Can we solve the cost of living crisis? | Big Questions with Ha-Joon Chang

Ha-Joon Chang joins us at Penguin to answer some Big Questions on whether we are what we eat, why everyone should care about economics, and whether the free market has brought freedom. Order your copy of 'Edible Economics' here: bit.ly/3HAJOS9
For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as eating a wide range of cuisines contributes to a more interesting and balanced diet, so too is it essential we listen to a variety of economic perspectives.
In Edible Economics, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. He uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a life-long addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into post-industrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism's entangled relationship with freedom and unfreedom. Explaining everything from the hidden cost of care work to the misleading language of the free market as he cooks dishes like anchovy and egg toast, Gambas al Ajillo and Korean dotori mook, Ha-Joon Chang serves up an easy-to-digest feast of bold ideas.
Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world.
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[@LeftistOppa]

"British people decided our food sucks" baaaaaaased LOLOLOLMAO

[@AssadNizam]

I took an amazing class with a Korean sociologist my first time at uni called “states and markets in East Asia,” and her syllabus introduced me to three of chang’s books. He’s still one of my favorite economics authors ever.

[@taopanda98]

I would love to order his book!! He sounds a fascinating economist!

[@Martie-kf4zj]

I read his book, "Bad Samaritan". First time I heard an economist say that the free market wasn't too great and needed change to make it equitable.

[@EricKon9ish]

Just finishing his new book, it's great

[@yongjinnkim9207]

반갑습니다 교수님. 펭귄 북스의 독자이자 팬으로서 정말 반갑네요.

[@havadatequila]

In the US, as long as we have two political parties that largely pursue the same economic policies, a basic understanding of economics is a) useless and b) revolutionary.

[@michaelgro5474]

Thanks for hosting him! Grown up in the GDR I expected capitalism to die. Economic breakdown and high unemployment 1990 until mid-2000s seems to confirm. On the other hand I watched beautiful advanced technology developing. The economic theories I had learned during socialism could not explain. Out of curiosity I bought one of his books, "23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism.". That book enlightened me! I read started to read more books about political economy, his books among them and understood: The problem is not capitalism but our poor knowledge! With poor knowledge about economy we elect clueless politicians causing (or allowing) exploitation, rent-seeking, unemployment and environment pollution! In consequence I joined a political party (not a communist one) to promote knowledge about economics. I donated some books about the topic for a small library to help others to educate. Thanks Mr Chang! I will read your new book with great interest :-)

[@RAJAT6555]

Check out the excellent book 'Small is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if people mattered' by E. F. Schumacher. It's a redpill on a lot of things, including the 'economy vs. ecology' conundrum. Another plus point is that unlike most economists, Schumacher was a deeply religious person - he was a practicing Catholic.

[@issis02]

love it!! thanks

[@rajx7120]

Why not everyone produce their own electricity and fuel at home, by installing solar panels and biogas plants? And then be mindful of what they use?

[@PiaLoveBSNRNCCBTP]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kurupan30]

Very insightful. The persuasion he mentioned has happened (in no small measure) because of the power asymmetry between PR and The Press. Sadly being replicated (amplified?) in the same way (trendwise) by automated recommender systems.

[@louisefryer2885]

"He may be a rascal, but he's a loveable arse... rascal" 3:00

[@fuckbankers]

He was being sarcastic

[@WSNO]

Just stop charging so damn much for everything and pay for the things that are for the good of a society (like electricity, water, infrastructure) with the money that goes to pointless wars without raising taxes. And quit manufacturing cheap shit that's designed to stop working and instead put things that can be repaired by the average person with tools in every home with versions that have more elaborate materials and different colors to entice further purchases. That's why people through the 20th century would buy, not lease, a new car more often. There, problem solved.

[@Springsteen002]

Mrs Charlotte legit and her method works like magic I keep on earning every single week with her new strategy

[@hvermout4248]

Is Penguin not the publisher that is re-writing the Roald Dahl books? 🤔

[@jamiekenleyuk]

When the hell did penguin books do political and economic content! This is just bizzareee

[@luzoo3540]

Why on earth you sponsor the King of cringe and the dramaQueen is a big question for me PENQUIN

[@adamk.1012]

It's beyond me how someone who lived, studies and worked in the UK since the 80s still speaks English like that???!!! I'm very interested in his ideas and want to read his books but Jesus I have struggled to follow what he is saying!!!!! after decades of residing in any country and still having such a thick, almost incomprehensible accent like that is an act of crime against that language and a sign of total disrespect to it and it's speakers!!!!!

[@adamk.1012]

@@Lionel-zd8rb nobody gives a sh*** Lionel about what you thinks honey! go get a life.

[@alien9362]

He’s south korean, completely different language from english. Try to move there, learn the language and let’s meet again in 40 years and let’s see how you doing. I bet my pension you’ll have a thick accent. Nevertheless, with his struggle, he still makes way more sense then the entire UK and USA political class.

[@adamk.1012]

@@alien9362 First.I don't really care about you or your pension, thou I'd love to see you betting it and lose. Second.I don't need to move there, I speak three different languages flawlessly with ZERO accent and 100% native accent (even thou I've NEVER BEEN to those counties let alone lived there for decades) including Arabic. you try to learn that and meet me in a 100 years if you're still around. Third. this has nothing to do with any political class of any country, the man is a genius in his field and of course what he's saying makes total sense, yet I DID NOT comment on the content of his speech, I commented on his UGLY ACCENT. Fourth and last. it's a matter of respect to any given language and it's people and history to try to perfect it, but the likes of him and Salma Hayek for example who lived for decades and had her entire career in th US and still speaks the way she does, proves they have ZERO respect to that language and it's people. period. Also it sounds ugly AF.

[@adamk.1012]

@@Bailiol I love how people like you likes to argue without actually EVER addressing the main point itself, which I will not make again as it's clear enough (not for those with comprehension issues of course). Everything you said is simply irrelevant to my point. Will skip your insult, again irrelevant and un important. Also comparing the English language to Korean when it comes to difficulty?!! just wow! I don't even know what to say to that!

[@AtlasCanTakeIt]

@@adamk.1012 I actually agree with you that the people calling you out on your Korean are guilty of making irrelevant arguments, one doesn't need to speak another language in order to critique another's aptitude in speaking theirs. The problem with your comment, really, is that it's shockingly lacking in self awareness. You don't seem to have considered that your listening skills are awful. I find this is often a problem with Southern English and American listeners who are mono-cultural and haven't exposed themselves to non-native speakers. I'm Irish and I can parse every word he says in this interview with zero difficulty. You should practise active listening, I think the comments and appreciation for Ha-Joon show that it's your issue, not his.

[@tysonkonken6184]

It will never happen due to human greed and the upper class unwillingness of change. “if anyone can get electricity anywhere, then where do we put the meter?” -J.P. Morgan

[@arpanmadrecha3013]

@Tyson-it is due to such people you mentioned