economics

Don’t be turned off by the title; Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner is a stimulating book that aims to entertain while educating and expanding the way one thinks.

A must read for business people who want to spark innovation in their companies. Have you wondered why something as awful as the Jersey Shore became so popular? What was behind Starbuck's success with becoming our "third place?" It is all about "culturematics," a way to try out new ideas, and the innovations that tap into the unexpected can be the ones that take hold.

I picked this book out because of my enduring fascination with how the economic situation got to where it is today. I’m a major tightwad…a saver against that inevitable rainy day, when I lose my job, my health, or my home. Being rather fearful, I could never fully enjoy the benefits of the credit driven, leveraged pleasures of consumption. (I still have and use the bath towels I received at my bridal shower three decades ago.) And, naturally enough, I tend to defend my
First, let me apologize to those readers who are on the waiting list for Half the Sky. While certainly compelling, it is not a quick read, and I took more than my fair check out period. As a conscientious borrower, let my overdue status serve as a testament to the weight of this book.
Superfreakonomics is the follow-up to Freakonomics by the same authors. I found this a lot of fun to read, because they present lots of quirky subjects. The authors present these things as facts, but how can you really be sure? This is their understanding and interpretation of how things work, how things come to be.