Cover via Open Library
Matt's pick · not sponsored
Freakonomics
- incentives
- data
- behavioral economics
- crime
- parenting
- podcast
Buy on Amazon(paid referral link)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
Why I'd hand it to you
An economist and a journalist use data to tackle odd questions: what schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common, why drug dealers often live at home, how names track class. The common thread is incentives, and once you see them, you see them everywhere. It is quick and fun and a good way to start thinking like an economist. Two reservations. It came out in 2005, so some examples feel dated, and its most famous argument, linking legalized abortion to lower crime, remains hotly disputed and will upset some readers. Enjoy it as a curiosity-starter rather than the final word on anything.
— Matt Jordan
Quick summary
- Book
- Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
- Who it's for
- Curious readers who want a quick, playful introduction to thinking like an economist, keeping in mind that some examples are dated and debated.
- Key topics
- Incentives
- Using data to answer odd questions
- Crime and parenting examples
- Behavioral economics
- Shelves
- Economics, Psychology, General Nonfiction
Details
- Author
- Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
- ASIN
- 0060731338
- On these shelves
- Economics Psychology General Nonfiction
- Short link
mattsbooks.org/r/frea
