Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Car on the Street


Here's a cool car I saw on the street. A vehicle of the future, perhaps.

Consumer versus Contributor


At a Bible study today, the class went over Collosians chapter 1. For the past two weeks, the study group has been tackling that one chapter, and today we finally made it to the end. In essence, the chapter speaks of the words of Paul to the Corinthians. These are a people currently seeking the truth of God but are wrapped in a culture of idolotry (sp?). Paul is a prisoner, yet he has come to them to speak about the truth of God and how Jesus died that we might live. What struck me most came in Collosians 1:28-29. Here are few translations:

Contemporary English Version
28 We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.

29 That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.


New International Version
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.


King James Version
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.


(Ahhh, yes. Good 'ol King James. Never fails to confuse.)

Now Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about God as their savior, but in the last verses that I mentioned here, he also speaks about every Christian's call service. In the Bible study, we referred to it as stewardship. In essence, it begs the question of whether we are mere consumers of the Christian faith or contributors to it. I am doing a bit of simplification here for the purposes of this blog post, but the final question we had to ask ourselves was how we were using the talents God gave us to be good stewards and to educate others about the beauty and grandeur of Christ.

It's a simple question yet it's one I know I cannot answer adequately. I have talents clearly that God has given me, but how I am using them to win souls for Christ? How am I using them to strengthen the spiritual maturity of the church? Of MY church?

Do I just go to church to reap the benefits of contructive dialog and grappling with the Word or am also taking that knowledge or using what I know to encourage others?

Do I give away all my talents to the entity who signs my paycheck? Or am I using those talents to fulfill God's mission? And when I am honest with myself and admit that I am not, what can I do to set things right?

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Guilty Pleasures


It's a little immature, I know. I had just come out of the grocery store and then I saw him. On any other day, maybe it would have grossed me out, but today, I couldn't stop laughing.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Villa... Who?

Villanova beat Duke? What is basketball coming to?

My picks for the remainder of the tournament:

Pittsburgh vs. Villanova = Pittsburgh
Louisville vs. Arizona = Louisville
Kansas vs. Michigan State = Kansas
Connecticut vs. Missouri = Connecticut
North Carolina vs. Gonzaga = North Carolina (though I do hope Gonzaga wins)
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma = Oklahoma

And what team will win the tournament now that Duke is out? It's hard to say. But I'm liking Kansas and Louisville. And of those two, I like Kansas. However, so far, each of the #1 seeds have proven themselves to be the best in their region consistently. Kansas would definitely be an upset, but what's a tournament without a little surprise? My final four picks are:

Kansas, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and North Carolina

Of those four, Connecticut and North Carolina will go to the big dance, and UConn will win the championship. Convention say UNC will win, and my aunt loves the Tarheels. Upsets make the game interesting, though, so UConn it is.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Beyond the Ball


In an interview with CBS Sports, the SEC conference chairman noted that NCAA basketball selections were founded on a big picture approach to evaluating teams. They look beyond what the media announcers dubb the "power teams" (UNC, UCLA, Perdue, etc.) and instead consider a number of other factors that go into determining what makes a great team. He mentioned not only the skill of each team's players but also their willingness to compete against higher ranked teams. For some schools that means enduring strenuous travel schedules. The opposing teams they're out to meet often aren't the ones who anything to lose and so will often refuse to travel to the campuses of lower ranked teams because they don't have to. There is fairness in the team selection process that wasn't clear before, and I find it refreshing to know the process is based on a logical, weighted system. It isn't just about the number of games a team happens to win; it's also about the games' level of difficulty.

That said, I give more value to the selection of the final 65 teams that have made it to the NCAA tournament. Just being there validates the practices, plays, and sacrifices each student athlete has made, regardless of whether his team wins in the end. It is a matter of distinction.

Now I must make my picks. Several of my favorite schools have made it to the tournament, and most of these are relative surprises. They're going against highly favored teams, and their wins would be what most announcers would call upsets. I'm going to call the games as I'd like them to go anyhow. Not as the experts say they will, but as I hope the outcomes will be.


