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Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.) |  | Authors: Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $15.99
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Rating:  1750 reviews
Sales Rank: 144
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1 Original
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9
ISBN: 0060731338
Dewey Decimal Number: 330
EAN: 9780060731335
ASIN: 0060731338
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
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| • | ISBN13: 9780060731335 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Amazon.com Review
Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Freakonomics (written with Stephen J. Dubner), Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun. These enlightening chapters are separated by effusive passages from Dubner's 2003 profile of Levitt in The New York Times Magazine, which led to the book being written. In a book filled with bold logic, such back-patting veers Freakonomics, however briefly, away from what Levitt actually has to say. Although maybe there's a good economic reason for that too, and we're just not getting it yet. --John Moe
Product Description
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? How much do parents really matter? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to parenting and sports—and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head. Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more. Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, they 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.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 1750
 Deterministic March 11, 2010
Antonio Varela (Monterrey, MX)
Speaking of statistics, one third of the book is made up of what the authors term "bonus material", which comes down to an article on Levitt, columns written by either Levitt or Dubner, and blog entries. All of which add nothing to the already skeptical "hidden side of everything". Of the 188 pages that make up the formal writing of the book, almost one third of the text relates to (directly or indirectly) the notion that legalized abortion, Roe v. Wade (1973) was the real driving force behind crime fall in New York and the rest of the US. In other words, had those baby's been born they would have eventually become criminals.
Whether you agree with this notion or not has really little to do with the fact that Levitt cleverly takes the reader by the hand and convinces rather than proves that his subjective interpretations, of nonetheless real data, are the ultimate cause behind crime drop. In essence the reader is tricked into thinking this trend of thought is actually fact based and above all logical in its process.
One can endlessly debate over this hypothesis, but at one point or another, determinism will come into mind. Try to recall Tom Cruise in his crime "avoiding" investigator role in the blockbuster movie Minority Report. Although he was preconceived to become an assassin, he willingly chose not to kill.
The rest of the stories (if I recall correctly are no more than 6, far from "everything" as the title so boldly states) are somewhat interesting from an entertaining perspective but fall exceedingly short to those of Malcolm Gladwell.
Levitt's greatest flaw is to regard himself (in an attempt to draw attention to himself more than to humbly accept his weaknesses) an incompetent in most areas of economics and everyday life in general but considers himself a revolutionary of conventional wisdom, bold and courageous, and unafraid to explore that which has been considered fact. As the closing remark in his book states, a colleague of Levitt encountered Economics Nobel Prize Winner Thomas Schelling and urged him to consider Levitt as one of his students... Schelling was unmoved.
Thought Provoking March 9, 2010
Marc Emmer (Los Angeles, CA)
Economist Steven Levitt's "Freakonomics" is witty, whimsical and provocative. In the genre of The Tipping Point, Levitt reaches some interesting conclusions about a broad range of socio-economic patterns and trends. From the relationship between school teachers and Sumo Wrestlers to the role of Roe vs. Wade on crime, Freakonomics studies unique relationships in our culture that have important implications for the way we live and work.
 Unique connections March 8, 2010
Kylee Craig
Freakonomics is a book written to inform readers of many interesting, yet surprising facts. The main theme-if there is one in the story-is to show the power incentives have over the population. The book does a great job of drawing two unlikely things together and finding a connection between them. For instance, the chapter that concerns sumo wrestling corruption relates this topic to school teachers cheating. While these two topics seem to be on completely different levels, Levitt and Dubner manage to find unique connections between both. These tremendous connections make the story more intriguing and keep the reader wanting more. The simplicity of the topics helps to keep readers relating pieces of the book back to their own lives. Another part of life that is brought up in the story and that can be overlooked is a name. Ironically, this part of someone can drastically change a person's potential career opportunities. The authors do a wonderful job of connecting aspects of daily life to a bigger picture of how simple actions can affect one's future. The sources present throughout the book are legitimate and show the critical thinking that went into the making of the novel. While there is no definite motif present or an underlying theme, the book leaves readers curious about the inner workings of society.
Gymnastics For the Mind: Viewing from a Different Angle March 2, 2010
Routnom
This book was so well written that I couldn't put it down. One chapter ended with a "tickler" and led logically to the next. Most importantly it invited the reader to consider a broader range of factors that may, or may not, have led to events. Certainly the juxtaposition of materials, previously not considered related, gives one pause.
Being open to the points made creates a kind of gymnastics of the mind that is refreshing at any age. Also, I learned some new facts and quotes.
Loved the hardback from the library but had to buy a copy for myself.
Obviously Controversial February 27, 2010
David W. Southworth (Alexandria, VA United States)
When this book was published it generated a great deal of controversy, and it is easy to see why right off the bat. The authors begin their study of "rogue economics" with the assertion that studies prove a correlation between the legalization of abortion in 1973 and the decrease in crime in the 1990s. While this is not the only controversial topic Levett and Dubner discuss, it gives you a flavor of what the aim Freakonomics is. Dubner and Leverett have done an excellent job of taking dense academic studies and turning them into well written stories. Freakonomics has inspired a few imitators since its publication. It is easy to find issues with some of the assertions in the book, but that does not detract from the thought provoking nature of this book. That in itself makes this book well worth the read.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1750
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