• Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World

  • What Superheroes Can Tell Us About Economics
  • By: J. Brian O'Roark
  • Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
  • Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (14 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World  By  cover art

Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World

By: J. Brian O'Roark
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Why do heroes fight each other? Why do villains keep trying even though they almost never win? Why don't heroes simply take over the world?  

Economics and comic books seem to be a world apart. But in the hands of economics professor and comic hero aficionado J. Brian O'Roark, the two form a powerful alliance. With brilliant deadpan enthusiasm, he shows how the travails of superheroes can explain the building blocks of economics and how the laws of economics explain the mysteries of superhero behavior.   

Superman has a day job because of elastic demand; Spiderman's existential doubts are all about opportunity cost; game theory sheds light on the battle between Captain America and Iron Man; the Peltzmann effect makes sense of why heroes can go to the bad; sunk cost fallacy explains the Flash's tragic dilemmas; the utility curve helps us decide who is the greatest superhero of all.  

Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World: What Superheroes Can Tell Us About Economics probes the motivations of our favorite heroes and considers what it would look like if their stories played out in reality.

©2019 J. Brian O'Roark (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This light and breezy read will have your mind soaring as you learn to see your favorite heroes on an entirely new light." (Dirk Mateer, author of Principles of Economics)

What listeners say about Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting listen...

A good refresher for people in economics and those who are interested in comics. I enjoyed how it ties superheroes to reality through,
Daily life or daily economics.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I found it somewhat entertaining

an interesting educational reference for a brief overview of economic theories. someone entertaining and amusing using superheroes as a lens to give an educational overview of economics.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!