The Last Lecture is a book based on an internet sensation, the “Last Lecture” given by computer scientist Randy Pausch at Carnegie-Mellon University. Pausch died tragically of pancreatic cancer in 2008; the principles he discusses in his last lecture (and in a companion lecture on time management, both of which are available on the…
Art Carden
Art Carden is Assistant Professor of Economics and Business at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and an Adjunct Fellow with the Oakland, California-based Independent Institute. He has been a visiting researcher at the American Institute for Economic Research in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. He holds a BS and an MA in economics from the University of Alabama as well as an AM and PhD in economics and a Graduate Certificate in New Institutional Social Sciences from Washington University in Saint Louis. His articles and reviews have been published or are forthcoming in numerous scholarly journals and other outlets. He writes regular commentaries for the Ludwig von Mises Institute and the Independent Institute, and he is a regular contributor to an economics weblog at www.divisionoflabour.com. He and his wife Shannon had their first child, Jacob, on July 31, 2008.Posts by Art Carden
Darth Vader’s “Management” Secrets
Today we offer you a special treat by a very special guest contributor. Darth Vader is a modern-day success story, having risen from humble orphan roots to the second-highest position in the largest corporate body this galaxy has ever seen. Although better-known for his visionary work in the realm of law enforcement, he is also…
How to Procrastinate
In December 2005, Paul Graham published an excellent essay entitled “Good and Bad Procrastination.” It is an essay that is worth revisiting from time to time. In it, he argued that at all times we can work on one of three things: a) nothing, b) things that are less important, and c) things that are…
Social Implications of Wealth Creation
At the base of almost every ethical system in the world is the idea that the pursuit and worship of unrighteous mammon is unfulfilling, and there is much truth to this. While idolizing material wealth is likely to be a path to spiritual and moral poverty, it is important to remember some of the reasons…
Get Rich(er)
It is true that no one can serve two masters, and slavish devotion to unrighteous mammon is indeed a road to misery. Ambition to produce and “be rich” is not necessarily a bad thing, though. And if you’re reading this, you’re likely among the richest 1-2% of people who have ever lived. Historically speaking, you’re…
Edit This Post on Editing
Readers of Tim Ferriss’s 2007 book The Four-Hour Workweek might be familiar with a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery that appears on page 65 of the book: “Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away.” This is especially evident in writing. Free-writing is the process of assembling…
Deirdre McCloskey on Writing
One of the best books for writers in the social sciences is Deirdre McCloskey’s Economical Writing, a very short, very small book that offers a number of important principles for writing. McCloskey is an economist by training, but she has written across a wide variety of fields. Economical Writing is a must-have…
Just Keep Writing!
I get to write a lot. Fortunately, I like it because it is an important part of my job. I also find that writing helps me organize jumbled messes of thought. Here are notes on writing, which you should do daily no matter your occupation. 1. “Writing is research” (James Buchanan). This is the…
Politics 2.0: Hack the Vote
On Election Day, millions of people will go to the polls and vote for either Republican candidate John McCain or Democratic candidate Barack Obama. And they will do so for the wrong reasons. Instead of voting for the candidate on the ballot who would best represent their views, they will vote for McCain…
