Even if you are planning a birth with an epidural, the evidence suggests that a doula can help make things go much more smoothly.

For many women - myself included - pregnancy brings on tremendous anxiety and confusion, along with the joy.

When I meet people on airplanes and they find out I'm an economist, they usually ask about stock tips.

All's fair in love and purchasing.

As people do a task, they improve at it.

The key to good decision making is evaluating the available information - the data - and combining it with your own estimates of pluses and minuses. As an economist, I do this every day.

Adhering to budgeting rules shouldn't trump good decision-making.