Journal of Economic Literature
Book Reviews
2026-08-28
Gregory Lewis of Harvard University reviews “Snipers, Shills, and Sharks: eBay and Human Behavior” by Ken Steiglitz,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Examines the phenomenon of eBay through the perspective of auction theory. Discusses English and Vickrey auctions; the move from Vickrey to eBay; eBay strategies observed; what would happen if eBay were first-price; the signals that sellers send; prices; and transgressions. Appendices include further information on auctions, including some mathematical background. Steiglitz is Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University. Index.”