Freakonomics

Despite its title, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner's Freakonomics: A Rough Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything isn't about economics. Instead, it's a mathematical and statistical investigation of various down-to-earth social phenomena.

The most interesting chapter analyzes declining US crime rates over the last few decades. Lots of press attention focuses on the authors' persuasive claim that legalized abortion has reduced the crime rate, since many potential criminals were never born in the first place. They also concluded that longer prison terms and larger police forces have reduced crime, while a growing economy, innovative police practices, gun law changes, and capital punishment have exerted a limited effect.

Another chapter examines what factors in a child's environment correspond to higher standardized test scores and finds patterns that challenge conventional wisdom. For example, children with many books at home tend to do better, but whether or not their parents read to them doesn't really matter. The general conclusions agree with Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate - who the parents are matter more than what they do.

The other chapters are less exciting, but still worthwhile. Overall, the book an easy, fast read; I finished it in three days while trying to maintain a slow pace. A couple of the arguments were unconvincing, but overall Freakonomics gives you plenty to think about.

Brothel

In Brothel: Mustang Ranch and its Women, medical student Alexa Albert explores the secretive world of legalized prostitution. As a research project, she lived at the Mustang Ranch for months, and visited other brothels, to understand the day-by-day lives of the women who worked there.

To my surprise, many of the prostitutes had pimps: men who brought them into the trade and received a significant fraction of the women's incomes. The author describes how other women deal with boyfriends, husbands, or children while living at the brothel. She summarizes the kinds of men who visit the brothel, and how many of the women take pride in their ability to please them. She reveals the social dynamics between the women, ranging from animosity to close bonds.

The book is a very humanizing and accessible portrayal of life in a brothel. The author starts off hostile to prostitution, but ends up much more sympathetic to it. Whatever your opinions, Brothel provides a fascinating view of a subculture rarely exposed to outsiders.

Stupid headline

When reading the paper this morning, I came across this headline:

Stakes as high for Iraqis as for Bush administration

This may sound radical, but perhaps the Iraqi people have a little more at stake than Bush does.