The question I repeatedly get about my book Hate The Game is, "Who is it for?" Is it for everyone, or did I have a specific audience in mind? The honest answer to that question is that I wrote this book for myself. My goal was to write a book I would have wanted to read before becoming an economist. A book that I would have highlighted, dog-eared, and quoted in conversations.
The book that originally motivated me at the age of 17 to study economics was Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt. And I'm pretty sure Freakonomics was not written for a 17-year-old biracial Black girl (if it were, I think it probably would have featured at least one woman of color in a positive light instead of rehashing stereotypes about the unusual names Black mothers give their children— it was a different time.) Nevertheless, it was my first introduction to the usefulness and universality of economics.
So even if my book, Hate The Game, wasn't written specifically for you, you will still find it helpful to your life because economics is universal. It permeates every single decision a person makes, whether that's the decision to apply for a job, negotiate for a salary increase, get married, have children, or buy a home. So it's a real shame that women aren't the intended audience for most economics writing.
I must admit that because I wrote Hate The Game for myself, many references, analogies, and allegories are specific to my taste. For example, I just did a word search on my manuscript, and I mentioned Beyoncé 41 times. But even if you aren't a Beyoncé fan, you can still appreciate my point of view as a lover of economics and Beyoncé.
To be clear, even though I wrote Hate The Game for myself, I still want your appreciation. That might seem contradictory, but it’s not at all. For example, when choosing my outfit each morning, I dress for myself. I dress for my inner 17-year-old who loves a bold print and a flattering silhouette. But even though I’m not trying to impress anyone but myself, I still love compliments. When a friend or a stranger praises my outfit, I might reply with a modest, "Thank you so much," but in my head, I'm thinking, "Yeah, I do look fly as fuck, don't I?"
And the same goes for my book. Even though I wrote it for myself, I still want you to like it. I still want you to compliment my style. But I'm picky when it comes to external validation. I only want your compliments when they are about something authentically me.
So, if you already like my authentic self and my personal style (writing style, not fashion style), you're going to love my book (out Fall 2024.) And if you know other people who appreciate a woman with a strong sense of style, you should recommend that they check me out, too.
OK, so that was a taste of what you can expect from my book, but what can you expect from this newsletter? In this newsletter, I will be writing about my experience as an economist who writes. Meta; I know. I've been the Chief Economist at Redfin for five years now, and in that role I have had many opportunities to hone my craft of writing and talking about the economy.
In this newsletter, I’ll be writing about writing for Forbes. I’ll be writing about writing academic research. I’ll be writing about my interviews with economics journalists. I’ll be writing about the process of writing and promoting my debut book. So, if you enjoy reading about economics and want to see how the sausage is made, this newsletter is for you.
I'll also include a round up of the most interesting economics stories I've contributed to as either a writer or an expert voice:
Last week, Business Insider included some of my written insights in this article: Gen Z is better at saving than millennials. A new survey says it has a more positive outlook on homeownership, too.
“When it comes to owning a home, Gen Z actually has a slightly rosier outlook on the prospect compared to millennials, according to a new survey from Redfin.”
Yesterday, I published this piece for Forbes: Four Ways To Buy Your First Home, Even As Affordability Worsens.
I write about the strategies/compromises first-time homebuyers can implement to get their foot in the door to the housing market.
Last week, I talked to the NY Post about the ridiculously high insurance premiums some homeowners are paying for their mansions in coastal Florida.
Solid. I loved the FREAK. So Imma have to peep ya Game.