“The Coming Generational Storm : What You Need to Know about America’s Economic Future” (Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Scott Burns). As I was reading this book, laden with predictions of doom, I was thinking, “if people call Krugman shrill, they should read these guys”. By coincidence, Jack Strocchi sent me this review of Kotlikoff and Burns, by Krugman. I broadly agree with Krugman’s assessment, so I’ll just lift out a quote that appealed to me:
In March 199, Time included Laffer in its cover story on ‘The Century’s Greates Minds’ and called the Laffer curve one of ‘a few of the advances that powered this extraordinary century’. Just think about it. When it comes to physics, you need to be Albert Einstein to be classified as one of the century’s greatest minds. But when it comes to economics, all you have to do is draw a completely obvious picture on a napkin
I was also struck by this smackdown of a study predicting a huge wealth transfer to baby boomers from their parents
A close look at the Avery-Rendall study shows it to be a hoax. The only question is whether the authors were fooling themselves as well as their readers.
Ouch!
John Quiggin 
“A close look at the Avery-Rendall study shows it to be a hoax.”
I assume this is from “Generational Storm,” which I have not read, and not from the Krugman review which I did read.
Yes, Anne, that’s right, though i can see it’s a bit ambiguous.
Thanks, John. I will take a look tomorrow. This night a bit more of Don Quixote however. Imagine 400 years old, and wise and foolish and sad yet.