The dismal science of economics is, by most definitions, about finding the most efficient allocation of resources. And that goes for individuals, companies, governments and — yes — criminals. Edward Miguel is an expert on that last category. He's the co-author, with Raymond Fisman, of “Economic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence and the Poverty of Nations.” Published in late 2008, the authors use new data, innovative number-crunching and various pattern recognition models to plumb the worlds of kleptocrats, corruption, black marketeers and violence.

SAN JOSE — Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said in the coming days he will announce a date to resume talks to bring an end to the standoff between two men fighting for the soul of Honduras. The chosen mediator, Arias spoke to an ample crowd of reporters Friday with a voice that has grown hoarse — though not short of his usual poetics — after two days of intense negotiations that failed to reach a hoped-for resolution.

TAMBOR, Costa Rica — After pulling into this small town a couple of bus rides northwest of the capital San Jose, it seems like the words are on everyone’s lips. When asked how to find the construction site for their soon-to-be neighbors, locals will practically finish your sentence: “You mean the Habitat for Humanity site? It’s a few hundred meters down the road,” a shopkeeper says.