Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

I couldn't help mentally comparing this book to The Tipping Point and Blink (I mean, the publishers even got Malcolm Gladwell to proclaim on the cover, "Prepare to be dazzled!"), but I thought it still stood on its own. I thought the most interesting chapter was the one called "Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?"

Unfortunately when I was looking at the lists of baby girl names for low-class white girls (Destiny, Harmony, Chastity, other stripper-type names), I was like, "Damn. MY name sort of fits on that list!" Plus, apparently one of the signs of low-class minority boy names are nicknames as first names, e.g., Ricky, Johnny, Danny instead of Richard, John, Daniel, etc.

Or "Anny" for "Anne"? Boo.

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Last night, when I was reading this book while waiting for the bus, the guy behind me asked if I were waiting for the 20. I said yes. Then he pointed to my book and asked me if I were learning English. IDIOT. His accent sounded Eastern European so I can maybe overlook it since I think he was just excited that I was an immigrant too or something. Anyway, another guy in front of me (who I think overheard) looked back at us and gave me a look of what I interpreted to be incredulity. So I feel a little better since somebody else witnessed my indignation.

People are stupid.