The Armchair Economist: Economics and Everyday Life

Revised and updated May 2012.

In this revised and updated edition of Steven Landsburg’s hugely popular book, he applies economic theory to today’s most pressing concerns, answering a diverse range of daring questions, such as: 

Why are seat belts deadly?
Why do celebrity endorsements sell products? 
Why are failed executives paid so much?
Who should bear the cost of oil spills? 
Do government deficits matter?
How is workplace safety bad for workers? 
What’s wrong with the local foods movement?
Which rich people can’t be taxed? 
Why is rising unemployment sometimes good? 
Why do women pay more at the dry cleaner?
Why is life full of disappointments? 

Whether these are nagging questions you’ve always had, or ones you never even thought to ask, this new edition of The Armchair Economist turns the eternal ideas of economic theory into concrete answers that you can use to navigate the challenges of contemporary life.