RJ6黃郁雰

Freakonomic Author: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner Publisher: Harpertorch Year of Publishing:2006 Pages: 207 "Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Mom" is the chapter I interested most in this book. When I saw the title, I was confused. In the conventional wisdom, drug dealers are always the ones who abandoned their families. So, why the author said that drug dealers still live with their mom? This question is what I want to discuss in my last journal. In the early 1980s, on the shore of Lake Michigan, a bloody turf war was ready to start. Everything in that district was declining, most of the habitants escaped from there to keep themselves in safety. However, there was one phenomenon that reversely prevailed—gangs. Gangs were so popular that lots of young men gave up their schoolwork; instead, they participated in this dangerous activity. To my surprise, gangs' activity was just like a business. They traded in drugs and munitions which were profitable but risky. One of the perfectly-organized gangs, dominated by an EMBA graduates called J.T, was the most influential gang at that time. J.T applied the accounting system in its operation, such as journals, ledgers and financial statements. With these documents, I found out that J.T did make a big fortune by gangs' transactions. Nonetheless, though they are wealth enough, drug dealers still live with their mom. That is because the ones who really possessed a large amount of money were few top leaders. The wages the rest of gangs gained were only＄1,000 less than the top leaders. No wonder they constantly went home! This topic has a hidden question. That is, if drug dealers didn't earn adequately to make their both ends meet, what would they do? The bloody street war then began. It was because the risks they had to take were more dangerous than before, the top leaders—drug dealers' boss-- would pay them more. Day by day, the district never ceased to fight. It was until a law enacted by federal government had been enforced that the district gradually returned to peace. Although these events were occurred in 1980s and the author only wanted to deliver his interesting discoveries, it struck me as a sad feeling. Bad education, bad economy and bad environment had interrupted many teenagers at my age to pursue their dream. Today, with all mankind's effort, I have access to good education and environment. Feeling contented to what everyone else gave to me, I expect myself to be stronger so that I can contribute to the society someday. 49777020 FLAG 黃郁雰