Freakonomics

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View books by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner.

Not quite what it says on the tin - Rated
This is an entertaining read, but it's not really economics - it's a look at the statistics of everyday life. The hagiographic introductions to each chapter grate.

Data never lies, right? - Rated
I'm not an economist, but I have worked in data programming. So I know from first hand experience
how easy it is to get carried away with figures.
This is not to say that the authors are over exagerating their findings, indeed most of what the book states would seem pretty reasonable.
All I'm saying is that true, data never lies (the old cliche), but at the same time should never be considered absolute.

The book is interesting and offers a new and fresh look at how political, social and cultural assumptions can lead us to
the most peculiar of conclusions (ex: parenting is just one of the many topics addressed).

Easy to read and enjoyable.

An entertaining read for the non-economist - Rated
As someone who knows very little about economics or markets or even the daily news, I found it very interesting and easy to read. I read the book cover to cover the day it arrived. It is fun, though-provoking, and humorous all the way through.

Entertaining study of how economics can reveal remarkable truths - Rated
Steven D. Levitt is a learned economist and academic. However, his professional interests, as well as the often-jarring questions he asks, are more those of a bookie, detective, filmmaker or treasure hunter. Indeed, Levitt professes little interest in economics per se. Instead, he likes to solve fascinating riddles and paradoxes. With the help of bestselling author Stephen J. Dubner, Levitt explores numerous offbeat, sometimes zany topics in this bestselling book, including why it doesn't pay to attend a better high school and why many drug dealers live with their moms. getAbstract thinks you will find something to relish on every page of this eye-opening book and recommends it highly, with this update: as summarized below, the authors attributed the 1990s drop in the U.S. crime rate to the nation's legalization of abortion in the 1970s, positing that unwanted children are likelier to become criminals. Writer Malcolm Gladwell later disproved this concept, contending that the contraceptive pill's advent in the '60s should have produced a similar result, but, one generation later, crime increased. Levitt has since updated his contention, stating, "During that period, more abortions implied less crime. Whether that is still true today is quite questionable."

.......... - Rated
wonderful read. i couldn't drop the book for a second.
Was delivered pretty quickly and it looked new, consideFreakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everythingring the description it was given.