And I think he's useful at least as a voice that challenges some conventional mental models for looking at things in math, finance, and decision making.

He's not an infallible visionary and should not be taken as gospel, but I don't think we should disqualify all of his ideas and opinions. I've enjoyed reading a lot of his books.

However, as you said, he's not a good introduction into the economy and probably isn't accessible for many beginners.