Freakonomics - A Rogue Economist by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner

This is one extremely entertaining book which will seem like an intellectual adventure for you (the book is not without its problems, but we can safely ignore those). The author, Steven D. Levitt, is great at questioning conventional wisdoms. At the same time, he takes the help of traditional tools he learned while studying economics to find answers to these very questions he is asking. The way he answers these questions is interesting and engaging, and that’s precisely the reason the readers feel captivated the moment they start reading.

Provocative, Interesting and Reasoned Answers

The answers to his own questions as developed by Steven D. Levitt are provocative, interesting and reasoned at the same time. Your own opinion whether you are ready to pay the money for the book or not, depends on your own perception of the problems raised by Steven D. Levitt. Contrary to what the name of the book says, the author Steven D. Levitt is not a rogue economist; he uses the same tools the conventional economists use, though the book he writes is very much a mainstream book. He is one of the most respected economists in his own peer group also.

The Arguments Given Are Tight

There are problems with the book as well, as the earlier part of the book is very fast moving and a fun read. After that, it’s more of an attempt to create a longer version of the book. The arguments put forward are tight, but not comprehensive enough, and other points of view have been simply brushed aside. The authors say the crime rate has declined due to the decision taken by Roe v Wade, but only national factors have been analyzed in this piece. It would have been great if the author had compared the data of various cities and could have taken into account the crime data disparities across various regions.

No Grey Areas… Just One Right Answer

The general tendency to provide one right answer for the problem is dominant throughout the book. There is no attempt to provide a deep insight into the problem or complicated factors behind it. His conclusions have (in many cases) managed to offend everyone concerned. In his study and conclusions on crime rate, some thought this was an attempt to promote abortion, whereas the liberals sensed there was some racism in the arguments. Steven D. Levitt questions the conventional boundaries of thinking, that too successfully.

Freakonomics - A Rogue Economist by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner