Did you know that in 1810, the use of nails in the US was comparable, as a measure of nominal GDP, to household purchases of personal computers and peripherals or air travel in our modern times?  That's just one nugget in guild member Dan Sichel's recent paper that caught the eye of NPR's Planet Monkey program for an interview. 

You may remember Dan's mahogany dining table featured as Piece of the Month last year.  So you might think the interview was about woodworking -- but, only peripherally.  You see, under the guise of an accomplished woodworker, Dan has a full-time job - Professor of Economics at Wellesley College.  Dan recently wrote "The Price of Nails Since 1695: A Window into Economic Change" that was the basis of the interview.  Presented in a ten minute podcast, Dan discusses his research on what we can learn about the US economy from the economic history of nails. 

Look forward to a light treatment of a serious paper by clicking Dan's Podcast. Also look forward to another featured piece by Dan later this year.