Freakonomics

I just finished reading a book called Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, and it is full of provocative discussions about topics that you usually wouldn't think to put together, including:

• What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?
  In which they explore incentives and how it encourages cheating in these two seemingly unrelated professions.

• How Is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents?
  In which they argue that both these groups gain power and profit by controlling information (and abusing it).

• Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
  In which they examine the possible causes for the decline in violent crime and its possible relationship to the legalization of abortion (Roe vs Wade in 1973).

• Perfect Parenting, Part 2; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?
  In which they weigh the importance of naming a baby (Madison or Aaliyah? Jake or DeShawn?).

I really found it interesting how Levitt applies an economist’s techniques to such unconventional topics—lots of "Aha!" moments for me.