Book Review: Superfreakonomics

"Witty, whimsical, weird and wonderful. Levitt and Dubner have done it again."

Sequel to the 2005 bestseller, Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return to satisfy our cravings for all things strange and unusual. Their latest work Superfrekonomics promises to be bigger, better and more boisterous than its predecessor. Upon flicking immediately to the contents page though, you will already see that they have already failed on one aspect. It is shorter.
With only five chapters instead of six, and fewer pages, Superfreakonomics seems to offer less value for money. But fear not, for the topics discussed are more relevant, important and serious than those discussed in their original works.

Be it the examination of the economics of prostitution in Chicago, the many disadvantages that apply to being female or the solution to global warming - Superfreakonomics has enough in its repertoire to appeal, satisfy and delight many fans and newcomers. Yet it isn't the themes that are the star of the show, but the explanations for them. They veer from the sublime to the ridiculous - at times, offering unique and original conclusions on how best to tackle a problem. For instance, who would've thought that drink-walking is more dangerous than drink-driving?
Indeed the book tries its best to steer away from the conventional ways of thinking providing reasons for why the solutions to a given problem, such as lowering the death toll in hospitals or reducing the power of hurricanes, can be both cheap and effective.
The most compelling argument in the book though would have to be global warming. An issue which affects everyone and one which has left many scientists scratching their heads at for several decades. Whilst the book argues that the effects of global warming have been greatly exaggerated, it does to its credit, offers up a few possibilities towards solving it. This would involve geoengineering - widespread manipulation of the Earth's climate. What follows is intriguing to say the least, but does leave many to question the implications of such a project.

It is perhaps these sections which should be the books strong point - presenting a greatly contested view on how best to solve a problem. In fact, rather than encourage, the authors implore us to challenge their conclusions. And of course this has led many to take heed, with some going as far as to label the methods and practices used to be associated with 'amateur sociology'.
But overall, the authors fail to fulfill this criteria for public discussion because the tone of the book carries an arrogant swagger to it, which seems irksome when one is attempting to debate a different view on a situation.

On the other hand, you can't fault the humour employed in the opening chapters. There are moments which instigates you to laugh uproariously at the word choice, the sheer audacity of some statements and the unenviable positions some found themselves under. To think that the WHO issued condoms weren't 'optimized' [sic] for Indian men would make even the most hardened killjoy chuckle. Or perhaps that's just my immature self saying that.
Which makes it even more disappointing to see that this humour couldn't be translated in the central stages. Yet this could owe more to the appropriateness of placing humour in serious passages than to a lack of ability to.

The arrangement of overarching topics and themes arranged in separate chapters allows the book to be read in relatively short bursts - one chapter at a time, enabling a greater accessibility to it. Thus allowing many readers to pick up and read the book. This also means that if a certain chapter doesn't take your fancy, then you can happily skip it and move onto a more interesting one, safe in the knowledge that you didn't miss anything that would be of particular interest.

What Superfreakonomics does best though is offer readers a enjoyable and delightful experience. It has mass appeal, through the humour employed, the accessible chapters, the relevant topics and the unique insights. It makes economics universal and allows us to acknowledge and grasp the fact that there is more to economics than money, finance and the economy. And if that isn't enough to whet your appetite, then how about this to ignite your interest; the first lab recorded instant of spontaneous monkey prostitution!

4/5

Book Review: America America

"Intense, impressive, immersive and ingenious. A guarantee of writing, meaning and storytelling of the highest quality"

Ominously titled 'America America', Ethan Canin's latest work promises to be his biggest yet exploring themes such as politics, power, love, family, class and death. The title itself offers an inkling to what the novel will be about, with the repetition of 'America' indicating the country is in distress and danger. Published in 2008, one cannot help but start to make links between the global recession and the timing of the novel. Instead, the story revolves around a young boy who is involved in the run-up towards the Democratic presidential nomination. Appropriate enough as America, during this period, was also going through a presidential campaign.

The young narrator of the novel is called Corey Sifter, a boy born into a working class family. From the beginning, Canin lets us know of the influence his parents have on him. With his father being instrumental in this process, teaching his son that through dedication and hard work, you can achieve anything. Yet it is his mother who, as it turns out, has had just a profound affect if not more, than his father, as she lays out the framework for his future.

Soon enough, we discover that Corey's labour hasn't gone unnoticed, with Liam Metarey, the powerful magnate, employing him as a groundsman. This is only the start of a long and fructuous relationship with Corey learning many valuable lessons along the way, none more so than 'work will set you free'. This particular phrase wasn't just meant to ease the burden of the harrowing deaths to come though, but to also help Corey deal with the class divide he experiences. That through hard work and perseverance,  you will be accepted anywhere and everywhere.

