Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful to the incredible students I’ve taught over the past five years. Your curiosity, challenging questions, and fresh perspectives have been a constant source of inspiration, profoundly influencing my ideas and deepening my insights. Your enthusiasm has been the driving force behind this book, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn alongside you.

To my wonderful colleagues, Stephen, John, Jane, Kim and others your valuable insights and endless patience have been instrumental in shaping this text. Your support and expertise have enriched this book immensely, and I hope it proves useful.

In the spirit of transparency, I must acknowledge the help provided to add clarity and edit my sometimes messy or complex lecture notes, ideas and thoughts into coherent text, assisting with editing, and aiding in proofreading and images. This was through colleagues, and the use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT Turbo 4.0, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Perplexity and Adobe Firefly). This support has made it possible to complete this project, but with my own idea and words!

I’m grateful for the unwavering support of my family and friends. Craig and June, thank you for everything. To my children, JJ and Pe – yes, another of mum’s crazy ideas! And to James and Greg – I couldn’t have made it without your laughter and drinks!

Lastly, I extend my gratitude to the broader academic community and the countless economists whose work has shaped the field. Your contributions have laid the foundation for this book and continue to push the boundaries of economic thought.