More Sex Is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of EconomicsSimon and Schuster, 17.04.2007 - 304 Seiten A witty and razor-sharp look at the many ways our individually rational decisions can combine into some truly weird collective results—and some hilarious and serious ways to fix just about everything. Economics is no longer the “dismal science” dreaded by college freshmen. In recent years, a band of economists has broken away from the charts and graphs of college textbooks, and begun to explain ordinary behavior in plain and often entertaining English. Steve Landsburg was one of the first of the new breed, in his book The Armchair Economist and long-running “Everyday Economics” column in Slate magazine. Now he is back, and more provocative than ever. In More Sex Is Safer Sex, Landsburg shows how the rational behavior of each one of us—when combined together—produces the often bizarre, seemingly irrational behavior of crowds. We all stand up at the ballpark, so none of us can see. We avoid casual sex, from fear of disease, and we thereby make sex more dangerous. Things really get interesting when Landsburg suggests ways to change the rules, and game the system. Why not charge juries if a convicted felon is exonerated? Why not have each member of Congress represent a national subset of voters, chosen alphabetically? Why not solve the “overpopulation” problem by having more children, who will help think of ways to improve our use of resources? More Sex Is Safer Sex will make you laugh and argue—and it will make you think about the world around you in new and unforgettable ways. |
Inhalt
9 | |
How to Fix Politics | 75 |
How to Fix the Justice System | 83 |
How to Fix Everything Else | 105 |
CONTENTS | 111 |
Go Figure | 133 |
Giving Your All | 161 |
The Central Banker of the Soul | 177 |
How to Read the News | 191 |
Matters of Life and Death | 211 |
Things That Make Me Squirm | 229 |
Appendix | 249 |
257 | |
265 | |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
More Sex Is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics Steven E. Landsburg Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2008 |
More Sex Is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics Steven E. Landsburg Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2007 |
More Sex is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics Steven E. Landsburg Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2008 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
American answer argument average behavior believe better bigger blacks boys can’t Cancer Society carry drugs carts cause Central Banker chance charity child choose communal stream conviction cost-benefit analysis count course Daily Kos divorce driving earn economic economists effects evidence exactly feel Fix Everything future girls give grade grade inflation Habtegiris idea incentives income jurors jury kidney least less lives LoJack look Mark Bils Martin Michael Schiavo million moral neighbors never obesity parents people’s percent Pittsford poor prefer probably problem Professor question rabbits rates risk SAFER SEX Scrooge SEX IS SAFER social someone spend spillover Squirm starfish statistical Steven Pinker stop sure Tappets taxes TerraPass theory there’s there’s no reason they’re thing Tirhas Habtegiris trade deficit ventilator what’s whites Who’s worth wrong you’re