The Accidental Theorist and Other Dispatches from the Dismal Science cover

The Accidental Theorist and Other Dispatches from the Dismal Science

by Paul R. Krugman

This new book weaves together recent articles and addresses, some of them never before published, into a short, compelling narrative on the major issues of the late 1990s: unemployment, globalization, economic growth, financial speculation, and more. Some of the pieces start with current issues, like corporate downsizing or the crisis set off by monetary policy in Thailand, while others explode plausible-sounding ideas that happen to be false, like pinning the blame for our economic woes on the internationalization of commerce when the real culprit is a failure of resolve in domestic policy. All are joined by Krugman's characteristically clear-eyed view of the basic economics behind the issues and by the wit and energy with which he applies those principles.

More by Paul R. Krugman

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?