By Alan B. Krueger
Review via The New York Times
Mr. Krueger has a “knack of identifying important questions that he could convincingly answer with the data and data-analysis tools at his disposal,” as his former teacher, Lawrence Summers, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed after his death. And while “Rockonomics” does make ample use of data, it is the dozens of interviews Mr. Krueger conducted with industry artists, lawyers and executives that frame its highly personal preoccupations. Rather than just provide a tutorial in media economics, Professor Krueger schools us in the costs and benefits of creativity itself.
The result is a wide-ranging work that touches on topics as diverse as industry structure, personal financial management, income inequality, depression and intellectual property rights. The author’s sparkling intelligence and lively prose make for a thought-provoking and enjoyable read. But the sheer breadth of subjects makes it impossible to fully explore each of them.
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