Planet Money Turned Everyday Annoyances Into an Economics Book

Hidden economic forces dictate modern life, ranging from government-sanctioned agricultural cartels to the systemic failures of the childcare industry. Alex Mayassi and Mary Childs, contributors to the *Planet Money* podcast, examine these invisible structures through the lens of their book, *Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life*. The discussion highlights how agricultural cooperatives, such as the California raisin industry, historically utilized federal power to manage supply and pricing, while the childcare sector suffers from "cost disease"—a phenomenon where labor-intensive services become increasingly expensive because they lack the productivity gains found in technology-driven industries. Ultimately, these market designs are not natural occurrences but the result of intentional, often complex, policy choices that shape societal norms, labor participation, and the distribution of economic growth.