Economists have long counseled reliance on markets rather than on government to decide a wide range of questions, in part because allocation through voting can give rise to a "tyranny of the majority." Markets, by contrast, are believed to make products available to suit any individual, regardless of what others want. But the argument is not generally correct. In markets, you can't always get what you want. This book explores why this is so and its consequences for consumers with atypical preferences.

When fixed costs are substantial, markets provide only products desired by large...

The boom in corporate restructuring, accompanied by large increases in debt finance, was one of the most important developments in the U.S. economy in the 1980s. Financial and tax specialists analyze how the U.S. tax system-especially in its bias toward debt financing-has affected corporate financial decisions and influenced the recent wave of corporate restructuring.

The authors evaluate the hypothesis that the rise in the cost of capital during the 1980s helped stimulate the surge in corporate takeovers. They analyze the effect that changes in tax laws and in the volume of government...

Christmas is a time of seasonal cheer, family get-togethers, holiday parties, and-gift giving. Lots and lots--and lots--of gift giving. It's hard to imagine any Christmas without this time-honored custom. But let's stop to consider the gifts we receive--the rooster sweater from Grandma or the singing fish from Uncle Mike. How many of us get gifts we like? How many of us give gifts not knowing what recipients want? Did your cousin really look excited about that jumping alarm clock? Lively and informed, Scroogenomics illustrates how our consumer spending generates vast amounts of...