Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner, Steven Levitt (2005, Hardcover)

Rarely does something live up to its buzz but Freakonomics exceeds expectations. A book about economics that doesn’t induce narcolepsy ? Its possible and the dynamic duo of Dubner and Levitt seem to have stumbled onto some sort of nerd secret sauce. There are no equations, no regressions and no Laffer curves in this book. What you’ll find instead is a series of interesting and relevant questions that, when viewed through the lens of some VERY basic economic and statistical principles, will cause you to reconsider the way you think about the underlying issues. Drug dealers, cheating teachers, children’s names and the hidden benefits of abortion are among the situations covered.

If you are a Harvard doctoral candidate doing a literature review for your thesis, this is not your book. Its light fare, ideal for an airplane ride or a weekend. Its accessible without being dumb and its provocative without being political.