The sound of very loud applause accompanied Shane's steps down the podium to return to his special chair. The week-long economic conference in Germany featured more than thirty speakers. Shane was one of several great professors who was invited to be a speaker representing well-known universities in the US.

As soon as he returned to the round table, he received admiring glances from several of his colleagues who came from all over the world. They praised his speech, which was light, but had a ...