This is most apparent in the Metarey household where Mrs and Mr Metarey, along with their children Christian and Andrew take a liking towards him. Christian becomes closest to Corey though, conversing with him regularly after work and it is not long before we find him starting to develop feelings for her. She does little to fan away his interest though, as she herself finds him 'different from the other kids'. However as Corey remarks later on, there is something mysterious about her, something to which he cannot put his finger on. In some ways, she is similar to her father as Corey struggles to grasp hold of their personalities. Clara though, Christian's sister, is hostile and suspicious of Corey's intent from the outset. She prompts and probes, testing him throughout, which is reminiscent of her mother's ability to judge character. 

With this, Canin attempts to reach out to us by explaining that the aspects of someone's character is inherently built upon those of their parents - that we all share similar traits with our mothers and fathers. 

Although our families can be viewed as a burden too for Liam Metarey is a man ultimately trying to redeem his family from the ruthless and merciless actions of his father. Whilst his father took away from the people and citizens, Liam seeks to give back, a very admirable quality. Perhaps explaining why he supported Corey both financially and emotionally. It has also be used to drive him to support Senator Bonwiller in his presidential nomination. This is because Henry Bonwiller is doing it 'for the black man and the Latino man and the American Indian. For the working people...for the unwed mother. Some of you may even notice that he bears some hallmarks to President Obama through his championing of the underdogs.

Liam Metarey's support towards the Bonwiller campaign leads Corey into the world of politics. Here he comes across many characters, including Glenn Burrant, who inspires Corey to follow the same career choice. Indeed it is Burrant himself whose quotation of Henry Mencken: 'Every man is his own hell', speaks out the most for it turns out to be true. This is due to the fact that Bonwiller, for all his positives, is a man riddled with faults as he abuses his position of power. Thus eventually leading to a crime being committed and inevitably, his campaign being left in tatters.

Although Canin makes a vital point that despite what Bonwiller has done, he still maintains a number of supporters who overlook his negatives for the great changes he has made in their lives. Bonwiller, like many characters in the novel has both a good side and a bad side - he is multifaceted and above all, he is human. Meaning we can understand, relate, and believe in his story. What's more our opinions will be divided for the moral lines have been blurred; do we support Bonwiller for the good he has done in changing people's lives for the better, or do we destroy him for his role in the tragedy?

Whether we believe that Bonwiller's actions in politics were enough to excuse him for his actions, we are left in no uncertain circumstances as to what the media will do. In true fashion to being like vultures, the media latched onto this story, immediately discrediting his reputation and thus ruining his chances of becoming president. The power of the media speaks volume for Canin shows that it can single-handedly destroy a man.

This doesn't mean though that the media is immune from corruption. There are cases throughout of various political candidates in the novel being able to plant a story in the papers to remove rival candidates. The ability to shape the political landscape to ones free will, provided you have the power and money, agrees with the notion that the media can be too powerful.

But the real criminal of the novel isn't Bonwiller, or the candidates or the media, but rather politics itself. It is the one medium to which unifies both the politicians with the papers. Taking Corey Sifter as an example, the young, innocent bystander caught up in this game, we find him giving false testimonies to the authorities at certain passages, thus showing politics to be poisonous, dirty and scandalous.

Written as a series of excerpts of different lengths from his life, we are able to see these events unfold through the experienced and wise eyes of Corey when he is an adult. Whilst not so much apparent in the early parts of the novel, as he recounts his early childhood vividly, it is instead most noticeable towards the latter stages where we begin to encounter the sceptical side of Corey's persona. What this does is to ensure that nothing passes by our eyes unintended so that we can soak every lesson learnt in the novel.

And whilst the form can at times be confusing for we are forced to juggle multiple storylines simultaneously, the elegant, exquisite and exciting prose is clear, concise and delicate enough for us to never lose track of what is happening.

The plot never becomes too bogged down in the intricate details of politics, maintaining a strong sense of relevance and allowing us to follow fervently. With the number of unique characters, Canin manages to keep the story fresh and appealing throughout. Moreover the twists and turns are both believable and complex enough to hold your interest if not coercing, captivating and cajoling you to read more.

Criticisms can only be found in the contrast between the early chapters of the novel to the later ones. This is because at the beginning, you are absorbed in the novel. Captured and beguiled in the wondrous, new world that Corey finds himself in, only for Canin to forsake this initial feeling of awe and splendour to instead replace it with a more didactic ending.

And despite there being some refined and fine descriptive passages later on, one cannot help but feel removed from the setting. However, it is probable that Canin did this purposefully as extra emphasis was placed in providing more meaning to the novel. Through this. he allows the reader to focus and concentrate on the intention of his writing so that we will be able to acknowledge his message.

Like it's central protagonist; it is humble about its achievements, refined over its words and appreciative over its influences. With poignant reminders of the importance of family; revealing insights into the world of politics; explicit warnings of the dangers of power; thoughtful provocations on the comfort of love; precise discussion over the class divide and the uncomfortable talks concerning death; Ethan Canin's America America is both underrated and under-appreciated.

5/5