The Economics of Everyday Things

How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction genre in the world? Zachary Crockett gets swept away.  SOURCES:Delaney Diamond, romance novelist.Danielle Flores, high school math teacher and avid romance novel reader.Brenda Hiatt, romance novelist.Diane Moggy, vice president of editorial at Harlequin.RESOURCES:"Even as Overall Book Sales Are Declining, Romance Novels Are on the Rise," by Elena Burnett, Sarah Handel, and Juana Summers (All Things Considered, 2023)."Key Takeaways from the Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey," press release by the Authors Guild (2023)."How Amazon Turned Everyone Into a Romance Writer (and Created an Antitrust Headache)," by Ann Kjellberg (Observer, 2022)."Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out," by Mimi Swartz (Texas Monthly, 2020)."A Brief History of the Romance Novel," by Amanda Pagan (New York Public Library Blog, 2019)."How Harlequin Became the Most Famous Name in Romance," by Kelly Faircloth (Jezebel, 2015)."Fifty Shades of Amish: A Strange Genre of the Romance Novel," by Leah McGrath Goodman (Newsweek, 2015).

Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out. RESOURCES:"The Knack Sue Run-DMC Over 'It’s Tricky' Riff," (Rolling Stone, 2006).Clip of "My Sharona" in the film Reality Bites (1994)."The Knack: Where Are They Now?" by David Fricke (Rolling Stone, 1986)."Top Singles of the Year," (Billboard, 1979)."My Bologna," by Weird Al Yankovic (1979)."My Sharona," by The Knack (1979). EXTRAS:"What’s Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023). SOURCES:Sharona Alperin, real-estate agent and namesake of the 1979 hit-single "My Sharona."Berton Averre, lead guitarist and co-writer in musical group The Knack.Michael Closter, founder and president of Reach Music.

 Is graffiti public art, or public nuisance? It depends who you ask. Zachary Crockett tags in where it all started. RESOURCES:"Philadelphia Graffiti Pier: A Love Letter to the City’s Underground Arts," by Honora Feinberg (Guide to Philly, 2023)."USA TODAY Names Philadelphia 'Best City for Street Art,'" (Visit Philadelphia, 2023)."Cornbread, the First Graffiti Artist, Shows New Work at Philadelphia Gallery," by Peter Crimmins (WHYY, 2019)."Porch Light Program: Final Evaluation Report," by Jacob Kraemer Tebes, Samantha L. Matlin, Bronwyn Hunter, Azure B. Thompson, Dana M. Prince, and Nathaniel Mohatt (Yale School of Medicine, 2015)."Graffiti Triggers Crime, Littering, Study Shows," by Jeanna Bryner (NBC News, 2008)."Problem-Oriented Guides for Police: Graffiti," by Deborah Lamm Weisel (D.O.J. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2004).EXTRA:"Urinetown," by Tell Me Something I Don't Know (2017). SOURCES:Thomas Conway, deputy managing director of the City of Philadelphia's Community Life Improvement Program.Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia.REPOZ, graffiti artist.

Executives shell out millions of dollars for the privilege of flying private — but that convenience comes at a steep cost to the rest of us. Zachary Crockett prepares for takeoff. RESOURCES:"High Flyers 2023: How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us and Burns Up the Planet," by Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, and Kalena Thomhave (joint report by The Patriotic Millionaires and the Institute for Policy Studies, 2023)."French Green MPs Want to Ban Private Jet Flights, to 'Bring the Rich Back Down to Earth,'" by Stéphane Mandard (Le Monde, 2023)."Markey, Velázquez Announce Legislation to Make the Rich Pay for the Public Costs of Private Jet Pollution," press release by Senator Edward J. Markey (2023)."Private Planes and Luxury Yachts Aren’t Just Toys for the Ultrawealthy. They’re Also Huge Tax Breaks," by Paul Kiel (ProPublica, 2023)."A Teenager Tracked Elon Musk’s Jet on Twitter. Then Came the Direct Message," by Neil Vigdor (The New York Times, 2022)."This Article is More Than 1 Year Old: A 17-Minute Flight? The Super-Rich Who Have ‘Absolute Disregard for the Planet,’" by Oliver Milman (The Guardian, 2022)."Private Jets — the Achilles Heel of EU Air Traffic Security?" by Crina Boros and Juliet Ferguson (EUobserver, 2018)."In Defence of the Ever-Unpopular Corporate Aircraft," by Joe Nocera (Financial Post, 2017). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). SOURCES:Chuck Collins, program director on "Inequality and the Common Good" at the Institute for Policy Studies.Anthony Tivnan, founder and president of Magellan Jets.

How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story. RESOURCES:"Almond Acreage Decline Prompts Industry Introspection," by Mitch Lies (West Coast Nut, 2023).American Pistachio Industry 2021 Annual Report, by American Pistachio Growers (2023)."California’s Agricultural Water Policies Are Nuts," by Douglas R. Noble (The Gainesville Sun, 2021)."Amid Drought, Billionaires Control a Critical California Water Bank," by Chloe Sorvino (Forbes, 2021)."Wonderful Pistachios Achieves Billion-Dollar Brand Milestone," press release by The Wonderful Company (2020)."Pistachios: The Quirks of Agricultural Trade in a Nutshell," by Andrea Durkin (Global Trade, 2020)."California Pistachios With Perfect Timing," by Mark Blackburn (The New York Times, 1979). SOURCES:Sawyer Clark, director of asset management at Gold Leaf Farming.Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios.

