If you're like me, you've probably picked up a lot of random information about economics ("the invisible hand") and American history (The Grapes of Wrath). This non-fic graphic novel gives a non-linear history of major world events, politics, and the way these things have interacted with economics to produce the pile of bullshit that the world is today.

This was more about economic history than economic concepts which was not what I was expecting, but regardless it was an enjoyable read that taught me more about the historical background behind all the concepts I'd been learning in class.

My touchstone for these types of graphic novels is [a:Larry Gonick|36409|Larry Gonick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1408602677p2/36409.jpg] whose silly style and entertaining storytelling has illuminated nearly all of human history. Goodwin even mentions him in the first sentence of his author bio. This book is good, but it's not up to the level of Gonick. The biggest problem for me was the flow; Goodwin covers quite a bit very quickly. For example, in four pages I turned to randomly, you get the concepts of war economy, command economy, strategic bombing, the Treaty of Versailles, Keynes commentary on the WWI peace, and inflation. It's a lot, and often I felt like we moved from topic to topic just because we had to.

Mind you, Goodwin does have a narrative. This is less a comic book treatise on economics and more a history of (mostly) the Western World through the lens of economics. You see Adam Smith's contribution in the context of the European governments around him; you see Keynes's emphasis on governmental stimulus in the midst of the Depression. Putting historical events and the development of economic theory in line with each other is a great idea and my favorite part of the book. I learned the most when Goodwin showed that interplay.

A final note: Goodwin gets more polemical as the book continues with strong arguments against wealth inequality and the distorting nature of corporations. (To a lesser extent, there's a corresponding argument that current economists haven't done enough to understand and work against those problems.) Goodwin posits that the U.S. economy hasn't worked properly since 1965, and, depending on your politics, you might be getting angrier and angrier or more in agreement as you keep on reading. My take was that Goodwin was far too optimistic on the possibility of positive change when he concluded the work in 2012. Regardless, don't come to this work expecting an apolitical take.

Recommended by Nate

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Pretty good overview of the history and theory of the Dismal Science. It covers everything from the origins in the enlightenment to today, and covers a lot of the historical systems of the planet. Best of all, it's in easy to digest pieces that are told relatively free of jargon. I also liked that it wasn't afraid to point out flaws in the way things are now, not just what they used to be.

Excellent history and analysis of the market, capitalism and the impact and implications on our past, present and future. Highly accessible yet full of relatively complex principles and characters. Essential for decoding the common myths about capital.