Perhaps mindful that the procession of Freakonomics
-inspired pop-economics books is becoming a blur, blogger Cowen aims to not “hit the reader over the head with economic principles.” Indeed, in his chatty disquisitions, economics often recedes into near invisibility. Few readers will hold it against this charming guide on how “to get more of the good stuff in life.” An engaging narrator, Cowen offers idiosyncratic strategies for appreciating museum art, for building “family trust and cooperation,” for writing a personal ad, for reading “classic novels that seem boring on first inspection,” for surviving torture, for properly practicing self-deception and for most effectively giving to beggars in Calcutta. In the book's most passionate and practical chapter, on food, Cowen explains how, with planning and tactics, we can “eat much better meals” at home and in restaurants, here and abroad. Throughout the book, the author's advice is less counterintuitive than simply surprising (he argues that “the committed foodie should look to regions where some people are very rich and others are very poor”). Even if you don't agree with all of Cowen's cheerfully offered opinions, it's a pleasure to accompany him through his various interests and obsessions. At the least, you'll pick up some useful tips for what to order at upscale restaurants. (Sept.)
