Economics should schematically explain the key elements and main strands of this core part of social life: the actual workings of our economies. This book argues that orthodox, modern neoclassical economics does not fulfil this core task. Standard economic models do not address the real functioning of our market economies, but rather an imagined economy.

While a number of books have presented a critique of mainstream economic models, this book also seeks to develop an alternative model of economics inferred from observational empirical evidence.

The book will be of interest to economics students and researchers; to economists; and particularly to universities and business schools teaching and researching non-traditional and 'post-crash' economics.