Well, this was hard to rate. The "storyline" part of this "economic fable" was weaker, I thought, than The Invisible Heart, but the economic explanations were generally pretty well done. Maybe 3 for the story, 4 for the economics. This would have been hard to fit better in a storyline, I guess. Even armed with this book and all the statistics the world has produced, it seems to me that most of this country is still not ready, willing, or able to hear the arguments for free trade. Kind of sad. This was generally well done but still isn't going to budge your standard "But them furriners is taking all our jobs!" American.

I am new to the world of economics and was presented this book as a precursor to the Free Trade perspective. The Choice presents the concepts of Free Trade from a storyline perspective between an Angel and a man named Ed. If you can get by the idea of God driving the concept of free trade as the right way to think and take the pieces the storyline is trying to present and take this presentation as a piece of the puzzle or the piece of what economics is - then your good. This book was a great way for me to glean what free trade is and how it relates to me as a citizen of a country.

"The Choice" is, quite frankly, a ridiculous book. It's so unapologetically utilitarian, and neoclassical in its adoration for the market, it reads like the finest Milton Friedman propaganda I have ever come across. At one point, Russell explains that free trade is what allows your children to pursue their dreams, and that's the least of it. Wait till you get to the last chapter, where Roberts can complain of the undeserved lowly reputation of economists - as if!

AND YET, can I say that it is a bad book? Not at all; it's brilliant. It manages to explain in a digestible form a variety of controversies surrounding free trade, from the fear of job loss to complaints about the trade deficit (complaints which can only be subsided by dealing with the difficult concept of the net financial inflow!). To say that it's perfect for non-economists doesn't cut it - it can help econ students who haven't taken courses in international trade understand what the main issues are just as well.

Some of the reviewers have complained about the lack of plot, and yes, "The Choice" doesn't really compare to the Great Gatsby. Then again, if you're considering reading this book, you're probably not expecting that anyways. If you decide to read "The Choice," it's to get educated on the limited by complete view that neoclassical economists have on the matter.

This is an interesting and unique book for understanding basic international economics. For anything other than that, it's incredibly boring!

Well, this was hard to rate. The "storyline" part of this "economic fable" was weaker, I thought, than The Invisible Heart, but the economic explanations were generally pretty well done. Maybe 3 for the story, 4 for the economics. This would have been hard to fit better in a storyline, I guess. Even armed with this book and all the statistics the world has produced, it seems to me that most of this country is still not ready, willing, or able to hear the arguments for free trade. Kind of sad. This was generally well done but still isn't going to budge your standard "But them furriners is taking all our jobs!" American.