Playlist: Freakonomics

Never got around to reading the book, though I read enough excerpts and articles about it to get the gist. Important work.

The authors, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dunbar, are engaging on film and take us through some of their more interesting findings. The movie is broken down into segments directed by different filmmakers and, not surprisingly, my favorite was the one by Morgan Spurlock. It explores the power of names and how much of a role they play in our success (or lack thereof in the case of some of the more whimsical ethnic monikers).

One of the most controversial, and thus interesting, findings from the book is also discussed here: how the rise in abortions in the 1970s after Roe v. Wade is the number one reason behind the drop in the crime rate during the 1990s. Shockingly logical when it's put on the table like that.