John liszt is considered one of the most distinguished economists of his generation. He and his older sister were the first two people in the family to go to college. Many of his colleagues have parents who are professionals, even economists themselves. Is a kid growing up de tasseling corn, helping my dad with his no one man trucking company,. washing dishes, working in warehouses.
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”