When it's "all-wedding; all-the-time" you kind of neglect posting

Not that I didn't want to post about Freakonomics, you understand, it's just that things came up.

Like having to handle booking an overnight room at the hotel for the night of the rehearsal at a reduced rate so your sister and cousin don't have to worry about getting there on time for hair and makeup. Or the extra footwork you now need to do because the jobs you assigned to your fiance have now become your jobs.

Anyway, I was just telling my dad about this book and he looked a bit puzzled. As in "how could anything that calls itself 'the dismal science' be remotely entertaining?"

Economics, as defined by Steven Levitt, is the science of how people get what they need. It can be applied strictly to finances and costs in the marketplace, or, in the case of this book, it can be applied to life in general.

I've been reading the monthly Freakonomics column in the NY Times since it started; it's nice to finally get a better perspective on what the premise of the book was, how the data were analyzed and manipulated and, of course, how the authors told their stories.

Upbeat, fun, and often controversial, the stories and study of "how people get what they want" as presented in this book make one stop and think about the way the world works, no matter how "freakish" it might be.

And, as we always say, the truth is often stranger than fiction.

I'll Start Off

Like I already said, I really liked this book. It's one of those books that make you think, and even if you don't agree with some of the arguments, you have to admit they are VERY thought out.

I think the part I found most interesting is why drug dealers live with their mother. It gave a very detailed view of the drug-dealing hierarchy and bashed a lot of my Hollywood-ized images of what really goes on. As well as how much of it is status, luck, stamina, etc, of the "employees." (OMG, that part reminded me so much of corporate america in some aspects, it's scary!!!)

What about you?