~marginalrevolution | Bookmarks (567)

Itamar Vieira Junior, Crooked Plow. Karen Jennings, Crooked Seeds. Richard Flanagan, Question Seven. Guadalupe Nettel, La hija única, or Still Born Sally Rooney, Intermezzo.  Here is a good Henry Oliver review. Of those I would pick Crooked Plow as the best.  The new novels by Alan Hollinghurst and Murakami stand some chance of making the […] The post Favorite fiction of 2024 appeared first...

The number of deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases more than doubled among Americans between 1999 and 2020, according to new research. Alcohol was involved in nearly 50,000 deaths among adults ages 25 to 85 in 2020, up from just under 20,000 in 1999. The increases were in all age groups. The biggest spike was observed […] The post Alcohol estimates appeared first on Marginal...

1. Was early life complex pretty quickly? 2. Might Trump recognize Somaliland? 3. Hegelian Roon. 4. Ross D. on Trump’s cabinet (NYT). 5. Arnold Kling on managing professionals vs. managing managers. 6. Fentanyl overdoses in decline. 7. Bryan Caplan in January on Milei. The post Sunday assorted links appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.         CommentsIn reply to Brett. This blog does not allow links....

That is the topic of my latest Bloomberg column, here is one excerpt: Given that background, simple economics would indicate that an interest rate cap of 10% would mean that only people with strong credit ratings would be able to borrow money on their cards. Those with lower net wealth, or poorer payment histories, would […] The post Against federal usury laws for credit...

The author is Theodore M. Schwartz and the subtitle of this excellent book is A Biography of Brain Surgery.  Excerpt: Whil there is no proven ideal age for a brain surgeon, let’s just say that during the first five years after residency, we are still getting our sea legs.  Over time, as with any learned […] The post *Gray Matters* appeared first on Marginal...

Analyses revealed that East Asians faced less prejudice than South Asians and were equally motivated by work and leadership as South Asians. However, East Asians were lower in assertiveness, which consistently mediated the leadership attainment gap between East Asians and South Asians. These results suggest that East Asians hit the bamboo ceiling because their low […] The post Why more South Asian than East...

1. More on Shostakovich’s Fifth (New Yorker). 2. On French music. 3. RFK Jr. may cut Medicare payments to doctors for surgeries. 4. Jason Furman on AI regulation (WSJ). 5. John Gray reviews Jordan Peterson. 6. All of Abbey Road, for piano. 7. Animal welfare advocates nominated to the Trump cabinet. The post Saturday assorted links appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.         CommentsIn reply...

Bryan Caplan and Daniel Klein both opine on Milei and populism, Dan being very enthusiastic, while Bryan praising Milei but more reserved in his praise of populism.  I too am a big fan of Milei, and I think he is still on a good track.  If his reforms do not succeed, likely it will not […] The post Milei and populism appeared first on...

There is a new paper on this topic, with multiple authors by led by Rebecca Ryan.  Here is the abstract: Research in economics and psychology shows that individuals are sensitive to cues about economic conditions in ways that affect attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. We provide causal evidence that parents’ beliefs about economic mobility prospects shape […] The post Parents should believe in upward mobility...

1. Why school vouchers failed in Kentucky. 2. Writing a book with ten autonomous AI agents. 3. Too many three-pointers in the NBA now. 4. NZ update (NYT).  And the FT on Maori issues. 5. Macroeconomic monitor for Milei. 6. Generative AI simulations of 1,000 people. 7. Shruti Rajagopalan makes the Vox Future Perfect 50 […] The post Friday assorted links appeared first on...

Good advice from Cass Sunstein, who did improve government efficiency as head of OIRA: There is a major focus these days on the topic of government efficiency, spurred by the creation of what is being called a “Department of Government Efficiency.” I have had the good fortune of being involved in simplification of government, and […] The post Sunstein on DOGE appeared first on...