Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Stephen J. Dubner &
Steven D. Levitt

This book got so much hype when it came out that I originally had very little interest in reading it. But I ultimately became too curious to ignore it and I'm glad that I did. Levitt calls himself an economist but he doesn't resemble one in any traditional sense. He's more of an assimilator of research and logic and he tackles some interesting topics, with mixed results. His big claim to fame (and the reason this book elicited so much attention) is his pronouncement that the reason the crime rate has dropped in America over the last few decades has more to do with the legalization of abortion through Roe vs. Wade than with any crime deterents that politicians or law enforcement have been responsible for. That sounds at little like sensationalism to me and it's probably meant to be, but Levitt supports it with facts that are very convincing. There are many more original theories here covering everything from parenting to drug lords. Levitt is not afraid to speak out against the status quo and he gives us plenty to think about. There isn't enough of that kind of thinking in the world today and for that reason alone, this is a book you should consider reading.