From Here to Economy: 9a Shortcut to Economic Literacy

``You would probably do just as well choosing a stock by throwing a stockbroker at a dartboard as listening to his advice--and you would save money,'' opines Buchholz (New Ideas from Dead Economists) in this humorous version of Econ 101. Here he demystifies such terms as inflation, monetary policy, exchange rates and corporate financing and provides a concise history of economic thought from Adam Smith to contemporary supply-side economics. Formerly associate director of economic policy on President Bush's Economic Policy Council and now president of an international consulting firm, Buchholz argues against adopting a Canadian-style national health plan or forcing employers to provide medical coverage. Instead, he says, individuals should be required to obtain their own, to discourage frivolous expenditures. Fortune Book Club selection. (May)