Ordinary Business | “Political economy or economics is a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life; it examines that part of the individual and social action which is most closely connected with the attainment and with the use of the material requisites for wellbeing.” -Alfred Marshall

Hi, everyone. I’m economist Art Carden. You might remember me from such blogs and columns as Division of Labour, EconLog, The Economic Imagination (my Forbes.com column), and from such online video projects as LearnLiberty and the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s “I, Pencil” movie.

The new blog is simply titled “Ordinary Business.” The term is taken from the Alfred Marshall quote on the front page, and I’ll be writing periodically about applying economics to “the ordinary business of life.” It’s going to be a repository for a lot of things I think about or do that won’t quite fit at one of the other outlets to which I have access.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I wear a lot of hats, so a disclosure is in order. The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not represent the official views or beliefs of Samford University, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, the Independent Institute, or any organization with which I have been, am currently, or ever will be affiliated.

In good faith, I will periodically provide affiliate marketing links. That means that I will get a small commission if you click through and buy something. I hereby pledge that I will never provide an affiliate link to something I don’t use myself, and I further pledge that I will never promote a product or service in exchange for valuable consideration. Here’s an example of what you might see:

“Hey, here’s this app I use frequently. Your life will be better if you buy it.”

“Hey, here’s a great book. You should read it, and you can buy it here.”

“Fancypants Press was kind enough to send me a copy of this book, which I enjoyed thoroughly. You can buy it here.”

“My wife loves this book. I hate it, but if you want to buy it, you can buy it here.”

You won’t see the following:

“Here’s an affiliate marketing link to a type of cereal that I absolutely hate but that you should buy because the producers of said cereal are giving me money to tell you to buy their product!” (even if that last bit goes unwritten)

This should be fun. I think about and do a lot of things that don’t quite fit in any of the other outlets for which I write, and those things will probably go here. Stay awhile. Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Leave a comment. Let’s have a good time.