Midwest
Ohio vs. Sienna = Ohio
Utah vs. Arizona = Utah
Wake Forest vs. Cleveland = Wake Forest
WVA vs. Dayton = Dayton
Kansas vs. N. Dakota = Kansas
Boston College vs. Southern Cal = Southern Cal
Michigan State vs. Robert Morris = Michigan State

West
UConn vs. Tennessee = UConn
BYU vs. Texas A M = BYU
Purdue vs. N. Iowa = Purdue
Washington vs. Mississippi = Mississippi
Marquette vs. Utah = Marquette
Missouri vs. Cornell = Missouri
California vs. Maryland = Maryland
Memphis vs. CS Northridge = Memphis

East
UPitt vs. E. Tenn = UPitt
OK State vs. TN = TN
FL vs. WI = WI
Xavier vs. Portland = Xavier
UCLA vs. VCU = UCLA
Villinova vs. American = American
TX vs. MN = TX
Duke vs. Binghamton = Duke


South
UNC vs. Radford = UNC
LSU vs. Butler = LSU
Illinois vs. Western KY = Illinois
Gonzaga vs. Akron = Gonzaga
Arizona vs. Temple = Temple
Syracuse vs. S F Austin = Syracuse
Clemson vs. MI = MI
OK vs. Morgan State = Morgan State

Road to Final Four Picks



Image credit: pelotafan.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
Image credit: www.duke.edu/~blp3/dukebball/


Today a reader asked me how I was doing with my basketball challenge. I told her I hadn't had time to keep up with the games as I'd like. I will begin this weekend. Today at 1pm, the Florida Seminoles are playing. Since I don't know if the Seminoles are the same as the Gators, I suppose that will be the first thing I research once I've finished this post. She and her husband are huge Gators fans.

It behooves me as well to announce my picks at least for the Final Four. Unfortunately, no team from Florida will make it even to the Sweet 16. My aunt favors North Carolina. I favor Duke. But identifying the serious contenders -- a feat requiring more than supporting the teams with prettiest colors (as I admit to having done in the past) or the team that happens to be leading at the time I tune into a game -- that takes effort. I will do a bit of research, abd compile four picks.

Coincidently, the Seminoles are playing Duke tomorrow. How confident am I that Duke will win?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A Post From My Film Blog

Here's a post from my film blog Walking Toward Wisdom in Film:

Here's an interesting tidbit of information about a new Jaimee Foxx film coming up in April. The film is called The Soloist and is about a successful musician who ends up homeless because of mental illness. In conjunction with the release of the film orchestras around the country are accepting donations of non-perishable goods.

The League of American Orchestras (“the League”), Feeding America, and Participant Media are three major organizations teaming up to sponsor this event. For more information about these organizations, visit their websites at americanorchestras.org, feedingamerica.org, or participantmedia.com.

Here's a blurb about the food drive and the upcoming Soloist from a press release:

League President and CEO Jesse Rosen commented, “The story of The Soloist reminds us that classical music has the power to sustain spirits and change lives, even under the most difficult circumstances. Our team effort with Feeding America and The Soloist gives America’s orchestras a way to use that power to make an even greater difference in our communities--to feed both body and soul.”

Vicki Escarra, Feeding America President and CEO, said, “Feeding America is thrilled that America’s orchestras are joining us in our fight against hunger in America. This partnership will help the hungry in nearly every community nationwide and the 36million people who are at risk of hunger.”

The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., directed by Joe Wright, will be released by Paramount Pictures to theaters nationwide on April 24.. A DreamWorks Pictures/Universal Pictures presentation in association with Studio Canal and Participant Media, the film is based on the true story of the relationship between Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a gifted Juilliard-trained string player whose mental illness and unfortunate circumstances landed him among the homeless on the streets of Los Angeles . Featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Soloist is a testament to the redemptive power of music and a reminder of our connections to the most vulnerable among us.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Price of Basketball Madness


After a good deal of surfing this evening, I've resolved to attend a live basketball game. It is March Madness season after all, and most every team that's made it to the finals is bound to turn out a good game. The tickets are pretty cheap, too. About $12 at one university.

I also checked out the professional teams. One ticket courtside is $2,500! Nose bleed seats are at a much more reasonable rate, $20. Then out of curiosity, I also checked out the NCAA tourney tickets. The less expensive seats are about $150, and the courtside seats are $700. It's a slightly better deal on the high end, but for someone like me who's not really into sports, nose bleed at $20 or college ball $12 is just fine.

Though How March Became Madness is still on my list, I realize, as is usually true for avid readers, that I have more books waiting to be read than I actually have to read. Right now I'm finishing up Get Ahead by Going Abroad. Not all of it is relavant to me, but I find the details about business and personal experiences of women who've traveled and made sucesses of their careers quite inspiring. Then there are two books each on volunteering and foreign cultures. After that, a tome of etiquette. Where will I squeeze in my study about basketball?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Valentines in the Madness of March



It feels like Valentine's Day. All around there are happy, smiling couples, chirping birds, exchanges of knowing glances between long settled pairs. Then there's me. Walking alone. Eating alone. Sitting on the bus alone. Reading a book.

