Think Like a Freak

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics changed the way we see the world, exposing the hidden side of just about everything.

Now, with Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have written their most revolutionary book yet. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems. The topics range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining your brain. Along the way, you’ll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they’re from Nigeria.

Levitt and Dubner plainly see the world like no one else. Now you can, too. Never before have such iconoclastic thinkers been so revealing - and so much fun to read.

Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark medal, given to the most influential American economist under the age of 40.

Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning journalist and radio and TV personality, has worked for The New York Times and published three non-Freakonomics books.

©2014 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Not much new

If I were not a subscriber to the Freakonomics podcast I would give this a 4.5 star rating, but as I listened to the book I realized that much of it had been trotted out on the podcast. The book is one credit. The podcast is free. Where's the economics in that?

63 of 66 people found this review helpful

Very little new material - deceptively short

I've been following the Freaks for a while, so I was excited to get this audiobook and tear through it. But there was little in here that I hadn't heard in their previous books or on their podcast. Nearly everything they mentioned sounded very familiar.

The book was also extremely short, but supplemented by several podcasts at the end to artificially inflate the length. I'm tempted to ask audible for my money back. I wouldn't have spent an audible credit on such a short bit of entertainment. I could have put this credit towards a 47 hour Stephen King book and gotten waaaaaaaay more for my dollar.

I like the authors and their style, but this purchase was misleading and lacking in substance.

Boo.

71 of 76 people found this review helpful

Not a good trend

This is the second book this month that I've bought that has had podcast content tacked onto the end. This inflates the running time and makes you think you're getting more than you actually are. Any book that does this gets an immediate 1 star across the board. False advertising...

68 of 73 people found this review helpful

Heard it all before

Would you try another book from Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner and/or Stephen J. Dubner?

Yes

What could Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Everything in this book was great the first time I heard it, but if you have listened to the podcasts or the other books its pretty much the same.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Stephen J. Dubner?

SD is a great narrator, its just old content.

20 of 21 people found this review helpful

Only if you don't listen to the podcast.....

What disappointed you about Think Like a Freak?

If you follow and listen to the almost weekly podcasts you will have heard pretty much all of this material already. I really like what these guys do, but I felt duped for buying this audio book. If you have not listened to any podcasts you will like it.

If you’ve listened to books by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner before, how does this one compare?

Again, this was really a remake of prior materials.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The delivery was fine.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointed - nothing really new

48 of 52 people found this review helpful

Very Disapointing

I loved Freakonomics, liked Superfreakonomics and have listened to every podcast they have ever put out. So I was excited for their next offering. Sadly, about 80% of this book is recycled from the podcast.

Dubner's narration is excellent as always.

33 of 36 people found this review helpful

I prefer the audiobook over the physical book.

It's great for listening while doing other things.

This is the third book in the Freakonomics series. You don’t need to read them in order. I’ve enjoyed all three. They talk about a variety of subjects.

One subject was intriguing and not answered. A multinational retail company bought tv ads 3 times a year. They had their highest sales at those three times. The authors asked the question did the ads cause the sales? Or did the sales cause the ads? The company took out ads on the three biggest sale days: Black Friday, Christmas, and Father’s Day. The same company paid for advertising inserts in newspapers year round. The authors suggested the company run an experiment to see if those ads paid off - by doing no ads in selected areas for a few months and then comparing sales data. The marketing guys refused to experiment. They said they’d get fired if they stopped advertising. But they admitted that one summer an intern forgot to place the ads in the Pittsburgh area and there was no decrease in sales during that time. And still, the marketing guys refused to experiment. I’m having trouble with that. I don’t think I’d want to invest money in that company.

The authors looked at religious communities in Germany - or somewhere near there. They found Protestants made more money than Catholics - even though they all started with the same wages per hour. The reasons were: Protestants worked more hours per week, Protestants were more likely to be self employed, and more Protestant women worked than Catholic women.

Want to keep restrooms cleaner? Paint a fly in the urinal – male desire to target practice.

At the end of the audiobook, there are several episodes from Freakonomics Radio. They are available as podcasts from iTunes and the Freakonomics web site. They were good.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Co-author Stephen Dubner was excellent as a narrator. Good production equipment - I didn’t hear his breaths - yay.

Genre: nonfiction, economics.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Not freakonomics but a decent read

If you could sum up Think Like a Freak in three words, what would they be?

Thought provoking & interesting

If you’ve listened to books by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner before, how does this one compare?

Not as good in comparison but it's a good read on it's own.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Stephen J. Dubner?

Yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reactions - no life changing thoughts either.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Very Dissapointing

What disappointed you about Think Like a Freak?

Many stories which seemed manipulated or forced to illustrate points some vaguely articulated. Also, some of the stories made longer than needed.

What was most disappointing about Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner ’s story?

The gap between what the book offers and what it delivers. Over promises and under delivers. The message of thinking like a freak is not actually accomplished. It is another compilation of studies like previous editions but this one much worse with no element of novelty. Many cliches.

What didn’t you like about Stephen J. Dubner’s performance?

It was average. Sometimes got monotonous.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Think Like a Freak?

I would cut or combine some chapters.

Any additional comments?

The first books made an impression that this book tried to leverage. Unfortunately, it did not do it.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Too much here from the podcast

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Big fan of the podcast, but there was too much regurgitated that I'd already heard.

10 of 12 people found this review helpful