Robert M. Whaples, PhD, is professor of economics at Wake Forest University. His research deals primarily with the history of American labor markets and consensus among economists. Professor Whaples is editor of the Independent Review and book review editor for EH.net (economic history). He is the coeditor of three recent books: The Handbook of Modern Economic History, The Handbook of Major Events in Economic History, and The Economic Crisis in Retrospect: Explanations by Great Economists. He earned his PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.