Freakonomics

Here's some findings I found fascinating from the controversial new bestseller Freakonomics, by renowned economist Steven D. Levitt:

- Jews are not actually more naturally inclined to be proficient with money and successful in business, they’re just really lucky.

- If African-American males were given more socioeconomic opportunities to succeed in corporate America, the NBA would be filled with ponderous, slow white guys, creating boring low-scoring games that would be difficult to watch.

- The capital gains tax could be lowered even further if we invaded France and sold all their art.

- If the minimum wage were increased for the first time in ten years, poor people would probably just piss the extra money away on cheap liquor, pull tabs, and loose women.

- Only 2% of Fortune 500 companies are run by females. However, this number would be higher if women weren’t always nagging or crying over the least little thing.

- If Mexican immigrants were not allowed to work in the United States, a Big Mac would cost $17.50.

- If you invested just five dollars each day for the next thirty years, you are probably the kind of person people ignore at parties.

- The reduction in urban murder rates in the last decade can be directly correlated to a decrease in the number of playa haters who had it comin’.

- People who drive mini-trucks are almost always annoying assholes.

- The controversial legalization of abortion in 1973 did not prevent the birth of Ryan Seacrest.

- The steady decrease in American high school students’ scores on science tests is correlated to a reduction in the number of awkward geeks and nerdlingers that need a swift butt-kicking at the hands of the popular kids.

- Curing cancer would inevitably lead to longer lines at Disney World as well as the DMV.

- Japanese kids have little tiny calculators in their heads that make them good at math.

- Cigarette smoking is the primary causal factor related to the current healthcare crisis and 850,000+ deaths annually but sometimes you really fucking need one.