Potternomics: Why Wizards Still Live in the Dark Ages and Other Economic Curiosities in the World of Harry Potter

Magic can’t fix bad economics—discover why the wizarding world is still stuck in the Dark Ages!

Discover the Shocking Economics of the Wizarding World! The world of Harry Potter is filled with magic, mystery, and adventure, but beneath the surface lies an economy struggling in the dark ages. Potternomics: Why Wizards Still Live in the Dark Ages and Other Economic Curiosities in the World of Harry Potter reveals why the wizarding world, despite its magic, remains economically backward. Explore fascinating questions through an economic lens: Why is there almost no economic growth in the magical world? How does the wizarding world grapple with the fundamental problem of scarcity? Why are goblins such ineffective bankers? From an economic standpoint, why should people be even more terrified of Dementors? Why do even the wealthiest wizards maintain a standard of living comparable to the 1700s? Could economics explain how Harry, a teenage wizard, defeated the most powerful dark lord? Part textbook, part Freakonomics, Potternomics is an entirely fun exploration of the economic principles at play in your favorite magical universe. By applying economic concepts to this beloved setting, you'll gain a new appreciation for the story and see that the real magic lies in understanding the forces that shape the wizarding world. Uncover the economic curiosities that make the world of Harry Potter tick!

Brian O’Roark is currently University Professor of Economics at Robert Morris University. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University. Along with being the author of dozens of scholarly articles, his textbook, Essentials of Economics, is in its third edition. He has published two books on economics and superheroes: Superheroes and Economics: The Shadowy World of Capes, Masks and Invisible Hands, and Why Superman Doesn’t Take Over the World: What Superheroes Can Tell Us About Economics. O’Roark serves as the editor for the Journal of Economics Teaching and is on the Board of Trustees for Sewickley Savings Bank. He is a frequent guest on WOSU radio in Columbus, Ohio, and The Economics Happy Hour podcast. You can also find him making observations on economic phenomena on his YouTube channel: I_Run_Econ. He is regularly invited to present his work on superheroes and the economics of Harry Potter at economics education seminars and workshops across the United States and Canada.