Ron and Ed were thrilled to have one of their favorite guests back for a fifth time on the show, Fr. Robert Sirico of The Acton Institute. He along with Rabbi Lapin inspired the name of our show. This time we will discuss his new book The Economics of the Parables.

It is December 24th, the busiest day for the North Pole and wouldn't you know it but a worldwide taxing authority has decided that today is the day to conduct Santa's Audit. For Peter Jackson's Get Back! We snuck our TSOE microphones in on the conversation between the auditor and Santa's head accounting elf. What you are about to hear is the edited audio. The full audio can be heard by subscribers on our Patreon channel at http://patreon.com/tsoe

Merry Christmas!

Ed and Ron are supposed to discuss the controversies surrounding behavioral economics—including some of Dan Ariely's research—and we probably will. But with Greg, you never know where the conversation will go. What you do know, is it will be entertaining, hilarious, and possibly even educational. Don't miss this episode with one of the funniest CPA/MBA comedians out there, and Ron's hero, Greg Kyte.

Ron and Ed always enjoy taking the show on the road and on this weeks episode we will have some of that live energy from the crowd in Austin Texas. They will talk subscription, of course… as well as other ideas relating to technology consulting. As usual, it promises to be the fastest hour of the week.

Ron and Ed are honored to welcome Gale L. Pooley to The Soul of the Enterprise to discuss his 2022 book, co-authored with Marian L. Tupy, Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet. We interviewed Marian Tupy on the book back on September 23, 2022 (Episode #409). This is a groundbreaking book, a new way to measure standards of living, economic dynamism, innovation, growth, and resource abundance. It's certainly in our Top 5 books for 2022. You don't want to miss this discussion.

On Black Friday, the biggest Holiday shopping day of the year, Ed and I thought it would be fun to review the book, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays, by Joel Waldfogel, published in 2009. Waldfogel estimates that giving gifts nobody wants is a deadweight loss to the economy to the tune of approximately $12 Billion, mostly on credit cards. Money we don’t have to buy things people don’t want. As he writes, when you say to your mother-in-law, “A cribbage board. You shouldn’t have.” Indeed, she shouldn’t have, according to the author. As you prepare to go out and contribute to the expected $77.5B in the Holiday shopping spree, have a listen to a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of giving gifts.

Waaay back in Episode 22, Ron and Ed detailed the ideas behind Joel Waldfogel's book, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays. Waldfogel makes the case that the deadweight loss to the economy from gift giving, in 2007, totaled $12 billion, out of approximately $66.5 Billion spent (about 12%) and that we should all give cash rather than presents.

In this episode, we will speak with Professor Tony Gill about his ideas around Rethinking Scroogencomics and some of his other writings.

Ron and Ed welcome to the show James Geraghty. As a biotechnology executive, Jim has been a passionate participant in the orphan drug revolution since its inception. We will talk about his book, Inside the Orphan Drug Revolution, The Promise of Patient-Centered Biotechnology, which is in part a history, with eye-witness accounts of advances as they occurred and portraits of the pioneering scientists and physicians, tireless activists, and visionary business leaders who made the revolution happen. And it tells deeply personal stories of patients and parents willing to risk new, untried therapies.

George Gilder was unable to make it. So instead it's a Stack of Stuff. Despite the weekly bonus episodes in which Ron and Ed go through their stack, things can build up over time. What better way to talk through the Twitter ownership change and how morticians are putting the fun in funerals?

Ron and Ed welcome to the show one of the co-authors of the new book Taxes Have Consequences. Ever since 1913, when the United States first imposed the income tax via constitutional amendment, the top rate of that tax has determined the fate of the American economy. When the top rate has been high, as in the late 1910s, the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1970s, the response of those with money and capital has been to curtail real economic activity in favor of protecting assets and income streams. Huge declines have come to the economy in these circumstances