100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

BBQ Economics

How money works and why it matters
Brief Description
From interest rates to the price of cheese and everything in between, this is an essential guide to the New Zealand economy, how it works and why it matters. Should I fix or float? Is now a good time to buy—or sell? What do self-made billionaires... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3100
Elsewhere:
$4000
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From interest rates to the price of cheese and everything in between, this is an essential guide to the New Zealand economy, how it works and why it matters.

Should I fix or float? Is now a good time to buy—or sell? What do self-made billionaires know that you and I don't? Why does cheese cost so much?

Veteran financial journalist Liam Dann has fielded as many money-related questions as he has enjoyed beers around the BBQ—and often at the same time. In this book, he sets out to answer them all, sharing his decades of insight with stories and quotes from prominent politicians, financial experts and business moguls, along with loads of helpful graphs and illustrations in a super-informative, entertaining introduction to money, how it works, what we should do with it, and why it matters.

Includes:

  • What even is money?
  • Economic theory
  • Who's left, who's right, who's wrong?
  • Money and politics
  • Bitcoin, NFTs and the future of money
  • Inflation and deflation
  • AI and the future of work
  • Migration
  • How to read an economic forecast
  • Good times, bad times
  • Growth, recessions and depressions
  • Work smarter
  • NZ's productivity problem
  • Earthquakes, pandemics and market crashes
  • Investing
  • Safe as houses—The Kiwi obsession with property
  • Bank profits
  • The Great Depression
  • Boomer Times
  • Muldoon's shadow
  • GDP or not GDP
  • Taxing questions
  • Understanding risk
  • And so much more...

Liam has managed to do the almost impossible—make the world of economics accessible, interesting and, dare I say it, even fun. - Grant Robertson, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Who knew The Lorax, Biggie Smalls and Jim Bolger's surf team could help explain economics? Dann nails why money matters. This is how to talk finance at the BBQ and still be invited back. - Guyon Espiner, Investigative journalist

Liam's a master at telling you what you didn't know you needed to know, while still making you laugh. If you want a shortcut to impressing your friends at the weekend, this is the book to help you do it. - Frances Cook, Personal finance journalist and educator

A guidebook to sounding smart next time someone asks about the economy. Dann easily translates complex jargon into simple, Kiwi examples. - Brad Olsen, Chief Executive and Principal Economist, Infometrics

A surprisingly fun and easy read—filled with characters, humour and Liam's personal stories—that gives us the how, why and who of money in New Zealand. - Mary Holm, Personal finance writer and seminar presenter

Liam has a remarkable way of making the complicated, uncomplicated. His insightful, considered, and plain-English explanation of economics is a must-read for anyone wanting to know just what makes our economy tick. - Sir John Key, former Prime Minister of New Zealand

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781776950768

Publisher: Penguin Group (NZ)

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 March 2024

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Penguin Books (NZ)

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 233.0mm

Weight: 342g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Liam Dann is one of New Zealand's most trusted business and finance journalists, with a writing and reporting career spanning over 25 years. Currently Business Editor at Large at the New Zealand Herald, he delivers insightful, unbiased, accessible opinion and commentary covering markets, economics and politics. He hosts the podcast Money Talks and video show Market Watch and regularly appears as a guest commentator across a wide range of media. From his unlikely origins as a surfer, part-time DJ and self-described bogan, Liam worked in London's banking sector and travelled extensively before evolving into one of New Zealand's most respected commentators. He spends his money on records and sneakers and lives with his family in Auckland.

More from Education & Reference

View all
  • The Body Keeps the Score
    The Body Keeps the Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a compelling and compassionate exploration of the deep-seated impact of trauma on the human body and mind. This groundbreaking work delves into the complex causes of trauma and paints a vivid picture of the revolutionary treatments that are enabling countless individuals to reclaim their lives filled with purpose...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The Age Code
    What if the food you eat could rewind your biological clock? 'Clear and compelling' — Chris van Tulleken 'Really interesting and insightful' — Joe Wicks 'Fascinating' — Tim Spector From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maori Made Easy Workbook 1/Kete 1
    Maori Made Easy Workbook 1/Kete 1 by Scotty Morrison is the ultimate companion for anyone eager to learn the beautiful and complex Maori language. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to brush up on your skills, this workbook offers a structured and engaging way to immerse yourself in te reo Maori. Designed to be accessible regardless of your starting...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • 2027 Witch's Diary - Southern Hemisphere
    From the bestselling authors of Spellcasting, which has now sold over 250,000 copies worldwide, comes the essential witchy journal to plan your days, harness magick, and connect with higher powers. Features include: 8" x 6" (8" x 12" open) Beautiful glossy gold gatefold cover Compact size, perfect to carry in your bag and keep on you throughout the day 12-month...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maori Made Easy Workbook 2/Kete 2
    Immerse yourself in the richness of the Māori language with Maori Made Easy Workbook 2/Kete 2 by renowned TV personality and passionate te reo Māori advocate, Scotty Morrison. This comprehensive workbook is designed to cater to learners of all levels, making the beautiful language of the Māori people accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Building on the successful approach of the...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Farm
    The Farm is a lyrical and entertaining journey to the heart of rural life in New Zealand from one of our greatest living writers. When Bruce Ansley visited a friend on a sheep farm on Banks Peninsula, they pointed out a property for sale, down by the water. Down a drive curving through sycamores, oaks, and rhododendrons, there was a...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Roadmap to Property Success
    Ready to ditch the 9-to-5 and build lasting wealth through property? In Roadmap to Property Success, seasoned investor and coach Steve Goodey shares the exact strategies that helped him – and thousands of Kiwis – build sustainable property portfolios from scratch. With real-life lessons, hard-won wisdom, and zero sugar-coating, this is your no-BS guide to property investing in New Zealand....
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    Go Hard or Go Home
    From the front bench to rock bottom: Go Hard or Go Home is Kiri Allan's fearless memoir of ambition, disruption and survival in NZ politics and beyond. Kiri Allan's six-year political career spanned some of the most challenging times in recent history. Events a government might encounter once in a generation stacked up: a terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, destructive and deadly...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Regime Change
    From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House and the first year of his second presidency. Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader into...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • I Eat the Stars
    From New York Times bestselling author and journalist Sarah Wilson comes a deeply moving, wise guide to finding joy and meaning in a world that seems to be falling apart. It’s hard to escape the feeling that something is deeply wrong . . . that life has become precariously off-balance. We are hit hourly with headlines about catastrophic wildfires, unprecedented flooding, record heat waves,...
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Minecraft Annual 2027
    Pre-order
    New Release
    Minecraft Annual 2027
    The official Minecraft Annual 2027, full of updates, builds, activities, and more! Discover all there is to know about the past year of Minecraft in this exciting annual. Stuffed to the brim with updates, activities, step-by-step builds, and tips and tricks for the game, this book is a must-have for any minecrafter. This year’s annual includes: Mob guides on happy...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.