Welcome to Econ Talk, part of the Library of Economics and Liberty.

I'm your host, Russ Roberts of Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

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Today is September 16, 2019, and my guest is advertising executive and author Rory Sutherland.

He is the vice chairman of the Oglevy Group, UK, and writes the Wiki man column at the spectator.

His latest book, which is the subject of today's conversation, is Alchemy,

the surprising power of ideas that don't make sense. Rory, welcome to Econ Talk.

It's a great joy and honor to be on this. I can say, I think they say this in a British talk radio,

a long time listener, first time caller.

Yeah, we say that in America too.

Okay.

Now, I found myself in a peculiar position reading your book.

It takes a lot of cheap shots at economists. Some of them deserve, of course,

but there is a great deal of insulting of economists and exalting of the insights of behavioral economics and psychology,

two fields that I am somewhat skeptical of.

But I like this book a lot anyway, and I would describe it as a book to help you think outside the box,

in particular, to become aware of what motivates others as well as yourself.

And in that sense, it's very much in the spirit of Adam Smith's stereo moral sentiments.

The book helps you look like I pray, because I wasn't really expecting it.

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