The legendary bestseller that made millions look at the world in a radically different way returns in a new edition, now including an exclusive discussion between the authors and bestselling professor of psychology Angela Duckworth.
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? Which should be feared more: snakes or french fries? Why do sumo wrestlers cheat? In this groundbreaking book, leading economist Steven Levitt—Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and winner of the American Economic Association's John Bates Clark medal for the economist under 40 who has made the greatest contribution to the discipline—reveals that the answers. Joined by acclaimed author and podcast host Stephen J. Dubner, Levitt presents a brilliant—and brilliantly entertaining—account of how incentives of the most hidden sort drive behavior in ways that turn conventional wisdom on its head.
The legendary bestseller that made millions look at the world in a radically different way returns in a new edition, now including an exclusive discussion between the authors and bestselling professor of psychology Angela Duckworth.
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? Which should be feared more: snakes or french fries? Why do sumo wrestlers cheat? In this groundbreaking book, leading economist Steven Levitt—Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and winner of the American Economic Association's John Bates Clark medal for the economist under 40 who has made the greatest contribution to the discipline—reveals that the answers. Joined by acclaimed author and podcast host Stephen J. Dubner, Levitt presents a brilliant—and brilliantly entertaining—account of how incentives of the most hidden sort drive behavior in ways that turn conventional wisdom on its head.
Critiques-
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Starred review from March 14, 2005
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. 50-city radio campaign. -
June 6, 2005
Though the idea of listening to an economics text may bring to mind nightmarish visions of incomprehensible facts, figures and graphs, this audiobook is refreshingly accessible and engrossing. Journalist Dubner reads with just the right mix of enthusiasm and awe, revealing juicy morsels of wisdom on everything from what sumo wrestlers and teachers have in common (a propensity to cheat) to whether parents can really push their kids to greatness by buying them Baby Einstein toys and enlisting them in numerous before- and after-school activities (not really). The only section that doesn't translate well to the format is the final one on naming conventions. The lists of "White Girl Names" and "Black Girl Names," and "Low-End" names and "High-End" names can be mind-numbing, though the text that breaks up these lists will intrigue. Overall, however, these unusual investigations by Levitt, the "rogue" of the subtitle, make for meaty—and entertaining—listening. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 14). -
New York Times Book Review: Inside the List
"Provocative... eye-popping." — New York Times Book Review: Inside the List
"If Indiana Jones were an economist, he'd be Steven Levitt... Criticizing Freakonomics would be like criticizing a hot fudge sundae." — Wall Street Journal
"The guy is interesting!" — Washington Post Book World
"The funkiest study of statistical mechanics ever by a world-renowned economist... Eye-opening and sometimes eye-popping" — Entertainment Weekly
"Steven Levitt has the most interesting mind in America... Prepare to be dazzled." — Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point
"Principles of economics are used to examine daily life in this fun read." — People: Great Reads
"Levitt dissects complex real-world phenomena, e.g. baby-naming patterns and Sumo wrestling, with an economist's laser." — San Diego Union-Tribune
"Levitt is a number cruncher extraordinaire." — Philadelphia Daily News
"Levitt is one of the most notorious economists of our age." — Financial Times
"Hard to resist." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Freakonomics is politically incorrect in the best, most essential way.... This is bracing fun of the highest order." — Kurt Andersen, host of public radio's Studio 360 and author of Turn of the Century
"Freakonomics was the 'It' book of 2005." — Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"An eye-opening, and most interesting, approach to the world." — Kirkus Reviews
"An unconventional economist defies conventional wisdom." — Associated Press
"A showcase for Levitt's intriguing explorations into a number of disparate topics.... There's plenty of fun to be had." — Salon.com
"One of the decade's most intelligent and provocative books." — The Daily Standard
"Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and makes for fun reading." — Book Sense Picks and Notables
"The trivia alone is worth the cover price." — New York Times Book Review
"An easy, funny read. Many unsolvable problems the Americans have could be solved with simple means." — Business World
"Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences.... Steven D. Levitt will change some minds." — Amazon.com
