Freakonomics, co-written by an economist and a Times columnist, analyzes several different social and cultural issues from an economic perspective, sometimes producing counter-intuitive conclusions. A few of their conclusions off the top of my head:

1. The rapid crime drop in the 1990’s is partly due to the legalization of abortion.
2. The test-score gap between blacks and whites is simply due to good and bad schools - not the many other explanations put forward.
3. Gun regulations have little affect on crime. Children are also much more likely to die in a swimming pool than by a gun — by nearly 100 times.
4. People cheat when it is in their best interest to do so.
5. Black culture has some baby naming issues: OrangeJello, LemonJello (pronounced o-RON-juh-lo and le-MON-juh-lo, respectively), along with the ever-popular Shithead (I am NOT KIDDING: it’s supposedly pronounced shutEED) as the most extreme examples.

One thing should be made clear: Freakonomics is an accessible read (it can be read in just a few hours). It is not heavy reading. It is also written in an entertaining, upbeat manner a lá Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point.

In fact, the similarities don’t end there. Both authors seem to think bigger hair connotes bigger intelligence:

My biggest problem with the book was how self-congratulatory it was. Who sub-titles their book A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything? Rogue Economist? Everything? Come on. Anyone who refers to himself as a rogue economist on the cover of their book has some issues, in my opinion. The hidden side of everything. Can you think of a phrase more hyperbolic and exaggerated than that?

To top it off, every chapter begins with a snippet from a media outlet that basically describes how amazing, super-intelligent, and utterly rogue-ish the economist author is. Pick up the book in a bookstore and thumb through the beginning of each chapter. You’ll get a sense for what I mean.

I still recommend reading this book. It makes some interesting insights, and it is entertaining in a light, superficial way. And it will only take a few hours.

(Rating: 3/5)