I would recommend this book to my father. It leaves the reader thinking and imparts several useful lessons about how humans shape the environment, politics, and economics. Economy and politics are extremely intertwined. If you want to be an informed and politically active citizen, understanding economics is critical. On the other hand, economists need to have an understanding of politics to understand trade regulations, foreign stocks, and international business. Just as America uses economic access as a reward for its allies, withdrawing economic access can be used as “punishment.” For example, in recent months Russia has annexed Crimea and threatened Ukraine. Members of the United Nations, including America, have imposed sanctions against Russia, to show that they do not condone Putin's actions. The goal of these sanctions is not to harm the economy, but rather to put pressure on Russia, in the hope of influencing Putin's next action. Sanctions, boycotts and blockades have a long history around the world as protest strategies and political statements, just as economics and politics have been intertwined since the beginning of the modern era.