What I need is a basketball game. It's March Madness season. So, that will be it. That will be my next challenge, and I will forget about hearts and kisses and hugs, hand holding, rubbing noses, and all manner of embrace. But first things first: Learning the rules of the game and its history.

Go blue!

I believe I will begin with How March Became Madness. It's a book I've perused before maybe a few years back, but I remember enjoying it a good deal. I knew very little about basketball when I picked the book up. I'd initially gotten it because it had a nice cover. Then I read it, and I was amazed at how interesting the author, Einhorn, made everything. I never finished the book when I read it the first time. Now is a great time to start again.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Confessions...

I'm still working on my personal challenge, but somehow along the way, I met a man who got me sidetracked. Well, I can't really blame him, but lately, he has been the source of much temptation. So, without the nerve or gall to tell him in person, I told him in an e-mail that I no longer wanted to see him again. But who am kidding?! If he called me now, I'd come running.

The odd thing is that just three days prior, I witnessed to him about the very thing that tore us apart. I encouraged him to go to God since it was clear that by looking for he wanted the world's way, he was getting nowhere. What would he have to lose?

Then yesterday, I was tempted by the same longing, but instead of his encouraging me the way I had encouraged him, he encouraged me to do the opposite. In a way, it's a little funny. Men are notorious for not being able to refuse to certain things. Of course, it is a myth, but humourous to consider, nonetheless.

I'm sitting there waiting for him to say something contrary, like maybe we shouldn't jeopardize our friendship. And he says, "You know, I think it would be good for both of us."

"Yeah, I'll bet," I say to myself, and then he goes on to describe certain details.

When I had a few moments to reflect on my decision, that's when I began to feel the weight of it all. I felt guilty, but to save myself and my friend (though I am certain he will find someone else soon enough), I ended it all. Part of me wants to call him back.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

YourBookTube.com



It's true. I haven't written in a while, but I suppose all I needed was a catalyst to get me back in the swing. Today, I've had several of them. The first of which is the embarrassment of make a huge-"bottom" mistake on my travel website page. I can't be considered a credible journalist making faux pas (how does one write the plural of faux pas???) I misidentified the name of a theater where a great one-woman show is now playing. The play is Funeral Potatoes, and it is at the Flashpoint Theater in Washington, DC. In my original article, I'd said it was located at the Source Theater, which is owned by the same people who own Flashpoint. Arghhh!!!!! I want to scream.

The next jolt I got was when I looked in my inbox and found a ton of mail. I've got to answer or address each one.

And the last thing that woke me up was an article I read about a website called YourBookTube. What's so curious about it is the fact that it's a website of videos for people who love books, for people who have made it a habit to read. Perhaps it's a play on the social tendency to buy and read books on the basis of the recommendation of a friend. Do people seem "friendlier" when you can see them versus when they write? Would I trust a video recommendation over a written review? And if so, what would that mean for the future of books in general?

Years ago people feared that television would eliminate the need for print materials. Maybe that revolution didn't happen as quickly as they may have guessed, but it seems that today's technologies are taking more and more away from that sector of communications. The odd thing is that it has been proven that reading does more for the brain than watching television or online videos. When we read, it's like giving our brain a workout. So what happens to a society or a generation of young people who abandon reading for videos and other less challenging tasks?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

How Do You Obama?



I think I'd be a rich woman right now if I had something with Obama on it to sell. The election is over, and there's still a buying a frenzy over all things Obama. That's all you see on the magazine covers, the newspapers, and in the talk around the water cooler (or microwave). I spoke to one woman at the newstand. She had 12 newspapers in her hand. I thought, perhaps, she might be a collector, but she tells me instead that she scrapbooks. "It's something for the grandkids," she said. That's a novel idea.

I succumbed (sp) to the frenzy myself and bought a NYT and a New Yorker. But what a waste it would be to just let those papers sit around. So, of course, I'll read them. I do wonder what other collectors do with their papers and books. Do they wrap them in plastic and store them away in a box, waiting on end until other copies are destroyed and tarnished? Is it even profitable at this point to collect Obama gear? The market is so saturated.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Walking with the Crowds





(Image Credit: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/04/midday2/

I remember in Philadelphia, as a volunteer for the Obama campaign, arriving at the volunteer office just blocks from the Community College of Philadelphia on Spring Garden Street where I had once worked. I returned to Philadelphia after hard break up with the city. There were things about it I couldn't master and things I refused to face. It was something like the way people refer to New York City when they say, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere."

