Review: Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt – In which Economics prove to be cooler than Algebra

Novel: Nonfiction


THE CHARACTERIZATION.

WAS.

INCREDIBLE.

I jest of course, as this book contains no characters and really isn’t like any books I have previously reviewed. This will make it difficult to review it, as in the end, the purchase really just depends on whether you would buy and read a book SIMPLY to know some interesting facts and get a slightly skewed perspective. Levitt says at the end, that he knows the book won’t make a big difference.

It might make you treat a few people in certain jobs differently, it might make you distrust common knowledge more often. But other than that, I can scarcely say that the book will leave an emotional impact on you. It’s not necessarily boring so much as…not engaging.

Let me start from the beginning. The book was written by Steven Levitt, an economist, and Stephen Dubner, a writer. Levitt is apparently something of a wild card in the economist biz, as he comes to conclusions which disturb many, and enjoys looking into the stranger side of economics.

I’ll admit I never knew that economics could be interesting, or even strange. Freakonomics also covers a wide range of topics, with everything from sumo wrestlers to crack sellers. All topics are addressed with impressive objectivity, but still have enough spunk in them to be enjoyable.

This book is also perfect for someone like me, who normally reads sporadically. This way you can finish one of the essays in there, and pick it up two weeks later before starting the next essay.

But as I said, it isn’t very engaging. Due to the freakish nature of each subject, they don’t have visible connections, besides that they usually defy common knowledge and go somewhere unexpected. The transition between one to the next is smooth, but one might find themselves interested by one essay, and bored by the next.

If you're looking for how to write informative, logical, yet interesting essays, this book might provide some nice ideas. I don't condone a novice writer trying to change themselves to be like another writer, I think it's better that everyone finds their own voice. But it is our duty to learn from our predecessors, and this book might help you recognize some of your flaws in academic writing or give you an idea for a cool essay.

If you just enjoy essays and economics, first might I recommend that you partake in fewer highbrow activities, but next might I recommend this book? Perfect armchair read, just not for "beauty of life and death" kind of guy like me, who prefers his action and growth to his economic analyzation. If you’re looking for a book which involves oranges inside of apples (you have to see the cover to truly understand that reference), or anything that will jump off the page and startle you, this probably isn’t the right book for you. Mostly because Levitt comes to all his conclusions with methodical logic, there are a few double takes in the book, they just aren’t that surprising on further reflection.

So…that’s it. Fantastic for certain people, interesting for me, and probably boring if you have a low attention span (if so, what the heck are you doing here? Books about economics are not your strong point mon amigo).

I don’t regret reading it, I just wish that apple oranges came in somewhere along the line.

Awful – Bad – Good – Great – Brilliant
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Thank you for reading and have a nice day!