Using data from a sample of the economic literature published over the years 1950 through 1988, we find substantial support for an environmental theory of idea entrepreneurship among economists. In particular, we show that the percentage of economic articles devoted to the topics of inflation...

The "truth" in autobiography depends on the observable historical record of a person's life. The less attractive the observed life, the more "truthful" is the autobiography. This result does not require differential standards of honesty as among autobiographers. It does depend on the...