Elaine Schwartz
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Elaine Schwartz has spent her career sharing the interesting side of economics. At the Kent Place School in Summit New Jersey, she was honored with an Endowed Chair in Economics. Just published, her newest book, Degree in a Book: Economics (Arcturus 2023), gives readers a lighthearted look at what definitely is not “the dismal science.” She has also written and updated Econ 101 ½ (Avon Books/Harper Collins 1995) and Economics: Our American Economy (Addison Wesley 1994). In addition, Elaine has articles in the Encyclopedia of New Jersey (Rutgers University Press) and was a featured teacher in the Annenberg/CPB video project “The Economics Classroom.” Beyond the classroom, she has presented Econ 101 ½ talks and led workshops for the Foundation for Teaching Economics, the National Council on Economic Education and for the Concord Coalition. Online for more than a decade. econlife has had one million+ visits.

Weekly Economic News Roundup: From Team Chemistry to Tomato Chemistry

Connecting economics, current events and history, our Weekly Economic News Roundup includes how old brands compete and the unresolvable minimum wage debate.

Deciding What is Real Money

While intuitively, we know the characteristics of money, when we receive a bent coin or a half of a dollar bill, we might wonder if we can spend it.

Throwback Thursday: Looking for a Tasty Tomato

#TBT: Today we look back to when small and sweet tomatoes became large, sturdy and bland. How the Tomato Lost Its Taste Our story begins close to 90 years ago. Although we are not sure where, we do know that…

The Hollywood Gender Gap

Excluding Rey from its newest Star Wars Monopoly game, Hasbro added to a Hollywood gender gap described in a new study from USC Annenberg.

Why the Greek Yogurt Invasion Was More Than Yoplait’s War

The story of Yoplait’s unsuccessful battle against a Greek Yogurt invasion is really about a war that old food brands are fighting.

How to Upset the Minimum Wage Debate

Economists on one side of the minimum wage debate just got some extra ammunition from the results of a University of Washington study.

How to Get Team Chemistry

Trying to figure out the reason for success in Major League Baseball could take us beyond individual talent to understanding the sources of team chemistry.

Weekly Economic News Roundup: From Lady Gaga to IKEA

Weekly News Roundup       Sunday 07.09.17 How red influences our financial decisions…     Monday 07.10.17 What it’s nice to know about the G20…         Tuesday 07.11.17 The human capital that the Saudis underutiize…   Wednesday 07.12.17…

Why the IKEA Effect is About Much More Than Furniture

Rippling far beyond furniture assembly, the IKEA Effect can determine how we value what we construct and cook at home, and design at work.

Throwback Thursday: Looking Back at the Tiffany Brand

Shifting from Audrey Hepburn elegance to Lady Gaga, the Tiffany brand has a new face to market its luxury image and its Veblen goods.