With the hit economic blog MarginalRevolution.com, co-author Alex Tabarrok generates more hits than a summer hailstorm, and sheds light into the darkest corners of the dismal science.

Why you should listen

Perhaps the appeal of economics in the blogosphere was not pre-ordained from its representation in the bestseller lists (the Freakonomics phenomenon notwithstanding). But economists have taken the internet by storm, and Alex Tabarrok is one of the hottest -- along with co-author Tyler Cowen, their blog marginalrevolution.com is one of the most popular on the web, generating a forest of links and kudos from the mainstream press, including the Wall Street Journal.

Tabarrok's fascinations include the intersection among economics, law and public policy -- examining questions such as how race and poverty affect the outcome of jury trials. Tabarrok is also the Director of Research for the Independent Institute, an assistant editor for the Independent Review, and an Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University.

What others say

“Marginal Revolution was one of the first of its ilk in 2003 because “we saw there was a scarcity of excellent economics blogs and thought we could make our mark,” Cowen says. And they have: It often ranks first or second among economics blogs on Schiff’s Web site, along with Freakonomics.” — richmondfed.org

Alex Tabarrok’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Alex Tabarrok

The week in comments

May 3, 2009

This was an especially lively week on the TED commenting front, as our community tackled debates on swine flu, race and politics, and globalization. These amazing discussions can get a little heated — so we appreciate that there always seems to be a voice of reason that emerges from the group to soothe frazzled nerves […]

Continue reading

How ideas trump economic crises — a surprising lesson from 1929: Alex Tabarrok on TED.com

April 27, 2009

The “dismal science” truly shines in this optimistic talk, as economist Alex Tabarrok argues free trade and globalization are shaping our once-divided world into a community of idea-sharing more healthy, happy and prosperous than anyone’s predictions. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 14:33.)   Watch Alex Tabarrok’s talk on TED.com, where […]

Continue reading