Consider our difficulties avoiding junk food and overspending. Such addictions were carefully planned-for by professional marketing teams.

There is more uncertainty than usual about job futures because computers are replacing more and more human intelligence, and globalization is proceeding at an accelerating pace.

Marketers know that if people you respect - perhaps laughably including entertainers and athletes - say they like a product, you're more likely to buy.

Somehow, talking to young students brings you back to reality - it should, anyway.

The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.

Economists who adhere to rational-expectations models of the world will never admit it, but a lot of what happens in markets is driven by pure stupidity - or, rather, inattention, misinformation about fundamentals, and an exaggerated focus on currently circulating stories.

Some of the best theorizing comes after collecting data because then you become aware of another reality.