My Favorite Reads: Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Steven J. Dubner
by Jenners • 09/24/2009 • 4 Stars, D Authors, F Titles, L Authors • 16 Comments
The Book Description
From Publishers Weekly: Forget your image of an economist as a crusty professor worried about fluctuating interest rates: Levitt focuses his attention on more intimate real-world issues, like whether reading to your baby will make her a better student. Recognition by fellow economists as one of the best young minds in his field led to a profile in the New York Times, written by Dubner, and that original article serves as a broad outline for an expanded look at Levitt’s search for the hidden incentives behind all sorts of behavior. There isn’t really a grand theory of everything here, except perhaps the suggestion that self-styled experts have a vested interest in promoting conventional wisdom even when it’s wrong. Instead, Dubner and Levitt deconstruct everything from the organizational structure of drug-dealing gangs to baby-naming patterns. While some chapters might seem frivolous, others touch on more serious issues, including a detailed look at Levitt’s controversial linkage between the legalization of abortion and a reduced crime rate two decades later. Underlying all these research subjects is a belief that complex phenomena can be understood if we find the right perspective. Levitt has a knack for making that principle relevant to our daily lives, which could make this book a hit. Malcolm Gladwell blurbs that Levitt “has the most interesting mind in America,” an invitation Gladwell’s own substantial fan base will find hard to resist.
Why I Liked It
Like reading books about economics? Yeah…me neither.
In fact, in college I was awarded a $1,000 scholarship that had one string attached—I had to take an economics course for each semester that I had the scholarship. (I was a journalism major and the scholarship was from a company that hoped to groom journalists with a background in economics.) I struggled for 3 semesters in various economic courses—macroeconomics, microeconomics and the single most boring college course I ever took, “The Great Economists of the 19th and 20th Century.” (Seriously, I could not stay awake in that class. I kept doing the head bob and then rocketing awake with a start. The professor had an awful monotone, the classroom was stuffy, and the subject as presented was as dry as burnt toast.) All I came away with was a headache and a vague knowledge about the relationship between supply and demand.
So you know what I did? I told the dean that I didn’t want the scholarship. I gave it up. It wasn’t worth it to me. Yeah…it was that bad. (To my amazement and eternal gratitude, they found another scholarship for me that didn’t require any economics courses.)
I thought my hate-hate relationship with economics was over then. But then I saw co-author Steven J. Dubner talking about this book on The Daily Show and I was intrigued. It sounded very interesting and a bit out there. And the title alone let me know this wasn’t your average economics book. So I got a copy, read it, and it was AMAZING! Seriously, the ideas in this book are fascinating and presents economics in a way that even I could understand and comprehend. This is economics applied in a way I didn’t know it could be applied—to real-world situations and things that happen in my daily life. I was completely engrossed in this book and will probably reread it again someday.
There is some controversial stuff in here, and it isn’t boring in the least. It will open your mind to think about things in ways you’ve never thought about them before. It will encourage you to seek connections between things that don’t seem connected. It will shine a light on your everyday world and ask you to look at it from a different angle. If economics had been presented to me like it is in this book, I would have stuck with this course of study. As it was, I’ll just settle for this book.
Pingback: SM5S Review: Superfreakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
Even though I loved my economics class, I thought Freakonomics was a pretty good read.
I took an economics course in college. For one day. Then I dropped it because I decided it sounded boring. Then I dropped my major and switched to art because economics was required for business. Ah, what might have been if only not for economics….
I think Bermudaonion wins the prize for the best comment so far on this post!!! :–)
This isn't a book I'd normally pick, but your review has me wanting to get it!
I really liked Freakonomics. Coming soon is: Super Freakonomics
Holy cow! When I took econ, I signed up for the young, hip, cute professor and what did he do? He fell off the roof of his house at the beginning of the semester and had to be replace by a dry, old, boring professor. I hated econ after that! Maybe this book is for me!
I have this book on my shelves. I'm sure if I'd already read it, I'd remember. Maybe not. I also really enjoy The Dismal Science columns on Slate.com–they're sociology related to economics.
I love this book! Here's a link to my review:
http://bibliofreakblog.com/nonfiction/freakonomics-a-rogue-economist-explores-the-hidden-side-of-everything-by-steven-d-levitt-and-stephen-j-dubner/
I, too, loathed economics, but I agree, this is a fantastic book. I listened to it on audio…it was narrated by one of the authors (the writer one, not the economist).
I haven't read this book and thankfully never had to take an economics class in college. I did have a professor just like the one you mentioned though – it was a history class. The downside of falling asleep was that there were only 14 students in the class, so it was very obvious if you were sleeping. One other student and I used to sit next to each other and chew gum and elbow each other to stay awake. I don't even like gum, but it seemed to keep me semi-conscious.
I would never have given this book a second look, so thanks for the suggestion!
Add my name to the list of people who hated their econ classes. But this book appeals to me. I recall hearing quite a bit about it when it came out but never got around to reading it. I'm going to add it to my library list.
I am convinced that all experts, on all topics, know nothing. they are all just making it up!
I'm another one who hated economics with a passion whilst at school. If, like Sandy says, this book can make any (let alone a whole lot of) sense, then I'm all for my reading it.
Like you, I HATED my economics classes in college. Sitting through those classes was pure torture for me. But this book? Brilliant! By nature I like things explained, and everything this guy said made a whole lot of sense to me. Same idea as Outliers, which I also enjoyed!
I loved reading this book a few years ago! I remember giving it to several of my kiddos and enjoying their comments and opinions! There were great correlations and I loved the ways the author linked totally random things together. It was a great reminder of a book that surprised me!
Thanks!