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The first instalment in a nzherald.co.nz summer business series about the reading habits of a selection of our prominent businesspeople.
With a heavy work commitment, economist-by-trade Adrienne von Tunzelmann also needs to be economical with her time.
She recommends The Undercover Economist as a quick and palatable way to get to grips with economics.
Not only is it not a long book, said von Tunzelmann, but the light and witty writing style means it isn't labourious to read and easy to finish in a day.
"It would be a great one to read at the bach," she said.
"It's something that might make you feel, when you go back to work in the New Year, that you've learnt something without it being a heavy duty task - just some insights you can apply directly to your business decision making or tuck away for future reference."
Von Tunzelman's economics background made her grab the book, but said readers didn't need any knowledge of the subject to enjoy it.
"I think its great strength is that it makes economics very accessible."
She describes it as a fantastic book for business people who want to understand how economic concepts drive business profits and value creation.
"This book demystifies the basic theories in economics and applies it to everyday circumstances," she said.
"The more you read into it, the more it tells you how economics shapes our lives on a day-to-day basis, without us necessarily knowing about it."
Author, Tim Harford, uses bizarre but extremely pertinent observations to explain the theories around "who gets what", said von Tunzelmann.
Examples include why coffee drinkers pay more for a Starbucks special coffee than a basic cappucino when they cost roughly the same to make.
Why shoppers won't walk to get a lower price on the same item, and why supermarkets use "ugly labels" on cheaper, house-brand products to "scare" shoppers into buying a more expensive product, she said.
It gives you a much greater sense of where economics are at work and makes you a more savvy consumer, said von Tunzelmann.
"You'll never go to a supermarket and see it the same way again," she said.
Von Tunzelmann will be diving into Bill Bryson's A Short History of Everything over the Christmas break - her third attempt at the book this year.
"I'm definitely going to read it over the holidays!"
* Tauranga-based Adrienne von Tunzelmann is a principal at public policy consultancy firm McKinlay Douglas, a director on the Pharmac board, a board member of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, the Bay of Plenty Community Trust, and the Eastern Bay Wananga Council. She also convenes the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Network.
Recommends: The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car! by Tim Harford
