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Freakonomics  By  cover art

Freakonomics

By: Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Narrated by: Stephen J. Dubner
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Publisher's summary

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. Thus the new field of study contained in this audiobook: Freakonomics.

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 explore the hidden side of...well, everything. The inner working of a crack gang...the truth about real-estate agents...the secrets of the Klu Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking, and Freakonomics will redefine the way we view the modern world.

©2006 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (P)2006 HarperAudio

Critic reviews

"Refreshingly accessible and engrossing." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Freakonomics

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I wished the book was longer.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. The topics discussed and the examples they gave were intriguing. I wished the book was much longer.

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Mind blown!

This is great storytelling of an awesome set of questions and answers. I need more!

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Interesting

Wonderful book about outside the box thinking, of which I know there are plenty. That said, this one is different, Dubner is a great storyteller and Levitt's insights are truly original.

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Insightful

This book was insightful when it comes to questioning the norm. some of the essays seemed short "cited" (Haha), but I was glad that additions were added at the end to revisit the topics researched. I'll be starting on the podcast next.

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Excellent Thought Provoking Book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had difficulty putting it down. The ideas and concepts presented - whether you agree with them or not - prompt the reader to look at the world and themselves in a way they probably never have before. I was only disappointed when I realized I was at the end of the book.

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Great read!

Freakinomics was a very strange read. I learned a few things about many subjects and I truly hope I can think about things a little bit more like a economist.

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Great!

Want to read this now as well. Content is engaging and great to listen to.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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uninteresting

used business analysis and economics tools on social aspects of life which can be summarized in a much shorter or compact version.

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Great alternative perspective of economics

Excellent way to look at economics from an outside the box perspective. Strange music though.
Narrator did well, just awkwardly timed music inserts, for no apparent reason. The material/subject matter was intriguing and I appreciated that the authors strove to correct issues from the previous version, and candidly identified areas of weakness. Definitely worth the read.

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A little too much info

Think Like a Freak was sooo much better. This was a good book but they went into way too many details to pay attention to and retain to follow the story or example. Overall good, but if you’re going to listen to one, make it Think Like a Freak.

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