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Economic Fables
Author: Ariel Rubinstein 
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I had the good fortune to grow up in a wonderful area of Jerusalem, surrounded by a diverse range of people: Rabbi Meizel, the communist Sala Marcel, my widowed Aunt Hannah, and the intellectual Yaacovson. As far as I'm concerned, the opinion of such people is just as authoritative for making social and economic decisions as the opinion of an expert using a model.
Part memoir, part crash-course in economic theory, this deeply engaging book by one of the world's foremost economists looks at economic ideas through a personal lens. Together with an introduction to some of the central concepts in modern economic thought, Ariel Rubinstein offers some powerful and entertaining reflections on his childhood, family and career. In doing so, he challenges many of the central tenets of game theory, and sheds light on the role economics can play in society at large. The book is as thought-provoking for seasoned economists as it is enlightening for newcomers to the field.
Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind, describes Economics Fables as a "wonderfully inviting introduction to game theory, rich in personalities, history and sense of place. Ariel Rubinstein is not only a brilliant theorist with a knack for lucid exposition, but a gifted storyteller. Students will find the ideas surprisingly accessible. Aspiring scholars, wondering whether a life of the mind is worth pursuing, will find his personal journey of intellectual discovery thrilling."
Since publication this book has been viewed over 37,000 times. Last updated March 2013.
Title: Economic Fables
Author: Rubinstein, Ariel
Publication date: May 2012
Number of pages: 253
Dimensions: 5.06" x 7.81" or 198 x 129mm
BIC Subject Codes: KCA (Economic Theory and Philosophy)
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-906924-77-5
PDF ISBN: 978-1-906924-79-9
Economic Fables, by Ariel Rubinstein, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported Licence.
Part memoir, part crash-course in economic theory, this deeply engaging book by one of the world's foremost economists looks at economic ideas through a personal lens. Together with an introduction to some of the central concepts in modern economic thought, Ariel Rubinstein offers some powerful and entertaining reflections on his childhood, family and career. In doing so, he challenges many of the central tenets of game theory, and sheds light on the role economics can play in society at large. The book is as thought-provoking for seasoned economists as it is enlightening for newcomers to the field.
Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind, describes Economics Fables as a "wonderfully inviting introduction to game theory, rich in personalities, history and sense of place. Ariel Rubinstein is not only a brilliant theorist with a knack for lucid exposition, but a gifted storyteller. Students will find the ideas surprisingly accessible. Aspiring scholars, wondering whether a life of the mind is worth pursuing, will find his personal journey of intellectual discovery thrilling."
Since publication this book has been viewed over 37,000 times. Last updated March 2013.
Title: Economic Fables
Author: Rubinstein, Ariel
Publication date: May 2012
Number of pages: 253
Dimensions: 5.06" x 7.81" or 198 x 129mm
BIC Subject Codes: KCA (Economic Theory and Philosophy)
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-906924-77-5
PDF ISBN: 978-1-906924-79-9
Economic Fables, by Ariel Rubinstein, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported Licence.
Chapter 0: Introduction
Chapter 1: Rational, Irrational
Chapter 2: Game Theory: A Beautiful Mind
Chapter 3: The Jungle Tale and the Market Tale
Chapter 4: Economics, Pragmatics and Seven Traps
Chapter 5: (Sort of) Economic Policy
Bibliographical Notes
Acknowledgements
The author has created a website containing video clips, interactive questions and games relating to each chapter of the book. Anyone is free to access it here.
Professor Rubinstein's publications can be accessed and read on his website. Including access to the original Hebrew edition of Economic Fables.
Professor Rubinstein's publications can be accessed and read on his website. Including access to the original Hebrew edition of Economic Fables.
Economic Fables is a wonderfully inviting introduction to game theory, rich in personalities, history and sense of place. Ariel Rubinstein is not only a brilliant theorist with a knack for lucid exposition, but a gifted storyteller. Students will find the ideas surprisingly accessible. Aspiring scholars, wondering whether a life of the mind is worth pursuing, will find his personal journey of intellectual discovery thrilling.
– Sylvia Nasar
Author of A Beautiful Mind and Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius
"This is a great book for economics students, giving a clear introduction to some basic models and just as important to some important advice about how to use models, and how not to use them. The book has a terrific website where readers can try out some of the exercises. I would definitely use this if I were teaching. It is also a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read for practising economists, not to mention for all non-economists trying to pin down why they think economics has failed them during the crisis."
This is not a dense, humorless tome of the sort academics compose, but rather a highly readable, even amusing work that combines theoretical diagnoses with personal anecdotes. Here is a pleasant yet satisfying intellectual experience – one with the occasional glimpse into Rubinstein's life to boot
– alongside jargon-free explanations of game theory, the author's field of expertise.
– Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist, June 2012
Read the full review here
– Omer Moav, Azure, Autumn 2010
(review based on the original Hebrew edition)