Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David D. Friedman

If the name "Friedman" sounds familiar, it should; David D. Friedman is the son of renowned Nobel Economist Milton Friedman.  Like his father, David takes his economics seriously.  Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David D. Friedman is not an easy read.  Put more bluntly, the technical nature of both the writing and the graphics places Hidden Order slightly higher on the scale of layperson accessibility. However, this is not to say that you should avoid this book.  As my father is fond of saying, "Anything worth doing is worth working for..." and so it is with the understanding you will gain from the effort of working through the material covered in Hidden Order.
 

As one review states, "...economics is not always intuitive."  Unfortunately, many writers have taken the low road and dumbed down their material in order to appeal to a larger crowd; you will find none of that in Hidden Order.  That being said, before taking on Friedman's book you may want to review a less intense primer.  If you are brand new to the study of economics, I cannot recommend a more approachable introduction than Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.

Hidden Order is not a heavily reviewed work, and while most of the Amazon.com reviews are positive, you will not find a shortage of complaints.  Fortunately, the quality of the writing combined with the depth of the material easily overcomes the bulk of the complaints aired.

So, if you are up for a challenge and the associated rewards, dust of your old thinking cap and tackle a copy of Hidden Order today.
 

Take care and enjoy...

JWM