Economics of the Undead: Zombies, Vampires, and the Dismal Science

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Glen Whitman, James Dow
Rowman & Littlefield, Jul 17, 2014 - Business & Economics - 310 pages
Whether preparing us for economic recovery after the zombie apocalypse, analyzing vampire investment strategies, or illuminating the market forces that affect vampire-human romances, Economics of the Undead: Zombies, Vampires, and the Dismal Science gives both seasoned economists and layman readers something to sink their teeth into. Undead characters have terrified popular audiences for centuries, but when analyzed closely, their behaviors and stories—however farfetched—mirror our own in surprising ways. The essays collected in this book are as humorous as they are thoughtful, as culturally relevant as they are economically sound, and provide an accessible link between a popular culture phenomenon and the key concepts necessary to building one’s understanding of economic systems big and small. It is the first book to apply and combine economics and our society’s fascination with the undead, and is an invaluable resource for those looking to learn economic fundamentals in a fun and innovative way.

Contributions by: Kyle William Bishop, Eleanor Brown, Ian Chadd, Darwynn Deyo, Steven Horwitz, Daniel Farhat, Jean-Baptiste Fleury, Enrique Guerra-Pujol, Brian Hollar, Sebastien Lecou, Joseph Mandarino, Alain Marciano, Fabien Medvecky, David T. Mitchell, Michael O’Hara, M. Christine Phillips, A. Lynn Phillips, G. Michael Phillips, Lorna Piatti-Farnell, Robert Prga, Hollis Robbins, Sarah Skwire, Ilya Somin, David Tufte, Mary Jo Tufte, and Charlotte Weil
 

Contents

Soulless Mates
1
Apocalyptonomics
17
Blood Money
75
The Dead Body Politic
151
Brain Food
211
Pop Culture Bibliography
249
Notes
255
Index
275
Contributor Biographies
279
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About the author (2014)

Glen Whitman and James Dow are both PhDs in economics at California State University, Northridge. Whitman is the author of Strange Brew: Alcohol and Government Monopoly.

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