Economics: A Different Perspective (Author Interview)





How did you come up with the ideas in Economics?
The ideas in Economics mainly come from observations/correlations I have made over the years. For example, the vast majority of start-ups fail within the first 3-5 years. When I started thinking about this a little deeper, I realized that start-ups are similar to mariages (in terms of success rate and considering the fact that vast majority of divorces are initiated by women). The more I thought about it the more it became clear to me that making these types of observations is not enough: There are key lessons/insights that can be learned by looking at our lives from an economic standpoint. Each chapter in Economics contains very insightful observations, lessons and questions that I believe can help us all lead happier and rewarding lives.

Economics looks like a great book on how economics affects our lives.  Can you tell us a little about it?

I’d be tough for anyone who is not a fan Dave Chapelle and/or George Carlin’s comedy to enjoy reading Economics: A Different Perspective. Both of them are huge influences of mine when it comes sharing one’s insight on various topics and it shows in my writing. In this book, I share valuable insights on what I consider to be the main aspects of our lives (love, masculinity, femininity, war, skills, media, religion, debt, and beauty) and raise questions that will lead my readers to meaningful answers. Through Economics: A Different Perspective, I invite my readers to embark on a journey of reflection that I believe will lead to positive and meaningful adjustments in their lives.


What inspired you when writing Economics?   
My decision to write Economics: A Different Perspective came from my buring desire to finally put my writing skills to use. When I asked myself “what should I write about?” I immediately came to the conclusion that I should write about Economics, as I majored in Applied Ecnomics in college and have been working in the financial services industry for a few years now. Another motivating factor was the fact that when my then fiancée and I broke up 4 years ago, I started writing a romance novel, and even though the process of writing that novel was very therapeutic, I was unable to finish that novel. So, I promised myself that this time around, I’d finish what I started. 


Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing Economics?
Scheduling/time management was definitely my biggest challenge. In addition to working two full-time jobs (as a Research and Remediation Analyst and as Financial Representative), and planning my upcoming wedding, I had to find time to write a book. I was lucky because I started writing at a time when we weren’t slammed with customer complaints at my day job (my job as a research and remediation analyst was to essentially research and resolve issues that phone bankers were not able to resolve), so whenever we had down time at work, I’d start writing. Another challenge I faced was to make technical knowledge disgestible/appealing to people outside the financial services industry and to find quality/reliable sources when doing research for the book. To make sure that my work wasn’t too technical, I had book edited twice and reviewed by people outside of the financial services industry. Writing a book is definitely challenging, but I remember this experience being a lot of fun, which probably explains why there are so many puns throughout the book.

What do you like to do when not writing?
When I’m not too busy providing financial guidance to my clients and career guidance to college students, I spend most of my time planning my upcoming wedding, working on my second book all the while getting acclimated to my new life in Houston, TX. I enjoy go-cart racing, paintball, springboard diving and traveling. My favorite vacation spots include Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Paris, Barcelona, and Toronto. I’m also a huge art, music and smoothie lover.

Where can readers find out more about your work?
Readers can find out more about my work on my website theplusmethod.org, my Facebook Page theplusmethod, and my instagram accounts @garvey_s99 and @theplusmethod