Andrew Charlton: Ozonomics Author

Andrew Charlton has written many articles and essays that have appeared in some of the most widely-read journals and publications in the economic academic world. In 2005, he teamed up with frequent collaborator and veteran economic mastermind Joseph Stiglitz to write Free Trade for All, a book that was eventually translated into thirteen languages and is still sold all over the world. Charlton and Stiglitz’s work has appeared in such publications as the World Trade Review and elsewhere.

In 2011, Andrew Charlton authored a book by himself called Ozonomics, a clear explanation of the Australian economy for interested lay people. Eschewing the dense language he is accustomed to using for his scholarly articles, Charlton lays out the key economic issues of the day and explains why they matter to all Australians. He tries to cut through the political bluster and obfuscation that seems to characterize any discussion of the Australian economy with clear, concise language and a full explanation of the issues. 

His argument is that most of the economic headlines in the mainstream media in Australia are nonsense, even deliberately misleading. In their place, Charlton gives his readers a list of issues that they should pay attention to: workers’ rights, immigration, investment in education and technology, and protectionism. Charlton says that how politicians treat these issues will have real effects on everyone’s lives, from their paychecks to the consumer choices they make at the grocery store.

Andrew Charlton tried to get people to care about the economic issues that he feels passionate about. His hope with Ozonomics was a greater public understanding of what politicians are really saying in their speeches and conversations about the economy.