Steven E. Landsburg American economist, author Country: USA

1. Biography of Steven Landsburg
2. Wide Recognition
3. Popular Works
4. Unconventional Views
5. Contributions to Mathematics and Science

Biography of Steven Landsburg

Steven E. Landsburg is an American economist and author. He is currently a professor of economics at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. Landsburg obtained his education at the same university, although he did not receive a degree due to failing a physical education course. However, he did earn a master's degree while already teaching. He defended his doctoral degree in mathematics in 1979 at the University of Chicago. He spent some time at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Wide Recognition

Landsburg has gained wide recognition through his column in the magazine 'Slate'. His column covers a wide range of issues related to daily economics, from hurricane Katrina victim compensation to national debt. In his column, readers can find discussions on topics such as fines for using mobile phones while driving, the size of child benefits, and whether daughters are more likely than sons to be the cause of parental divorce. Landsburg even proposed in his column to reward and penalize jurors in courts. He considers himself a staunch libertarian and emphasizes the importance of individual choice for jurors in courts.

Popular Works

Among Landsburg's most popular works are 'Armchair Economist: Economics And Everyday Experience' (1995), 'Fair Play' (1997), and 'Price Theory and Applications' (2004). In his book 'More Sex is Safer Sex, The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics', Landsburg argues that monogamy is a sin in the era of AIDS. Although this opinion is controversial, Landsburg uses a chain of witty logical reasoning to demonstrate that the more sex a person has in life, paradoxically, the lower the chances of contracting HIV.

Unconventional Views

Landsburg is known for his unconventional views on life and economics. In his book 'The Armchair Economist', he states, "The essence of economics as a scientific discipline can be expressed in one sentence: People respond to incentives." In this book, Landsburg examines the unexpected effects that follow seemingly reasonable political decisions. For example, he explains in a chapter titled 'How Seat Belts Can be Dangerous' that the law mandating seat belt use in the 1960s in the US actually led to an increase in road accidents. This occurred because the prospect of a crash incentivized American drivers to drive more cautiously, and the use of seat belts reduced this incentive. Although his viewpoint is debatable, Landsburg remains highly popular among readers.

Contributions to Mathematics and Science

In addition to his economic works, Landsburg has also written articles on mathematics, including K-theory. In all of his works, he attempts to find answers to Big Questions using economics, mathematics, and physics. His books and articles are known for being highly readable and interesting. Landsburg is an incredibly popular blogger, journalist, and author, partly because he always strives to captivate American readers with his texts.

Landsburg's opinions on free trade and opposition to protectionism have been published in various newspapers and magazines, including the 'New York Times' and 'Washington Post'.