Superfreakonomics
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Review
Like Freakonomics, but better . . . thrilling . . . you are guaranteed a good time . . . underneath the dazzle, there is substance too (Tim Harford Financial Times )
Levitt is a master at drawing counter-intuitive conclusions . . . great fun . . . Superfreakonomics travels further than its predecessor (Tom Standage Sunday Times )
A humdinger ... Page-turning, politically incorrect and ever-so-slightly intoxicating, like a large swig of tequila (The Times )
Levitt is a master at drawing counter-intuitive conclusions . . . great fun . . . Superfreakonomics travels further than its predecessor (Tom Standage Sunday Times )
A humdinger ... Page-turning, politically incorrect and ever-so-slightly intoxicating, like a large swig of tequila (The Times )
Product Description
Steven Levitt, the original rogue economist, and Stephen Dubner have spent four years uncovering the hidden side of even more controversial subjects, from terrorism to shark attacks, cable TV to hurricanes. The result is Superfreakonomics. It reveals, among other things:
- Why you are more likely to be killed walking drunk than driving drunk
- How a prostitute is more likely to sleep with a policeman than be arrested by one
- Why terrorists might be easier to track down than you would imagine
- How a sex change could boost your salary
Because sometimes the most superfreaky solution is the simplest.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An enjoyable book that covers some unusual subjects but is not as good as the original freakonomics book.
This one goes into a lot more detail on a single subject and as a result is not as wide-ranging, and does at times feel as if its trying to imply that the reader cannot draw their own conclusions from the initial information provided. The original Freakonomics book didnt go into as much details and left the reader able to draw their own conclusions from the outline facts rather than having everything spelled out for you.
I like the Freakonomic books but if you are new to these then the original is the better of the two in my view.
This one goes into a lot more detail on a single subject and as a result is not as wide-ranging, and does at times feel as if its trying to imply that the reader cannot draw their own conclusions from the initial information provided. The original Freakonomics book didnt go into as much details and left the reader able to draw their own conclusions from the outline facts rather than having everything spelled out for you.
I like the Freakonomic books but if you are new to these then the original is the better of the two in my view.
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Read the book before you judge it. You may not agree with all the facts or conclusions, but it will make you think and debate the issues. The book is fascinating and 3 people reading it will give you three different opinions on it and about how good it is.
Should you read it - yes. Will you enjoy it - yes. Will you agree with everything - no.
Prostitution: The price of oral sex has fallen as it has become less taboo socially. Pimps value their prostitutes - which makes sense because I would expect a taxi driver to value his car because it is their means of making a living. And controversially prostitutes are more likely to have sex with a police officer than be arrested by one!
Global Warming: so controversial that people will down rate this book if it disagrees with their own accepted wisdom. The book contains hyperbole and overstatements that generates heated debate - (intended!) economic consequence of this is more press and more sales. But the authors do not deny global warming, rather they want to show how costly and difficult the current answers suggested by the big governments are, and they offer some potentially interesting solutions.
Read it in short bursts - it is not a Dan Brown novel!
Should you read it - yes. Will you enjoy it - yes. Will you agree with everything - no.
Prostitution: The price of oral sex has fallen as it has become less taboo socially. Pimps value their prostitutes - which makes sense because I would expect a taxi driver to value his car because it is their means of making a living. And controversially prostitutes are more likely to have sex with a police officer than be arrested by one!
Global Warming: so controversial that people will down rate this book if it disagrees with their own accepted wisdom. The book contains hyperbole and overstatements that generates heated debate - (intended!) economic consequence of this is more press and more sales. But the authors do not deny global warming, rather they want to show how costly and difficult the current answers suggested by the big governments are, and they offer some potentially interesting solutions.
Read it in short bursts - it is not a Dan Brown novel!
64 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
'Superfreakonomics' is the cumbersomely titled sequel to the bestselling 'Freakonomics' - a book that gave an entertaining overview of microeconomics, and supplied plenty of food for thought. If you enjoyed the first volume, you will undoubtedly enjoy 'SuperFreakonomics'. It is essentially the same book, but with different case studies - if your first book sold over four million copies, why change a winning formula?
Initially I was unimpressed; the first chapter, dealing with prostitution felt like a rehash of the first book, only less interesting. Soon after, things pick up. The sections on emergency medicine and altruism were interesting and ask questions about the way in which we perceive our world. It is these alternate world views that are the 'Freakonomics' books strongest assets. Time and again the authors hold up a hand and say 'but what about...?'
Not everybody will be happy. The authors offer some thoughts on climate change, that go against current thinking, for which they will undoubtedly be pilloried. Of course challenging convention is the point of this book, and I'm sure the authors will welcome the debate. Less happy though, will be road-safety experts. 'Superfreakonomics' reveals that for the drinker, drink-driving is safer than drink-walking. (They do say that a taxi home is much better option still, but considering their findings on altruism, this seems a foolhardy admission.) The section on child safety seats will also cause great consternation, not least amongst child safety seat manufacturers.
