As a kid, I loved The Wizard of Oz because I liked talking lions. It's a classic tale of a protagonist trying to find her way home, meeting wacky side characters who are also looking for meaning, and cackling witches trying to thwart their progress.


As an adult, I love The Wizard of Oz because I like macroeconomics. As it turns out, L. Frank Baum's iconic tale isn't a superficial story of a girl caught in a tornado. It's an allegory for the US's debates over whether or not to stay on the gold standard. However, those debates were long, confusing, and quite frankly boring. The allegory (like all allegories) served to simplify a complex issue and make it more entertaining and relatable. It's a lot less arduous to read or watch The Wizard of Oz than to research American political discussions of the early 1900s, and a lot more entertaining!