Poor Economics - A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

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In two thousand five thirt ten percent of the world's population lived off less than the equivalent of a dollar a day. The poor are no less rational than any one else, quite the contrary, precisely because they have so we often find them putting much careful thought into their choices. They have to be sophisticated economists just to survive. To progress, we have to abandon the habit of reducing the poor to cartoon characters and take the time to really understand their lives in all their complexity and richness.

Choices! Trade-offs! Money! How much should you save? And how much should stimulus checks be? Don’t be scared by the term “economics,” especially since it doesn’t end in -ology. This 2-part Economic Sociology bonanza addresses the behavior that motivates the fiscal systems of the world, from avocado toast to retirement funds. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about why we learn too much of the wrong math and how everything from marriage to dinner parties involves little choices rooted in economic principles. Rising economics star and Harvard Fellow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman graces us with her thoughts on macroeconomics, human capital, when to outsource your work and how she realized she loved Econ. Also: how these interviews helped me make one of my life’s biggest decisions.

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