Thanksgiving Random Notes

Gee, it's been for awhile that I don't serve anything here. I am a lousy barista, indeed.

So where are we? Well, apparently we, the baristas, here don't seem to believe that a revolution in economics would happen real soon -- which doesn't mean that the field has gone nowhere since the last time you open the textbook. Come to academic seminars, open NBER web or AEA web, and you'll know what I mean.

Psychology/behavioral approach is moving to the mainstream now, to take one direction of progress in micro, and many are talking about (funny shape of) aggregate demand in near zero short term nominal interest rate in macro.

But we're now near Thanksgiving break, so all those seemingly important serving shall wait.

Well, maybe holiday mood and good behavioral economics shall not be contradicted, thanks to Daniel Kahneman.

His latest book, "Thinking, Fast and Slow", is delightful and well-written -- so well that actually you can read it while waiting for your train, cooking the Turkey, or attending the royal wedding (well, maybe not). For such a heavy academic content, it's not an easy to write in popular lingo yet retain the depth of knowledge. Kahneman did it. You don't need to know psychology or economics (god forbid) to digest Kahneman's thought in this book.

In short: you should buy it.

The other thing that you can do during holiday is probably going to your typical movie theater and watch The Muppets and not-so typical theater for Being Elmo.

Happy Thanksgiving, folks