Naked Series

Seeks to provide an engaging and comprehensive primer to economics that explains key concepts without technical jargon and using common-sense examples.

Naked Economics makes up for all of those Econ 101 lectures you slept through (or avoided) in college, demystifying key concepts, laying bare the truths behind the numbers, and answering those questions you have always been too embarrassed to ask. For all the discussion of Alan Greenspan in the media, does anyone know what the Fed actually does? And what about those blackouts in California? Were they a conspiracy on the part of the power companies? Economics is life. There's no way to understand the important issues without it. Now, with Charles Wheelan's breezy tour, there's no reason to fear this highly relevant subject. With the commonsensical examples and brilliantly acerbic commentary we've come to associate with The Economist, Wheelan brings economics to life. Amazingly, he does so with nary a chart, graph, or mathematical equation in sight—certainly a feat to be witnessed firsthand.Economics is a crucial subject. There's no way to understand the important issues without it. Now, with Charles Wheelan's breezy tour, there's also no reason to fear it.

Once considered tedious, statistics is evolving into a dynamic discipline, with real-world applications expanding rapidly. From detecting cheating in standardized tests to predicting Netflix movie preferences and understanding autism trends, statistics plays a crucial role in answering pressing questions. Best-selling author Charles Wheelan presents a compelling exploration of this field, making it accessible even for those who struggled with Stats 101. He simplifies complex concepts like inference, correlation, and regression analysis, highlighting how data can be manipulated or misrepresented. Wheelan showcases how innovative researchers leverage natural experiments to address challenging issues. His engaging style ensures that readers remain captivated, featuring intriguing examples such as Schlitz Beer marketers employing probability, an International Sausage Festival illustrating the central limit theorem, and a puzzling scenario from the game show Let’s Make a Deal. With wit and clarity, Wheelan breathes life into a discipline often seen as unglamorous, making it both enjoyable and enlightening. Readers will gain valuable insights while discovering the vibrant world of statistics.

Exploring the complexities of banking and monetary systems, the author delves into how these systems should ideally function while highlighting the chaos created by inflation and deflation. Through captivating narratives from diverse countries like North Korea, America, and China, he sheds light on the intricate workings behind the numbers in our bank accounts, making the topic accessible and engaging for readers.