What is economics? Why is it so important, and why should I be interested?

Economics is much more a study of human behavior than anything else. It relates to every area of human decision-making, and this means so much more than financial decisions. It's all about the choices that people make, and a logical process for examining those choices. In the classroom, it is important for students to understand that, with common sense and empathy for the decision-maker, they can make the same predictions about people's choices that the instructor can. Better yet, economics has implications for areas that many people haven't even imagined - health care, the environment, voting, and even the weighty matter of whether or not a person should eat that last piece of pizza.