Because he teaches at the University of Chicago, Steve Levitt of Freakonomics fame is often mistaken for a free-market economist. Levitt himself tells us on his blog: "In general I am not much of a libertarian ..."

As is well known, Levitt has clashed with John R. Lott, Jr., on the effects of laws permitting concealed carry of guns, with Lott unfortunately bringing a defamation action against Levitt for bad-mouthing Lott’s research. In his new book, Freedomnomics: Why the Free Market Works and Other Half-Baked Theories Don't, Lott challenges Levitt in the court of public opinion.

Lott’s book is now available from Amazon and other booksellers. It’s even being offered as a free bonus with a new membership in the Conservative Book Club.

The title and even the cover art are takeoffs on the best-selling Freakonomics, although less obviously than in an earlier version. The subtitle’s reference to “Other Half-baked Theories” has been revised from “Freaky Theories” in an earlier version.

Where Levitt and Dubner in Freakonomics suggested that businesses like real-estate brokers regularly fleece their customers, Lott in Freedomnomics explains how competitive market mechanisms prevent such an outcome. I haven’t read the book yet, but Lott is always worth reading. I hope Lott’s intellectual challenge to Levitt attracts as much attention among economists as his legal challenge has.