Sunshine and Light

Freakonomics by Steven Levitt & Stephen J Dubner

I read this book a few months ago - long before I started blogging again, and it a good, fascinating read. I definitely recommend it....with a caveat. But first, a clarification. I am pro life. Always have been. But I'm even more so because my husband is adopted. The idea that someone could have killed him in the womb makes me more than a little sick. So there were a few chapters that I skimmed/skipped over, which I guess were supposed to be the showcase chapters. In it, Levitt makes a hypothesis that the drop in crime that happened in the mid to late 90s was the result of the legalization of abortion. His theory is that there were less unwanted babies, and therefore less crime. Or as I think of it, the "Minority Report" approach - kill people before they have a chance to commit the crime. All of this comes up now because it appears that Levitt's work is flawed. So as you can guess, I'm not too bummed out to hear that there's not a direct correlation.

One other thing to be aware of - Levitt has apparently been a golden boy for a while, so be prepared for self congratulation. If any of your co-workers patted themselves on the back as much as Levitt & Dubner do, you'd probably smack them around.

Regardless, this book is still very interesting, and I would highly recommend it. But if you're really good, get it from the library or buy it used and don't put an additional penny in this man's pocket.

In the hopper
Books
Confessions by St Augustine (yes, I've still got it)
The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

Movies
Shall We Dance
Election
Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire
The Polar Express

Labels: Books

posted by MyHusbandRules @ 6:52 PM