Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Acknowledgments
1
The Power of Markets: Who feeds Paris?
2
Incentives Matter: Why you might be able to save your face by cutting off your
nose (if you are a black rhinoceros)
3
Government and the Economy: Government is your friend (and
a round of
applause for all those lawyers)
4
Government and the Economy II: The army was lucky to get that screwdriver for
$500
5
Economics of Information: McDonald’s didn’t
create a better hamburger
6
Productivity and Human Capital: Why is Bill Gates so much richer than you are?
7
Financial Markets: What economics can tell us about getting rich quick (and
losing weight, too!)
8
The Power of Organized Interests: What economics can tell us about politics
9
Keeping Score: Is my economy bigger than your economy?
10
The Federal Reserve: Why that dollar in your pocket
is more than just a piece of
paper
11
International Economics: How did a nice country like Iceland go bust?
12
Trade and Globalization: The good news about Asian sweatshops
13
Development Economics: The wealth
and poverty of nations
Epilogue Life in 2050: Seven Questions