N. Greg Mankiw, a renowned economist and author of influential textbooks, discusses his journey from high school to Harvard. He reflects on personal anecdotes from his summers in Nantucket and childhood chess rivalries that shaped his academic path. Mankiw delves into the challenges of writing a landmark economics textbook and the evolving landscape of digital education enhanced by AI. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship in academia and shares insights into research productivity, highlighting how creativity and collaboration lead to success.