Emily Oster is not only a leading academic economist, tenured at Brown University, but

also through her popular writing, one of the most trusted sources on the subject of pregnancy

and childry.

And over the last year, she's been an early and influential voice advocating for school

reopening.

I often say economics is just the thoughtful application of common sense, and Emily,

more than just about anyone else I know, has found ways to take what is useful about economics

and integrated into all aspects of her everyday life.

And she's been doing that since a very tender age.

When she was only nine years old, she started a weekly newsletter for the residents of

her block, replete with data analysis, pie charts, and graphs.

And even before that, as a precocious two-year-old, her nighttime ramblings lying alone in bed

were so remarkable, they were tape recorded and analyzed, resulting in a book called

Narratives from the crib, which still in print today, more than 30 years later, now with

an introduction, read by Emily Oster herself.

Welcome to People I Mostly Admire, with Steve Levitt.

I first met Emily Oster almost 20 years ago.

I was visiting the Harvard Economics Department for a day to give a lecture to the economics

faculty.

And as his customary was such visits, the remainder of your day is filled in with one-on-one

meetings with faculty members.

And sometimes they fill in the slots with the most promising graduate students.

...