Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing—and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: Freakonomics.
Levitt and coauthor Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want or need especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of … well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.
What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.
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"A fascinating and gloriously politically incorrect use of mathematics to discover the complex mechanisms of how different aspects of our society interact with one another. Kind of wish the book was a bit more concise with it's themes and a bit longer." — John (4 out of 5 stars)
"A fascinating and gloriously politically incorrect use of mathematics to discover the complex mechanisms of how different aspects of our society interact with one another. Kind of wish the book was a bit more concise with it's themes and a bit longer."
“Genius…has you gasping in amazement.”
“Prepare to be dazzled.”
“It might appear presumptuous of Steven Levitt to see himself as an all-purpose intellectual detective, fit to take on whatever puzzle of human behavior grabs his fancy. But on the evidence of Freakonomics, the presumption is earned.”
“Freakonomics presents Levitt’s findings in accessible, nonacademic terms. It is an engaging and always interesting work, rich in insights, full of surprises…Freakonomics is packed with fascinating ideas.”
“Levitt employs statistical tools that are simple yet elegant…[A] superb work.”
“Uncovers entertaining tales of the many quirks of human behavior.”
“This excellent, readable book will enlighten many library patrons.”
“An eye-opening, and most interesting, approach to the world.”
“This audiobook is refreshingly accessible and engrossing. Journalist Dubner reads with just the right mix of enthusiasm and awe, revealing juicy morsels of wisdom on everything from what sumo wrestlers and teachers have in common (a propensity to cheat) to whether parents can really push their kids to greatness by buying them Baby Einstein toys and enlisting them in numerous before- and after-school activities (not really)…Entertaining listening.”
" An interesting book; well written and fun to read. Take with a grain of salt though. "
" excellent 'realistic' way to look at reports from our 'economists'.... "
" Superficial morons, but not bad given they are economists. : ) "
" Did not realize that economist could be behaviorist, anthropologists, etc. An excellent resource book. "
" I really loved reading this book! It was such an interesting read and was also a good break from Game of Thrones. haha! Can't wait to read the second book, Superfreakonimics! "
" This book has some good chapters, but overall, the writing is uneven, and I never know how rigorous the social science is. But I can see why students would like this book as an introduction to economics. "
" Couldn't finish it...sometime, somewhere I have already read about the things in this book so it would have been a loss of time to actually finish it. "
" I have to admit that the book title made me skeptic. I read it nonetheless, and I loved it!! The world started to make sense, and I even sign up for Freakonomics Radio Station. This is a very entertaining piece yet informative. "
" Especially interesting for what parenting and teaching practices make a difference. "
" Lost in itself. "
" love this stuff "
" Haven't read this book in a few years. Need to go through it again. I love alternative theories. "
" There are some interesting ideas here, and the book does offer food for thought, but the discussion suffers from the writers' inability to recognise their own biases and constant attempt to shove everything into a money-shaped hole. "
" Interesting. Like the way their minds think outside convention and discover new. "
" so great!!!!! "
" Great reading, gives you some stories for in the bar "
" a very innovative way to use data for digging the deep meaning of the phenomena. "
" I think this book was really eye opening and helped me learn as well as realize some of the incentives of other people. It really helps you learn the reasons of why people do the things they do. "
" Hilarious and thought provoking. I always appreciate clever handling of data and quirky applications of Science (even if it's only Economics...) and this book fulfils both categories in fascinating ways. "
" Amazing.Real good read. "
" I can't believe it took me so long to read this - finally! A great book. Economics and the social sciences are practically one in the same; who knew? I guess my degrees were more universal than I previously thought. "
" one of the few useful book i liked :D "
" I enjoyed different parts. Some sections I skipped and some I really enjoyed. Good book to just pick up and read over time. "
" Very interesting stories, easy to read and keep you attention. "
" This book had a different (creative) approach looking at economics. Excellent for those who don't understand economics, involving how the druglords make money, how names can affect people's lives, and much more. "
" The information and the connections made in this book were astounding, but I would often be very bored. Economics bores me to death, and my eyes would glaze over whenever numbers were involved. "
" Very informative and very entertaining! "
" Junk economics? Random, rambling, meandering. Piques one's curiosity. Over-rated IMO. "
" Everything made perfect sense. Who knew numbers, statistics and data could be so much fun? "
" i can't believe I never read this before now. I highly enjoyed it. I'd read it again. "
" Amazing book! easy to read, and somehow the authors makes an economy book exciting to read. "
Steven D. Levitt is the Alvin H. Baum Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, where he is also director of the Becker Center on Chicago Price Theory. In 2004 he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, which recognizes the most influential economist in America under the age of forty. More recently he was named one of Time magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World.” He received his BA from Harvard in 1989, his PhD from MIT in 1994, and has taught at the University of Chicago since 1997. He coauthored the bestselling book Freakonomics with Stephen J. Dubner.
Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and television personality. He is best known for his books Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, which have sold more than five million copies in thirty-five languages. The Freakonomics enterprise also includes an award-winning blog, a high-profile documentary film, and a public radio project called Freakonomics Radio, which Dubner hosts. He lives in New York with his family.
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