Funny you should ask.

I was just looking at a textbook... Intro To Economics.

It goes through a few definitions (cost vs value vs worth, etc) and by page 3 they start with the first lesson: What is worth more, a diamond or a glass of water?

Then they go into the discussion of a guy in the desert and how he would gladly trade diamonds for a glass of water. I guess anyone in the world can relate to diamonds, water, deserts, and thirst.

Reading on to page 5, they go into the second lesson: How much is a 747 Captain worth? (I swear I'm not making this up!)

This discussion goes along the lines of all the training, experience, the lifetime of preparation, a clean record, incredible responsibility, long hours away from home, and so on. So is a 747 pilot worth 300,000 a year? Yes, they reason, as long as there are only so many available.

However, they go on to point out that if there is a surplus of qualified persons to fly 747s, then the "value" of a 747 Captain drops rapidly. Thus ends the second lesson in the economics textbook.

Honest to God... the first two examples in an economics textbook are a rich man dying in the desert and a bunch of 747 pilots that think they're worth more than the market will support.

I didn't read any more after that.