the dismal page

Freakonomics

Posted by admin on 10.23.08 12:10PM under the dismal page

This book is a page-turner. I brought it to the beach and all four adults waited patiently for a turn to read it—not your usual beach book. I liked it because I juxtapose odd topics and don’t always know where to take them. This book gave me a new perspective. Sample topics:

Information control as applied to the Ku Klux Klan and real-estate agents
The economics of drug dealing, including the surprisingly low earnings and abject working conditions of crack cocaine dealers
The controversial role legalized abortion has played in reducing crime. (Levitt explored this topic in an earlier paper entitled “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime.”)
The negligible effects of good parenting on education

According to Wikipedia:

In April 2007, co-author Stephen Dubner announced that there will be a sequel to Freakonomics. It will contain further writings about street gang culture from Sudhir Venkatesh, as well as a study of the use of money by capuchin monkeys.[8] Dubner has said the title would be Superfreakonomics,[9] and that one topic will be what makes people good at what they do.

Yeah! Buy the book.