The inaugural title in the MIT Press First Reads series is the first major book on the economic effects of COVID-19
We are excited to announce the publication of the first major book about the potential economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In Economics in the Age of COVID-19, author Joshua Gans outlines the phases of the pandemic economy, from containment to reset to recovery and enhancement. Gans steps back from the short-term chaos to take a clear and systematic look at how economic choices are being made in response to COVID-19.
“New economic challenges are arriving daily,” says Gans. “My goal with this book was to provide a way of sorting it all out and putting it all together to allow everyone to better process what is going on around us.”
Economics in the Age of COVID-19 is the inaugural title in the MIT Press First Reads series. These rapidly produced, digital-first books will provide expert insight on matters of urgent local and global consequence. Created in response to the current crisis resulting from the global spread and impact of the COVID-19 virus, the new series provides researchers and the public with timely information that does not sacrifice rigor or editorial quality.
This book was written in the midst of the unfolding crisis and informed by community feedback received from an open review process hosted on PubPub, an open source platform for community publishing. The First Reads edition was also peer-reviewed by experts as part of a traditional, anonymous peer review process. An updated edition of the book in both print and electronic formats will be published in November of 2020, with additional content addressing questions and issues that arise over the next few months.
Amy Brand, Director of the MIT Press, explains more about the publishing process for the First Reads series. “The combination of the community review method and the rapid eBook publication is a completely new model for us,” says Brand. “This is the fastest we’ve ever moved a book through our system due to the immediacy of the content. The launch of the MIT Press First Reads series and the swift publication of Economics in the Age of COVID-19 reflects our ambition to address important topics in a fast yet responsible and authoritative manner.”
Additional books will be published as part of the First Reads series in the coming months.