David George Surdam is professor of economics at the University of Northern Iowa. He wrote his dissertation, "Northern Naval Superiority and the Economics of the American Civil War," at the University of Chicago. His thesis advisor was Nobel Prize winner Robert W. Fogel. Professor Surdam's research interests include economics of the Civil War, economics of professional team sports, leisure during the twentieth century, history of business ethics, and the history of wealth accumulation and expenditure. He has published eleven books and over twenty articles. He has also written many articles on various website and newspaper sites, as well as been a guest speaker on radio programs.