My friends nudged me to read Freakonomics by Stephen D Levitt - which I did by audiobook. Inside, the chapter “Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms?”, Levitt breaks down how the drug dealing ganglife is little better than working at McDonalds. Recently, Venkatesh has given his two cents on how Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4) is - in my words - no better or worse than politicians or cops over at Slate.

What gets to me isn’t his knowledge take on GTA4, but his factual accounting of gang life. To succeed in gang life, people need to rely on friends, and like in business, betray associates when the opportunity arises. His basic approach blows the conventional wisdom out of the water: making money, whether from drugs or burgers, is achieved similarly - coerce others to make money for you - whether it’s by hook, crook or book.

This is rather pessimistic viewpoint, but more importantly, it’s a rational, explainable response that helps us understand our place in a capitalist society.