Review: Freakonomics – By Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

When looking for a light, fun read, economics isn’t a subject that springs to most people’s minds. A common misconception about economics is that it’s all just about finance and money, economics is actually about the distribution of goods and services and motivators that drive these trade values. Freakonomics takes this a step further and applies these tools to intriguing questions that mostly have nothing to do with finance. This is all wrapped up into a highly entertaining, fun to read package.

Freakonomics analyses different questions on subjects such as why drug dealers still live with their mothers and why crime suddenly dropped in 1990 when it was predicted to boom uncontrollably.  These are answered with some clever, unexpected conclusions and hidden mechanics. You’ll find yourself remembering and reciting many of the stories and insights from this book. I still remember the story of the economist who quit his job to sell bagels and how the Ku Klux clan was slowed without the police or violence. I’ll always keep in mind the insight on emotional and financial motivators backed up by the stories around them. I’ll probably use the information and thought patterns used in Freakonomics throughout my life. This book makes you start looking at everything from a different angle and reminds you that things aren’t always as straight forward as they seem.

The book is centred around six main subject questions, given in the chapter titles, there are plenty of sidelines and sub plots throughout. Everything is described in a very easy to understand way. For a book that has no main story or characters it makes extremely good, entertaining reading and seems to follow a logical natural progression despite the fact it many of the subjects are extremely varied.

From start to end Freakonomics is one of those books that just won’t let go of your attention. You’ll find yourself talking about it with your friends and colleagues, and thinking about things in the world around you in a new light. I’d highly recommend this for an entertaining and thought-provoking read. I hope the sequel (Super-Freakonomics) is just as good.