Freakonomics (Hardcover)

by Steven Levitt (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: ALLEN LANE (PENG); First Edition edition (July 7, 2005)
• ISBN-10: 0713998067
• ISBN-13: 978-0713998061
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,361 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Causality and Correlation--What do Carl Sagan and Mr. Rogers have in common?, January 25, 2006

By	S. C. Watson (NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Did you ever notice how much Carl Sagan and Mr. Rogers resembled each other? Bowl-cuts, large dark eyes, kind sensibilities, and penchant for cardigans. The significance? I haven't a clue. But surely, surely, we can draw some correlation with cardigans, the cosmos, and...? Levitt skips this particular phenom, but he does examine other fascinating correlations and explain them in an entertaining and even-keeled manner what would leave Rogers and Sagan proud. Questioning the universe with equanamity!

Ultimately, Freakonomics is instruction on casaulity versus correlation. A fascinating topic as both of these states are not necessarily apparent in the presented situations. Levitt chooses some cultural hot topics: Does increased police presence decrease crime? Do African American names affect opportunities in employment? Is Sumo wrestling, an "honor bound artform," as rigged as WWF? Do drug dealers beat minimum wage? And which is more dangerous: a swimming pool or a loaded gun?

Good thoughts. My complaint is one that I heard echoed in my friends' feedback. The style is a bit monotonous. Question, essay exposition, question, essay exposition. The obvious-answer-is-the-wrong-answer pattern becomes boring after three chapters. You might not know that swimming pools kill more children than guns, but the minute you see the topic, I doubt you'll answer "guns." Nonetheless, it was a good, quick read and I proceeded with The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. A recommended follow-up. More examination of causality and sociological insights.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Carl Sagan of Economics, October 7, 2005

By	therosen "therosen" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Steven Levitt appears to be more of the Carl Sagan of Economics than a rogue threatening to tear down the field. Along with his co-author, he makes current edge economic research accessible to the masses. This is no small feat when you look at the insano math behinds much of economics nowadays.

Some of the items he addresses are:
- What really lowers crime? (Prisons - yes. Cops - yes. Innovative strategies - no. Abortion - yes.)
- Why do drug dealers live with their parents? (They're poor)
- How much impact do parents have on their kids? (A lot from the genetic point of view, but their peers have more impact afterwards)
- Does school choice improve things? (For technical schools yet, but the act of wanting to change schools is the determining factor, not whether or not the change actually happens)

What's interesting here, is much of this flies in the face of conventional or current wisdom.
- The idea that Mayor G.'s "fix the broken windows" theory of policing was not the cause of lowering crime contradicts the writing of Malcolm Gladwell, who still writes raves reviews of Freakonomics.
- The idea that one's name signals parental economics preferences, but doesn't impact the child contradicts other University of Chicago research.

While the results are counter-intuitive, Levitt clearly explains the rationale behind his arguements. While you are exposed to his lateral thinking, the one thing you won't get is the complicated math used behind the scenes. For that you'll have to find the original papers quoted in his notes section at the end.

It's an easy read, and it's about time Economics got a Carl Sagan.

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Connections, June 29, 2009

By	Brian J. Baker "author of "YUCK! ...That ... (FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A very interesting look at some of the seemingly indirect relationships between random events and closely correlated outcomes. Very engaging, and an excellent read! I recommend reading this along with "The Tipping Point" and "Bl!nk" for a good view of opposing paradigms on socio-economic patters and their relative outcomes.