Whilst casting doubt on the efficacy of child car seats, the book does ask a singular and important question. Since the primary users of rear seats are children, why aren't they designed with children in mind? Many of the topics covered in 'Superfreakonomics' are distilled down to simple and (with hindsight) obvious questions, and this is part of what makes it a pleasure to read. Another factor, is the lightness of tone, despite being a book about small details, it never becomes bogged down. I would though agree with another reviewer's comments, that the tone used can sometimes grate. It is very chummy and often self-congratulating.
'Superfreakonomics's' strength is also its biggest weakness. To avoid being, dull it only takes a cursory glance at its subject matter. One can't help but wonder what we aren't being told. The authors acknowledge that statistics are easy to fudge, but without doing masses of further reading, it is impossible to judge to what extent the figures have been massaged to back up their suppositions.
That said, the purpose of this book is to provoke debate and stop its readers from accepting everything at face value. I would suggest that this scepticism has to start with 'Superfreakonomics' itself - this is a book that will pose far more questions than it answers, but that is no bad thing. Like its predecessor, 'Superfreakonomics' is an entertaining and thought-provoking book, that deserves to be be read and discussed by as many people as possible.
Initially I was unimpressed; the first chapter, dealing with prostitution felt like a rehash of the first book, only less interesting. Soon after, things pick up. The sections on emergency medicine and altruism were interesting and ask questions about the way in which we perceive our world. It is these alternate world views that are the 'Freakonomics' books strongest assets. Time and again the authors hold up a hand and say 'but what about...?'
Not everybody will be happy. The authors offer some thoughts on climate change, that go against current thinking, for which they will undoubtedly be pilloried. Of course challenging convention is the point of this book, and I'm sure the authors will welcome the debate. Less happy though, will be road-safety experts. 'Superfreakonomics' reveals that for the drinker, drink-driving is safer than drink-walking. (They do say that a taxi home is much better option still, but considering their findings on altruism, this seems a foolhardy admission.) The section on child safety seats will also cause great consternation, not least amongst child safety seat manufacturers.
Whilst casting doubt on the efficacy of child car seats, the book does ask a singular and important question. Since the primary users of rear seats are children, why aren't they designed with children in mind? Many of the topics covered in 'Superfreakonomics' are distilled down to simple and (with hindsight) obvious questions, and this is part of what makes it a pleasure to read. Another factor, is the lightness of tone, despite being a book about small details, it never becomes bogged down. I would though agree with another reviewer's comments, that the tone used can sometimes grate. It is very chummy and often self-congratulating.
'Superfreakonomics's' strength is also its biggest weakness. To avoid being, dull it only takes a cursory glance at its subject matter. One can't help but wonder what we aren't being told. The authors acknowledge that statistics are easy to fudge, but without doing masses of further reading, it is impossible to judge to what extent the figures have been massaged to back up their suppositions.
That said, the purpose of this book is to provoke debate and stop its readers from accepting everything at face value. I would suggest that this scepticism has to start with 'Superfreakonomics' itself - this is a book that will pose far more questions than it answers, but that is no bad thing. Like its predecessor, 'Superfreakonomics' is an entertaining and thought-provoking book, that deserves to be be read and discussed by as many people as possible.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
More right than correct
I enjoyed the original Feakonomics very much. The application of research tools to wicked problems was intellectually satisfying, engagingly written and fresh. Read more
Published 2 days ago by S. Downs
Only read if you are a peanut-size brained Freakonomics fan
I will not let myself go long about this book. Quick and deadly.
If the ratio examples:real content was pretty high in Freakonomics, do not bother about it with... Read more
If the ratio examples:real content was pretty high in Freakonomics, do not bother about it with... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Vendae
Interesting but....
I enjoyed the first book. I enjoyed this book, too. His ideas are amusing and thought-provoking and may even turn out to be correct, but I am concerned about his... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dr. Michael Golding
Brilliant and Extremely Interesting
I really enjoyed the first book, Freakonomics. It was read by so many people and contrined so many fascinating stories about how Economics has proven useful and given people... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Richard Stowey
Every bit as insightful and entertaining as the first
Unlike it's predecessor, the authors concede that this book, and the former, do have a unifying theme, that people respond to incentives. Read more
Published 12 months ago by A. J. Smith
Worryingly Bad
Only a few pages in, and the author is attempting to show off his 'economic approach' by arguing that walking whilst drunk is eight times more dangerous than driving. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Alan
Turns conventional wisdom on its head with some dangerous conclusions
On the face of it,this is a light and entertaining read, in which Levitt and Dubner gather together a miscellany of statistics and quirky stories to reach some more general... Read more
Published 15 months ago by joc66
Not as good as the original
That's it: It's good, but not as good as 'Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything'
Maybe I just got used to the format and expected more? Read more
Maybe I just got used to the format and expected more? Read more
Published 15 months ago by Wil Ames
Authors responding to incentives
A micro-economist would say that when you have produced a successful brand like Freakonomics, it would be foolish not to produce a sequel. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Dave C
Eerily reminiscent of watching an episode of QI
I loved the original Freakonomics book, and I loved Superfreakonomics, too. Although some of the base material may be familiar to you if you are a reader of popular science online... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Clive Freeman
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