It’s a month since I posted the shortlist for this entirely personal prize for the best economics book I’ve read in the previous 12 months. So the time has come to announce the winner. It has been a difficult choice – I was about to write that getting it down to a final four was relatively straightforward, but then I started arguing with myself about the titles I’d eliminated. Anyway, on the criteria of (a) contains serious economic argument, (b) accessible to a wider readership than professional economists, (c) I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, the winner is:

Economic Fables by Ariel Rubinstein

The prize is mainly the honour, of course – unlike the FT’s book prize, I don’t have the financial heft of Goldman Sachs backing this. However, I will be delighted to take Ariel and his publisher out for a celebratory meal if we can arrange all to be in the same city some time.