SuperFreakenomics by Levitt and Dubner

If, like me, you loved the book Freakenomics, you have been waiting four long years for the follow up SuperFreakenomics. The wait has paid off, SuperFreakenomics gives you more of the witty, pithy economic insight you loved in the first book. Not only is this book well written, it is a lot of fun to read. You literally don't want to put it down when you read the next provocative chapter heading, "How is a street prostitute like a department store Santa?" or "Why should suicide bombers buy life insurance." The insights into why prostitution is cheaper now than at the turn of the century and how to catch a terrorist, are very interesting, but my favorite chapter is, "What do Al Gore and Mount Pinatubo have in common?"

Would you believe a volcano eruption might do more to help stop global warming than anything Al Gore could do? You will after you read this chapter. You'll also get to see all the amazing things that former Microsoft guru Nathan Myhrvold and the genesis at Intellectual Ventures are doing to help geoengineer a solution to climate change.

There is no doubt the authors like to write about controversial topics: global warming, prostitution, but how about saying it's safer to drive home drunk than to walk home drunk? You can hear the MADD folks going ballistic on this one, but the statistics bear it out. If you have some friends over and they have had too much to drink, you are not doing them a favor by taking away their keys and making them walk home. If you want them to get home safely, put them in a cab or get them to spent the night.

If you like social insights like this, you'll love this book. I just hope we don't have to wait another four year for the next book, but if we do, you can keep up with the authors on their Freakenomics blog on NY Times.com.