Paul Krugman’s “How I Work”

I ran across this essay by Paul Krugman entitled "How I work" in which he chronicles his research philosophy and lays out a quick trajectory of how he got where he is today. It was a really interesting read. If for no other reason, it was interesting to see a public intellectual discuss his personal journey and outline his professional/academic methodology.

His rules of research include:

1. Listen to the Gentiles

2. Question the question

3. Dare to be silly

4. Simplify, simplify

The section on engagement with the policy-sphere was something I found particularly interesting. This is something I aspire to do. I aim to (successfully, I hope) toe that line between high level academic research and policy consulting. It was good to receive validation from someone who set out on that path early in his career and was able to make strong contributions in both arenas.

Here's the PDF link.