Explorations in Economics

Now that you’re studying economics, don’t be surprised if people start asking you questions like “What’s going to happen with the stock market?” If you don’t know exactly what the stock market is, don’t worry—you’ll learn about it later in this book. But here’s a secret: even if you memorized every bit of economic wisdom ever written, you still wouldn’t be able to predict whether the stock market will rise or fall tomorrow. In fact, as you will learn in Chapter 12, not even the experts know what will happen to the stock market. But economics has a lot to offer. It can help you make sense of the daily news; make good decisions about your time and money; and lead a happier, more satisfying life.