In the wake of the financial crisis and the Great Recession, economics seems any
thing but a science. In this sharp, masterfully argued book, Dani Rodrik, a lead
ing critic from within, takes a close look at economics to examine when it falls
short and when it works, to give a surprisingly upbeat account of the disciplin
e.
Drawing on the history of the field and his deep experience as a practitione
r, Rodrik argues that economics can be a powerful tool that improves the world b
ut only when economists abandon universal theories and focus on getting the cont
ext right. Economics Rules argues that the discipline's much-derided mathematica
l models are its true strength. Models are the tools that make economics a scien
ce.