Keynesian Economics, Free Market Capitalism, Monetarism, Game Theory and the Invisible Hand. Sure, you know what they mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about these economic theories to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your financial knowledge?30 Second Economics takes the top 50 economic theories, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words and one picture. Economics will suddenly seem a lot more fun than the economy, and make a lot more sense, and along the way you'll meet founding fathers of modern economics such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Alfred Marshall. From Marxism to Mercantilism, plus everything in between, this is the ultimate'crash' course in economic theory.

Editor Donald Marron is visiting professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute in Washington DC, where he teaches public finance and macroeconomics. He has had a diverse career as a professor, consultant and entrepreneur and from 2002 to 2009 served in various senior positions advising Congress and the White House.