ECONOMICS

Books

• The Undercover Economist
• Freakonomics
• Free Lunch: Easily Digestible Economics
• A Very Short Introduction to Game Theory
• Economics: A Very Short Introduction
• The Great Economists: How their Ideas Can Help Us Today
• The Tiger that Isn’t: Seeing the World Through Numbers
• The Penguin History of Economics
• The Rough Guide to Economics
• Doughnut Economics: Seven Way to Think Like a 21st Century Economist
• Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism
• Cannibal Capitalism
• 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism
• Behavioural Economics Saved My Dog
• Capitalism 4.0
• Capitalism and Freedom
• Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
• Dead Aid
• Keynes – Hayek: The Clash That Defined Modern Economics
• Keynes: Return of the Master
• Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioural Economics
• Predictably Irrational
• The Return of Depression Economics
• The Tipping Point
• The User’s Guide to Economics
• What Money Can’t Buy
• When China Rules the World
• Why Nations Fail
• The Price of Inequality
• The Road to Serfdom
• This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate
• Capital in the 21st Century
• The Accidental Theorist
   

Lectures and talks

• MIT Course – Principles of Microeconomics
• MIT Course – Principles of Macroeconomics
• LSE – Economics, But Not As You Know It
• The Economics of The Long Run: From Fire to Finance. This Gresham Lecture looks at the evolution of economics throughout human history
• Bickbeck Lecture – Joseph Stiglitz on Rewriting the Rules of the Market Economy
• LSE – The Looming Global Financial Crisis: Time to rethink development and democracy 2.0
• Inequality: What is it and Why Does it Matter with Ha-Joon Chang – New Economic Thinking

Podcasts

• Planet Money: Podcast · NPR · Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don’t just understand the economy – understand the world.Wanna go deeper? Subscribe to Planet Money+ and get sponsor-free episodes of Planet Money, The Indicator, and Planet Money Summer School. Plus access to bonus content. It’s a new way to support the show you love. Learn more at plus.npr.org/planetmoney
• BBC World Service – 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy: The stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which helped create the economic world
• Garys Economics: Podcast · Gary Stevenson · Gary Stevenson – inequality economist, former trader and author of The Trading Game – explains how real world economics work.
• Freakonomics Radio: Podcast · Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher · Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Websites

• Economics

• EA Magazine: EA magazine is the IEA’s free-market magazine aimed at A Level/IB students and teachers. Featuring the best writers on economic freedom.
• The Economist | Independent journalism: Get in-depth global news and analysis. Our coverage spans world politics, business, tech, culture and more. Subscribe for free trial.
• Economics News and IB Economics & IB Business Management Resources: Economic news for students, IB Economics Resources, IB Business Management Resources, teaching materials, loads of real world examples, and much more!
• The Global Economics, Business, Finance Publication, UK Magazine: The Global Economics Limited is a UK based Business, financial publication and a bi-annual business magazine giving thoughtful insights into the financial sectors on various industries across the world.

Competitions

• The Minds Underground™ Economics Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though we welcome younger applicants). We have split the Sciences into numerous scientific fields and will select a winner from each: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science. The competition provides students with an opportunity to attempt university-level research, hone their scientific writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to answer from their category.

  The 2025 Minds Underground Essay Competition results are now live — view the full results on our Results Page. 2026 questions will be released in November 2025.

  2025 Economics Essay Questions: 

  1. Is universal basic income (UBI) a viable solution to inequality in the 21st century? Hint: Explore economic theories behind UBI, its potential to reduce poverty, and its long-term sustainability in various economies

  2. Should economic growth be prioritised over environmental sustainability? Hint: Consider the trade-offs between GDP growth and sustainable development, and whether green economies can flourish in a capitalist system

  3. How do behavioural economics challenge traditional economic theories? Hint: Discuss how human irrationality, cognitive biases, and emotional decision-making impact economic predictions and models