The economic naturalist : why economics explains almost everything / Robert H. Frank. Robert H. Frank.

Rectangular milk cartons and cylindrical soft-drinks cans : the economics of product design -- Free peanuts and expensive batteries : supply and demand in action -- Why equally talented workers often earn different salaries and other mysteries of the world of work -- Why some buyers pay more than others : the economics of discount pricing -- High heels and school uniforms : the divergence of social and self-interest -- The myth of ownership -- The biggest dog wins the bone : decoding marketplace signals -- The economic naturalist hits the road -- First come, first served : psychology meets economics -- The quest for love and money : the informal market for personal relationships -- Two originals

Have you ever wondered why there is a light in your fridge but not in your freezer? Or why 24-hour shops bother having locks on their doors? Or why soft drink cans are cylindrical, but milk cartons are square? Robert Frank shares the most intriguing and bizarre questions and the economic principles that answer them.