Gary Becker, who received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1992, is best known for research that illuminates how economic decisions influence people's lives.

His work has extended economic analysis to decisions made by families, the effects of discrimination on minorities' earnings and employment, and how changes in family composition affect inequality and economic growth.

Becker has authored or co-authored such books as Social Economics (Belknap Press, 2000), The Economics of Life (McGraw-Hill, 1997), Accounting for Tastes (Harvard University Press, 1996), A Treatise on the Family (Harvard University Press, 1981), The Economic Approach to Human Behavior (University Of Chicago Press, 1976), and The Allocation of Time and Goods Over the Life Cycle (National Bureau of Economic Research, 1975).

In 2000, Becker received the National Medal of Science in recognition of his work. In 2007, Becker was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.