Edith Wharton’s novels rarely go more than a couple of years without a film or television adaptation. They are certainly never absent from high school and college curricula. Wharton was a taste-maker in other ways -- she wrote popular books…

In his new book, "Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays," economist Joel Waldfogel argues that giving unwanted presents is not just bad for those who receive them, it's bad for the economy as well.