Chic-onomics 101.

Who says it's the dismal science? (O.K., so it was Thomas Carlyle.) Right now, there's almost no subject sexier than economics--applied economics, global economics, economic theory or just the science of decision making. Books like Freakonomics (97 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list) and The World Is Flat (3 million copies sold) have turned their authors into rock stars, much to their amazement. "When the publishers agreed to give us a big advance," says Freakonomics' Steven Levitt, "we felt like we had just stolen their money." The key seems to be going easy on the numbers and heavy on the relatable anecdotes, especially if they come with illuminating plot twists. Here's a chic-onomist field guide. [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]