The machinery of freedom

David Friedman has a PhD in physics but has spent most of his career as an academic economist. He has taught at VPI, UCLA, Tulane, Chicago, and Stanford. His current position is as a law professor at Santa Clara University, specializing in the economic analysis of law. In addition to economics and libertarianism, his interests include historical recreation from the middle ages, science fiction and fantasy, and poetry. He is a long term member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, author of two novels, and coauthor with his wife of a medieval and renaissance cookbook. He lives in San Jose, California with his wife and two adult children. A third child and two grandchildren are in convenient visiting range. He spends too much time arguing with people online.