Economic principles can sometimes seem inaccessible. This text is designed to help the non-specialist understand - in the context of global change - why economic principles are important and how they are driving events. The book is extremely user-friendly. As well as diagrams, questions and summaries, key theories are illustrated in contemporary settings and explained in jargon-free, non-technical language. The book will be particularly useful to those who are new to economics and whose interest goes beyond the national economy.