I'm rich

I'm reading Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan. Over the last year I found somewhat accidentally that I enjoy financial books in general, but I'm actually reading this one to prepare for a class I'm teaching in the fall. Don't let anyone tell you that teachers don't have homework.

Economics is particularly nonintuitive, and usually pretty interesting. But sometimes it is just fun. Consider this (long) quote:

David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald, economists at Dartmouth and the University of Warwick, respectively, have found that a lasting marriage is worth $100,000 a year, since married people report being as happy, on average, as divorced (and not remarried) individuals who have incomes that are $100,000 higher. So, before you go to bed tonight, be sure to tell your spouse that you would not give him or her up for anything less than $100,000 a year.

You can see by that measure I'm really packin' it in.