Professor Jorge Salazar-Carrillo was born in Havana, Cuba. He went to Law School at the University of Havana and also studied Business Administration at the University of Miami graduating with a Bachelor's Degree. In exile, he obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1964 to 1979, he was Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Professor of Economics at Georgetown University. Since 1980, he has been Chairman and Professor of the Economics Department at Florida International University in Miami, as well as Director of the Center for Economic Research at that same institution. He has published over 60 books and has contributed extensively to scientific journals and textbooks in his field.

His articles analyzing economic trends, especially with regards to Cuba and Latin America, are published regularly both locally and internationally, as he is considered one of the most lucid and informed analysts in this area of study. He usually is a guest in various media sources. In the author's own words: "Having concluded half a century of studies in the field of economics, I have come to the conclusion that economic wellbeing is more individual than social, and it is more directly related to psychology and behavior. Furthermore, economic decisions are most highly influenced by these two factors. For this reason, I decided to write not the economics book I produce on a yearly basis, but one that analyzes behavior, as determined by psychological factors".