"Inside the myth of Australia s economic superheroes. We're living through the second longest boom in Australian history. You can't move for talk of the budget surplus. The Liberals proclaim their impeccable economic record; Labor counterclaim that they sowed the seeds during their time in government. So who's right? Does it matter? And what does it all mean anyway? In this entertaining and incisive book, Australian economist Andrew Charlton looks behind the political smokescreen to reveal just how much of the rhetoric we should believe. He argues that while much of the economic headlines we read and see on TV are misleading and irrelevant, workers' rights, immigration, protectionism and investment in technology and education are all vital, in different ways, for the future of the nation -- and often have a direct impact on the world in which we live, from the size of our paypackets to the range of produce in our local stores. Forthright, compelling and extremely entertaining, this brilliant book shows ordinary readers why economics matters and why it is both more relevant and endlessly fascinating than they ever imagined ..."