Are there tangible benefits in flossing? Is it wrong to fake orgasms? What does the perfect online dating ad look like? Should we bother doing the ironing? Is it really impossible to buy the perfect Christmas gift? (Other than this book, of course.) Economists might not be the first people you would[...]

Ever wondered why the gap between rich and poor nations is so great, or why it's so difficult to get a foot on the property ladder, or where the banks went wrong? This book offers the hidden story behind these and other forces that shape our day-to-day lives, often without our knowing it. 'Lively an[...]

The creator of the marginalrevolution.com economics blog demonstrates how to use hidden economic principles behind everyday situations to reach one's personal goals, from reading a classic novel to finding a dentist, in a guide that demonstrates how to make the most of non-monetary incentives. Repri[...]

A leading economist, "who may very well turn out to be this decade's Thomas Friedman" (Wall Street Journal), illuminates the state of American food today
Tyler Cowen, one of the most influential economists of the last decade, wants you to know that just about everything you've heard about how t[...]

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy has been lauded by the New York Times, Financial Times, and reviewers worldwide. Translated in fourteen languages, Travels has received numerous awards for its frank and nuanced discussion of global economic realities. Now updated and revised--inclu[...]

Is it worth swimming in shark-infested waters to surf a 50-foot, career-record wave?

Is it riskier to make an action movie or a horror movie?

Should sex workers forfeit 50 percent of their income for added security or take a chance and keep the extra money? Most people wouldn't expect [...]

One of the most influential economists of the decade-and the "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Great Stagnation"-boldly argues that just about everything you've heard about food is wrong. Food snobbery is killing entrepreneurship and innovation, says economist, preeminent social commentato[...]

The U.S. healthcare system is in critical condition--but this should come as a surprise to no one. Yet until now the solutions proposed have been unworkable, pie-in-the-sky plans that have had little chance of becoming law and even less of succeeding. In Code Red, David Dranove, one of the nation's [...]

Throughout history, great philosophers have been answering profound questions about life. But do they know why your socks keep disappearing from the dryer, or how to choose the quickest line at the supermarket? Probably not, but Tim Harford does. . . .
In Dear Undercover Economist, the first col[...]