A creative and fun smorgasbord of economics through the lens of food from one of today's foremost thinkers What can the anchovy tell us about industrialization? How can we understand inequality through chicken or the welfare state through rye? In Edible Economics , leading economist Ha-Joon Chang uses everyday food and ingredients to teach us about the most important economic issues of our time. Through familiar foods, from pasta to Coca-Cola to coffee, Chang weaves together impressive arguments and adds needed clarity to describe how our economies function and falter. With each ingredient, condiment or beverage, he constructs a vivid narrative that grapples with the most pressing concerns of our global markets, supply systems, and more. Through rich anecdotes and surprising histories, Chang shows us how acorns can prove that culture is not as important as we think in determining economic outcomes or how milk contradicts the notion that competition is the only way to ensure economic efficiency and growth. Accessible, entertaining and fresh, Edible Economics is a journey through economic theory and practice--one that is as digestible as it is profound.