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 -- Trade and globalization : the good news about Asian sweatshops -- Development economics : the wealth and poverty of nations -- Epilogue : life in 2050 : seven questions.