I returned to the city with mixed feelings. Obama brought me back. But it was also time for me to reconcile my differences. My assignment from the volunteer office was to knock on doors and ask people if we could count on their support. I started out with a friend, and as we walked through the streets with our Obama gear, I began feeling better about the city.

Of course there were dissenters, Republicans, and the like who did not support Obama. But overall, there were a lot of people who believed in the promise, that thing we call "change" moving along quietly, with that feeling that reporters called in their news stories "momentum." Reflecting upon that time in the face of an inauguration, I see how time and place can profoundly affect a person's attitude.

The Friday before I went doorknocking for Obama, I had attended one of his rallies in the downtown area. It's in an historic district, just on the other side of Chinatown and minutes from the waterfront on Columbus. What's most amazing was the commonality I felt between myself and the thousands of other supporters who had gathered that day. That was a feeling that had been missing when I used to reside there. Today, I stood at 6th and Market, paces from the Liberty Bell, and squinted out over the crowds. I was part of a huddled mass of supporters, mile upon mile strong, shoulder to shoulder, north to south, friend and stranger gathered to support a campaign that transformed me, my attitudes, and this country.

I share this episode because in spite of the barriers you'll face on your way to D.C., whether personal or logistical, know that your journey will be worth it. It is a monumentous thing to stand and be a part of history. That is what it will feel like as you walk through the crowds. It won't matter how close you get or how far down the Mall you are, just being there, being among other supporters will make your journey to D.C. a remarkable one.

For more travel stories, please visit my travel website at MidAtlantic USA at BellaOnline.com.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Think Big, A Book Review

Dr. Ben Carson is an extremely well accomplished neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in Detroit with his brother, the two of them sons of a single, working mom. As his story begins, Dr. Carson acknowledges that in his youth he did poorly in school, but through the help of his mother and other kind souls in his path, he was able to become the man and professional he is today. Think Big is more than an autobiography, it's a book about achievement. If you don't know how to succeed or know if you're headed in the right direction, Think Big helps put any doubts you may have to rest.

Most striking and infectious is Dr. Carson's regard for books. He believes, as experience has shown him, that through books, one's imagination sparks and one's ability to relate others soars. The book is like a catalyst for change.

In my own reading, I was inspired to re-evaluate my interests through Dr. Carson's writings about the significance of in-depth learning. As a professional, I understand the significance of keeping up with trends or a hobbiest keeping up with new toys. Yet something different happens when we make the decision to immerse ourselves in a subject. Whether it be in accounting, literature, stamp collecting, or volleyball, your mind and attitude are different when you approach them with more than just a cursory reading, more than a "just enough to do my job" or "take this test" sort of attitude.

Think Big is part biography, part advice, part medicine, and it is excellent preparatory reading for college-bound seniors and undergraduate pre-meds. Yet, it is also part drama and entirely true, which makes it fair reading for any person young or older who wishes to learn about passion, learning, and determination from someone who has experienced it all.


Thursday, January 15, 2009

Finding the Time

(Image Credit: www.omegaeh.com/)


How do people find time to do all the things they want to do? I just signed up for Twitter. Can anything be shorter and faster to do than that? It's not blogging, it's not e-mail. It's even shorter than facebook. (To follow, my name is donnaledbetter.) Yet with each new technology, each new social media, each new way to get connected, there is less time for everything else.

Especially with regard to my challenge about learning more about my world, I find that I am spending less time doing the things that move me toward that goal and more time doing other things. That is not to say that I am not moving forward. Only, somehow, I'd thought my journey would be faster than this. Perhaps it's all a matter of perspective.

I am doing more now with my time than I'd ever thought possible. So, perhaps, I should consider my strides as remarkable ones. I am reading a book called Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence by Dr. Ben Carson (to be reviewed here soon) and he talks about how he has been able to accomplish so much, even coming from the humblist of backgrounds. "If he can do it," I say, "then I can do it, too."

