Welcome back to the Ten Blocks podcast. This is Brian Anderson, the editor of City Journal.

Joining me on the show today is an old friend, Matthew Henness Anderson, the editor of City Journal. Joining me on the show,

today is an old friend, Matthew Hennessy, the Wall Street Journal's deputy op-ed editor. Before he went

to the journal, Matt was an associate editor at City Journal, where he wrote any number of articles

for us on numerous topics. Today we'll discuss his brand new book, which is coming

out this April, Visible Hand, A Wealth of Notions on the Miracle of the Market. It's published

by Encounter Books. April 12th is the official release date. Visible Hand offers a guide to basic economic principles and written in Matt's very punchy

and clear English.

So Matt, thank you very much for joining us.

No, it's my pleasure, Brian.

It's good to be back.

So the book begins with an admission.

You were not an economist.

In fact, you acknowledge that you once found

economics somewhat intimidating. Much of what you know about the topic, you've learned through

observation, self-guided study. So what prompted you to write a book on this subject,

and how is your perspective on these issues formed? And really,

what can a non-specialist bring to the topic of economics that a formally trained economist

might overlook? Well, I started writing the book for the same reason that I often set pen to paper, which

is I get an idea in my head and I can't shake it.

The first victims of this idea usually are my family, my children, so I find myself

the lecturing in the car or in the living room on a certain topic.

...