‹ The Founder Bookshelf

Finance

The Undercover Economist

Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor, and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car

The hidden economics behind coffee, cars, and prices.

by Tim Harford

Harford reveals the economic logic behind everyday transactions, from why a cup of coffee costs what it does to why some countries stay poor. He explains scarcity power, price targeting, and market failures in plain language. The book is a guided tour of how economists see the world around you.

Pricing power and scarcity are central to any business model, and Harford makes these forces concrete with everyday examples. Founders gain practical intuition for how prices are set, captured, and defended.

Where to get it