To be honest, I can't think of anything to write about, so I'm going to write about my favorite non-fiction book of all time--Freakonomics. It's about using the tools of economics and applying them to social issues that may (or, more than likely, may not) have anything to do with the traditional issues studied in microeconomics courses. Nowhere in this book will you hear the phrase "production possibilities curve." You will not see any graphs; maybe a few statistics, but no graphs. You will, however, gain a new appreciation for the role that economics plays in our everyday lives. It focuses on the basics of economics: how people get what they need and want.
Why do drug dealers live with their moms? What effect did abortion have on crime? If you want to know, this book will tell you. You can find information about many of the things we talk about in class and recognize them, but only in passing. It's not Naked Economics in any way. Naked Economics talked about social issues, yes, but it used the language of economics. Freakonomics, however, uses common understandable everyday English. It's a good supplemental read for the semester, or during the summer. It's not, however, a good way to prepare for the AP or to give you background information about various subjects studied throughout the semester. Plus, it's actually remotely entertaining.
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3 comments:
I considered it for pre-course reading...but alas...it has little to do with what we do. :)
(Sadly, I also found it boring, only because it's similar to other books to try to sex up Econ. Well written and entertaining, but if you're in "tha biz", you've seen it before...)
But I agree - it's great external reading. For AFTER the national exam. ;)
My mom really likes this book too. I think I'll have to read it as soon as I'm not up to my neck in homework... =)
Your review of the book made me think about how critics affect the demand curve of products in the entertainment industry. Critics have a way of setting expectations, which are a determinant of demand.
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