STONED—POSTPONED

I apologize if I left you fearing for my sanity.

Stuart Woods had the kindness to write 54 Stone Barrington novels, so what I fear most—running out of them while still quarantined, may not happen. But a discussion of that topic is for a different day.

Today,

Freakanomics, the podcast.

First, I loved the books. FREAKANOMICS (2005), and SUPERFREAKANOMICS (2009) were not only fun to read, they were intuitive even in their counterintuitivity. I also love that they apply statistical analysis and pattern study integrally in their work. There is no nonsense, of the sort that used to dominate the study of economics, that assumes people, groups, nations, classes, et al, decide on their behavior rationally. I refer you to the last presidential election which is an example that includes a tangential relationship to economics, plus more. When it comes to anything, but especially economics, reason does not reign.

I just discovered HOW TO THINK LIKE A FREAK, which I plan to immediately read. 

Meanwhile, the podcast.

Usually running between a half-hour and an hour, Stephen Dubner, the writer of the 2 authors, hosts a show, and Steven Levitt, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, with many many other credits, is an occasional contributor. Dubner will run an entire cast on one to three subjects, and the take is refreshing, entertaining, and sticks to fact.

They will also re-examine issues that have caused controversy, such as the analysis that discovered that the reduction in crime, that occurred in the 90s was a direct result of widely accessible legal abortion. As you may imagine, quite a hue and cry arose from many interested and agenda-ed parties. So, a few years later, the two Steves made a new analysis taking into account the criticism that the first printing, etc., engendered. And yup. The facts led to the same conclusion. Interesting, many women seem to know whether or not it is good for the world, for them to bring a child into it. Or perhaps a good world for the child.