Games
The Door Game
Dan Ariely is currently the visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He became interested in why we act as we do after a serious accident and a subsequent stay in hospital. This interest led him into the world of behavioural economics where he aims to explain the subject to a non-academic audience. This game is launched with his new book ‘Predictably Irrational', and illustrates how keeping your options open can be a costly strategy.
International Trade
Bertil Ohlin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his research in international trade. Ohlin showed that countries engage in and benefit from trade if their production resources differ from each other. This game, produced by the Nobel Prize, looks at the Heckscher-Ohlin model and allows you to trade with other countries.
Stock Market Game
A game which allows you to buy and sell shares depending on market price etc. This is a great way of learning and getting to grips with the stock market and how or when to take risks whilst learning about different companies.
The Economy
This game lets you be the Prime Minister. Your aim is to remain in office for four years, without loosing the next election or being kicked out of office. Your term of office begins with the economy in a rather dire state and it is your responsibility to fix it.
Books
Some obvious pieces of literature exist Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt, Thomas Friedman's ‘The World is Flat' and Tim Harford's ‘Undercover Economist'. However, a number of books with a similar ‘Poponomics' content exist.
Economics Uncut: A Complete Guide to Life, Death and Misadventure Edited by Simon W Bowmaker
A fantastic book exploring many topics with an economics edge- from divorce to drug use. Bowmaker has gained a PhD in Economics from the University of St Andrews after being out of academia for five years. During those five years, Bowman worked for a range of different institutions including the GES and HSBC markets. Bowman now works in academia at the Edinburgh University.
"This exciting book shows that economics can explain a dizzying array of real world phenomena and that economics can be great fun. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to see the progress that has been made in using the tools of neoclassical economics to understand a wide range of seemingly irrational behavior." -Edward Glaeser, Harvard University, US
The Soulful Science: What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters by Diane Coyle
Instead of analysing economics from a mathematical and numerical perspective, Diana Coyle talks fondly of economists and their role in the real world. Doyle has a PhD in economics from Harvard University and worked as the Economics editor for the independent. Throughout the book, Coyle humanises economics, giving examples on queries such as how to make poverty history, producing an approachable, interesting read.
"Coyle shows how contemporary economists are bringing theory out of the classroom as they adopt a more pragmatic, humanistic approach to such problems as poverty and pollution."--Edward Nawotka, Bloomberg News
More Sex is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics- Steven E Landsburg
By beginning with the bizarre idea that avoiding casual sex is causing more STI's, Landsburg begins a trail of discussions. Stating how rational behaviour could prove to cause an irrational result for the rest of us, this book is a good read. Landsburg is a Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester.
The Economics Network has a database which shows books with an ‘Applied' aspect.