walks the reader through a fascinating Econ 101 that exposes the faulty arguments and misdirections that dominate economic policy, all the while demonstrating how shifting the terms of debate might benefit us all.

Elizabeth Warren, Chair of the Congressional Oversight panel and Leo Gottlieb Professor of law, Harvard Law School says, " A terrific book! Dean Baker deconstructs the myth that big corporations have any interest in the free market and deregulation."

Simon Johnson, Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship, MIT Sloan School of Management, and former chief economist of the IMF writes, " Baker's analysis is always insightful and his proposals entirely reasonable. Read this book only if you are worried about where the United States is heading."

"Taking Economics Seriously" uses policy ideas and concepts that should be basics for any economist and applies them to make informed recommendations on some of the most discussed issues of our time. Baker does so in a manner that is easily accessible to everyone, whether a recent econ grad headed into the real world or just someone with a sincere concern about our nation's future. "Taking Economics Seriously" is published by MIT Press and is available online and at select bookstores.