Economics for people who don't like economics

Superfreakonomics

This is the second book written collaboratively by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, the first being "Freakonomics." I've read both books now, and they're both really interesting. Both of them are nonfiction books that use economic principles to discuss everything from prostitution to global warming to monkeys. I think a lot of people shy away from the books because they hear "economics" and it makes them think "numbers hfdsuig stock market vasuigriutwt economy crash iothsgnsoet boringness," but that's not what the books are like at all. They use economic terms (externalities, incentives, etc.), but explain them in a way that even if you know nothing about economics, you can still get a lot out of the book. If you're looking to read a chapter just to get a feel for the book, I reccommend "Chapter 3: Unbelievable Stories About Apathy and Altruism." That one was my favorite.

What I really like about these books is that Levitt and Dubner get so much information in there without making you feel overloaded. Whenever I flipped back to look at something, I always went, "Oh yeah, I forgot about this part! Oh yeah, and that part, that was interesting too! Wow, there was so much stuff in this chapter!" I learned about some subjects I knew nothing about and, additionally, got a new take on some subjects I was more familiar with. I would say don't read the book for the hook questions they advertise with ("Why should suicide bombers buy life insurance?" for instance), because the answers to those are usually not so interesting, but the other information that accompanies those answers is fascinating. I don't have the greatest patience for non-fiction, so it wasn't exactly the kind of book I couldn't put down, and I definitely liked some sections more than others, but overall it was a really interesting book, and I reccommend it to economists and non-economists alike. 7.5 pretzel bites.

KAY

Read this post and someone somewhere you dont know will die...........

Okay so hopefully you people on the internetz (whoever you may be) have heard of the semi-recent movie, The box. Well the movie is total crap. Sorry Cameron Diaz you can NOT do a southern accent. But this isnt a blog about crap movies. The actual story the movie is based off is about 10 pages. Really short. Yes its true this is a collection of thrilling, creepy, mind blowing, short stories. Which all are really good! Well minus one. But there are always anomalies. Anyway this book really wants me to read more of his stuff. 8 pretzel bites

TEE

Darwin?

Leviathan: Scott Westerfield

Yes, that Westerfield.
The one who wrote all the uglies and pretties and specials. Which are very good books (for the series i give em' a 8(don't tell anybody i sneaked you a double review.))
But i think he should stick with books like that. Steampunk and Scott. Well they just don't click. With that said the ending is very gripping. I have mixed emotions for the sequel. Seriously WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE OTTOMANS?! But the book in general took me a while to finish because the middle section was so long! I like the plot in general, who cant love genetically modified floating whales used as warships or star wars walkerish things? If you don't you have no soul :(
So probably 6.5 pretzel bites

TEE

Bookshaker!

BONESHAKER
So. Ive started reading a new genre. Its called steampunk and the two books i just read are crazily similar. It is mucho frightening because they were both Christmas gifts. The whole steampunk genre is all about alternate history with some of the future thrown in. Boneshaker, is all about some kid whose dad destroyed Seattle then dies and he is trying to prove himself and stuff in this walled off city with zombies and the like. Fun huh?
I like Cherie's writing style but its not exactly what one would call unique. Yes its a good book. But i could also put it down. She does make very likable characters. I could relate in someway shape or from to one or more of the characters. So 6 pretzel bites

TEE

Mystery, jokes, and graduation

Paper Towns

This is a book I got for Christmas by John Green. It's about this semi-nerdy kid, Q, who is infatuated with this girl named Margo. He goes on this crazy all-night adventure with her, and then she disappears. However, she leaves a string of clues behind her, and Q is determined to find her. I didn't like this book as much as Green's book "An Abundance of Katherines" (reviewed here), but it was still an entertaining and addicting read (a.k.a. I didn't sleep as much as I should have because I wanted to stay up reading). I just thought that Q's friends were a little more interesting than Q himself, and sometimes Q had a way of getting a little overly philosophical. While his musings were interesting, they were the parts of the book I liked the least. His friends got a little philosophical at times too, but I found those musings a lot more interesting and they made more of a connection with me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. However, I still recommend this book because I had a fun time reading it. Also, all the thoughts on high school graduation got me thinking about my (fast approaching) graduation, so it was nice to have that connection.

Random unimportant fact: there's this one character in the book named Radar, and the way he is described in the book sounded a lot like this kid in my class, so without meaning to I've started thinking about Radar and the kid I know as the same person. Anyway, I give this book 7.5 pretzel bites

KAY

It's electric!

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

I just finished this classic book by Tom Wolfe. It's all about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, which is the group that essentially started the psychedelic movement. It's non-fiction, but it doesn't read like, "Oh, and then on this date, such and such happened fhush boring fact." It reads more like a novel. It was kind of hard to adjust to Wolfe's style at first, because it's kind of crazy and different (he used the style to add to the description of the LSD experience), but I got used to it. Apart from just having a great title, I found this book really interesting. All the characters are really fascinating and vivid. At first, I was not so into the book. Once Wolfe went back to the beginning of the story, I became more engrossed, though there were a lot of parts I had a hard time concentrating on. My overall favorite part of the whole book was the part about this guy named Sandy.

I have a lot of respect for Wolfe for compiling this massive amount of history, and then presenting it in an interesting way. I had to keep reminding myself that it was true, especially because at times it all seemed so surreal. The thing that bothered me the most doesn't even have to do with the writing, it has to do with the cover; it specifically says several times in the book that on the front of the Pranksters' bus it said, "Furthur," spelled just like that, with two u's. However, on the cover, it was written "further." Stupid complaint, I know. I just found it irritating. Overall, though, a fascinating story. 7.5 pretzel bites.

KAY

Splendid

Splendor

To close out my winter break, I also closed out the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen by reading the fourth and final book, "Splendor" (click to see reviews of books two and three). I have to say, I had a really fun time with it. In the beginning, things were kind of calm and humdrum, but by the middle it got really intense and dramatic again. I was a little bored of Elizabeth by the end of the first book, but in this one there's a big twist in the Elizabeth story. By the end of the book, I found myself wanting even Carolina (who previously bothered me a little) to have a happy ending. And the ending is happy to some extent, but not all Hollywoody, cheesy, over the top, which I really appreciate. In fact, over the past day I keep returning to the ending, and the more I think about it, the more I think Godbersen handled it perfectly.

And speaking of Hollywood... usually I am completely against turning books I enjoyed into movies, but in this case I think I'm going to have to make an exception. These books could be such good movies if they were done well. The costumes would be gorgeous. A lot of what I like about the books is imagining the setting and way of life at the time, and I think movies could capture that really well. So, my final word on the Luxe series: it's a little soapy and girly, but it's also really fun and addicting to read. These were the perfect books for winter vacation. I give the final installment 8 pretzel bites.

KAY