Chapter 1 - The Power of Markets: Who feeds Paris?

"We have an answer to a profound, age-old philosophical question", states Wheelan, "Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it maximized his utility". I find it interesting how since this is thought of as the beginning of a joke, many never consider it a serious question up for debate. I appreciated Wheelan's answer and found it intriguing. Since we are never given more than the question, our mind is allowed to wander as to why and how and when the chicken crossed the road. Was the grass greener on the other side? Was it a city road or a country road? Was it by chance? We can ask any question we want, but the "why" still remains. Every animal, whether human or not, makes decisions based on their needs and wants of survival and/or luxury and thus it is an appropriate answer - and clever at that.

In general, I find the decision to pass out free bottles of Coca-Cola to people in 1989 during the fall of the Berlin Wall intriguing and memorable. It was a fast and smart decision - one that gained them a huge popularity in the market and boosted their reputation. I appreciate the attitude of the people who authorized this, even if it wasn't out of the goodness of their hearts. They saw an opportunity and took it. To react quickly in a large situation with a small window of opportunity is difficult to do and they not only gave out free coke, but also began to build their product empire for the years to come - creating many more jobs able to feed more families in the future. That, in my eyes, is admirable.