Last night I read Steven D. Levitt's much-hyped book Freakonomics. My reaction: A very interesting read but not nearly as profound as perhaps it has been made out to be. If you already understand that correlation does not equal causation and that humans respond to both moral as well as financial incentives I'm not sure how much insight the book will give you. What the book is, however, is a collection of unusual and informative anecdotes ranging from match rigging in Japanese sumo wrestling to the economics of crack-dealing (my personal favorite discussion in the book).
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While I'm glad I read Freakonomics and would definitely recommend it I would also have to add that I was a bit turned off by the seemingly relentless self-promotion by Levitt. He's young! He's bright! He's loved and hated by both Democrats and Republicans! He's a free-thinker! And he doesn't even like math! Every chapter is divided by quotes from a fawning 2003 profile of Levitt -- written by co-author Stephen J. Dubner -- that basically just reinforces what a great guy he is.
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The book is thought-provoking and is an entertaining read, but I'll be highly surprised if it changes anyone's perspective on the world.
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