Ebook: Uncommon sense: economic insights, from marriage to terrorism

The Becker-Posner Blog, founded by Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary S. Becker and renowned jurist and legal scholar Richard A. Posner, banks its reputation on lively, thought-provoking commentary on current events, along with pithy and profound weekly essays highlighting the value of economic reasoning when applied to unexpected topics. Uncommon Sense gathers the most important and innovative entries from the blog, arranged by topic, along with updates and even reconsiderations when subsequent events have shed new light on a question. Whether it's Posner making the economic case for the legalization of gay marriage, Becker arguing in favor of the sale of human organs for transplant, or even the pair of scholars vigorously disagreeing about the utility of collective punishment, the writing is always clear, the interplay energetic, and the resulting discussion deeply informed and intellectually substantial.;Introduction to Becker-Posner blog -- pt. 1. Sex and population -- The sexual revolution -- Gay marriage -- Polygamy -- Sex selection -- Immigration reform -- Putin's population plan -- Afterthoughts to part I -- pt. 2. Property rights -- Kelo and eminent domain -- Pharmaceutical patents -- Grokster, file sharing, and contributory infringement -- Orphan drugs, intellectual property, and social welfare -- Organ sales -- Traffic congestion -- Privatizing highways -- Afterthoughts to part II -- pt. 3. Universities -- Plagiarism -- Tenure -- For-profit colleges -- Ranking higher education -- Afterthoughts to part III -- pt. 4. Incentives -- Fat tax -- Trans fats ban -- Libertarian paternalism -- Chicago and big boxes -- Afterthoughts to part IV -- pt. 5. Jobs and employment -- Judicial term limits -- Economics of the revolving door -- CEO compensation -- Income inequality -- Corporate social responsibility -- Afterthoughts to part V -- pt. 6. Environment and disasters -- Tsunami -- Major disasters -- Federalism, economics, and Katrina -- Post-catastrophe price gouging -- Global warming and discount rates -- Efficient water conservation -- Afterthoughts to part VI -- pt. 7. Crime and punishment and terrorism -- Capital punishment -- Doping athletes -- Drunk driving -- Internet gambling -- Preventive war -- Ethnic profiling -- Privatizing security -- Antiterrorism allocations -- Collective punishment -- Afterthoughts to part VII -- pt. 8. The world -- Economic and political freedom -- Size of countries -- Hamas, Palestine, and democracy -- Google in China -- Economics of national culture -- Microfinance and development -- World inequality -- Foreign aid -- Afterthoughts to part VIII.