Trading Places: The Airport Economist’s Guide to International Business

Is Japan running out of husbands? Is China running out of wives? Did Genghis Khan really invent free trade? And why can’t you see the price of a Big Mac at McDonalds in Argentina? In Trading Places, Tim Harcourt – also known as the Airport Economist – takes you around the globe, talking to businesses, governments, union officials, NGOs and others in the community to understand what makes each economy tick. He reveals where the opportunities are, identifies the risks, and provides insider tips on doing business in each destination. Like The Airport Economist, a bestseller in several languages, Trading Places is essential reading for business travellers, students of economics or business, and anyone who wants to understand the complexities of our modern globalised world. ‘As in The Airport Economist and its predecessors, Tim Harcourt makes international economics come to life in Trading Places. He combines the colour and movement of real business stories at the micro level, with the “big picture” of the macro story. Economists forget it is hard work for exporters out there in the big bad world, but Harcourt tells the story of Australia’s international integration in a lively readable style.’ – Ross Gittins, economics columnist, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. 'If you ever wanted to know anything about Australia’s international trade relationships but feared you’d be bored to death reading, fear no more. Trading Places perfectly demonstrates Tim’s unrivalled capacity to make complex matters both easy to understand and highly entertaining.' Emma Alberici