July 2007
Beginner
432 pages
11h 21m
English
"You want to write a book about what? Economic indicators? How did you come up with this death wish?"
That was the first response I got after telling a colleague at TIME what I was up to. She, too, was a financial journalist, so I expected some sage advice and support. We continued our conversation over lunch. "Did I hear you correctly?" she asked, still incredulous. "We are talking about your writing a book on economic statistics, right?" Yes, I nodded, and then went on to explain why this idea had been percolating in my mind for months. I knew it was a tough topic to write about, but I was ready to take it on. She listened patiently to my reasoning and then let loose a barrage of suggestions.
"First, let's get real here. To make this ...