When economists wrestle with any social issue-be it unemployment, inflation, health care, or crime and punishment-they do so impersonally. The big question for them is: What are the costs and benefits, or trade-offs, of the solutions to such matters? These trade-offs constitute the core of how economists see the world-and make the policies that govern it. Harold Winter constructs a useful introduction to the economic approach to analyzing controversial policy issues. Composed of case studies on topics drawn from across contemporary law and society, Trade-Offs is a foundational primer on the various factors that inform public opinion and policymaking. Intellectually stimulating yet accessible and entertaining, Trade-Offs will be appreciated by students of economics, public policy, health administration, political science, and law, as well as by anyone following current social policy debates.