The Undercover Economist
I went to the Sydney Writers Festival yesterday, at the ungodly hour of 9am on a Saturday morning (and Friday night was a late one). The talk was by Tim Harford, who has written a book called "The Undercover Economist", which from what I gather is not unlike Freakonomics in that it dissects everyday life under the microscope of economic investigation.
Tim Harford was an engaging and entertaining speaker, but his talk lacked anything to make it more than dinner table conversation. It wasn't particularly profound to learn that the economy is very complex, that there are some brands with identical products that are intentionally marketed and sold at a different price level, and that there are some tactics more likely to work in the dating world than others. Generally though it was an interesting way to spend a rainy Saturday morning. I dare say I'll visit the festival again next year.