Paula Parker

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the landmark book Freakonomics comes this curated collection from the most readable economics blog in the universe. When Freakonomics was first published, the authors started a blog--and they've kept it up. The writing is more casual, more personal, even more outlandish than in their books. Now they've gone through and picked the best of the best. Here, they ask a host of typically off-center questions: Why...

An introduction to sea turtles describes their physical features, migration behavior, life cycle, and the conservation methods being used to protect them.

Illustrations and simple text explain what rain is, how it is used by plants, birds, and people, and the importance of clean water.

Rapper DJay, who dreams of becoming the next big rap superstar, works all the angles to get his first record made. He even has the help from assorted people in his Memphis 'hood. When he hears that rap superstar Skinny Black is heading to his area, DJay decides to throw together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny's attention.

Illustrations and simple text explain three types of clouds, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus.

Valerie Maas is a devoted, churchgoing wife and mother whose faith is shattered when she discovers that her husband Dutch is living a secret double life. And when she's subsequently arrested for the murder of a famous singer who has a big secret of his own, Valerie is as shocked as anyone-- she's the last person anyone would suspect would do such a thing. But she may actually have the best motive of all and an assistant D.A. with an election to win...

Niles has just returned from eight years of serving his country as a Special Forces sniper. He's looking forward to a consulting job with Dynamic Defense and spending time with his family, including his bi-polar mother, Lorna, and his hard-drinking uncle, Willie. What Niles doesn't know is that Dynamic Defense is actually a CIA front. He's not interested in joining them, but they won't take no for an answer. Bridget St. John is one of the most beautiful...