Freakonomics

Critics

• A hard look at the facts

  Freakonomics, by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner (Penguin, £8.99) We do not tend to read books about economics, or statistics. But we do like detective stories; and we like them too when they come from an unusual angle. So how much more unusual ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Findings of the Dismal Science

  This is the sort of book we can expect to see a great deal more of in the future. After Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point — a study of the way products or ideas move from niche positions to mass markets — economists and journalists have been racki ... (read full critics)

  spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

70 Reviews

• 11 people find this helpful

  

  Two quotes from the last chapter:

  "The most likely result of having read this book is a simple one: you may find yourself asking a lot of questions. Many of them will lead to nothing. But some will produce answers that are interesting, even surprising."

  "You might become more skeptical o ... (continue)

  Two quotes from the last chapter:

  "The most likely result of having read this book is a simple one: you may find yourself asking a lot of questions. Many of them will lead to nothing. But some will produce answers that are interesting, even surprising."

  "You might become more skeptical of the conventional wisdom; you may begin looking for hints as to why things aren't quite what they seem; perhaps you will seek out some trove of data and sift through it, balancing your intelligence and your intuition to arrive at a glimmering new idea"

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  disturbingtheuniverse said on May 27, 2006 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

• 4 people find this helpful

  

  I don't know what the hype on this book is all about. It has one or two interesting ideas and that's it.

  Easy to read for non-economists though.

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  Tracy W said on Apr 11, 2007 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  Hilarious and enlightening

  This book is immensely interesting! Just as the title reads, it shows you the "hidden side of everything", providing alternative perspectives that you have probably never thought of. A good book that inspires you to think more critically in daily life instead of blindly adhering to conventional wisd ... (continue)

  This book is immensely interesting! Just as the title reads, it shows you the "hidden side of everything", providing alternative perspectives that you have probably never thought of. A good book that inspires you to think more critically in daily life instead of blindly adhering to conventional wisdom.

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  larukucafe said on Aug 6, 2006 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  i found it hard to understand why everybody thinks freakonomics is such a great book. basic statistics, regression, correlation applied to a unusual range of topics, so what?

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  Piet said on Jan 22, 2012 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Bello questo libro, soprattutto per noi economisti (in erba e non) che molto spesso dimentichiamo il filo conduttore di ciò che stiamo studiando. Soprattutto utile la parte degli articoli sul NYT.

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  Markorules said on Dec 23, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  This book was recommended to me by my husband and friends who had borrowed it from him. It sat on my TBR shelf for some time as I was worried I would find it too dry and it would take me ages to read. Not so, I finished it within my two weeks holiday in France. Levitt pulls out the stops to turn ... (continue)

  This book was recommended to me by my husband and friends who had borrowed it from him. It sat on my TBR shelf for some time as I was worried I would find it too dry and it would take me ages to read. Not so, I finished it within my two weeks holiday in France. Levitt pulls out the stops to turn theories on their head. I was intrigued by the Klu Klux Klan secrets being divulged but in the copious notes and acknowledgments the authors admitted that they had found their source of information to be dubious on that particular subject. Which leaves the reader wondering at the 'real' impact. I agree with the logic that a backyard swimming pool is more dangerous to a child than a home that owned a gun. Statistics stand up to this, but the author's are not saying guns are not dangerous. Great theories which do make sense. I read the book but I am not interested in checking out the information for myself at this stage. If you want to read challenging information, go ahead, you may enjoy it.

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  Booketta said on Sep 7, 2011 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

See all 70 comments

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Hardcover 256 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0713998067
• ISBN-13: 9780713998061
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Pub date: Jan 01, 2005
• Dimensions: 1484 mm x 1032 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Paperback, Audio CD, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, 简体书, Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Livros em Português, Libri Italiani, Nederlandse Boeken

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