Robert Whaples graduated from the University of Maryland in 1983 with BA’s in economics and history and earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. His research deals primarily with the history of American labor markets and consensus among economists. He is editor of The Independent Review and book review editor for EH.Net (economic history). He is the co-editor of three recent books, The Handbook of Modern Economic History (2012), The Handbook of Major Events in Economic History (2013), and The Economic Crisis in Retrospect: Explanations by Great Economists. His research has been published in the Journal of Economic History, Southern Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, Contemporary Economic Policy, and other journals. He regularly teaches Introduction to Economics, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics and the Economics of Entrepreneurship. He is coach of the Wake Forest Quiz Bowl Team. He and his wife, Regina, are the proud parents of five – three of whom are Wake Forest graduates.