Rich and Lost: Learning about the Economy

I just finished reading an interesting piece of economic fiction.Rich and Lost in Prosperia by Doramas Jorge-Caleron is a fanciful exploration of basic economics set in the mythical tropical island of Prosperia. The two main characters have different views of the role of business. One of them seeks guidance from a renowned economics professor who, during the course of the book, teaches him the fundamentals.

The setting and character names are just fanciful enough to be corny. But this is part of the charm of the book. Those of us who teach and have taught high school know that corny often works with students - especially if the corn intellectually nutritious.

And this book has that merit. The economics lessons provide the brain food in an appetizing way. Through a series of meetings, one of the characters is given a crash course in economics. But the lessons are not boring, dry discussions of theory. Rather they are set in "real life" examples that illustrate the points - each morsel is something to mentally chew on. And the menu is diverse. There are discussions of prices, scarcity and value. But they also cover economic systems, globalization and even the environment.

I see this book as a useful ancillary to a basic economics course at the high school level. You should read it and consider it as such. I don't think it can be the "stand alone" text - I don't think it's meant to be. You can read it and decide for yourself. It's one dish for the meal that is your course.