In the novel “Freakonomics” by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, many topics and their hidden sides are discussed that few people think twice about. This book does not have a single theme. Rather, it’s about “peeling back a layer or two from the surface of modern life and seeing what’s going on underneath.” (Levitt and Dubner, 2005, p. 11) They do not look at the surface of current events or problems, but beyond what most people see. They explain the hidden side of everything. This ranges from choosing your child's name to how guns affect crime rates. Initially, this book did not strike me as an “interesting read.” I correlated the title with the economics class I was required to take in high school, which ultimately eradicated any fascination I had with the subject. However, after reading the book, I found that Levitt and Dubner's view of society and their hidden motivations were much more interesting than I initially thought. After finishing the book, I realized how relevant what they discussed was to my life. The relevance helped me engage with the book. As explained in the previous paragraphs, several themes are presented in the book. The first theme was their study of how incentives drive people's motivations. The way they were able to compare sumo wrestlers and school teachers was eye-opening. Levitt and Dubner took two things that I would never have thought had similarities and made a comparison. Incentives play a more important role in everyday life than we think. Sumo wrestlers use incentives to advance their careers, while school teachers are guilty of exactly the same thing. Levitt and Dubner bring these and other questions to light. Another comparison they made was... middle of paper... specific materials for their friends and loved ones. I think this will encourage them to make sure they are in a good emotional and financial situation before deciding to have a child, as these are qualities that affect children's academic success. This material could also help parents who worry they aren't doing enough to help their child do better in school. This novel can easily be compared to the topics I learned about in class. Topics covered in class include the importance of critical thinking about everyday things. Levitt and Dubner's book is an excellent example of the results that critical thinking about the world around us can produce. Being a critical thinker helps people make intelligent, informed decisions. Works CitedLevitt, SD Dubner, SJ (2005) Freakonomics. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers