Ever wondered how the key concepts of central banking can be explained through the songs from Hamilton?
Or what you can learn about entrepreneurs and the role of ethics in business from Jurassic World?
Or what the 80-year career of Wonder Woman can teach us about the evolving role of women in the workplace?
These questions, and many more, are answered in the Routledge Economics and Popular Culture series. Each book in this series demonstrates that blockbuster franchises, smash hits on Broadway, comic book creations, and bestselling novels, all provide perfect examples of key economic ideas and principles in practice. Written in a clear and concise style, and assuming no previous background in economics, these books demonstrate that the ‘dismal science’ can be a lot more fun than you might think.
Proposals for new books in the series can be sent to the Routledge editor: [email protected]
By Jadrian Wooten
June 30, 2021
This book provides an in-depth look at the primary foundations of economics explored through the lens of the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation. Each episode of the hit television series, Parks and Recreation, includes material to help an eager learner understand the basics of one of the ...
By Linda S. Ghent, Alan P. Grant
September 23, 2020
As the most successful sitcom of all time, the television series Seinfeld provides a rich environment for learning basic economic principles. Chronicling the lives of four close friends—Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer—the show highlights human behavior at its best and its worst. The major ...
Edited
By Laura J. Ahlstrom, Franklin G. Mixon, Jr.
June 03, 2020
War Movies and Economics: Lessons from Hollywood’s Adaptations of Military Conflict applies ongoing research in the relatively new genre of economics in popular media to Hollywood’s war movies. Whether inadvertently or purposefully, these movies provide numerous examples of how economic principles ...
By Samuel R. Staley
March 24, 2020
The Beatles are considered the most influential popular music act of the twentieth century, widely recognized for their influence on popular culture. The inability of other bands and artists to imitate their fame has prompted questions such as: How did the Beatles become so successful? What factors...
Edited
By Brian O'Roark, Rob Salkowitz
July 23, 2018
At first sight, superheroes and economics seem to occupy completely different dimensions – but a clash of dimensions is a classic comic book storyline! In this first-of-its kind book, an economist and a business writer assemble an A-team of academic talent to explore the intersection of superhero ...
By Samuel R. Staley
June 28, 2018
What does the movie Lion tell us about why some societies grow rich and others remain poor? What can the global box office juggernaut, Jurassic World tell us about entrepreneurs and the ethics of business? Can the movie Passengers give us insight into human motivation and decision making? This book...
By Matthew C. Rousu
June 21, 2018
Economics has often been described as "the dismal science," with TV and movies reinforcing this description. However, economics is a powerful tool that can be used to understand how the world works, helping to answer confusing puzzles and solve the world’s problems. Surprisingly, Broadway musicals ...
Edited
By Charity-Joy Revere Acchiardo, Michelle Albert Vachris
March 14, 2018
Government collapsing? Zombies hunting you down? Everyone you know killed by a global epidemic? Not to worry! Economics holds the keys to survival. Often known as "the dismal science", it is particularly equipped to reveal order in what seems like chaos. Economists observe human behaviour: what ...
