An edition of Freakonomics (2005)

Freakonomics

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

1st ed. (35)
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  • 3.9 (163 ratings) ·
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Last edited by laurenbr1
January 17, 2024 | History
An edition of Freakonomics (2005)

Freakonomics

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

1st ed. (35)
  • 3.9 (163 ratings) ·
  • 887 Want to read
  • 67 Currently reading
  • 201 Have read

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 moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?

These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff 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 with 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.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives-; how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In "Freakonomics," they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and-; if the right questions are asked-; is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to seethrough all the clutter.

"Freakonomics" establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But "Freakonomics" can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.
(front flap)

Publish Date
Publisher
William Morrow
Language
English
Pages
242

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Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
2007, William Morrow
Hardcover in English - Revised & Expand Edition (7)
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics
2007, W F Howes Ltd
Hardcover in English - Large print edition (1)
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
2007, William Morrow
Hardcover in English - Revised and Expanded Edition (12)
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
2006, William Morrow
Hardcover in English - 1st ed. (35)
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: Un economista politicamente incorrecto explora el lado oculta de lo que nos afecta
2006-04, Ediciones B
Paperback in Spanish
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
2006, HarperTorch
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Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
January 10, 2006, HarperLargePrint
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Freakonomics
2006-10, HarperCollins e-books
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Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
2005, William Morrow
Hardcover in English - 1st edition
Cover of: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
2005, William Morrow, HarperCollinsPublishers r
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Book Details


First Sentence

"Anyone living in the United States in the early 1990s and paying even a whisper of attention to the nightly news or a daily paper could be forgiven for having been scared out of his skin."

Table of Contents

An explanatory note
Introduction: the hidden side of everything
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
How is the Ku Klux Klan like a group of real-estate agents?
Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?
Where have all the criminals gone?
What makes a perfect parent?
Perfect parenting, Part II; or : would a Roshanda by any other name smell as sweet?
Epilogue : two paths to Harvard.

Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Published in
New York, USA
Copyright Date
2005

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
330
Library of Congress
HB74.P8 L479 2005

The Physical Object

Format
Hardcover
Pagination
xii, 242 p. ;
Number of pages
242
Dimensions
9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
Weight
1 pounds

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL9235214M
Internet Archive
freakonomicsrogu00levi_0
ISBN 10
006073132X
ISBN 13
9780060731328
LCCN
2004065478
OCLC/WorldCat
57207630, 804760406
Amazon ID (ASIN)
006073132X
Library Thing
675
Goodreads
58177951

Work Description

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

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 moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime?

These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing—and whose conclusions turn the conventional wisdom on its head.

Freakonomics is a ground-breaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with 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.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of … well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking at things.

Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. ButFreakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.

First published in the U.S. in 2005, Freakonomics went on to sell more than 4 million copies around the world, in 35 languages. It also inspired a follow-up book, SuperFreakonomics; a high-profile documentary film; a radio program, and an award-winning blog, which has been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe.”

(source)

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January 17, 2024 Edited by laurenbr1 Edited without comment.
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