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Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything | 
 enlarge | Authors: Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £1.99
You Save: £8.00 (80%)
New (29) Used (35) from £1.95
Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 494
Media: Paperback
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0141019018
EAN: 9780141019017
ASIN: 0141019018
Publication Date: June 18, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Interesting read, new copy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 134 more reviews...
 Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology August 26, 2008
Jezza (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.
 Fun & interesting August 17, 2008
Matt (UK)
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).
I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.
If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one August 13, 2008
Music/Book/Film Fan (Morden, UK)
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.
I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.
Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.
 Fun, informative read June 16, 2008
I. A. Karampatzakis (Thessaloniki, Greece)
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.
English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.
Totally recommended
A welcome dose of empiricism June 16, 2008
Gareth Greenwood (Wales, UK)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
One of the troubles with economics is the woeful scientific illiteracy of economists. Much of this can be traced to their frequent failure to check their assumptions (leave alone their predictions) against the real world - which is why so many economics texts are unconvincing to specialists in the exact sciences.
For that reason I like popular economics books that look at the minutiae, present real life situations and apply economic reasoning to them. As a genre they are a mixed bunch but I like this one by Levitt, mostly because the examples it gives are all ones in which the more simplistic interpretations of of conventional economic analysis give predictions that are at variance with reality.
Sherlock Holmes famously said that when the theories don't fit the facts, you change the theories. In this book Levitt directs our attention to situations in which economic theory does fit the facts but where careful empirical investigation is needed to see why they fit. Such empiricism is to be applauded. Ultimately it is only by accurately describing reality that economics will shed its currently still deserved reputation as a dismal science.
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