My mini-synopsis: Freakonomics is a great book! I loved every minute of it. I have always considered myself to be a bit of an economist because I make all of my personal decisions based on what will ultimately end in a greater amount of “happy points” (how I quantify joy) for all people involved. This book took that obsession to a whole different level. They go into different correlations that they have found and explain why they believe that the correlations may also be causations. Most notably, they explain why they believe the legalization of abortion decreased the crime rate… yeah, they went there. They talk a lot about how they quantify things that are typically seen as unquantifiable (happy points, anyone?) and then use that to answer questions that have always been seen as rhetorical.
What I learned: Whether you agree with all of their findings or not, the way that they tackle the questions they have is admirable. The biggest learning point I got from this book is a completely different outlook on answering questions. Instead of assuming something doesn’t have an answer, get creative and get as close as you can. Additionally, the confidence they had in their findings is something worth respecting. If you have done the work and you believe the outcome, trust the work that you have done. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t accept new evidence or look into new potential options, but don’t discount your work until you have a reason to. Overall, this book pushed me to think more like an economist (dare I say freakonomist?) and I believe the thought process used by these authors will come in handy in business decisions as well.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Hardcover – 7 July 2005
by
Stephen J. Dubner
(Author),
Steven D. Levitt
(Author)
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S$36.94
(1,651)
Usually dispatched within 6 to 10 days.
Amazon International Store
- International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
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Product details
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0713998067
- ISBN-13 : 978-0061234002
-
Best Sellers Rank:
100,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 291 in Economic Theory & Philosophy
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Product description
About the Author
Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He quit his first career - as an almost-rock-star - to become a writer. He has worked for The New York Times and published three non-Freakonomics books. He lives with his family in New York City.
Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark medal, given to the most influential American economist under the age of forty. He is also a founder of The Greatest Good, which applies Freakonomics-style thinking to business and philanthropy.
Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark medal, given to the most influential American economist under the age of forty. He is also a founder of The Greatest Good, which applies Freakonomics-style thinking to business and philanthropy.
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Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com
Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars
1,036 reviews

Christian
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Review of Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
20 September 2018 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
25 people found this helpful

Fernando
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nuances and everyday behaviours are broken down and laid out in very relatable language
11 February 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
*Edit: I quoted the information on this book as part of an economics conversation with my MBA alumnus. I had their undivided attention and interest for quite a while. I love books!
I decided to read this book in order to put an everyday analytical spin to my Managerial Economics course which focused on optimization and decision making on production environments.
It was remarkable reading how Steven and Stephen used regresion (which in my eyes is a complex process) to identify several variables and fixed values to determine how percieved notions and actions truly affect a child's development and academic performance. Simplified the process and taught me a few things about myself along the way.
Who would dare state that the legalization of abortions caused a reduction in crime? The implications are immense on minorities and low income population. But the data proves it.
It as artful how this book takes you into the statistical process and analysis of the data without expecting you to be a numbers person. The nuances and everyday behaviours are broken down and laid out in very relatable language. I will definitely be reading SuperFreakonomics. My respects for Levitt.
I decided to read this book in order to put an everyday analytical spin to my Managerial Economics course which focused on optimization and decision making on production environments.
It was remarkable reading how Steven and Stephen used regresion (which in my eyes is a complex process) to identify several variables and fixed values to determine how percieved notions and actions truly affect a child's development and academic performance. Simplified the process and taught me a few things about myself along the way.
Who would dare state that the legalization of abortions caused a reduction in crime? The implications are immense on minorities and low income population. But the data proves it.
It as artful how this book takes you into the statistical process and analysis of the data without expecting you to be a numbers person. The nuances and everyday behaviours are broken down and laid out in very relatable language. I will definitely be reading SuperFreakonomics. My respects for Levitt.
8 people found this helpful

