Freakonomics Vs. … Pride and Prejudice?

What’s wrong with this picture?

A contest sponsored by Time Out New York to pick the book that is “most essential to life — and cocktail conversation — in New York City” has reached the semifinals. Freakonomics is still in the running, pitted this week against Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice. Talk about apples and oranges.

If we happen to make it to the final round, the cognitive dissonance will not subside: we’ll be up against either Lolita or The Age of Innocence.