Five Questions  December 27, 2010Duke Law News  Professor Barak
Richman's research interests include the economics of
contracting, new institutional economics, antitrust, and
healthcare policy. Read his faculty profile.  1. Hometown: Born
& raised in Philadelphia, and though it's been over 2 decades
since I left, I still get teary when I encounter a properly-
prepared soft pretzel.  2. Favorite Author: I'm a big Philip
Roth fan. I've often wondered, and feared, what that says about
me. His characters, his rants, and his relentless irony all
resonate with me, it's often spooky.  3. Favorite College
memory: (Well, not my favorite, but perhaps most important)
Seeing the Socratic method being used for the first time. Ed
Beiser, who passed away last year after a dreadful battle with
Parkinson's, was a Professor of Political Science at Brown. He
also was a brilliant teacher and a remarkably precise
questioner. His questions echoed in our ears into the evening,
in dorm room conversations, and for years after graduati