New Books in Psychology

Daryl Fairweather, "Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work" (U Chicago Press, 2025)

Apr 12, 2025

Daryl Fairweather, Chief Economist at Redfin and the first Black woman to earn an economics PhD from the University of Chicago, dives into the practical application of economic principles in everyday life. She shares actionable insights on navigating relationships and careers, emphasizing the importance of understanding economic systems. From behavioral biases in home buying to leveraging game theory in personal negotiations, Fairweather advocates for a strategic approach to decision-making. Her focus on social justice and economic fairness reshapes how we think about property taxes and community engagement.

36:04

Episode guests

Daryl Fairweather

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Daryl Fairweather illustrates how applying economic principles can significantly enhance personal decision-making in careers and relationships.

The podcast emphasizes recognizing biases in decision-making, enabling individuals to make more rational choices and avoid common pitfalls.

Deep dives

Leveraging Economics for Personal Goals

The book emphasizes how economics can be a powerful tool for achieving personal goals in various aspects of life, including career and relationships. By applying fundamental economic principles, individuals can gain insights that improve their decision-making processes. The author draws from her own experiences, demonstrating how understanding the dynamics of economic interactions has helped her navigate challenges in the private sector. Ultimately, the goal is to empower readers to utilize economic strategies to effectively pursue and fulfill their aspirations.

Intro

3min

Economics for Everyday Success

13min

Navigating Goals and Behavioral Biases in Decision-Making

5min

Rethinking Property Tax and Social Justice

8min

Game Theory in Tariff Negotiations: Lessons from Relationships

2min

Understanding Mutual Gains in Negotiation

3min

The secret insights of economics, translated for the rest of us. Should I buy or rent? Do I ask for a promotion? Should I tell people I’m pregnant? What salary do I deserve? Should I just quit this job? Common anxieties about life are often grounded in economics. In an increasingly win-lose society, these economic decisions—where to work, where to live, even how to live—have a way of feeling fixed and mistakes terminal. Daryl Fairweather is no stranger to these dynamics. As the first Black woman to receive an economics PhD from the famed University of Chicago, she saw firsthand how concepts of behavioral economics and game theory were deployed in the real world—and in her own life—to great effect.

Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work (U Chicago Press, 2025) combines Fairweather’s elite knowledge of these principles with her singular voice in describing how they can be harnessed. Her great talent, unique among economists, is her ability to articulate economic trends in a way that is not just informative, but also accounts for life’s other anxieties. In Hate the Game, Fairweather fixes her expertise and service on navigating the earliest economic inflection points of adult life: whether to go to college and for how long; partnering, having kids, both, or neither; getting, keeping, and changing jobs; and where to live and how to pay for it. She speaks in actionable terms about what the economy means for individual people, especially those who have the sneaking suspicion they’re losing out. Set against her own experiences and enriched with lessons from history, science, and pop culture, Fairweather instructs readers on how to use game theory and behavioral science to map out options and choose directions while offering readers a sense of control and agency in an economy where those things are increasingly rare.

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