by John Lanchester (Get the Book)Lanchester reports that there is a huge gap between people who understand money and economics and those who don't, suggesting this didn't matter until the financial debacle of 2008, when so many people got hurt. We learn the language of money can be used to hide the facts and mislead. The author wants us to recognize the economic forces behind the surface realities of life and gives readers tools to listen or read about economic news, understand the issues, and form an opinion. He devotes the bulk of his book to explaining with understandable words hundreds of commonly used economic terms, such as inflation: When money loses value over time, prices gradually go up and this is normal in economic life; deflation: When money gains value over time, prices go down with near-fatal consequences for an economy; and risk, which economists use to describe the mathematical likelihood of a specific outcome. This excellent primer for understanding money would be a helpful resource for many library patrons. --Booklist
