Freakonomics

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

By: Stephen J. Dubner, Steven D. Levitt

Narrated by: Stephen J. Dubner

Brought to you by Penguin.
WITH A NEW FOREWORD CELEBRATING 20 YEARS SINCE PUBLICATION
Assume nothing, question everything.

This is the message at the heart of Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner's rule-breaking, iconoclastic book about crack dealers, cheating teachers and bizarre baby names that turned everyone's view of the world upside-down and became an international multi-million-copy-selling phenomenon.
Asking provocative and profound questions about human motivation, Freakonomics will make you see the familiar world through a completely original lens.

'A sensation... you'll be stimulated, provoked and entertained. Of how many books can that be said?' Sunday Telegraph
'Prepare to be dazzled' Malcolm Gladwell

'Has you chuckling one minute and gasping in amazement the next' Wall Street Journal

© Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Very Interesting Listening

A quirky and interesting view on how the world works.

I read this book after discovery the treasure trove of hundreds of freakonomics podcasts. And it delivered with more of the same, clever research about arbitrary topics that keeps you interested.

Weird interlude music in the recording.

Also found the book quite disappointing and it did not live up to the hype. Many of the conclusions are very surface level and the book covers some very basic economic concepts, and how they apply to a few quirky real world examples. I expected a bit more nuance and depth, but as someone with an Economics degree I might be a little bit biased there.