Friday, October 22, 2010

How to Judge Your Purchases Today

By George Hooper
Reading is my one true passion. When I was young, I dreamed of better places. Places where all things were possible where all dreams came true. I read a book called ''Jericho'' published around early 60s and learned about people in difficult times. Books about Science, in the fields Biology, Geology & Earth Sciences. Science Fiction was always my favorite. The works of H.G. Wells, Huxley and Ray Bradbery fascinated me. Reading opened whole new worlds for me.

I recently went to a book store with my son looking for books he needed for University. Expensive books(shudder). While I was walking around the store looking at a variety of tiles and subject areas, I spotted an unusual cover a spilled coffee cup. Reading the upside-down writing on the cup it said '' This Coffee is Expensive''. Okay, So why was it spilled ? Curiosity Plus 1 the first step in my buying process. My next step is the back cover, endorsements from two well establish newspapers and 2 very well known writers told me I needed to read this book.

Title: The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford ISBN 978-0-349-11985-4 I was amazed and fascinated by what he was telling me. How branding works. How pricing works. Economics why it works and why it does not work in one book!!. A Must Read for everyone given the current economic crisis. Explains in simple everyday words how big and small companies work. Economics !0! for everyone. Why some prices are high and low. Do you have to buy or should you buy at all. Shortages are they real, imagined or just something you are lead to believe is true. Time to take a serious look at all marketing practices.

Are we asking the right questions of our governments. Should oil futures be fixed? Who bought the oil futures that lead up this crisis? Where did they get the money to purchase them? Is there really a shortage of oil as we have been lead to believe or is it just bigger profits for the o1l companies. Supply and demand some might say or are they just being paid to say that by big oil companys to boast profits. Maybe I think to much but these are real questions everyone needs to be asking

Maybe reading this book is not right for you. I read it in one night and will read it again and again. Then I will give it to my son and scream at him until he reads it.

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