By John Kay



Reviewed by Tom Simpson

Everlasting Light Bulbs provides the reader with an insight in to a variety of topics from the run-of-the-mill Economics material such as “Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand” to less conventional subject matter such as “Where do economists go on holiday”. It is approached in a funny way, with cartoons for some of the chapters, which are, incidentally, very short and therefore ideal for picking up for a few minutes and then putting down without losing the flow. This is due to them being columns which he has written for the Financial Times over the years.

The book gives an A-Level student the chance to see economics in its wider context, not only by covering topics such as Taleb distributions but also by applying this Economics to the authors’ own experiences.

The one criticism of the book which I have is that perhaps it might not fulfil the needs of readers who wish to explore subjects in depth instead of just a few pages on each.

Everlasting Light Bulbs is well worth a read, especially for the student looking to extend their knowledge in a light hearted way.