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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
Buy New: $7.52
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Rating:  1798 reviews
Sales Rank: 96
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
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1798
 Please DO NOT spend money on this book.... September 7, 2010
ms smith
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I saw the video documentary of the book first. I was so unimpressed that I borrowed a copy and read it. I was hoping the book was more insightful than the video because I heard so many good things about it.
Basically, it talked about stuff the average adult person should already know or doesn't really care about.
Who really cares if Sumo wrestlers cheat? Who can't think of a million reasons why drug dealers live at home? Who didn't already know teachers cheat on tests for all types of reasons? The authors simply put numerical data (which may or may not have been accurately derived) to commonly known/ discussed issues.
The only piece of moderately interesting information I took away was the hypothesis of how legalized abortion potentially lowered crime rates. However, this piece of information isn't new at all because I heard of it before.
There is nothing eye opening or profound about Freakonomics whatsoever. In fact, I think some of the analysis were dangerously over simplified. For example, the video documentary showed a Chicago University study where the university paid students for getting good grades. It didn't delve into the plethora of complicated reasons why those students were getting bad grades in the first place. Or the life 'conditions' of those students. It focused solely on the student's performance without even mentioning the many other factors associated with good grades.
Plus, there have been a boatload of similar university studies! LMAO... So, again it's a great 'start' for those who aren't already informed, which would probably be high school kids or certain adults who are out of the loop for some reason....
Please don't spend any money on this book or the video documentary....
Thanks
 New perspective in analyzing the information September 7, 2010
Lakshmanan (Chennai, India)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Once you complete the book, you will ask different questions to challenge the common theories floating around the newspapers which are based on some numbers. Does the new safty mechanism in our car really feel us safe? The author analyse the data in different perspective and comesup with reasonablly acceptable logical reasoning for many issues. We may have never thoght in that directions without Steven Levit. Really a thoght provoking book. Also tts a fun to read to this book.
Humorous, Insightful, and Informative September 5, 2010
Juice
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Quite simply, this would definitely be one of the best books you would ever read. You would really appreciate the way in which Levitt and Dubner pines over and analyses data gathered on some interesting issues. It is refreshing, insightful, definitely funny, and provides a different, yet welcome and informed view. I'd have to say, that it is great seeing others think outside of the box, and being able to so well, articulate that thinking.
i like it August 30, 2010
Gerald Schutz (Philippines)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
i like this book. it inspired me to take up Economics in college. a recommended read for my fellow students in schools and universities. if you haven't had a close idea what economics is or if you have something in mind about it, this is a great book for you.
The hidden side of everything (besides the free market) August 25, 2010
William Hayes (Washington, DC)
Although the main topic of Freakonomics is the economy I feel the most valuable lessons can be found in the presentation of the book. I will admit I was skeptical about the book when I began. I consider myself a fair person and prefer to look at both sides of every argument. Although I did find most of the examples in this work conspiracy based, the way in which they were presented was very believable. Levitt did a great job in presenting information to drive home his hypothesis. Although the hypotheses was often far fetched, he did stand his ground and gave relatable examples. The fact of the matter is that nobody really knows how the economy works. Conservative or liberal, if we really know how the economy worked we would be able to control it. And looking at the last few years and events throughout history we clearly can not. This is a great read if your looking for another point of view, or a fresh look at the "hidden side of everything"
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1798
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