Welcome to EconomicsWithAFace.com, my name is Peter Mork and this is the website of my future book. For some time now I've had the goal of writing a book which would convey basic economic lessons through the real life stories of people across the planet. This web site is the beginning of that process which will culminate in a trip around the globe beginning in the summer of 2005.

But the first question most ask after visiting the site is "Where did you get the pictures in the title?"

It is a good icebreaker so why don't I start from left to right. The first picture is a brother and sister toasting my wife Emily as she snapped a picture of them in the Riverside Sports Bar in San Pedro, Belize. Next is a picture of our wedding reception which included flamenco dancing/guitar playing. Center stage is Emily and myself doing our best to keep up with the dancers. Moving on is the owner of the Riverside Sports Bar, Anita, and while it's hard to see in the background Iraq is playing Costa Rica in an Olympic Games soccer match. The final picture on the far right is the Guatemalan border in Melchor de Mencos. I love the combination of photos as while they are of different people, of various backgrounds, in different countries what they share is simple: a snapshot of human life.

This brings me to economics. On my quote page, the first quote is a passage from Free to Choose which had a profound impact on my life. I don't remember exactly when I read it first but I know that Friedman recounting Leonard Read's story "I Pencil" changed the way I looked at the world. The fact that a pencil could be produced for a mere 10 cents was amazing in and of itself, but what really took hold of me was this sentence: "These people live in many lands, speak different languages, practice different religions, may even hate one another - yet none of these differences prevented them from cooperating to produce a pencil."

While there are many factors that influenced my decision to devote a major portion of my life to studying economics, this clear description of people working together (who could very well be at war in another setting) gripped me. My interest in economics grew as I believed it could describe this process of voluntary cooperation, which to me seemed moral. While I could not articulate it at the time, this morality was based in the principles of individual liberty.

Years later I received my B.A. in Business/Economics for the University of Santa Barbara, California. While I had several excellent professors at U.C.S.B., I felt I got more out of the economic reading I did outside of class. Russell Roberts' The Choice honed my skills at debating free trade while articles on everything from school vouchers to global warming also perked my interest.

I stayed in Santa Barbara the summer after my graduation, earning money to go and live in Spain which I had planned to do after graduation. My two roommates who were going into their senior year were in summer school. I specifically remember thinking one day as they were both studying: "You know, I don't have to read anything for the rest of my life if I don't want to" and the idea scared me. The next day I began reading a book I had started in high school yet had never finished: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. After completing the book I immediately began reading Atlas Shrugged which I finished in Madrid, Spain in September.

These two novels were invaluable. The Fountainhead reinforced the value of the individual, hard work and succeeding at your goals. In the Atlas Shrugged I was exposed to a clear defense of the morality of capitalism. From both novels I became convinced my life was my own, and that it was good and moral to live it as I saw fit provided that I did not deny others the same courtesy.

After returning to the States after nearly a year in Spain I took a job at La Jolla Economics, an economic consulting firm in San Diego, headed by Dr. Victor A. Canto. The experience again was invaluable as it has helped me to solidify my understanding of macroeconomics and financial markets over the last five years. However, during my first summer at the firm I read an article in The Wall Street Journal which spurred the idea for this book.

An article entitled "Bitter Fruit: Spat Persist Despite Nafta" discussed how in San Diego avocados cost about $4.00 a pound, while in Tijuana, just miles away, the price was less than 30 cents a pound. This despite the free trade agreement Nafta. This quote specifically stuck out:

" 'The California growers want to control all of the supply -- that way
they get the best prices,' complains Ricardo Salgado, who raises avocados
on 25 acres outside Uruapan, Michoacan, which has some of the world's lushest
groves. 'We'd love to have a bigger selling season, but right now we have
to wait for the U.S. Congress to give us permission.' "

Any Ph.D. Economist could draw out supply and demand charts, explaining step by step the benefits of free trade and the theory of competitive advantage in relation to the world avocado market. The only problem is that two minutes into the conversation it is quite possible you would be bored to tears. Even if you made it through the entire dialogue, it's unlikely you would be able to explain the idea yourself, let alone replicate the graphs the economist had produced.

But then here is Ricardo Salgado, and without any graphs or definitions it's possible for anyone to ask: "Why am I allowed to buy avocados from an American whose orchard is in Fallbrook, California but it's illegal for me to buy from Ricardo whose orchard is in Uruapan?" Moreover, while surely American avocado growers would face hardships if Ricardo were allowed to sell his avocados in the U.S., are they born with some rights that Ricardo is not?

In essence it's not just about studying who gets what in society but it is imperative in economics to look at what is morally right and morally wrong. The best way in my opinion to do this is through stories, or as I say above, by putting yourself in someone else's shoes and relating your experiences to theirs. I hope to cover topics such as taxation, trade, minimum wages, unions, and immigration through the eyes of all affected in the process, applying clear economic thought along the way. Nothing groundbreaking as issues such as free trade have already been solved for hundreds of years and I have nothing to add to the process. But hopefully by putting a face behind some economic theory I'll be able to create a deeper understanding of economics, not only for those who read the finished product, but most importantly for myself.

And ultimately that is the point. If I knew in advance that not a soul would buy it I'd still be packing my bags next July to travel the world with my wife and to write my book on economics. It's something we will never forget and I hope that Emily and I will love the entire adventure. Of course, if others get something out of it as well, all the better.

I'll end with another question that people may ask: Why now? I've had friends tell me to get a PhD first to add credibility to the book. That would be nice, but while I do plan to continue my studies economics (I'll be taking 3 classes in economics at a local university this coming spring) I do feel now is the time. There are various reasons such as currently we have no mortgage payments to make, and no kids yet so we're clearly mobile at this point in our lives. In addition, I fear spending a few more years in a traditional classroom might destroy the desire for an undertaking of this magnitude. I'm also convinced if I don't go forward with this I may regret it for the rest of my life.

So while I have begun to compile two lists, one of contacts and friends from around the globe and another of interesting topics for my book, both are far from complete. Any help, suggestions, questions or comments are more than welcome. You can reach me at via email at pmork - at - economicswithaface.com