Fair play : what your child can teach you about economics, values, and the meaning of life

An ancient text. A world at war. The end of history. Prepare to be initiated into The 34th Degree.From New York Times bestselling author Thomas Greanias comes an all-new, reality-altering epic adventure featuring counter-terrorism agent Sam Deker from The Atlantis Revelation and The Promised War. 1943. The supernatural alchemy for the ultimate weapon, encoded in an ancient biblical text, has fallen into the hands of the most ruthless secret society known to man—the Nazi SS. Present Day. Dishonorably discharged from the armed forces after the events of The Promised War, Sam Deker is trying to build a new life in Los Angeles. But nightmares of the past continue to haunt his present, and Deker discovers that the unusual lightwave-induced torture he barely survived has changed him. The Pentagon, however, believes that change makes him the only one who can endure their top-secret neuro-simulation program known as the 34th Degree. The stunning technological breakthrough uses the sliced brain tissues of dead terrorists to enter their memories and glean priceless intel. Now Americans want to use the preserved brain tissue of SS General Ludwig von Berg, the legendary “Baron of the Black Order,” to send Deker back to 1943. Deker’s mission is to discover the fate of the lost biblical text and steal its formulas before his counterparts in the Alignment, a 21st-century successor to the SS, beat the U.S. to it. The text not only spells out the end of the world, but the supernatural alchemy for Greek Fire, a thermodynamic technology that the ancient Greeks believed to have come from Atlantis and that the Americans now believe threatens the Earth. Ultimately, Deker discovers that the past, present and future are not what they seem, as his path leads to a shattering secret that will change everything he knows about the universe. With his witty and instructive book The Armchair Economist, Steven Landsburg won popularity and acclaim by using economics to illuminate the mysteries of daily life, and using daily life to illuminate the mysteries of economics. Now Landsburg returns to address fundamental issues like fairness, tolerance, morality and justice—issues that are as important on the playground as they are in the marketplace. With the help of his daughter, Cayley, he contrasts the wisdom of parents with the wisdom of economists—not always to the credit of the latter. How should we feel about taxes that redistribute income? Ask how parents feel about children who forcibly "redistribute" other children's toys. How should we respond to those who complain that their neighbors are too wealthy? Ask how parents respond when children complain that their siblings got too much cake. By insisting that fairness can't mean one thing for children and another for adults, Landsburg shows that the instincts of the parent have profound consequences for economic justice. Along the way, Landsburg—with his customary sharp wit and challenging logic—pauses to reflect on an astonishing variety of issues in economic theory, the philosophy of parenting, the true nature of family values, and how to get the most out of life. He uses parent-child interactions to explain the economics of free trade and immigration, progressive taxation, minimum wages, racial discrimination, and the role of money. He makes the best possible philosophical cases for and against progressive taxation, and weighs them against the wisdom of the playground. He explains why children are a good thing, and why economic theory tells us we don't have enough of them. He meditates on the role of authority in our lives, the effects of cultural bias, and why it's important to read poetry to your children. This lively and entertaining book will inform and delight readers who have forgotten the human side of the dismal science. How should we feel about taxes that redistribute income? Ask how parents feel about children who forcibly "redistribute" other children's toys. How should we respond to those who complain that their neighbors are too wealthy? Ask how parents respond when children complain that their siblings got too much cake. By insisting that fairness can't mean one thing for children and another for adults, Landsburg shows that the instincts of the parent have profound consequences for economic justice. Along the way, Landsburg - with his customary sharp wit and challenging logic - pauses to reflect on an astonishing variety of issues in economic theory, the philosophy of parenting, the true nature of family values, and how to get the most out of life. He uses parent-child interactions to explain the economics of free trade and immigration, progressive taxation, minimum wages, racial discrimination, and the role of money. He makes the best possible philosophical cases for and against progressive taxation, and weighs them against the wisdom of the playground. He explains why children are a good thing, and why economic theory tells us we don't have enough of them. He meditates on the role of authority in our lives, the effects of cultural bias, and why it's important to read poetry to your children. New York Times bestselling author Thomas Greanias continues the thrilling reality-altering epic adventure that began with The Promised War , as counterterrorism agent Sam Deker embarks on his most daring and life-altering mission yet. Dishonorably discharged from the armed forces and haunted by nightmares of the past, counterterrorism agent Sam Deker is trying to build a new life in Los Angeles. The Pentagon, however, believes only he can endure their top-secret neuro-simulation program known as the 34th Degree, a stunning technological breakthrough that gleans priceless intel from the sliced brain tissues of dead terrorists. Their target: SS general Ludwig von Berg, the legendary Third Reich "Baron of the Black Order." Deker's mission is to discover the fate of the ultimate weapon—a supernatural alchemy for a fatal thermodynamic technology—before his counterparts in the Alignment, a twenty-first-century successor to the Nazi SS, beat him to it. Ultimately, Deker discovers that the past, present, and future are not what they seem, as his path leads to a shattering secret that will change everything he knows about the universe. From New York Times bestselling author Thomas Greanias comes an all-new, reality-altering epic adventure. Dishonorably discharged from the armed forces and haunted by nightmares of the past, counterterrorism agent Sam Deker is trying to build a new life in Los Angeles. The Pentagon, however, believes only he can endure their top-secret neuro-simulation program known as the 34th Degree, a stunning technological breakthrough that gleans priceless intel from the sliced brain tissues of dead terrorists. Their target: SS general Ludwig von Berg, the legendary Third Reich "Baron of the Black Order." Deker's mission is to discover the fate of the ultimate weapon'a supernatural alchemy for a fatal thermodynamic technology'before his counterparts in the Alignment, a twenty-first-century successor to the Nazi SS, beat him to it. Ultimately, Deker discovers that the past, present, and future are not what they seem, as his path leads to a shattering secret that will change everything he knows about the universe With his witty and instructive book __The Armchair Economist,__ Steven Landsburg won popularity and acclaim by using economics to illuminate the mysteries of daily life, and using daily life to illuminate the mysteries of economics.Now Landsburg returns to address fundamental issues like fairness, tolerance, morality and justice--issues that are as important on the playground as they are in the marketplace. With the help of his daughter, Cayley, he contrasts the wisdom of parents with the wisdom of economists--not always to the credit of the latter.How should we feel about taxes that redistribute income? Ask how parents feel about children who forcibly "redistribute" other children's toys. How should we respond to those who complain that their neighbors are too wealthy? Ask how parents respond when children complain that their siblings got too much cake. By insisting that fairness can't mean one thing for children and another for adults, Landsburg shows that the instincts... Sam Deker Travels Back In Time To Nazi-occupied Greece To Steal A Formula For An Ultimate Weapon Only To Discover That Hitler's Secret Service Is A Front For A Centuries-old Organization That Would Seize Power In The Twenty-first Century. Thomas Greanias. In co-operation with his daughter, the author of this text sets out to demystify the laws of supply and demand, interest rates and inflation, and cultivate an understanding of free trade, the value of money and investment. 1943. The supernatural alchemy for the ultimate weapon, encoded in an ancient biblical text has fallen into the hands of the most ruthless organization known to man the Nazi SS