Super Freakonomics is the follow-up to Freakonomics. I'll confess that I've never read the first book, but I did listen to the second book and loved it!
As a journalism major in college, I was required to take both macro and micro economics. I'd also had economics in high school, but none of the classes I've had was even half as entertaining as this book was. The book's focus is on microeconomics and behavioral economics and looks at things like prostitution, how often doctors wash their hands, car seats, terrorism, and global warming.
Yes, definitely quite a wide variety of topics!
Everything was presented in such an interesting, entertaining manner that even topics I thought wouldn't be particularly riveting, held my attention. One of the co-authors reads the book, and while this is not something I'm normally a fan of, it works here because he's got a great voice and does just read the words. He performs them the way a good voice actor should.
One of the more interesting topics focused on crime and that incident in New York from the 1960s? 1970s? The one where the woman was stabbed to death in front of 15 or so witnesses and no one stepped in to help. Apparently, the account wasn't entirely accurate and there are quotes and stuff from the people who lived there and people who investigated it after the fact.
The best part, though, of the entire book is the epilogue. They talk about a researcher who was working with monkeys and teaching them to use money. I was laughing quietly in my cube as I listened to this section and the ending of the book was great!
Highly recommended.
