Need some spending money? How about selling your soul?

What's the going price for a person's soul? We know what Robert Johnson's alleged price was. But what's the market like today? 

The guys at "Freakonomics" have again waded into provocative territory by asking just how far moral limits extend when it comes to markets. And to its extreme, the market for one's soul. 

Regular readers know I like "Freakonomics" and how Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt often push us into uncomfortable territory. This recent episode titled "Soul Possession" may top the list, documenting one man's odd quest to own another's soul. He buys it -- at least on paper -- for $50, but a simple transaction is filled with all kinds of complex layers on both sides of the deal.

It's a fascinating topic, regardless of your faith.  

Quick review" 'Ripped'

Regular readers will know I'm a big fan of "Sound Opinions," the weekly public radio show devoted to popular music. 

One of the two hosts is Greg Kot, the longtime music critic of the Chicago Tribune. Kot is much more likable than his grumpy co-host Jim DeRogatis because he's open-minded, embraces risk-taking and rewards failure. 

It's that kind of spirit that fuels his 2009 book "Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music," which I picked up in a discount bookstore during a recent trip to South Bend. 

The book is three years old but remains relevant in detailing the dramatic upheaval in the music industry over the last decade. It's a breezy read but loaded with great stories on failed record-company strategies, geeks cooking up earthshaking technologies and industrious artists capitalizing on these new opportunities to control their own destiny. 

"Ripped" is an energizing read, whether you find it in the cutout bin or pay full price. 

How old processes blind good people

Jay Rosen is widely known in journalism circles as a sage and opinionated voice for digital-first approaches to news coverage. As I've written previously, Rosen has a blind spot to the business realities of making news pay for itself but he's sharp in many other ways. 

And on a recent appearance on the PBS "Mediatwits" podcast, I thought Rosen raised a very important point about how newspaper production environments blind smart people to the realities of the real world. 

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