To tangle anyone’s brain up is an unworthy thing; and economics do tangle one up dreadfully (just look at those Soviet economists). To conclude these long sentences, Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics is an excellent resource. I’m not over-fond of economics myself, but I have read (and will read) all of Sowell’s books that come to hand.
Basic Economics discusses, among other things (I here quote the table of contents), “Prices and Markets, Industry and Commerce, Work and Pay”. It also briefly touches governmental health care, food, and electricity (again, among many other things).
Enjoy!