Post Post

I’m sleeping in tomorrow, waking up, making coffee, and finally writing that post!

Sorry for the wait; I hope it’s worth it.

…nothing but work, work, work, all the time

Today I made some use of my library membership and the office printer, and now I have a nice stack of papers to read and summarize. I’d hoped to have a summary of the first paper up tonight, but I’ve got a big pile of coding to finish by the end of the day tomorrow.

Instead, I offer you a link to one co-author’s page at Columbia; the paper, titled: Would I Lie to You? On Social Preferences and Lying Aversion is available there in .pdf form. Anyone who’s feeling masochistic can have a look-see before I submit my writeup.

Frakonomics Blog Relaunch

I recently privatized all previous posts on this blog. I was concerned that my heedless commentary on the shortcomings of major political and economic figures might become a liability if my supervisors happened across Frakonomics and linked it to my real-life identity.

Today I am pleased to announce that I will resume writing at this site with a new purpose. Let me tell you about it.

This fall I’m applying to law schools and doctoral programs in economics. In order to write informed statements of purpose, and in order to avoid drifting aimlessly if any school is foolish enough to admit me, I’m going to read some academic papers. A lot of papers, mostly filled with Greek-laden math and scatter plots and other things that most people – probably you, gentle reader! – find interminably boring. But folks, this blog is here to help.

I promise you, many of these papers ask (and sometimes answer) really interesting questions. I’m particularly interested in subjects like behavioral economics, and economics and law. Papers in these fields consider (for example) how to maximize child support payments from wayward fathers, or under what circumstances friends are likely to betray each other for money, or the wicked things married people do to retain their mates. Many papers address the question of maximizing returns from vengeance.

As I read these papers, I’ll summarize them here, and answer your questions as well as I’m able. I promise to avoid unpleasant mathematical exercises, and instead leave you only with a greater understanding of the strategies people use to scam, fight, and screw their way through life.

–eigenman