What You Need to Understand from Economics with Planet Money's Alex Mayyasi

If you’ve ever listened to NPR’s Planet Money, you know the vibe: They take dense, eye-glazing economic theories and turn them into cinematic, human-driven stories. Whether following a t-shirt across the global supply chain, buying a barrel of crude oil, or creating a shell company, Planet Money has spent over 15 years proving that economics isn’t just for academics - it impacts our lives every single day.

In this episode, Ben talks to Planet Money reporter and host Alex Mayyasi, author of the New York Times bestselling Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life.

They talk about the counterintuitive lessons from classic Planet Money cases, like why ATMs actually increased bank teller jobs and what that teaches us about automation. Plus they talk about some of the structural issues with the economy today, how markets are underrated, and why restaurants are so important.

Check out Alex's Substack and new show, Gastronomics.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.