Economics needn’t be shrouded in byzantine theory and mathematical formulas. In a discussion of his new book Popular Economics: What the Rolling Stones, Downton Abbey, and LeBron James Can Teach You About Economics, Forbes magazine editor John Tamny takes a clear, comprehensible, real-world look at how money works – and how he says it should work.

Tamny, also managing editor of the website RealClearMarkets and a senior economic advisor to the Toreador Research and Trading investment management firm, draws from movies, sports, pop culture, and marquee businesses. The Rolling Stones, football’s Dallas Cowboys, and celebutante Paris Hilton are examples of good and bad tax policy. The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and The Sopranos illustrate the downside of antitrust regulation.