In the next twenty years the world economy will enjoy one of its strongest periods of growth. Greater innovation and technical change will increase opportunities. Life expectancy, income and educational standards will rise. The West's share in the global economic cake may get smaller, but there will be more cake than ever before.

These are the predictions of Gerard Lyons, a leading international economist who spent nearly thirty years working in the City. He is now the chief economic adviser to the Mayor of London. Over the last quarter-century he has been ahead of the game in predicting the major economic trends that we now take as a given.

The Consolations of Economics is a lucid and accessible expert's attempt to look objectively at the changing global economy - what is happening and what it means. He shows how we can embrace change, rather than hide from it. The results are fascinating, refreshing - and unusually cheering.

Gerard Lyons is an expert on the world economy, macro-economic policy and financial markets. He spent twenty-seven years in the City and meeting politicians, policymakers and investors across the globe. Now he is Chief Economic Adviser to Boris Johnson. He is widely credited with accurate forecasts before the financial crisis, and in 2010 and 2011 Bloomberg ranked him number one global forecaster (out of over 360). He has been a regular on international TV and written press columns across the globe.