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Events
2009 Events
 Forum on "The Economic Naturalist: In Search of Solutions to Everyday Enigmas"
16 November 2009
Professor Robert H. Frank
H. J. Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
Why do brides buy their wedding dresses but grooms rent their tuxedos? And why does renting a tuxedo cost more than renting a car? Why does a light come on when you open the refrigerator but not when you open the freezer? In his 2007 book The Economic Naturalist, Prof Frank uses short economics essays – many written by his students – to explain everyday paradoxes and anomalies through the lens of economic theory. Instead of relying on traditional methods of instruction which involve abstract graphs and formulas, Professor Frank uses real-life examples to explain economic concepts such as cost-benefit analysis, the price sensitivity (or elasticity) of suppliers and buyers, the power of incentives, information asymmetries, and externalities. His approach shows how economics can be brought to life for students who have yet to be inducted into the economics way of thinking.
In this interactive session, participants will be able to engage with Professor Frank on how economics can provide answers to everyday life questions.
Prof Robert H. Frank is the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management and the co-director of the Paduano Seminar in business ethics at NYU's Stern School of Business. His "Economic View" column appears monthly in The New York Times. He received his B.S. in mathematics from Georgia Tech, then taught math and science for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Nepal. He holds an M.A. in statistics and a Ph.D. in economics, both from the University of California at Berkeley. His papers have appeared in the American Economic Review, Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, and other leading professional journals.
His books, which include Choosing the Right Pond, Passions Within Reason, Microeconomics and Behavior, Principles of Economics (with Ben Bernanke), Luxury Fever, What Price the Moral High Ground?, Falling Behind, and The Economic Naturalist, have been translated into 19 languages. The Winner-Take-All Society, co-authored with Philip Cook, received a Critic's Choice Award, was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times, and was included in Business Week's list of the ten best books of 1995. He is a co-recipient of the 2004 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He was awarded the Johnson School’s Stephen Russell Distinguished teaching award in 2004 and its Apple Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005.
The fee for this forum is $53.50, incl. GST. Please register early as seats will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. 3. Useful Links
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