Russ Roberts

An expert economist discusses the work of an 18th-century Scottish economist and describes how Smith's 250-year-old The Theory of Moral Sentiments can help modern humans find satisfaction, fulfillment and an understanding of the connection between morality and happiness. 40,000 first printing.

An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

From the host of EconTalk, a guide to decision-making when you can't crunch the numbers Algorithms and apps analyze data and tell you how to beat the traffic, what books to buy, what music to listen to, and even who to date—often with great results. But what do you do when you face the big decisions of life—the "wild problems" of who to marry, whether to have children, where to move, how to forge a life well-lived—that can’t be solved by measurement or calculation? In Wild Problems, beloved host of EconTalk Russ Roberts offers puzzled rationalists a way to address these wild problems. He suggests spending less time and energy on the path that promises the most happiness, and more time on figuring out who you actually want to be. He draws on the experience of great artists, writers, and scientists of the past who found creative ways to navigate life’s biggest questions. And he lays out strategies for reducing the fear and the loss of control that inevitably come when a wild problem requires a leap in the dark. Ultimately, Roberts asks us to see ourselves and our lives less as a problem to be solved than a mystery to be experienced. There's no right decision waiting to be uncovered by an app or rational analysis. Reality is harder than that and, perhaps, a little more interesting.

A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us

Wild Problems

How Perverse Incentives Caused the Financial Crisis

Gambling with Other People's Money

Russ Roberts held tight to his dream. He would be an airline pilot. Airplanes were the golden thread that stiched together an otherwise turbulent start to life. "Unlearning to Fly" is a literary metaphor illustrating his need to find his own way, "unlearn" his parents' religious and lifestyle teachings. In this heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking memoir, he takes you from Alaska to Virginia and on to Greenland, Iceland, and Europe.

Navigating the Turbulence and Bliss of Growing Up in the Sky, A Memoir

Unlearning to Fly

What does an economist who died in 1790 have to say about the moral life, the good life, the mystery of human interaction, and the place that ambition and fame play in our lives? Plenty. The Wealth of Nationsremains a pillar in economic theory, but Adam Smith considered his other, lesser-known great work a superior book. Economics professor Russell Roberts always meant to read The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and when he finally did, it changed his life. Rather than read the dense tome, Roberts has devised an ingenious way to 'channel' Adam Smith by presenting his lessons in an accessible and fun way.

What caused the Financial Crisis of 2008? While government mandates and private sector mistakes did contribute to the crisis and can be blamed at least in part for what happened, this book takes a different approach. Russ Roberts argues that the true underlying cause of the mess was the past bailouts of large financial institutions that allowed these institutions to gamble carelessly because they were effectively using other people's money. The author warns that despite the passage of Dodd-Frank, it is widely believed that we have done nothing to eliminate 'Too Big to Fail.' That perception allows the largest financial institutions to continue to gamble with taxpayer money.

Algorithms and apps analyze data and tell you how to beat the traffic, what books to buy, what music to listen to, and even who to date-often with great results. But what do you do when you face the big decisions of life-the "wild problems" of who to marry, whether to have children, where to move, how to forge a life well-lived-that can't be solved by measurement or calculation? In WILD PROBLEMS, beloved host of the hugely popular podcast EconTalk Russ Roberts offers puzzled rationalists a way to address these wild problems. He suggests spending less time and energy on the path that promises the most happiness, and more time on figuring out who you actually want to be. He draws on the experience of great artists, writers, and scientists of the past who found creative ways to navigate life's biggest questions. And he lays out strategies for reducing the fear and the loss of control that inevitably come when a wild problem requires a leap in the dark. Ultimately, Roberts asks us to see ourselves and our lives less as a problem to be solved than a mystery to be experienced. There's no right decision waiting to be uncovered by an app or rational analysis. Reality is harder than that and, perhaps, a little more interesting.

Russ Roberts

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