Freakonomics was an interesting book in my opinion. I too didn't like the lack of information but found pretty much all the research the book was based on to be freely available on their website. As for being poorly written, trying to bring complex economic principles to the general public will necessarily involve walking a fine line between dumbing things down too much and not making things understandable. Probably just a matter of taste.
As for the Davinci Code. Yuck. I found it to be really poorly written but not nearly as bad as the Robert Langdon book that preceded it (Angels and Demons). Even if you swallow all the conspiracy/religious theories the events that unfold are still so terribly implausible (falling out of an airplane into a raging river then popping back up again to save the day) and the plot benefits too much from deus ex machina that I couldn't stand it.
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