Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
The third in their wildly popular Freakonimics series, Dubner and Levitt once again turn conventional wisdom on its ear. If you listen regularly to their free and awesome Podcasts, much of the content will be familiar. Unlike their previous books, which seek to disprove so many things that we “know”, their new book shows you how you too can “think like a freak.” And, as they warn you, it may make you pretty unpopular. From their theory that abortion, not more policing, has caused a drop in crime rates, to the idea that paying kids for good grades will improve scores, there is probably something in here to often (at least at first blush) damn near anyone. But their reasoning, and research, is sound. Give this book a whirl and, if you don’t like it, quit reading it.