G.A. Akerlof: Writing the "The Market for 'Lemons'": A Personal and Interpretive Essay

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/articles/akerlof/index.html

C. Blattman: How to get a PhD *and* save the world

http://chrisblattman.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-get-phd-and-save-world.html

'Tis the season for graduate school applications and associated angst. Several aspiring political scientists and economists have asked me for my thoughts and advice, and I've generally started by pointing them to Greg Mankiw's excellent Advice for Aspiring Economists and Advice for Grad Students.

Mankiw's advice does not quite cater, however, to those of us that are young, idealistic, and want to pursue PhD research that makes life better for those less fortunate. For those so inclined, I offer the following addenda.

WRI-Plants at the Pump: Biofuels, Climate Change, and Sustainability

http://pdf.wri.org/plants_at_the_pump.pdf

H-W. Sinn: Food or Fuel?

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sinn17/English

The Economist: The End of Cheap Food

Rising food prices are a threat to many; they also present the world with an enormous opportunity

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10252015

Rising incomes in Asia and ethanol subsidies in America have put an end to a long era of falling food prices

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10250420

Resources for Economists

http://www.aeaweb.org/RFE

S. Johnson-Food and Biofuels: The Price of Success

"In a column in the December 2007 edition of Finance & Development magazine, IMF Chief Economist Simon Johnson looks at how the adoption of biofuels is driving up world food prices. He suggests that rich countries could help limit the rise, which is hurting the poor in low-income countries the most, by removing ethanol subsidies and cutting high tariffs."

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/RES123A.htm