Book Review of Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy by Dani Rodrik

Abstract

Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy, by Dani Rodrik, is a compelling macroeconomic view on trade, trade policy, and national politics. Rodrik lays out the fundamentals of global trade and explains the intricacies of trade policies of developed, developing, and underdeveloped economies without placing blame on those in charge of their economies. He does this in a convincing manner while building on his thesis that economists should do more than make models and then bury their heads in the sand. They should take an active part in the public discussions by governments and media so that the demagogues who use trade theory incorrectly can be corrected by those economists instead of merely going along with them.