May Book Reviews: "Freakonomics" & "I Thought My Father Was God"

*So I only finished two books this month. And they were both audiobooks. George W. Bush is totally kicking my butt.

My Rating System: OK*, Good**, Great***


Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Rating: **

It's hard to describe what this book is about... even the authors admit there isn't really a "theme." But if I had to peg it down I'd say it's a book about why some things are the way they are. Like, if drug dealers make so much money, why do they all live at home with their moms? Or what caused the huge decline in crime over the last decade or so? This was a very interesting read with a lot of surprising facts and discoveries about the world we live in and our society. A good book for any of you who have an interest in psychology or sociology. I'm sure I'll end up reading the follow-up book "Super Freakonomics."

I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project
by Paul Auster
Rating:**

This book actually turned out to be something totally different than what I thought it was. I didn't realize it was a compilation of stories from many people. I'd never heard of NPR's "National Story Project." Apparently Paul Auster started it and basically asked people to send him short, true stories. I'm not sure if they still do this on the radio, but this book was a collection of a few of the stories sent in over the years.

I really enjoyed this book. It was amazing to hear all these stories from all these people... some sad, some happy, some unbelievable. It was a perfect audiobook for my daily commute because of the short story format. It's something you can pick up and put down and not have to remember a long story line or what was going on. Highly recommended.