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Oxbridge economics applicants- what do you read?

To those applying to economics or economics related courses, what wider reading did you do? What economics books/articles did you find the most interesting and intriguing?
I am considering applying for economics at a top university next year but currently I've only read one or two academic articles and some simple books.

Reply 1

Nijuuninichi

I applied for Economics this year and got offers from some top universities - maybe I can help?

I think it's good to start off with some of the 'popular' Economics books, things like Freakonomics, Free Lunch, or The Undercover Economist just to get a feel for the different areas of economics. Maybe you'll find a paragraph on development economics interesting. Maybe a mention of an Economist's theory will inspire you to read more about them. Then read further into what interests you - maybe Nudge or Predictably Irrational for behavioural Economics for example. IMO it's nice to have a 'specialist' area or two that you can focus on in your personal statement.

I also think reading about some of the more famous Economists and their views is really helpful when understanding where Economics came from and people's different points of view. I read New Ideas from Dead Economists, and I really recommend it as it has a decent sized chapter for each economist - the more famous ones and some you probably haven't heard of yet. :wink:

And of course, keep up with the news. A subscription to the Economist is a good idea, I think they have a student discount.

Remember it's not about finding the hardest Economics book to read. It's about reading books about Economics that you can understand and talk intelligently about, as well as inspire you. Especially if you're planning on Oxbridge.

Good luck with your application, and I hope this helped. :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

george.moran_9835

It is important to read a few books but not loads. Freaknomics and The Undercover Economist are good starting points but they aren’t very impressive on your personal statement. Instead try some classical works or more academically rigourous texts. As well as books newspapers and online articles are great. I would definitely subscribe the economist and read some economics blogs regularly. My favourite is www.economics-exchange.com for thought provoking material. Definitely check it out.