The Mason Spirit

Peter Leeson, MA, PhD Economics ’05, isn’t your typical economist. The BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism at Mason’s Mercatus Center, Leeson applies economic principles to quirky subjects, from UFO and Bigfoot sightings to the capitalism of pirates. And people are taking notice of his unorthodox and intriguing research topics.

His book, The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates(Princeton University Press, April 2009), recently made the San Francisco Chronicle’s 100 Best Books of 2009 and was also named the Best International Non-Fiction Book of 2009 by Australian magazine The Week.

Leeson is also associate editor of the Review of Austrian Economics. A former visiting fellow at Harvard University and the London School of Economics, he blogs regularly at the Austrian Economists web site. He’s also an occasional guest blogger at theNew York Times’ Freakonomics blog.

Read more about Leeson and his book in a recent Spirit interview. Oh, and insert your own pirate reference here. It’s Friday, matey, and that be the end of a landlubber’s week so me brain is addled with thoughts of the weekend’s booty and rum. Arrrrrrrr!