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Obama Inauguration 2009 Writing Contest

Since readers are usually writers, I'd like to pass along this information to my blog viewers. If you know of a young person in the DC metro area, you may be able to go with him or her the Barack Obama Inauguration January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Here's a letter from the presidential inaugural committee:

This Inauguration, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden are calling on all of us to renew America's promise. They believe that this renewal begins with service to our own communities, service that can begin at any age.

Do you know a student who's active in the D.C. community? What about one who would like to attend the inaugural parade and have seats right in front of the White House?

You can help him or her be there.

We're asking students throughout Washington, D.C. to answer in 500 words or less, "How can I contribute to my neighborhood through community service?"

Submit that student's essay and he or she could be among those selected to attend the inaugural parade.

Here are the basics: the essay must be written by a D.C. middle or high school student. It should be 500 words or less, and the student's parent or guardian must submit the essay by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 11th.

We will select over 100 essays that offer interesting ideas on service. The student, a parent or guardian, and one other guest will come to the inaugural parade and sit in prime seats: in front of the White House, right next to the presidential reviewing stand.

At every inaugural, after the swearing-in, the new president joins a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol to the White House. He invites marching bands, dance troupes, military units, and other organizations to be part of the parade.

It's a tradition that illustrates the best of America -- people from across the nation coming together to celebrate the promise of the next four years.

Help a student in your life be there to see it by submitting his or her answer to the question, "How can I contribute to my neighborhood through community service?"

www.pic2009. org/dcstudentess ay

To comply with legal guidelines, we ask that you be sure it is the parent or guardian who submits the essay on behalf of the student.

The day before the Inauguration, the Obama and Biden families will join other Americans in renewing a commitment to service in our communities. Thousands of students will be part of that effort.

Help a student get to the inaugural parade, too.

Thank you,

The Presidential Inaugural Committee

Friday, January 9, 2009

A Little Thing Happened on the Way in New Orleans




Stephanie Meyer is a writer of vampire fiction. Her latest book, Eclipse, is a hit and is somewhat related to this blog. If you love vampires, I'm sure you'll love Eclipse, but this genre of book is really not my sip of blood...er, cup of tea.

Here's an interesting blog post from one of the blogs I follow. She talks about spiritual warfare and how she relieved herself of fear through scripture and prayer.

Wine, Tomatoes & Dandelions: But I will trust in Him...selah...

I bring this up because I experienced something similar myself yesterday. I'm away on business now (though that is not a good excuse for not blogging) and one of the things there is to do here where I am is go on a tour. I'm here in the French Quarter of New Orleans and I have the options of taking one of the lesser expensive walking tours (which mostly have to do with ghosts and vampires and such), take a less interesting tour of a garden, or spend loads of money taking a tour of the swamp. Of course, given my financial challenge of 2009 to save at least $2000, I'm looking at the less costly options as the better options.

I'm not usually interested in "the dark side," but I figured, well, I'm in New Orleans, the home of Voodoo, so going on a dark tour would simply be like partaking of the culture. I really had to psyche myself up for this. The tour didn't start until 8:30, so I walked around a bit. Ambling really. I'd convinced myself to take the vampire tour, meeting up at a nearby voodoo shop to start. The closer I got to the start of the tour, though, the more I kept being reminded of God. I began to see crosses in storefronts that I hadn't seen before when I had passed by earlier. Then I walked into an antique shop and saw another cross. I jokingly said I should buy one to protect me while I'm out on the vampire tour. He didn't laugh. He walked over to me, picked up the cross, and opened it. He said it was "sick" cross. He showed me where the holy water went and several other things that were supposed to go in it.

Well, that last experience did it for me. Nightfall had finally come over the city, and I'd decided to just go back to my hotel. I'd gotten some beignets and a cafe au lait from the legendary Cafe du Monde and headed back. I'd passed by this homeless man (or at least a disheveled man who appeared homeless) and he said something to me under his breath, but I did hear him say something like, "get out of New Orleans." He could have been saying anything. He could have been talking about he wanted to leave the city. He could have been deranged. But the crosses, and vampires, and the darkness really scared the daylights out of me so that when I heard him say that, I really felt I needed to get back to my hotel.

So headed on and then I thought about dinner. I stopped in a dive and ordered two slices to go. Then I stayed to chat with the bartender for a while. Wouldn't you know it, when I left that place, the homeless man was outside, along with three other devious characters, sitting in a dark alleyway just on the other side of my hotel.

