WTF?! : an economic tour of the weird

Step right up! Get your tickets for __WTF?! An Economic Tour of the Weird__! This rollicking tour through a museum of the world's weirdest practices is guaranteed to make you say, "WTF?!" Did you know that "preowned" wives were sold at auction in nineteenth-century England? That today, in Liberia, accused criminals sometimes drink poison to determine their fate? How about the fact that, for 250 years, Italy criminally prosecuted cockroaches and crickets? Do you wonder why? Then this tour is just for you! Join __WTF?!__'s cast of colorful characters as they navigate the museum, led by guide and economist Peter T. Leeson. From one exhibit to the next, you'll overhear Leeson's riotous exchanges with the patrons and learn how to use economic thinking to reveal the hidden sense behind seemingly senseless human behavior―including your own. Leeson shows that far from "irrational" or "accidents of history," humanity's most outlandish rituals are ingenious solutions to pressing problems―developed by clever people, driven by incentives, and tailor-made for their time and place. Can you handle getting schooled by the strange? Better hurry, the tour is about to start! Step right up! Get your tickets for WTF?! An Economic Tour of the Weird ! That's right! This rollicking interactive tour through the museum of social oddities is guaranteed to house the world's weirdest practices--sure to make you say "WTF?!" Did you know that "pre-owned" wives were sold at auction in early modern Britain? Or that accused criminals in Liberia drink poison to determine their fate? How about the fact that, for 250 years, Italy criminally prosecuted cockroaches and crickets? Do you wonder why? Then this tour is just for you! Join WTF?! 's cast of colorful characters to navigate the museum with guide and economist Peter T. Leeson. As you wander from exhibit to exhibit and overhear Leeson's riotous exchanges with the patrons, you'll learn how economic thinking reveals the hidden sense behind seemingly senseless human behavior. Leeson demonstrates that far from "irrational" or "accidents of history," humanity's most outlandish rituals are ingenious solutions to pressing problems--developed by clever people, driven by incentives, and tailor-made for their time and place. As the tour teaches: what varies isn't people, but the environments and constraints within which they operate. Along the way, you'll learn how to use an economic lens to uncover the logic behind any weirdness you encounter in your own life. Can you handle getting schooled by the strange? Better hurry, the tour is about to start! “The most interesting book I have read in years. . . . WTF?! is like Freakonomics on steroids.” —Steven D. Levitt, New York Times –bestselling coauthor of Freakonomics Did you know that “pre-owned” wives were sold at auction in nineteenth-century England? That today, in Liberia, accused criminals sometimes drink poison to determine their fate? How about the fact that, for 250 years, Italy criminally prosecuted cockroaches and crickets? Do you wonder why? Then this book is for you! Introducing us to a cast of colorful characters, economist Peter T. Leeson explains how to use economic thinking to reveal the hidden sense behind seemingly senseless human behavior—including your own. Leeson shows that far from “irrational” or “accidents of history,” humanity’s most outlandish rituals are ingenious solutions to pressing problems—developed by clever people, driven by incentives, and tailor-made for their time and place. "A fascinating tour of some of the world’s strangest customs and behaviors, led by a brilliant, funny, and eccentric tour guide dedicated to the proposition that no matter how strange it looks, there’s always a reason for it—and a lesson to be learned by discovering that reason.” —Steven E. Landsburg, author of The Armchair Economist This is a rollicking tour through a museum of the world's weirdest practices. For example, "preowned" wives were sold at auction in nineteenth-century England; today, in Liberia, accused criminals sometimes drink poison to determine their fate; and, for 250 years, Italy criminally prosecuted cockroaches and crickets. The author explores the exhibits and includes his riotous exchanges with the patrons and learn how to use economic thinking to reveal the hidden sense behind seemingly senseless human behavior. He shows that far from "irrational" or "accidents of history," humanity's most outlandish rituals are ingenious solutions to pressing problems--developed by clever people, driven by incentives, and tailor-made for their time and place Your Favorite Acronym -- Burn, Baby, Burn -- Fsbo : Like-new, Preowned Wife -- Public Uses For Private Parts -- God Damn -- Chicken, Please; Hold The Poison -- Jiminy Cricket's Journey To Hell -- Fighting Solves Everything. Peter T. Leeson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. WTF?! is an interactive tour of the world's weirdest social practices that uses economic thinking to reveal the solid logic behind their seeming senselessness.