There have been quite a few new and forthcoming books arriving recently. I already wrote about the marvelous Red Plenty by Francis Spufford.

Out next month is Aftershock by Philippe Legrain, which is about globalization after the financial and economic crisis. Definitely one I'll review in due course – Philippe has the gift of being at the same time grounded in evidence and provocative.

Further along the pipeline are two books about economics itself: The Puzzle of Modern Economics by Roger Backhouse, author of The Ordinary Business of Life, a vivid history of economic ideas; and The Heart of Teaching Economics by Simon Bowmaker, who edited the excellent Economics Uncut.