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Book Review: Freakonomics

Friday, August 12, 2011 § 10

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
Why do drug dealers still live with their mums?
How much do parents really matter?

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Inner Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Format: Paperback Edition, 352 pages

Publisher:
Harper Collins Publishers
ISBN:
9780060731335
With Film Version? None
Number of Times Read: Once.

Synopsis: 
Those questions may sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the stuffs and riddles of everyday life-- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing-- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins on a mountain of data and a simple unasked question. Some of these questions concern life and death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: Freakonomics. 

Reading nonfiction is not exactly my cup of tea. I prefer made-up-and-woven stories. But as I was browsing at the bookstore for titles I haven't yet read, I came through this one: Freakonomics. It sure did catch my attention. I like the title and maybe if it wasn't labeled an international bestseller, I still would have bought it.

This is going to be the shortest review ever. First, because Freakonomics is nonfiction and, secondly, it had, and still has, enough critics to review it and I am no expert when it comes to economics. To be honest, I just slept it off during my Econ 101 and Health Econ. Economics is boring, but, Freakonomics, it's something else. It perked me up when I was reading it. 

Freakonomics is now my favorite nonfiction and it's a very unusual book written by a very unusual economist, with the collaboration of an equally unusual New York Times columnist. It's really good, it made me look at things in a completely different perspective. Once you get around to reading this book, you're going to be like, "Why didn't I figure this out before, it's plain obvious!" It offers unusual downright-but-true explanations  to the riddles of everyday life.

In addition, I am adding my goodreads review, since I can't think of anything to add to my really short review.
hot damn.. this freakonomist's sheer truthfulness makes me nod my head quite a thousand times, and i still haven't even covered half of what he has to say.. will my pathetic neck survive? who says nonfiction is rag as compared to fiction??(;
So that's it. He he. Hope I convinced you to buy and read this awesomeness. Though, arguably, the title should be intriguing enough. Hmm? (;

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