The power of markets: who feeds Paris? -- Incentives matter: why you might be able to save your face by cutting off your nose (if you are a black rhinoceros) -- Government and the economy: government is your friend (and a round of applause for all those lawyers) -- Government and the economy II: the army was lucky to get that screwdriver for $500 -- Economics of information: McDonald's didn't create a better hamburger -- Productivity and human capital: why is Bill Gates so much richer than you are? -- Financial markets: what economics can tell us about getting rich quick (and losing weight, too!) -- The power of organized interests: what economics can tell us about politics -- Keeping score: is my economy bigger than your economy? -- The Federal Reserve: why that dollar in your pocket is more than just a piece of paper -- International economics: how did a nice country like Iceland go bust? -- Trade and globalization: the good news about Asian sweatshops -- Development economics: the wealth and poverty of nations