pwilliams
4.0 out of 5 stars
I would definitely recommend Freakonomics to any reader looking to learn economics through ...
5 December 2017 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
I would definitely recommend Freakonomics to any reader looking to learn economics through real current events and hot topics. Levitt uses his teaching and writing styles throughout the book to execute his ideas in an easy to digest way. This book appeals to older kids and young adults because these are the years where we first start to learn about current events and have opinions on political things. Reading this book in a high school econ class was helpful in my opinion and taught me new things I never would have related to the economy.
Levitt’s teaching style appeals to most people in my opinion as he uses real examples that are fascinating to readers.When teaching new complicated ideas, it's important to make them easily understandable. Levitt does a good job of writing to all readers, not just certain classes of people. In the following quote from the book, Levitt uses this strategy to teach his point. “An incentive is a bullet, a key: an often tiny object with astonishing power to change a situation.” This quote is beneficial in teaching his lesson because this analogy is helpful in understanding what an incentive is. Most people know what incentives are, but not all, which is why he continues to explain it and does not just assume the reader knows. For many High School students, econ can be hard to understand because the ideas are more abstract, so when Levitt uses examples that are known, it's easier to comprehend the ideas.
As far as writing style goes, Levitt does a good job of using complex sentences and words while keeping the writing fairly comprehensive. His audience of people who are econ beginners are easily able to understand the content because he doesn’t dumb down the topics. The following quote showcases his writing abilities as he uses good vocabulary and explanations. "Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that people would like the world to work, whereas economics represents how it actually does work."(Pg.13) He relates a word most people already know to an economic topic to teach the lesson. He teaches new econ vocabulary in an easy to understand way through examples. He keeps his examples serious yet difficult while explaining the econ. He maintains new examples every chapter while still relating them to the last. Using real-life current events also helped to teach the information in a new, academic way.
Overall, Levitt did a great job on teaching economy in a fascinating way. Each chapter had a new taste and was captivating to learn about. His examples were new and exciting to read and relate to econ. The combination of complex vocabulary and ideas with his captivating teaching style is what makes Freakonomics a good choice when looking for an educational economy book.
Levitt’s teaching style appeals to most people in my opinion as he uses real examples that are fascinating to readers.When teaching new complicated ideas, it's important to make them easily understandable. Levitt does a good job of writing to all readers, not just certain classes of people. In the following quote from the book, Levitt uses this strategy to teach his point. “An incentive is a bullet, a key: an often tiny object with astonishing power to change a situation.” This quote is beneficial in teaching his lesson because this analogy is helpful in understanding what an incentive is. Most people know what incentives are, but not all, which is why he continues to explain it and does not just assume the reader knows. For many High School students, econ can be hard to understand because the ideas are more abstract, so when Levitt uses examples that are known, it's easier to comprehend the ideas.
As far as writing style goes, Levitt does a good job of using complex sentences and words while keeping the writing fairly comprehensive. His audience of people who are econ beginners are easily able to understand the content because he doesn’t dumb down the topics. The following quote showcases his writing abilities as he uses good vocabulary and explanations. "Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that people would like the world to work, whereas economics represents how it actually does work."(Pg.13) He relates a word most people already know to an economic topic to teach the lesson. He teaches new econ vocabulary in an easy to understand way through examples. He keeps his examples serious yet difficult while explaining the econ. He maintains new examples every chapter while still relating them to the last. Using real-life current events also helped to teach the information in a new, academic way.
Overall, Levitt did a great job on teaching economy in a fascinating way. Each chapter had a new taste and was captivating to learn about. His examples were new and exciting to read and relate to econ. The combination of complex vocabulary and ideas with his captivating teaching style is what makes Freakonomics a good choice when looking for an educational economy book.
13 people found this helpful

LokMite
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great price, great writing but be aware of word "deckle"
5 May 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
We got this copy at a decent price but it does appear to be one of those hardcover books which appears to have been printed at the end of the cycle of the cutting blade. The pages are not flush with each other as view the book from the front, the top and bottom are even, you can look it up with the term "deckle edge or deckled edge". I am okay with this regardless if it's "feature" or a "defect". If you want to know whether your copy will have this, be sure to ask before ordering. It doesn't bother me at all, but it was just a surprise when I first looked at it.
This book, "Freakanomics" is one of the best non-fiction books written and should be required reading for High School economics classes across the US. From the age of 13 up to people who show up on the Today show for the 100 or older Smucker's club, it is a book that can be enjoyed with laughs and insight-fullness.
This book, "Freakanomics" is one of the best non-fiction books written and should be required reading for High School economics classes across the US. From the age of 13 up to people who show up on the Today show for the 100 or older Smucker's club, it is a book that can be enjoyed with laughs and insight-fullness.
3 people found this helpful