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Summer Reading?

The idea of a book club always appeals to me. What's not to like about being in a comfortable space cozied up to a hot cup of something discussing themes, character traits, and deeper meanings? Plus, the whole process suggests the luxury of spare time--or, at least unscheduled time. Time like that is seductive for many reasons...

This summer (and last summer) I joined a book club of sorts via twitter. While it does not provide the pure club experience above, it does satisfy on some level my desire to explore books in community. This community is facilitated by Jeff Howe of Atlantic Monthly.

So far we've read Margaret Atwood (The Blind Assassin), Haruki Murakami (Kafka On The Shore), and this month's selection is Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. I am immersed in non-fiction professionally. So, it is good for me to consume novels like these. A different part of my brain engages and I lose myself a bit in story and feelings and tension--some belongs to others and some belongs to me. And, though we are not physically in one place, my fellow readers are very much a community of sorts. I imagine many of us would choose to get together if the opportunity arose.

We read and tweet. Tweet and read. It's the perfect summer indulgence for my otherwise disciplined and crowded schedule.

Sample Map Riverside County Data

This is a link to a sample map created using ArcGIS Explorer.

Spring Micro Blog CSUSB #10

Of the three general types of market failure presented in class, which one is most significant in your opinion? Why?

Spring Micro Blog CSUSB #9

How does a market-oriented system (like the US mixed-capitalist system) determine "who gets how much" of the goods and services produced? Is this system the best way? Why or why not?

Spring Micro Blog CSUSB #8

Would you rather live in a country where goods and services were all cheaper but you had 50% fewer choices (in quality, taste, etc) or a country where goods and services were more expensive but you had unlimited choice? Why?

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #7

Can you think of an example of each type of market structure presented in class today? No fair cheating on your fellow-students' lists. Try to be original...

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #6

What other reasons might motivate firms to produce goods and services besides profit maximization? Can you provide one example of a firm operating successfully without positive economic profit?

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #5

Do you take advantage of all the student "discounts" available to you from CSUSB? Why or why not?

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #4

Consider your own consumption habits: which good in your budget is most price elastic? Which good in your budget is most price inelastic? I'll let you go on this one for a bit, then I will chime in with my own responses.

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #3

The next time you think: "I wonder if __________ is an example of demand and supply"....make a note and jot down your thoughts here in the blog. For example, as I drove into the Post Office parking lot, there was a line of cars. Does this have anything to do with demand and supply? Sure! The demand for parking spaces was greater than the supply of available spaces....see?

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #2

If you have a choice (as a student) between a math problem or a "word" problem, which do you prefer? Why?

Redlands Micro 4/6/11

You are invited to be a part of President Obama's re-election campaign team. Your job is to advise him on economic issues. What three key ideas will you suggest in order to help him get re-elected?

Spring Micro CSUSB Blog #1

Of the 10 Big Ideas, students generally agree "Incentives Matter" is one of the most important concepts in our course. Provide one example from your life where you responded to positive or negative incentives in making a decision. For example, recently the family wanted to go out to dinner. I suggested P.F. Chang's because I had received gift cards to that restaurant. The incentive to go there was stronger because the total bill would be smaller after the gift cards....make sense?

Redlands Micro Question 3/24/11

Markets clearly do not operate efficiently 100% of the time. Skim the recent headlines of your favorite news source and provide one clear example of market "failure". Please provide your source in your post!

Last Macro Question (CSUSB) 3/16

President Obama has selected you to advise him on the economic policies he should adopt and promote while he runs for re-election. What THREE ideas do you have advise him to focus on? Why?

Last Micro Question (CSUSB) 3/16

What is the single most important economic concept you have been exposed to over the last 9 weeks? Why?

Macro Question 3/9/11

If there is a recessionary gap between actual GDP growth and potential GDP growth, should the government "intervene" to close the gap? Why? Why not?

Micro Question 3/9/11

Review the text and your notes regarding deadweight losses associated with monopoly. Can you provide one example where a monopoly actually results in greater benefits to society as a whole? Explain your example.

Macro Question 3/2/11

Consider the most recent recession which authorities say began in December 2007. Review the list of real shocks and spending shocks reviewed in class. In your opinion, what type of shock (or shocks) caused the downturn? Offer a couple sentences of explanation.

Micro Question 3/1/11

Research the Fortune 500 list for 2010. Make note of the top 10 firms. Look up the Fortune 500 list from 10 years ago (in 2000). Make a list of the top 10 companies in 2000. If the lists are different, can you explain why some of the firms are no longer on the top 10 list using what we've learned about entry/exit, profit conditions, competition, and costs to explain the change? Have fun with this one...

Micro Question 2/24

What industry do you want to 'work' in after graduation? Share that; using the template of market structures, describe what type of industry structure your profession most likely falls into? Why?

Macro question 2/24

Find the CPI number for the year you were born. What was it? What base year did it reference? How much inflation have we had since then?

Micro Question 2/7/11

Find a headline (online or from other news sources) that could be partially explained by elasticity (of demand, supply, income, etc). Post the headline here with a one sentence explanation.

Macro Questions 2/7/11

What was the single most important thing you learned from watching the short film "The Crisis of Credit"?

Micro Question 2/2/11

Consider your own consumption habits and budget; which item in your monthly expenditures is most elastic with respect to price? Which item is least elastic with respect to price? Why? (For example, I shared about my own very elastic demand for "Starbucks" coffee...)

Macro Question: February 2nd

How would you explain the concept of diminishing marginal productivity of capital to a 5th grader? (Remember: 5th graders are pretty smart people).

Macro question 1/24/11: Better than GDP?

So, some students think GDP is an inadequate measure of the economy. Can you think of a better measure? What is it and why is it better?

Micro question 1/24/11: Demand or Supply?

Which "Law" is more powerful: demand or supply? Why?

To Consume or Not Consume

Do you think we should adjust our "mix" of production to include more capital goods (versus consumption goods)? Why or why not?

Fairest of Them All?

Idea, idea in the text...

Which of the 10 Big Ideas in Chapter 1 of Cowen and Tabarrok is "fairest" of them all? That is...which idea do you think is the most relevant to critical thinking and/or decision making? Explain in a sentence or two why you choose the idea you do.