Currently Reading: Superfreakonomics

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I count the first book by rogue economist Steven D Levitt and his partner in crime Stephen Dubner as one of my all time favourite books. An entertaining and yet thoroughly enlightening book that explains stuff like why sumo wrestlers and teachers are most likely to cheat, the different cultural attitudes towards educating your child, and the impact of having a name that 'looks' black on your job prospects in America, I'm currently reading the follow up, Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance.

These days I don't devour a book in a few days so it's taking me a while to get it finished in sleepy bursts, but I know a hell of a lot more about the economics of prostitution (Who knew that putting yourself on the stroll and national holidays were so intrinsically linked?!) and the real reasons why the death rates were so high for new mothers in the past - doctors not sanitising their hands after doing autopsy's (yeuch) and then transferring lethal bacteria to birthing mothers. Fascinating.