In the Undercover Economist column he writes for the Financial Times, Tim Harford looks at familiar situations in unfamiliar ways and explains the fundamental principles of the modern economy. He illuminates them with clear writing and a variety of examples borrowed from daily life.

His seven books include Messy: The Power of Disorder To Transform Our Lives and Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure. They champion, respectively, the power of improvisation and trial-and-error.

Harford is also a champion of statistics, wisely used. He's the only journalist to have been made an honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. His forthcoming book, How To Make The World Add Up, aims to help us use the numbers around us to shed light rather than spread confusion.

He says: "I'd like to see many more complex problems approached with a willingness to experiment."