A Few Interesting New Papers

The vertical stacks of papers on my desk reflects the fact that my appetite for interesting new papers to read, on a wide variety of subjects, exceeds my ability to actually read them. Each day, I receive announcements (through various mechanisms) of dozens of new papers. Some days, none will interest me enough to look beyond the abstract. Many days, however, I will find one or two articles that pique my interest enough for me to download, and sometimes print out, the entire article. Rarely, I'll have a day like one earlier this week, when I found a half dozen or more new papers to read.

In an effort to keep my vertical stacks of papers from approach the ceiling of my office, I've tried this week to make at least a little headway by reading papers (mostly newer ones) that have attracted my attention. Several of these I find worth recommending to others. (Warning: NBER papers require a subscription for download, but not for reading abstracts):

Lee J. Alston and Krister Andersson, "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Forest Protection: The Transaction Costs of REDD," Working Paper 16756, NBER Working Paper Series (Feb. 2011).

Samuel Bowles, "Is liberal society a parasite on tradition?"


Pablo T. Spiller, "Transaction Cost Regulation," Working Paper 16735, NBER Working Paper Series (Jan. 2011).


Daniel A. Farber, "The BP Blowout and the Social and Environmental Erosion of the Louisiana Coast,UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper No. 1740844 (Jan. 2011).


Monica Eppinger, "Unravelling the Illiberal Commons: On Property, Personhood, and the New Objectivity" (July 2010).