Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. 5. Working for a living -- The changing nature of labour markets -- Introduction -- How safe is your job? -- Poverty on the rise, too -- Getting people back on the job -- Have we got a brand new economy? -- Britain : a tale of two nations -- Trade unions, past, present and future -- pt. 6. Financial markets -- Where economics meets your money -- Introduction -- The name's bond, government bond -- Share and share alike -- Derivatives -- pt. 7. Best of both worlds -- Getting the most out of trade -- Introduction -- Why do countries trade? -- Free trade versus protection -- Paying for trade -- Making sense of the pound -- pt. 8. Redrawing the European economic map -- A guide to monetary union -- Introduction -- Economics and the Euro -- Patriotism or nationalism? -- Market forces or forcing markets? There may be trouble ahead ... -- pt. 9. Altogether now -- Institutions for a globalised world -- Introduction -- The world's major central banks -- The International Monetary Fund -- The World Bank -- The World Trade Organisation -- Conclusion.

Pt. 1. Economics : the business of life -- Major economists and what they thought -- Introduction -- Adam Smith (1723-1790) -- Karl Marx (1818-1883) -- John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) -- Milton Friedman (1912- ) -- pt. 2. Economic health, wealth and h appiness -- A simple guide to growth and recessions -- Introduction -- How does your country grow? -- Turning the wheels of the business cycle -- The downside to global growth -- Living it up -- pt. 3. Political correctness -- The government, the Chancellor, his job and your money -- Introduction -- A taxing issue -- The strain on the taxpayer's purse -- How does the government control the economy? -- A matter of life and debt -- pt. 4. The price is right -- A guide to inflation and interest rates -- Introduction -- The effects of inflation -- What causes inflation? -- Winning the battle of the price bulge -- An interesting guide to borrowing costs -- How the Bank of England controls interest rates -- Is inflation dead or just resting? -- What is the price of low inflation? -- E-tailing and the e-conomy