Obviously, I made it back because I've lived to write this blog. But my goodness, how strange it is that the blogger from Wine, Tomatoes, and Dandelions also had an eerily similar spiritual experience at around the same time.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Defining the Light and the Word



There is a certain calmness and assuredness that sweeps over man when He acknowledges the presence of God in his life. Today, I was touched to read Matthew chapters 11 and 12, and most specifically to share these words from Matthew chapter 11:

28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In an earlier post from 2008, I spoke of the importance of challenging translations. Or at least seeking out varied translations to better inform one's understanding of the Bible. In these verses, it's worthy of noting the Contemporary English Version's use of footnotes to help define the word "yoke" as "a device put on the necks of animals, so they could pull a plow or wagon. A yoke was a symbol of obedience and hard work." For the longest time I used to think that "yoke" was "yolk" because as a child, I would often hear people say things like God is "breaking the yolk." That seemed to make sense since when you crack open an egg and pour into a bowl, the yolk often often remains intact. It takes a deliberate act to break the yolk. However, the word is "yoke," not "yolk."

With this newfound understanding, verse 29 has new meaning. Here, it seems God is saying to let go of the burdens of this world, and instead take upon the burdens of heaven or God. But of course, God is omnipotent, so whatever burden God carries is light like a feather. That's one way to look at it. The other way is to say that we should let go of the burdens of the world (again) and instead accept those burdens that God chooses to give us. Note that God does not say that things would be carefree, but that they would be easy compared to what we endure now.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Danica Patrick in the News

Here's an interesting story from Yahoo! sports about Nascar winner Danica Patrick, the first female winner of an IndyCar race.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-danicapatrick-speeding&prov=ap&type=lgns

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Freakonomics, A Book Review



The basic premise of Freakonomics is that everything that happens leads to something else, or that one thing leads to another. It's a book about cause and effect from a social perspective. With this view, the author challenges our assumptions about the way things are or the way we actually perceive them to be. The book is written with a lighthearted tone, making its subjects and case studies seem more like fodder for a cocktail party than as questions for research. Such treatment makes Freakonomics accessible for a broader audience of readers, especially those who might not otherwise venture into learning about such a field. And what is that field exactly? The "freakier," less mathematical side of economics.

For all its great writing and its rather daring subjects, the book and the cause-and-effect relationshps the authors propose are a bit of a stretch. Abortion is heralded as being responsible for the dramatic dip in crime across America in the 1990's. It is supposed that abortion was responsible for ridding the nation of the young, lower income, less well-educated individuals who would no doubt have been responsible for perpetuating crime had they been born. Yet the author fails to account for the drop in deviance levels from other segments of the population that were around. The book makes arguments like this and others without also giving attention to plausible alternatives.

Another case in point is the authors' assumption that young people want to be dealers of narcotics because it is flashy and cool in spite of the risks and low pay associated with it. They compare it to the way a young person would want to enter a glamourous low-paying profession like publishing to have a one-in-a-million shot at becoming a super high-paid executive. (See my review for The Devil Wears Prada.) That the authors compare an industry of entertainment to the selling of narcotics is laughable, but then to also say that young people become sellers of narcotics because they want to seems even more absurd. The author points out that the sellers of narcotics in his book earn as little as $3 a day, much less than minimum wage.

It would seem to reason that a person interested in making money would try to find a job that paid more. In the face of minimum wage, selling narcotics isn't even an option ... unless you have no other place to find a job. In areas suffering from the proliferation of the trade of narcotics, one key issue in whether people decide to sell narcotics is their options for finding an honest job. How many corporations house their offices in the ghetto? How many people patron businesses housed in ghettos over those they find in a mall? How many malls are in the ghetto? And even if a person were to find a job outside the ghetto, how much more of a burden would it be to find transportation to that job, an additional cost, especially if that person is already working to earn extra money and the only ride that person has is the bus. Now, if that person is a child or a teen, the time that child spends traveling to and from that honest job miles away from his or her home then takes time away from studying. For adults, it takes time away from parenting. It takes time away from learning skills for a better job. Given the choice, thinking in real economical terms of opportunity cost and benefit, the reason people choose to sell narcotics is clear. It has nothing, or at least very little, to do with being cool.

Freakonomics is not a rigorous book. That is its major flaw. It attempts to explain some of our generation's most challenging questions, but it offers only simplified answers. The onus to dig deeper for the true causes of events falls on the reader, but the book does not actually encourage such thought. Nowhere do the authors even suggest that they could be wrong or that there could be other plausible reasons for various events. Such writing is the mark of poor scholarship and I do not recommend that it be read.