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About Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell (born 1930) is an American economist, social theorist, and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He has authored more than 45 books covering economics, history, social policy, ethnicity, and the history of ideas. A self-described libertarian-conservative, Sowell overcame a difficult childhood in poverty to earn degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago.
Sowell champions evidence-based reasoning over good intentions, arguing that understanding trade-offs and incentives is essential to clear thinking about economics and society. He emphasizes that unconstrained visions and utopian thinking lead to poor real-world outcomes.
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
"The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics."
"Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late."
Chat with Thomas when you're...
- Working on books including 'basic economics' or 'a conflict of visions'
- Making a hard decision and need a direct, honest perspective
- Setting a bold long-term vision and pressure-testing whether it holds up
- Figuring out what to cut and what to double down on
- Preparing for a high-stakes pitch, presentation, or conversation
