Freakonomics (edit title)

• Rated 0 stars

“Being an engineer and a researcher an analytical approach to a problem always appeals to me. This particular book is a beautiful and simple depiction of the power of data and the insights one can gain to reason the workings of the world. Steven D. Levitt presents his reasoning for simple yet untractable questions as to how corrupt is the human race ? What is common between the ku klux clan and real estate agents ? On the surface these questions seem quite meaningless but after reading the analysis you can see how all this simple questions unfold the workings of a very complex world.”

• Rated 4 stars

“[[ Economics is a fantastic science with fantastic tools to interpret data but unfortunately vastly lacking interesting questions to answer. ]] 'niff said. Please note thzat the above is not Levitts original quote on the mattet but my dilettantly translating this back from German [g] but it nicely captures the spirit and I could only agree wholeheartedly.

Buying and readingv the book was a refreshing albeit short experience which left me with somewaht mixed feelings. The questions taken up in the book are genuinely interesting although from time to time seem to chosen with publicity in mind. Connecting abortion legislation with drops of crime rates a generation+ later is perfectly sensible from a rational point of view but come on, Levitt and Dubner should be well aware of the more general problems the Christian right in the US has with about everything only passingly rational. Personally I'd have wished for a clearer desription of the (statistical) tools and methods used when interpreting the data although I do understand that this was probably asking too much as Freakonomics is clearly not aimed at the technical reader.Nevertheless providing for instance a link to 1..n web pages holding this information would perhaps not only satisfy my curiosity but also tear some mindless accusations from wannabee economists and/or part time brain-shares to shreds.

In short:Kudos, this is good and probably important but not really great work and Stephen, get a littlemore patient, will you. Let the audience come up with the praises. Its in part simply embarassing to follow your hymns on the - surely brilliant - Mr. Levitt but such a thing is so much more powerful when coming from the readers not the author.

Take care, the 2 of you and continue surpising us...”

• Rated 4 stars

“Intriguing and intellegent. The stories are great and the exploration of statistics through them is thought provoking and challenging. Can not say enough that gets you to remember that critical thinking is needed in all facets of our personal and public lives.”

• Rated 5 stars

“So good, I read it twice in one year! In a world where common sense ain't so common, this will help you navigate the propaganda of the right and left wing idiots out there!!!”

• Rated 5 stars

“This book is a great read and I recommend it for those who love economics and those who are just learning about economic concepts. This is a refreshing book and not at all dry, so it was a breeze to read and enjoy.”

• Rated 2 stars

“Interesting ideas presented. But if you already know statistics it gets repetitive VERY fast. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“Fan-freakin-tastic! It's on my top ten list because it absolutely, fundamentally changed how I look at the world, cause and effect, and what REALLY matters in terms of a child's school performance (hint: it ain't the numbe of hours of TV she watches!).

In school, I had a reputation for questioning everything, especially "common knowledge." Freakonomics backs me up and reminds me to always consider the source.”

• Rated 5 stars

“This is a great book that really gets you thinking in a whole new way. I would recommend it as a must read no matter what your profession or hobbies. ”

• Rated 0 stars

“the abortion argument made me laugh out loud to consider how it may be perceived. thoughtful arguements backed by sufficient logic. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“Original, engaging, and quirky.”