In the final part of our series, Zachary Crockett talks to a man with a storied — and controversial — career in the body parts business. RESOURCES"Inside the Largely Unregulated Market for Bodies Donated to Science: 'It's Harder to Sell Hot Dogs on a Cart,'" by Justin Sherman (CBS News, 2023)."Bilirakis, Fletcher, Murphy and Tillis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Stop Brokering of Body Parts, Preserve Integrity of Organ Donation Process," press release by the office of Congressman Gus Bilirakis (2023)."Sunset Mesa Funeral Home Operators Sentenced to Federal Prison For Illegal Body Part Scheme," press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Colorado (2023)."Cashing in on the Donated Dead: The Body Trade," series by Reuters (2017).Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Bone$: A Personal Account of a 'Body Broker's' Thirteen Year Journey Through the Legal and Lucrative Body Parts Business, by Philip Guyett (2011). EXTRAS"Cadavers – Part 1," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023). SOURCES:Philip Guyett, land surveyor and former body broker.

In the first of two episodes, Zachary Crockett digs into the strange and discomfiting history of cadavers, and the industry that has emerged around them. RESOURCES:"From Grave Robbing to Giving Your Own Body to Science – A Short History of Where Medical Schools Get Cadavers," by Susan Lawrence and Susan E. Lederer (The Conversation, 2023)."Box of Human Heads Stolen From Truck in Denver," by Carly Moore (FOX4, 2022)."A Body Donated to Science - but Used to Test Bombs," by Rozina Sini (BBC News, 2019)."How an American Company Made a Fortune Selling Bodies Donated to Science," by John Shiffman and Brian Grow (Reuters, 2017)."From Sacrilege to Privilege: The Tale of Body Procurement for Anatomical Dissection in the United States," by Raphael Hulkower (The Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine, 2011).The Anatomy Murders, by Lisa Rosner (2010). SOURCES:Kaylan Goodwin, vice president of marketing at Science Care.Susan Lawrence, professor and head of the history department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood. RESOURCES:"Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car," by Miriam Gottfried (The Wall Street Journal, 2022)."California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,000 for Car Wash Wage Citations," State of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release (2022)."Sgt. Clean’s Future Shines Bright Thanks to Subscription Model, Strong Reputation," by Vince Guerrieri (Crain's Cleveland Business, 2018)."One California Drought Winner? The Local Car Wash," by Lauren Sommer (Marketplace, 2015).Sonny's CarWash College. SOURCES:Brian Krusz, co-founder and director of growth & development at Sgt. Clean Car Wash.Eric Wulf, C.E.O. of the International Carwash Association.

More people than ever before are getting tattoos — but social media has flipped the trade’s business model on its head. Zachary Crockett dips into the ink. RESOURCES:"32% of Americans Have a Tattoo, Including 22% Who Have More Than One," by Katherine Schaeffer and Shradha Dinesh (Pew Research Center, 2023)."Tattoo Removal Business Draws Up High-Growth Potential," by Tim Clark (Forbes, 2023)."The Secret, Chronic Pain of Tattoo Artists," by Devon Abelman (Allure, 2020).The Other End of the Needle: Continuity and Change Among Tattoo Workers, by David C. Lane (2020)."How Instagram Revolutionized the Tattoo Industry," by Salvador Rodriguez (CNBC, 2020)."How Do Tattoo Artists Get Paid?" by Erica Salvalaggio (Inside Out, 2019)."Hey, Pro Athletes: Your Tattoo Is Going to Get You Sued," by Ira Boudway (Bloomberg, 2013). SOURCES:Tyler Adams, tattoo artist and owner of Grizzly Tattoo.Stacey Martin Smith, tattoo artist.

There’s more than meets the eye to the box that stores the pie. Zachary Crockett cracks the lid. RESOURCES"Who Is the Fastest Pizza Box Folder?! World Pizza Games 2021," video by The Laughing Lion (2021)."Pizza Box Contamination Doesn’t Impede Recyclability, Association Says," by Megan Smalley (Recycling Today, 2020)."Scott's Pizza Chronicles: A Brief History of the Pizza Box," by Scott Wiener (Serious Eats, 2018)."Apple Patented a Pizza Box, for Pizzas," by Jacob Kastrenakes (The Verge, 2017)."We Eat 100 Acres of Pizza a Day in the U.S.," by Lenny Bernstein (The Washington Post, 2015).Pizza Tiger, by Thomas Monaghan (1986). SOURCES:Patrick Kivits, president of corrugated packaging at WestRock.Eric Nelson, green business program manager for Johnson County, Kansas.Scott Wiener, founder of Scott's Pizza Tours.

Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? Zachary Crockett discovers what happens when we love ’em and leave ’em.

They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail.

It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent.

Who makes the stacks of fake cash used in movies — and how do they stay clear of counterfeit law? Zachary Crockett follows the  money. 

How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain.

How does America's cutest sales force get billions of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs into our hands every year? Zachary Crockett digs in.

The most popular song of the 20th century — and a key part of a ubiquitous American ritual — was also the subject of a years-long legal battle. Zachary Crockett blows out the candles.

Does anyone ever win the giant teddy bear? Zachary Crockett steps right up.

Most sports bars rarely screen women's games. Zachary Crockett taps into the strategy of one woman who changed the channel.

Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Zachary Crockett tugs at the thread.